Low-Level Laser Therapy
When people hear the words “laser” and “hair” in the same sentence, they usually think of hair removal. Although lasers work for hair removal, they may possibly also stimulate hair growth if used properly, although there haven’t been enough scientific studies to prove this beyond any doubt.
Discovering Lasers
The term laser is an acronym that stands for “light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation.” Credit for the initial theory behind lasers goes to Albert Einstein, but many other scientists took his lead and further advanced this technology. Lasers sound high tech and complicated, and they are, but they’re easier to understand than you may think. In the next sections, we discuss how lasers were invented, what they can do, and the differences in high-power and low-power laser therapy.
How laser therapy works
You’ve all seen lasers used in movies to defeat the evil empire, but lasers are no longer just part of science fiction. Lasers, which are thin, intensely focused light beams which emit a very pure light of one wavelength, have many medical applications today, and are being touted as a possible stimulus for hair growth in balding areas.
Most lasers used for cosmetic purposes target specific chromophores (components in the skin that absorb light) in the body. The major chromophores that affect your hair are
Medical lasers can be either high or low powered. There’s no question that high powered lasers are very effective in treating a number of medical conditions.
High-powered lasers are used to destroy hair follicles and remove unwanted hair, target abnormal blood vessels (such as varicose veins), and erase fine lines and wrinkles. High powered lasers can cut through tissue, burn tissue, and emit heat.
Low-level lasers, on the other hand, don’t produce heat, and are generally used to heal damaged tissue rather than to destroy tissue.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) may stimulate better hair growth in an area that still has hair; it’s not effective in growing new hair in a completely bald area.
Low-level laser therapy
Low-level laser therapy is a non-invasive technology that has been around for many years. Its main uses have been to stimulate wound healing, decrease inflammation, and lessen intense chronic pain.
The first low-level therapeutic laser was developed in the 1960s by Hungary’s Endre Mester. He reported an improved healing of wounds through low-level laser treatment.
When used for hair loss, the theory is that chromophores absorb the laser light, which then stimulates hair growth in balding areas, possibly by increasing blood flow and increased oxygen flow to the area, which may stimulate the hair follicle at the cellular level and cause weak or thin hair to become stronger and thicker. We say “possibly” because this theory has yet to be scientifically proven.
Some clinicians believe these effects are due to a photochemical reaction produced by the interaction of the laser light with the hair follicle. This reaction alters the cell’s internal processing and signals it to start growing rather than slowly dying. Hairs that have already begun to miniaturize (thin in diameter) apparently respond to treatment, though completely bald areas typically do not respond. It takes typically up to 12 months to see any new hair growth, if it happens at all.
Who benefits from LLLT?
Both men and women experiencing androgenic alopecia, or genetic induced pattern baldness, appear to be the best candidates for LLLT. Some evidence suggests that LLLT works better when used in conjunction with minoxidil (topical over the counter medication for hair growth) and/or finasteride (prescription pill).
Because LLLT isn’t particularly effective on bald areas, it may be a more effective treatment in women, whose hair loss is typically diffuse (spread throughout the scalp) and more miniaturized, than in men, who typically have more areas of the scalp that are totally bald.
Note that laser therapy does not lead to permanent results. You must continue therapy in order for the hair to keep growing.
Looking at the clinical data
The clinical data for LLLT relating to hair loss isn’t as plentiful as it is for proven treatments such as minoxidil and finasteride. Although numerous reports and studies document its effectiveness, none of these studies were conducted in a controlled manner over a long period of time (greater than six months). Many reports of success with LLLT are anecdotal from individuals.
This lack of evidence does not mean that it doesn’t work, but it does underscore the need for in-depth, long-term studies on the effectiveness of LLLT.
In 2003, a peer-reviewed medical journal published the first study looking at the effectiveness of a handheld LLLT device for the treatment of hair loss. Thirty-five patients diagnosed with androgenic alopecia participated in this study (28 male, 7 female); each got the handheld device for use at home for five to ten minutes every other day for six months.
After six months of use, hair counts in the temples increased by an average of 55 percent in females and 74 percent in males. In the vertex (crown of the scalp), the increase was 65 percent for females and 120 percent for men.
In total, for both areas, hair count increased by an average of 94 percent. In addition, the study reported an increase in hair strength.
Although these numbers sound very positive, put them in perspective. For example, one male patient had a total of 12 hairs in the counted area at baseline and then 23 hairs six months later. This change corresponded to an increase in hairs of 92 percent. In reality, though, 11 extra hairs probably didn’t make a huge difference in his physical appearance, and the data was highly suspect when analyzed by these authors.
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Lionel Venera at
06192010
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