Hair loss can be discouraging and even traumatic, especially when it occurs in women. According to the Bernstein Medical Group, hair loss in women is fairly common, affecting about 30 percent of women in their lifetime. Laser treatments for hair loss in women are a fairly new development but are proving to be very effective in helping women regrow their hair.
Identification
The Hair Loss Control Clinic, which performs laser treatments for hair restoration, says that laser hair treatments, also called laser hair therapy, are a non-surgical but technological way to regrow and strengthen hair. Laser hair therapy, which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for safety, uses a device containing over 100 soft, low-light lasers that deliver light to the hair. The Hair Loss Control Clinic says that laser hair treatments work through photo-bio-stimulation; meaning the laser light stimulates the growth of new cells and the repair of damaged hair cells.
History
Laser treatments were first used in Europe around 1985, but instead of being used to speed hair growth, they were used to speed the healing of various diseases. The Hair Loss Control Clinic says medical professionals have known for many years that light can speed healing, and that it can affect the rate at which hair grows. These two facts have been put to use in recent years especially, because laser hair therapy for regrowth has become more popular in the United States.
Different Types
Laser treatments for hair loss are not a one-size-fits-all type of treatment. Different strengths of light and different types of lasers are used in clinics. A newer type of laser hair treatment that's especially favored by women is the at-home laser hair comb, which can be done at home and spare the embarrassment of a woman having to walk into a hair loss clinic.
Effectiveness
The Hair Loss Control Clinic says that 100 percent of study participants--after consistently being treated with laser hair therapy--had an increase in hair growth. It also says 77 percent of study participants grew hair 51 percent more than before the laser hair treatments. The at-home type of laser hair therapy can also be effective. A study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology involved 34 study participants who used the Hair-Max LaserComb for six months. The females in the study grew their hair an average of 64.4 percent during that time.
Cost
The cost of laser treatments for hair varies depending on type, location and frequency of treatment. The Hair-Max LaserComb, the at-home treatment, is sold on the Hair-Max website in the $500 range. More intense treatments that are done in clinics by doctors and nurses could cost several thousand dollars or more.
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