Laser Caps

Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is another form of hair stimulation therapy causing hair growth, and has been clinically proven effective in controlled clinical trials to help both men and women with hair loss. Lasers were first discovered in the 1960’s and since then significant study of lasers to treat medical conditions has been ongoing with some great results for certain medical problems. For hair loss of the scalp, devices are designed to emit low power coherent monochromatic red light up to 650 micrometers wavelength and 5 milli watts of power, the point is to use low power with wavelengths and frequency that has a stimulatory effect on the cell follicle. It increases the cell production to attain better metabolism on the follicle while at the same time being weak enough that it won’t result in any discomfort or too much heat that can potentially burn the scalp or damage the hair.  The goal for LLLT is to stimulate existing hair to thicken up the hair shaft. Thus, having a bald shiny head won’t be beneficial for this kind of method.

Some of the LLLT devices include the comb which you literally comb through the hair making sure that the red light touches the scalp since hair is generated within the skin. The comb device can be classified as one of the weakest effects on hair stimulation. Another one is the band that looks exactly like a headband that you change position to dispel red light on the entire head. These devices have lower quality diodes and do not cover the entire scalp for prolonged periods of time thus ultimately have the weakest effect of all the laser products.

Now, the best device that most hair transplant surgeons recommend is the Cap device, most commonly known as the Laser Cap. There are laser cap devices available within your hair transplant surgeons office which literally look like something out of Star Wars with a giant dome you sit under and begin blasting beams of lasers into your scalp. The thing about having it done in a clinic is that it requires frequent visits, which is a cost of both time and money having to frequent your doctors office. We do not recommend these and do not use these in the office for that reason. If something is needed 2-3 times a week for up to 30 to 40 minutes per session in order to work, it has to be convenient enough and cheap enough to be used by the individual on their own terms. Hence the dawn of the laser caps for at home use.  The beauty behind the Laser Cap device is that it can be used anytime, anywhere, and it fits perfectly under a baseball cap with a battery pack that is rechargeable and can fit inside your pocket. Most importantly the ease of access increases the likelihood of creating a habit of using it, as all things with hair growth, you have to be consistent in order to maintain the growth or thickening of the hairs. 

There are many different laser caps on the market, we recommend using the higher end caps, as they will have a more higher powered laser diode, which is the key ingredient to making the laser cap give you the greatest amount of hair growth. In our office we offer Laser Cap using the prescription based high powered laser caps as we know these will give you the best assurance you are doing the most you can to help hair thicken and possibly some hair regrowth. Yes they will cost you several hundred dollars more than some you can buy on Amazon, but we know they will work for you, and will typically last 5 years or so, so well worth the spend. When doing your research, the most important thing to identify is whether the device you are about to buy is FDA approved. If they are FDA approved (and make sure the actual device is FDA approved, not just marketing that lasers in general are FDA approved, that’s different) then that means the manufacturer has gone through all the hoops and red tape to get you a product that is safe and tested. Please go that route whatever you do! The Laser Cap system we provide in our office is FDA approved, and was the first lasercap to obtain this distinction which is why we back their product. 

So, if you don’t want any chemical based stimulation products that can potentially have a side effect such as pills and injections, then laser caps are your best bet and there’s virtually no side effects, combined with great convenience it offers a really great solution for hair loss therapy. Another good thing about this product is that it can combine with other stimulation therapy, for a more favourable effect. 

Remember, for men, androgenic alopecia (male pattern balding) is a pathophysiological side effect of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and therefore the laser caps alone, while effective, do not target the ultimate source of the hair loss, so it is still recommended as a mainstay of male pattern baldness to use some type of medication to stop the production of DHT such minoxidil or propecia. But for men who have no desire to take medications and especially for women who have other sources of scalp hair loss, laser caps are an excellent treatment modality. I hope this helps you to understand the use of lasers in treating hair loss a little further, and gives you an idea of which products to use that are available on the market! If you want a Laser Cap, just call Texas Hair Restoration Center to set up a free consultation today and we can help you get one.