HairMax LaserComb(R) Laser Phototherapy Device in the Treatment of Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham Device-Controlled, Multicentre Trial
The company that makes the laser comb is using the results of their study as proof that the laser comb does work and that you should buy it. Just the name of the study is confusing. The intent of this article is to parse out the language and tell you what this study really means.
Phototherapy, or light therapy, uses artificial wavelengths of light to treat conditions. Laser is a loosely defined part of the light spectrum. So laser phototherapy means that a certain range of light wavelengths (near the infrared wavelength) are used. The field of photobiology is extensive so I am not going to go into the details of the science. However, typically laser phototherapy is used to stimulate the growth of cells. Essentially it takes in the energy from the light and that energy stimulates cell growth.
Androgenetic Alopecia is the scientific name for male pattern baldness. This is the most common type of baldness in men. Typically it involves a receding hairline into the classic “m” shape as well as a bald spot on the crown of the head.
Controlling for external factors is a huge part of whether a clinical trial can be trusted or not. For instance, if you put people on a strict calorie diet, exercise a lot, and take a diet pill. If the participants lost weight, there is no way you could no exactly what was responsible for the weight loss. There for, you would have a group that only dieted, only exercised, or took diet pills and also all possible combinations of the three. Then you compare the weight loss for all control groups to see which factor seems to be responsible for the weight loss. Other factors that may be controlled in a clinical trial are age, medical history etc. It is important to control any factor that may be at all relevant to the study. A randomized trial is when the study participants do not know if they are in the control group or receiving the actual treatment that is being studied. This is important because for instance if you knew you were not actually being given the treatment you may behave or report finding differently than if you think you are being given the treatment.
A double-blind study is when neither the participants nor the scientists performing the study know if the participants are in the control group or not. This way, they will treat everyone as if they are being given treatment and are more prone to collect data objectively.
Sham0device control means that the control group did not actually use a working laser comb, even though they thought they were. Lastly, a multicentre trial is when a study is carried out at more than one medical center. This means that a scientist’s opinions and findings cannot be affected by others. When different scientists come to the same conclusion independently, the findings carry more weight.