Hair Growth Using Laser Therapy

The way our hair looks plays an important part in our lives. Like many things such as our general health we often take it for granted, and it’s only if we start to experience problems such as loss of hair that we appreciate how important it is.

It is quite normal to experience some hair loss in adulthood, since hair, like skin, goes through a continuous cycle of growth, useful life and replacement. There is though, a difference between losing a few hairs on the comb which are not missed, and the gradual but worsening hair loss leading to the exposure of patches of skin.

A person suffering continuous hair loss, evidenced by a receding scalp-line or thinning hair will want to seek to reverse the process, and there are a number of options available. Traditional treatments use chemicals or surgery, but a more recent development is the use of a laser for hair growth. When first introduced, lasers were primarily used for the removal of unwanted hair but it was later discovered that certain wavelengths and strengths of laser energy can have a stimulating effect on hair growth.

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a general term that describes any sort of phototherapy or laser treatment that does not break the skin. Also called low-power laser, soft laser or cool laser therapy, LLLT administered to the scalp has been shown to improve the health of existing hair and stimulate new hair growth. The energy from the laser is claimed to penetrate to a depth of 6-7mm, adequate to engulf the hair follicle. This energy applied to the scalp certainly improves blood circulation which helps nutrition of hair follicles, and, it is claimed, energy can be absorbed by the follicle cells themselves. This effect is consistent with the evidence that soft lasers can help with wound healing in general, and scalp healing after hair transplant surgery.

The laser energy is applied to the scalp by means of either a hood or comb. If you elect to have laser treatment at a specialist centre then usually you will be seated beneath a dome shaped apparatus lined with flashing low energy laser lights along the interior. The light energy is absorbed through the scalp, where it stimulates the blood supply and deeper tissues of the scalp. Patients typically undergo a series of these treatments for up to a year, and it normally takes from two to three months before perceptible results are seen. The cost of these treatments, it should be mentioned can be as much as $3,000.

In addition to the in-office laser hair restoration treatment, a hair specialist may recommend at-home treatment using a hand-held “laser comb” device. When brushed through the hair and over the scalp, the laser comb administers additional phototherapy to the scalp, to enhance results achieved in the doctor’s office.

Many doctors also advise the use of laser therapy in conjunction with the chemical treatments that are available, such as Rogaine (also Regaine).

Certainly many patients have reported significant improvement in hair volume and texture following laser hair therapy and it is an exciting new area of hope for those with hair loss problems. One has to accept that it is not a quick fix but it claims to reverse or at least halt hair loss in 90% of cases and is FDA approved.