Low-level light (laser)therapy for hair loss

Low level laser therapy refers to a safe form of light treatment for a wide range of health conditions. It has been used to treat genetically inherited condition of hair loss common to men and women.

Male pattern hair loss (e.g. androgenic alopecia) occurs in 70% of men and female pattern hair loss occurs in 40% of women during some point of their lifetime. In men, the pattern of alopecia involves the vertex balding and hairline recession. On the other hand, women experience diffused form of hair thinning on the top of their scalps. For both men and women, hair loss is a very psychologically distressing experience.

The current treatment methods include therapy options with finasteride and minoxidil. Some individuals choose surgical option of hair transplantation. However, recent studies believe that low level laser treatment for hair loss a new and safe alternative or additional treatment procedure.

The normal hair growth cycle consists of three phases: anagen phase (growth period), telogen phase (resting period), and catagen phase (shedding period). In androgenic alopecia, hair loss depends on dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is a testosterone derivative in the skin. Low level laser therapy helps to increase of blood flow in the scalp and  stimulate the metabolism in telogen or catagen follicles, which increases the production of anagen hair. It also stops the body from keeping the excessive build-up of DHT.

During the procedure, the photons of light start acting on cytochrome C oxidase which leads to the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Then in cells of hair follicles, ATP gets converted to cyclic AMP. As a result, energy gets released and all essential metabolic processes for hair growth get stimulated.

Patients who have undergone laser therapy treatment experienced increased hair growth on average by 19 regular-sized hairs per square centimeter. The treatments also resulted significant improvements in overall state: hair became thicker and shinier.

Laser therapy for hair loss is an equivalently beneficial procedure for both men and women. It has no known adverse side effects. The overall procedure is painless and clean. Improvements, such as hair regrowth and decrease in hair shedding, are seen after 12 to 26 weeks of regular treatment course sessions. The regular sessions refer to two or three times a week appointments where the procedure lasts from 8-15 minutes. It consists of exposing scalp towards the light-emitting diodes under bonnet or head cap. 

Centre for Medical and Surgical Dermatology offers low-level laser therapy as one of its treatment options for hair loss. For more information om low-level laser treatment, visit the following link:

Low-level Laser Therapy

Centre for Medical and Surgical Dermatology offers various treatment options for hair loss which are unique for every patient.  For more information on hair loss, visit the following link:

Hair Loss Treatments

For more information on male pattern hair loss, visit the following link:

Male Pattern – Hair Loss

For more information on female pattern hair loss, visit the following link:

Female Pattern – Hair Loss