Laser Hair Restoration: Is It Worth It?
People worry about hair loss with good reason. One in eight women see thinning hair before menopause, while one in three develop thinner hair after menopause. Two out of three men experience some degree of male pattern baldness. Regardless of how hair is lost, the question on everyone’s lips is how to get it back. Laser hair restoration has become the latest buzzword in the search for an effective means of hair restoration.
LLLT Lasers To Restore Hair
Laser hair restoration is based on the theory that by damaging dormant hair follicles in the scalp, the body is stimulated to produce new and active hair cells. Laser treatments are available in a doctor’s office from a high-intensity hood device, or in a very low intensity hand-held device, similar to a comb, to be used at home.
An already effective means of healing and rejuvenating skin cells and of removing unwanted hair, laser technology has only recently been applied to the challenge of hair restoration. Although Low Light Laser Therapy (LLLT) is the latest and hottest hair restoration procedure on the market today, there’s considerable debate as to whether LLLT actually does promote thicker hair.
LLLT is currently thought to work about as well as Rogaine, a topical over-the-counter hair restoration drug for men and women, or Propecia, available in pill form with a prescription and shown to cause hair restoration in patients with male pattern baldness. Neither drug has been known to cause significant side effects.
In addition to a considerably higher price tag than either Rogaine or Propecia, laser hair restoration surgery can cause side effects, scalp discomfort, and downtime. While there’s medical evidence that both Rogaine and Propecia promote hair restoration, there’s no evidence that laser hair restoration is effective.
A report given recently at the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery presented evidence that laser hair restoration can increase the diameter of existing hair shafts, but the presenters were unable to provide significant results of the procedure’s efficacy in promoting new hair growth.
Cost Of Laser Hair Restoration
Laser hair restoration is neither a quick-fix nor a cheap treatment for hair loss. Laser hair restoration requires a minimum of 25 treatments in a doctor’s office at an average cost of $80 per visit. A full course of treatments will cost you about $2,000, while the at-home laser comb costs about $500.
Blog posts by consumers who have tried the laser comb are generally negative, and most users feel that the implement is ineffective. While some hair restoration physicians believe that surgical treatments with the hooded device are as effective as Rogaine when used as an adjunct to speed healing after a hair transplant, many other doctors remain unconvinced.
Side Effects Of Hair Restoration
Laser hair restoration is painful and requires anesthesia. It’s considered a surgery, even though it’s performed on an outpatient basis. Side effects of laser hair restoration can include redness, swelling, herpes outbreaks, headaches, bleeding, numbness, bacterial infection, and ingrown hairs. Laser hair restoration treatments and transplants alike can cause significant downtime after treatments.
In contrast, a laser hair restoration alternative like vitamins and herbal supplements has no side effects other than being generally beneficial to overall health.
Laser Hair Restoration Alternative
Because there’s no evidence that laser hair restoration actually restores hair, you might want to consider a noninvasive hair restoration alternative like herbal supplements before spending time and money on the questionable benefits of LLLT. A laser hair restoration alternative is a low-cost way of promoting hair restoration without costly investments, hormone supplements, surgeries, unpleasant side-effects, and downtime.
Unlike laser hair restoration, the effects of supplements on hair restoration have been studied scientifically and shown to play a significant role in hair health, growth, and thickness. Studies have shown conclusively that certain supplements for hair restoration can prevent, minimize, and even reverse hair loss.