ABOUT LLLT

The Science of LLLT For Hair Growth

Laser Therapy: An Established Science

Low-level light treatment (LLLT) is an option for individuals uffering from male or female pattern hair loss. It is an effective method of stimulating and energizing cells within hair follicles.

In 1966, Hungarian physician Endre Mester first published an experiment in which he observed accelerated hair growth in rats treated with laser therapy, making alopecia the first legitimate therapeutic indication for laser therapy. Recently, clinical trials and successful patient cases have validated the therapy.

Although it has been used for more than a decade, in the last few years, LLLT has gained acceptance by the foremost physicians in the field of hair restoration, including the leaders and members of prestigious industry organizations, such as the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery and the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery.

LLLT has been used since the 1960s to treat various medical conditions, including alopecia, chronic ulcers and pain from headaches and both musculoskeletal and neuropathic conditions without major adverse side effects. Each of these applications is based on the biological effects of photobiomodulation in living organisms. For more than 40 years, since the invention of lasers, low levels of visible or near-infrared (NIR) light have been used for reducing pain, inflammation and edema; promoting the healing of wounds, deeper tissues and nerves; and preventing tissue damage.

The science of phototherapy using low-power laser is applied in many fields:

Physical therapists treat acute and chronic musculoskeletal aches and .

Dentists treat inflamed oral tissues and ulcerations.

Dermatologists treat edema, non-healing ulcers, burns, and dermatitis.

Orthopedists relieve pain and treat chronic inflammations and autoimmune diseases.

Healthcare professionals in veterinary medicine, sports medicine and physical rehabilitation reduce swelling and hematoma, relieve pain, improve mobility and treat acute soft-tissue injuries.

LLLT and the Management of Hair Loss

LLLT was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2007 for the treatment of mild to moderate male pattern hair loss for a laser comb device designed to re-grow hair. The laser comb device is not practical in application, and that leads to improper adherence to the instructions and less than optimal results in non-clinical use.

The Larecs laser therapy cap revolutionized the use of LLLT for hair loss through the use of red light lasers that has been reported to:

Increase cell metabolism and the health of blood vessels in the scalp for thicker, supple and more durable hair shafts,

Stimulate the sebaceous glands for silkier-looking hair, and

Increase melanin production in the hair follicles, darkening gray hairs.

About LLLT for Hair

In recent years, hair restoration has been a leading field in which the application of LLLT technologies have enabled physicians to improve patient outcomes. Whether used in conjunction with hair transplant procedures or prescription hair-loss medications, laser hair therapy has the potential to significantly improve the health of the hair follicle, leading to a fuller and more natural looking head of hair.

Laser therapy has been shown to slow, stop, and possibly reverse hair loss by improving the health of existing hair. It is not a cure for baldness and will only work as long as it is used according to instructions and during the treatment period. Once laser therapy stops, so does the cessation of the hair loss. It is important to keep your expectations realistic. Maintenance is a very important part of treatment. In any hair restoration treatment, it is normal for users to have an initial period of hair shedding before they see any results. Shedding indicates that the treatment is working. We recommend following the protocol for a period of at least six months. You may be able to see benefits up through the year. Laser has been shown to also strengthen the existing hair.

When “laser” and “hair” are in the same sentence, we naturally think of hair removal. Now we need to know that lasers also contribute to hair growth. LLLT is an FDA-approved form of light/heat treatment used to treat genetic forms of hair loss. As stated in the medical journal, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, “Laser Hair Therapy increases microcirculation of the hair follicle, which allows nutrients and freshly oxygenated blood to access the hair follicle with the results being a stimulation of the natural hair growth cycle.”

Laser light is in the visible red light spectrum and is generated in a laser diode. The energy level is far below that of laser beams that cut or burn tissue. The low-level red laser light has a very low absorption rate in human tissue, making it safe for use in the treatment of hair loss.

Low energy lasers have been used for more than forty years to accelerate healing after wounds or burns and to reduce pain. In 1992, Pontinen published the first paper discussing its possible use in promoting hair growth. Since then, there has been much progress is defining the exact parameters necessary to accomplish this. In 2007, the FDA cleared for marketing the use of low-level lasers for the treatment of androgenetic hair loss in men and women. This clearance was based on the device’s safety, and not on its effectiveness in treating hair loss.

Traditional treatment has been with medications (which have side effects) or a hair transplant (which also requires medications for pain, swelling and risk of infection). LLLT differs in that it rejuvenates the hair follicles. The red spectrum laser light increases the length of the follicles’ growth phase and energizes the cells to get with it and produce that hair! Actually, the laser light generates the growth of hair better than the follicles can do naturally. LLLT is administered through in-salon hoods, overhead panels, at-home head caps and hand-held devices.

Seventy percent of men and forty percent of women experience androgenetic alopecia (pattern balding) at some point in their lives. Men’s hair tends to recede at the hairline or shed at the crown of the head. Women’s hair generally thins more diffusely in the front and over the crown. Regardless of how it presents, hair loss is a disturbing experience for men and women, and it often affects how they feel about themselves and their comfort in social situations.

Scientists in the United States and around the world (e.g., Japan, Germany, Scandinavia) have conducted controlled clinical trials that demonstrated that LLLT stimulated the hair follicles to go into the active growth phase (a simplified explanation to spare you the science-speak). In one study, 33 patients (Group A) were treated with both LLLT and traditional therapy (medication) and 27 patients (Group B) received only traditional therapy. Hair growth was not only markedly better for Group A, it was accomplished in a shorter period of time. In another study conducted in Japan, scientists reported an increase in both hair growth and the density of the hair follicles in 39 out of 40 laser-treated subjects, both men and women. What may be as important as the results is that there has never been an adverse reaction to LLLT.

An article appeared in U.S. News and World Report that reported patients who received LLLT noticed that excessive hair loss diminished early in the treatment. With more treatments, the hair became thicker and shinier. And then the best part: New hair began to grow as it always had prior to the onset of alopecia.

To sum up: LLLT is a scientifically proven, FDA-approved remedy for genetic hair loss. Hair growth is largely depended on an adequate blood supply and healthy hair follicles. LLLT increases the blood flow in the scalp cells and stimulates the hair follicles. It is a painless and effective procedure. Visible results are possible within a matter of weeks. But, as with all such procedures, individual results may vary. The use of LLLT should be of particular interest to women in whom medical treatment and surgical options may be limited.