Hair loss can be devastating and embarrassing for many people, but some are doing all they can to fight it back and restore the health of their hair. Low-level laser light therapy (LLLT) has demonstrated its ability to reverse hair loss in some cases, and now more people than ever are using it to help keep the hair they already have and even grow new strands. Here are five of the top benefits of low-level laser light therapy for hair loss that you need to know about to keep your hair looking its best.
What is LLLT?
Before we get into specific benefits, it’s important to understand what low-level laser light therapy is and how it works. It’s also sometimes called low-laser light therapy (LLLT) or photobiostimulation. In short, LLLT is a form of therapeutic light that uses lasers or LED lights to stimulate cellular energy production in damaged tissue.
As our cells need the energy to survive, they absorb and use some of these wavelengths—typically between 600-1,200 nanometers—for repairing damage and sending out new growth signals. For example, research suggests that LLLT stimulates anagen re-entry into telogen hair follicles, prolongs anagen phase duration, and increases anagen follicle proliferation.
Read: iRestore Review: Boost Your Hair Growth in 3 Months
Does Red Light Therapy Work for Hair Loss?
The use of red light therapy is a safe, effective, and natural treatment for hair loss. Red light therapy stimulates hair follicles to promote growth. The technique promotes cellular repair and accelerates hair growth by stimulating cell regeneration. It also works to reduce DHT levels in cells, which inhibits hair loss.
Further, it increases the production of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) that helps energy transfer within cells. In short, red light therapy stimulates blood circulation to give your scalp a healthy supply of oxygen while creating a healing environment.
5 Benefits of Low-Level Laser Light Therapy for Hair Loss
1. Regenerates Hair Follicles
Instead of only temporarily reducing swelling and inflammation, red light therapy actually stimulates hair follicles to begin growing hair. This process is called follicular neogenesis. Medical professionals are currently researching it to see if red light therapy could serve as a treatment for alopecia or other forms of male and female pattern baldness.
Before you get too excited about potential hair regrowth from red light therapy, keep in mind that many factors affect your ability to regrow lost hair, including genetics and your current hormone levels. But after reviewing numerous studies on humans, researchers have discovered that low-level laser light does indeed promote new growth when appropriate dosing guidelines are followed.
2. Increases Blood Flow to The Scalp
When hair follicles are damaged, they can become inflamed, which decreases blood flow to that area. Applying low-level laser light therapy to an inflamed hair follicle causes vasodilation — or an increase in blood flow. This helps your body deliver much-needed nutrients and oxygen to that area. And when your scalp is healthy, it’s easier to grow new hair.
3. Stimulates Fuller Hair
LLLT provides a significant amount of infrared light to your scalp. This light stimulates hair follicles and increases circulation, resulting in fuller, thicker hair. Hair growth is also sped up by LLLT because it thins out tissue which makes your hair look thinner or thinning by taking pressure off thinning and/or balding areas. This promotes blood flow to tissues. It also helps with new hair growth as well as existing strands so that they become healthier overall.
4. Treats Alopecia
If you have medically diagnosed alopecia, then LLLT might be an appropriate treatment. Alopecia is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss; in some cases, a patient’s immune system attacks its own hair follicles, causing them to stop growing. In severe cases, you could lose all your body hair. Treating alopecia with LLLT requires using it consistently and frequently over time; while no one can promise results (alopecia comes in many forms), some users see regrowth after a few months of consistent use.
5. Approved by the FDA
In 2011, the FDA approved Hairmax Lasercomb as the first safe therapeutic treatment for hair loss. Although there are other treatments available, laser light therapy is unique because it doesn’t require surgery or medication. It also produces fewer side effects than many other treatments and doesn’t have to be used indefinitely. As long as you use it regularly and correctly (i.e., with sufficient patience), it’s likely to be effective at helping you regrow your hair.
When Will You See Results?
You should see results within 4-8 weeks, though it might take up to 12 weeks before you can see your new hair growth. Results will vary from person to person. Your results are also dependent on how well you follow your treatment plan. If you consistently use a low-level laser light device in line with manufacturer instructions, you will notice positive results in your hair loss condition over time.
Treatment times may vary depending on your condition and lifestyle factors (e.g., diet, exercise). Consulting a medical professional prior to using an at-home treatment is always recommended when considering new treatments for hair loss.
Light Therapy Caps
Caps that are FDA-approved and are clinically proven to promote hair growth. Not only do caps infused with laser light increase blood flow to your scalp and encourage hair growth, but they also help prevent hair loss from occurring. In fact, recent studies showed that LLLT increased hair density by a significant amount in patients with androgenetic alopecia.
If you think that a low-level laser light cap could be beneficial for your hair, we recommend shopping around online. You can try out different caps at home (the technology is simple enough), see which ones fit best, and make an informed decision about which brand or model is right for you! It might take some time, but finding the right tool can make all of the difference when trying to reverse or avoid future hair loss!
Check out our full iRestore Laser review if you’re looking for a high-quality LED cap that dermatologists recommend.
Final Thoughts
There are so many options available for hair loss treatments, but which option will give you long-lasting results? While it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by all of these options, remember that you want a treatment to improve the health of your hair with no additional side effects. It’s smart to weigh your hair loss solutions in terms of cost, effectiveness, and convenience. Red light therapy is a treatment that promotes greater overall health and may be a better long-term investment than ones focused solely on hair growth.