Scratching the surface: can tiny wounds spark new hair growth?
NCT ID NCT03491267
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This early study tested if gentle wounding (using a laser or mild scraping) can trigger new hair growth in people with a type of scarring hair loss called CCCA. Researchers mapped bald spots on the scalp, applied different wounding methods with or without FDA-approved creams, and watched for new hairs using photos and small skin samples. The goal was to see if this approach could lead to new treatments for conditions where hair follicles are permanently lost.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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24 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2018
- Finished
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Nov 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria Subjects who meet the following inclusion criteria will be included in the study: * Male or female older than 18 at the screening visit; * The subject is healthy, as determined by the investigator based on a medical evaluation including medical history; * The subject has clinical diagnosis of CCCA; * The subject's CCCA is of grades 2, 3 or 4, as assessed at the time of the screening visit. * The subject is willing and able to comply with the requirements of the protocol. In particular, subject must adhere to the visits schedule, concomitant therapy and hair processing prohibitions, subject instructions, and biopsy procedures; * The subject is willing to comply with the month long washout period if deemed necessary; * The subject has understood and signed an Informed Consent Form approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to any investigational procedure Exclusion criteria Any subject who is meeting one or more of the following exclusion criteria at the screening visit and/or at the baseline visit will not be included in this study: * The subject has an underlying known disease, a surgical or medical condition that in the opinion of the investigator might put the subject at risk * The subject presents with any disease known or described to potentially interfere with a normal wound healing process * The subject is pregnant or breastfeeding at the time of enrollment or is planning to become pregnant at any point during the study period (by self report) * The subject has a past history of coagulation trouble * The subject has a past history of abnormal healing (hypertrophic scars/keloids within the past 10 years) * The subject has an underlying dermatological disease that in the opinion of the investigator could interfere with the study evaluations * The subject has scars, sunburn, either damaged or broken (cuts or abrasions) skin or other blemishes, or tattoos on the scalp in the treatment area * The subject is unwilling or unable to refrain from specific types of chemical hair styling and processing, including perms, straighteners, relaxers, dyes, weaves * The subject has a known allergy or sensitivity to any local anesthetic drug (e.g. lidocaine) or a local antiseptic planned to be used for the laser and/or biopsy procedures * The subject is in an exclusion period from a previous study or is participating in another clinical trial * The subject is an adult under guardianship or is hospitalized in a public or private institution, or is deprived of freedom * The subject is unable to communicate or cooperate with the Investigator due to language problems, poor mental development, or impaired cerebral function
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Dermatology Department
Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.