Does Laser Hair Therapy Work?
There are many different reasons why a person may lose their hair during a lifetime. Disease, medications, genetics, stress, or the unavoidable aging process, can all have a detrimental effect on a person’s hair. Those of you who’ve experienced hair loss have likely also experienced the feeling that you’re losing part of your identity. Well, you’re definitely not alone. Physically, hair is part of you, but it’s also part of the bigger you, the way you see yourself and how others perceive you.
Hair loss is something most people dread as they start getting older. Male/Female-pattern hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia, is caused by a combination of hormones and genetics and can start as early as the teens or 20s. By age 50 nearly all men and half of women are affected by some degree of genetic hair loss.
Do I appear less attractive? Will I lose my confidence? Are people staring at my receding hairline? These are all things that people worry about as their hair begins to thin, but the biggest question people ask is, Can I reverse the hair loss?
If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, you may have done some research into the various methods for hair regrowth or hair transplant procedures that are being performed today. After thorough internet searching, you have either come to the conclusion that your hair loss is worth undergoing a surgical procedure, or that you’re going to try and embrace the motto: ‘bald is beautiful.’ But those aren’t your only options.
What is Laser Hair Therapy for Hair Loss?
When it comes to surgical procedures, some people find themselves nervous or scared about going under the knife, especially when it comes to a cosmetic procedure. But with the introduction of non-invasive, and pain-free, laser hair therapies, you may be able to help your own body promote the growth of hair by using various light sources aimed at the scalp.
Sometimes called red light therapy, cold laser, soft laser, biostimulation or photobiomodulation, laser hair therapy aims to stimulate your body’s own hair growth by exciting your tissue with photons that are absorbed by hair cells. These cells are then re-energized and can return to their normal state and thus resume their role in the hair growth process.
Here at the Limmer Hair Transplant Center, we use The iGrow System for laser hair therapy. The iGrow System uses a combination of laser and LED to target very specific wavelengths thought to stimulate hair follicle cells while providing a broader light beam to cover a wider area of the scalp. There are many different forms of laser hair therapy in the world today, but our experience with the iGrow has lead us to believe that it is the best choice for our patients.
Does Laser Hair Therapy Actually Help Regrow Hair?
Now that you know what laser hair therapy is and what it’s supposed to do, the million-dollar question is, does it work?
Like all hair growth treatments, results can vary from person to person. While one person sees a great deal of improvement after using laser hair therapy, another person may experience minor improvement. To ensure that you are a good candidate for low-level laser hair therapy, be sure to consult your doctor.
While some doctors believe that laser hair therapy provides little benefit, there have been a variety of studies conducted indicating that the use of low-level light therapy has led to increased hair counts in both men and women who suffer from androgenic alopecia.
In one study, 44 male participants suffering from androgenic alopecia were recruited to test whether or not a low-level laser helmet device would promote hair growth. Compared to the placebo group, the men treated with low-level light therapy to the scalp at 655nm showed significant improvement in the hair counts. A similar study was performed on female participants and revealed very similar results.
In addition to these studies showing an increase in hair counts after using the devices, other studies have shown that treated subjects also experienced more favorable hair attributes, such as thicker, more manageable hair.
As with any medical procedure, the best advice we can give you is to talk with your doctor and discuss all of the various options available to you. Low-level laser hair therapy may or may not be the right course of action for your individual needs, so it’s always important to talk with a professional.
Here at the Limmer Hair Transplant Center, we offer low-level laser treatment that could be beneficial to you. Please give us a call at 210-496-9992 or contact us via our website today to set up a consultation.
