Laser hair removal tested to stop painful pilonidal cysts from returning
NCT ID NCT06406621
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study is testing whether laser hair removal can reduce the chance of pilonidal disease coming back in people with darker skin (Fitzpatrick types IV-VI). The study will enroll 36 people aged 10-21 who have had pilonidal disease. Participants will receive either standard care plus laser hair removal every 4-6 weeks for 5 sessions, or standard care alone. The main goal is to see if laser treatment lowers the rate of new abscesses, infections, or sinuses that need medical treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- laser hair removal (Nd:YAG laser)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-surgical way to lower the chance of pilonidal disease coming back, especially for people with darker skin.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study (36 people) with no phase, so results are preliminary. The treatment may not reduce recurrence, and laser hair removal can cause skin irritation or burns, especially in darker skin if not done carefully.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 36 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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10 to 21 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: * Age: 10-21 years * Diagnosis of pilonidal disease * Fitzpatrick skin type IV, V, or VI Exclusion Criteria: * History of photosensitivity * Actively inflamed pilonidal sinus (will be offered enrollment upon resolution).
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
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Contacts and locations
Locations
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Nemours Children's Hospital Delaware
RECRUITINGWilmington, Delaware, 19803, United States
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