Using laser for hair restoration? Mad or what!

 

Low level laser light, when applied to the scalp, is one of the newest therapies to treat hair loss. Laser therapies for hair restoration are available through hand-held laser devices and may be used at home, or in a medical setting under a physician’s supervision.

 

What are the facts about laser therapy for hair loss? Let’s take a look through evidence-based facts and unsubstantiated claims to learn about this treatment option.

 

Definitions: Understanding the Terminology
Lasers are widely used in medicine, in industry, in the military, and of course, as weapons in science-fiction. The laser’s energy used to stimulate hair growth is visible in the red light spectrum. Their use in treating hair loss and other medical conditions is defined as low-level laser therapy (LLLT). LLLT is sometimes included under a broader definition of phototherapy called “low-level light therapy” where the light-emitting device may be a laser or a light-emitting diode (LED).

 

Only laser energy has been proven effective in the treatment of hereditary hair loss whereas phototherapy using lasers and LEDs have numerous uses in medicine.

 

How LLLT Works
Light from a laser has an effect on your body when the specific wavelength of light is absorbed by molecules of the target tissue. When light energy is absorbed by target tissue molecules, the energy level of the molecules is increased and the molecules respond by “working off” the excess energy with adaptive changes. These changes may be chemical or physical and they may have biological effects on the target tissue or surrounding tissues.