Laser zaps belly fat? new study tests metabolism-boosting light treatment
NCT ID NCT06899958
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study at Massachusetts General Hospital will test whether applying a fractional laser to the abdomen and thighs can improve metabolism in adults with overweight. Fifteen participants will receive three laser treatments, four weeks apart. Researchers will measure changes in body fat, BMI, and waist size to see if the laser affects metabolic health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Fractional laser device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to improve metabolism and reduce body fat.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 15 people, so results may not apply widely. The laser treatment might not change metabolism at all.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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 15 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2027
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2029
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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18 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. 18- 60 years of age; 2. BMI between 25.0 and 30 kg/m2; 3. Subjects must be in good general health, based on answers provided during the screening visit; 4. Subject must be able and willing to provide written informed consent and comply with the requirements of the study protocol. 5. Females of childbearing potential must be willing and able to use a medically highly effective form of birth control during the entire study. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Participation in another investigational drug or device clinical trial in the past 30 days; 2. Currently pregnant or pregnancy within the past 6 months or currently breastfeeding; 3. Have a history of drug or alcohol abuse in the past 3 years or have reported habitual alcohol intake greater than 2 standard drinks per day (e.g., 2 beers, 2 glasses of wine, or 2 mixed drinks); 4. Planning or currently participating in a weight loss program; 5. Plan to change daily diet or level of physical activity; 6. Intake of medication that may affect body weight such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, amitriptyline, bupropion, thyroid medications, etc.; 7. History of cancer which required lymph node biopsy or dissection; 8. Weight loss or gain of 10 kg or more in the past 6 months; 9. History of diabetes mellitus or cardiac disease; 10. Intake of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the last 6 months; 11. Infection, surgery, or history of trauma or laser treatment to the treatment area in the past 6 months; 12. Presence of any skin disease on the abdomen or thighs; 13. Have birthmarks, tattoos, scars, or any other disfiguration of the skin in the abdomen or thighs; 14. Presence of sunburn or tan in the abdomen or thighs; 15. Use of any topical application of retinoids in the past 6 weeks on the abdomen or thighs or intake of systemic retinoids in the past 6 months; 16. Use of any prescription topical medication, such as corticosteroids or hydroquinone on the abdomen or thighs in the past 6 weeks; 17. History of keloid formation or hypertrophic scarring; 18. History of bariatric surgery or other major weight-loss procedures; 19. History of abdominal liposuction, abdominoplasty or CoolSculpting; 20. Known allergy to lidocaine or other local anesthetics; 21. The investigator believes that the subject is an unsuitable candidate to participate in the study, receive laser treatment, or would be placed at risk by participating in the study.
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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
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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MGH Clinical Unit for Research Trials & Outcomes in Skin
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.