If you’re starting to lose hair and home remedies just won’t do it, then you might as well consider low-level laser therapy.

There are various treatments available in the market, which some people believe could restore hair loss and help grow your hair back. However, some believe that this doesn’t come without side effects.

In this article, we find out whether the treatment is right for you, based on what research and experts say.

Why people lose hair

It’s totally normal to lose a few strands of hair on your head.

On average, adults have about 100,000 to 150,000 hairs all around their bodies. They also lose around 10% of it in a day. So if you find a lot of hair in the bath, in your bed, or on your brush, don’t worry. It’s totally normal!

According to WebMD: [1]

“Hair is made up of a protein called keratin that is produced in hair follicles in the outer layer of skin. As follicles produce new hair cells, old cells are being pushed out through the surface of the skin at the rate of about six inches a year… At any one time, about 90% of the hair on a person’s scalp is growing. The hair you can see is actually a string of dead keratin cells.”

But if you start to see some bald patches on your head or noticing some ridiculous amount of hair loss (you’ll likely know when it’s ridiculous amount… or check for signs here), then it may be time to do something. Look into the symptoms and causes of hair loss so you’ll know what to do about it.

What is low-level laser therapy

Low-level laser therapy is a procedure used to regrow hair. According to Healthline, low-level laser therapy is widely accepted to be “safe, tolerable, and less invasive than hair transplant surgery:” [2]

Low-level laser therapy — also referred to as red light therapy and cold laser therapy — irradiates photons into scalp tissues. These photons are absorbed by weak cells to encourage hair growth.

The extra light energy in photons helps the weak cells to go back to a normal healthy state and perform their role in your system. In the case of weak cells in the hair follicle, this includes growing hair back and make way for healthy, thicker and fuller strands.

How does laser hair growth work

As the name suggests, low-level laser therapy leverages on medical-grade lasers that make it safe and gentle on your scalp. The desired effect is for the treatment to trigger circulation and stimulation among the hair follicles, leading to hair growth.

Hairclub.com likens the process to watering plants: [3]

Laser therapy is similar to watering plants. Like the water and nutrients absorbed by plants, the light energy is absorbed by your hair follicles so that your hair can continue to grow. As the light is absorbed, microcirculation increases, therefore distributing a more abundant blood supply and nutrients to the hair follicle. Low level laser light stimulates cellular activity in your follicles to help diminish hair loss while helping regrow hair.

How effective is laser hair growth?

Just like some treatments or medical procedures, the outcome of low-level laser therapy may vary from person to person.

While there’s a need for further research, some of the ones done show favorable results:

A 2014 study shows low-level laser therapy is a safe and effective procedure for prompting hair growth among men and women. [4]
Laser hair treatment resulted in a 39 percent spike in hair growth among 41 men ages 18 to 48 within a 16-week timeframe, shown in a 2013 study. [5]

Pros and cons

If you want to gauge whether low-level hair therapy is right for you, here are some pros and cons: [2, 3]

Pros

Non-invasive
Painless
No harmful side effects
Hair gets stronger, fuller and thicker
Keeps you from experiencing hair loss again
Manageable length of time for the procedure itself
May be done for everyone regardless of hair type and length

Cons

The process of hair growth may take a while, usually requiring you to do multiple sessions in a week and across several months
Expensive
Results vary from person to person
Long-term effects unfounded by current studies

Other options

If you think you’re not ready for a laser hair growth treatment yet, you may consider some hair care tips and prevention in the meantime:

Consider buying hair care supplements with biotin, which plays an important role in keeping your hair healthy and encourages hair growth. There are many supplements available in the market, including VALI Hair Strong.

Read more: Tips for choosing the right hair growth supplement.