Does laser phototherapy treat male pattern hair-loss?

Question

Laser phototherapy is being touted as an effective treatment for male pattern hair-loss.

e.g. Hairmax claims:

HOW HAIRMAX STIMULATES HAIR GROWTH:

• Energizes weakened hair follicles
• Awakens dormant hair follicles
• Increases growth factors for more oxygen and nutrients to your hair follicles
• Reverses hair’s thinning process
• Restores hairs natural growth cycle
• Stimulates hair to grow fuller, denser and stronger

Has laser phototherapy been demonstrated as an effective treatment for hair-loss?

Answer 1

I was totally ready to say this is a complete and utter sham, however I have found two papers that seem to indicate that there is some positive effect from using the Hairmax device.

A Rutgers team (sponsored by Lexington International) concludes (PDF):

This randomized, doubleblind, sham device-controlled, multicentre efficacy trial indicates that the HairMax LaserComb laser phototherapy device with its patented hair-parting teeth mechanism is an effective, well tolerated treatment for hair loss of androgenetic aetiology. Indeed, the HairMax LaserComb is currently the only laser therapy device that has been clinically studied and proven to grow hair in males with certain classes of AGA.

Please note that this is for a specific type of baldness (AGA - Androgenetic Alopecia). Don't know what that means exactly.

And since I didn't want to make just one paper the answer, here is a paper from Harvard that says essentially the same thing (PDF):

In four randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trials of MPHL and FPHL, we detected a statistically significant increase in terminal hair density after 26 weeks of lasercomb treatment compared with sham treatment. Such improvement was independent of the sex and age of the subject, and independent of the lasercomb model when similar laser dose rates were delivered. A higher percentage of lasercomb-treated subjects reported overall Lasercomb Treatment of Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss 125 improvement of hair loss condition and thickness and fullness of hair in self-assessment, though the results did not always reach statistical significance. Increase in terminal hair count was comparable to the short-term trials of 5 % minoxidil topical solution and 1 mg/day finasteride, but less efficacious than longer term (C1 year) trials.

In this one, there is some cautionary language (added emphasis from me in the quote).

Note that the Hairmax page uses some language that I would say is more marketing speak than scientific language, the basic claim of improving hair growth seems to bear out in testing.

PubMed also has a page where they quote the above Harvard paper.

There is another paper that appears to come from a Laser in Medicine journal:

Conclusion: LLLT for hair growth in both men and women appears to be both safe and effective. The optimum wavelength, coherence and dosimetric parameters remain to be determined.

Google Scholar lists a bunch of other papers and articles: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#safe=strict&q=scholar:+hairmax

I guess you learn something every day and have your preconceived notions challenged.