Hair laser therapy: what you need to know

There is a thriving multi-billion-dollar business dedicated to finding causes and developing hair loss remedies. Many different products and procedures are available, many of which claim to promote hair development and shield it from environmental damage.

If you are experiencing hair loss, selecting the appropriate treatment will assist you in preserving your hair as you get older and halt the progression of pattern baldness, both of which can have a negative impact on your appearance.

Laser therapy for hair loss (also known as low-level laser treatment) has been increasingly popular over the past decade. However, FDA-approved drugs like finasteride and minoxidil still form the backbone of hair loss treatment.

Laser light is used in this treatment for hair loss, which increases blood flow and stimulates the creation of new hair. Despite the promising research in the field, many methods for treating hair loss with a laser are still in the experimental stages.

A research team has also investigated the science behind laser hair thinning treatments to determine whether or not these treatments are successful at halting further hair loss and promoting new hair growth.

They have investigated the average cost of laser hair loss therapies to determine how they stack up against other scientifically supported treatment and prevention alternatives for thinning hair.

The Fundamentals of Laser Treatments for Hair Loss

Laser therapy for hair loss aims to improve blood circulation and encourage the creation of new hairs by using intense pulses of light. There are a variety of laser items on the market that can treat hair loss. These goods include laser caps, hand-held devices, and larger machines used in clinics and salons. Laser treatments, in contrast to hair loss drugs such as finasteride, do not affect your hormones or reduce the amounts of DHT in your body.

There has only been a modest amount of study conducted on laser therapies for hair loss, but the results have been most encouraging. Although laser therapies for hair loss haven’t been examined to the same extent as drugs for hair loss, a few studies have demonstrated that they are effective.

The cost of laser therapy for hair thinning can vary depending on where you live and the number of appointments you require to achieve the desired results. Devices used at home as laser pointers can cost anything from a few hundred to several thousand dollars for higher-end models.

What Exactly Is Involved in The Hair Loss Laser Treatment?

Laser therapy for hair loss, also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), is a cutting-edge treatment effective for various hair loss conditions. The concept of utilizing a laser as a treatment for hair loss was first proposed in the 1960s. Endre Mester, a Hungarian physician, discovered this while conducting tests with a solid-state laser. He observed that exposing mice to minimal laser light encouraged hair growth.

Even though there have been tremendous advancements in laser technology since the 1960s, specialists still do not completely understand why lasers stimulate hair growth. Low-level laser therapy has shown promise in treating various dermatological conditions. Current research suggests it may function by inducing vasodilation and boosting blood flow to targeted skin regions, such as hair follicles.

According to the findings of certain studies, this may trigger the anagen stage of the hair-growth cycle. This mode of action is very much like that of minoxidil, one of two drugs that have been given FDA approval to address hair loss.

A wide variety of laser equipment is available for use in the treatment of hair thinning and loss.  These machines typically have a hood that can be placed over the client’s head to protect it during treatment. For use in the comfort of one’s home, smaller devices, like laser hair regrowth combs, headgear, and helmets, have been built using the same technology.

Is There Any Proof That Laser Hair Growth Therapies Are Effective?

Currently, there is no sufficient quantity of high-quality scientific studies to determine definitively whether or not laser hair growth therapies are successful in promoting hair growth. When scientists examined mice in the 1960s, they made the serendipitous discovery that the mice began growing hair after being exposed to a low-intensity red laser. This led to the first scientific investigation into laser therapies for hair loss, which experts undertook in the 1970s.

In the decades that have passed since then, numerous research has been conducted to determine whether or not lasers help to treat pattern baldness and encourage hair growth. In general, the outcomes are inconsistent but generally favorable. Some forms of non-scarring hair loss, such as those triggered by male pattern baldness, may be treatable with laser therapy, according to a review of the literature published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

Another evidence-based study, published in the journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, concluded that multiple studies ranging in quality from moderate to high demonstrated that laser treatment devices are safe and effective for treating male pattern baldness.

A more recent scientific analysis released in 2018 in the journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine reported that 10 out of 11 investigations of laser hair therapy devices showed substantial improvements, with one research indicating progress but not attaining statistical significance.

In conclusion, a research study conducted in 2020 and published in the peer-reviewed journal Skin Appendage Disorders concluded that laser hair treatment appears beneficial, with a favorable safety profile and only moderate adverse effects. However, it also mentioned that several studies seem to be linked to the laser hair device business.

Conclusion

Even though laser therapy for hair loss is effective in many cases, it is not appropriate for all patients. A small percentage of people do not respond to laser therapy for hair loss, but experts think it’s crucial that you get an accurate picture of the situation. Because each person is unique and will respond to the treatment in a manner that is unique to them, specialists won’t know if the treatment will work for you until they try it out. There is an extremely high probability that you will, but just like everything else in treatments, there are no promises.