If you've spent any time looking you probably already know there are a wide range of products available boasting claims of how they can help prevent hair loss, reduce the appearance of it and stimulate the growth of new hair. Because there is such a demand for these types of products many companies have joined in the fight against alopecia, or hair loss, and are offering their best products.
Living with alopecia is so stressful for many of us we are willing to try anything that sounds like it might work. Because we are willing to try so many products the industry has become pretty large with billions of dollars a year spent on these products. But with so many hair loss prevention products out there how do you know which products are effective and which products are the next big, smart marketing scheme?
Stick with Proven Products
While nothing works perfectly for every single person, there are a few products that have some clinical evidence and FDA approval behind them. Things like shampoos and topical solutions that contain minoxidil have been effective as a hair loss prevention treatment and for some they have even promoted new hair growth.
There are a few medications still in trials as a hair loss treatment, but for now the only approved medication is finasteride. This has also been effective in trials to stop hair loss and regrow hair in many people.
Laser Hair Therapy
Laser hair restoration has become popular in recent years as a non-surgical hair loss treatment. It has been cleared by the FDA for use as an alopecia treatment, but there is some debate about the wording of the approval and the clinical trials involved.
Hairpieces
While there may be comedy sketches based on bad hairpieces, they have come a long way in recent years. Now it has become difficult to distinguish the difference between a hairpiece and the real thing.
Ironically many people avoid hair restoration surgery because of the cost, which isn't covered by most insurance plans, but after years of trying other products unsuccessfully for some the cost of surgical hair implants may have been cheaper in the long run. Of course not everyone is a candidate for this type of procedure, and the process is continually refined making the results much more natural-looking today than they were some years ago.
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Hair Restoration Treatment Using Laser Therapy
One of the recent introductions in the field of non-surgical hair loss treatment is Laser Hair Loss Treatment. The principle behind the treatment procedure is that the appropriate wavelength of light is used to stimulate blood supply to the scalp, which promotes cell growth and other physiological activities. An enhanced supply of nutrients reaches the hair follicles and thus boosts the health of the scalp and the hair shaft. This method of treatment has shown a lot of promise. Remarkable results have been achieved when used in combination with other conventional hair loss treatment products like Rogaine and Propecia. After completing the treatment procedure effective control of hair loss as well as new hair growth have been noticed.
There are different types of laser hair loss treatments available. The mode that will best suit a particular patient, depending upon the patient's particular needs, can be prescribed by a specialist.
Laser Luce LDS 100
This type of laser hair loss treatment has been proved to be effective in stimulating about seventy-percent of hairs in their resting phase. This treatment increases blood flow to the scalp, so that the hair follicles are enabled to absorb more nutrients and thus grow stronger than they were before.
The treatment procedure requires the patient to sit underneath a dome-shaped apparatus the interior of which is lined with low energy laser illuminators. The laser beams are absorbed by the skin excites the blood vessels underlying the deeper layers of skin tissue. Optimal results can be acquired only after the patient undergoes a series of therapy sessions. The treatment is usually combined with other effective hair loss remedies, in order to achieve complete hair restoration.
Low Level Laser Therapy, also called LLLT
Any type of phototherapy or laser-based treatment that does not rupture the skin falls under the general term LLT. The other names are low-power laser, therapeutic laser or soft-laser therapy. Application of LLLT improves the health of existing hair and sustained use stimulates the growth of new hair as well. This non-invasive method of treatment provides a cosmetic cure to hair loss problems. The treatment involves the use of a comb that uses LLLT to heat and massage the scalp. The pores on the scalp are expanded by the heat. An invisible infrared radiation is also emitted by the comb that increases cellular metabolism in the scalp. Increased blood circulation and efficient oxygen supply to the scalp contribute towards restoration of healthy hair growth.
Low Level Laser Therapy is commonly combined with conventional hair restorative treatment programs to ensure a multi-pronged approach in combating hair loss. The combined therapies provide superior results as compared to any other healing method involving the use of a single product only.
LaserComb - The Device for Laser Therapy at Home
Some trichologists recommend the use of a hand-held "laser comb" - a device that administers phototherapy when brushed through the hair and over the scalp. This device is often used as a supplement to the previous two categories of laser therapy in order to provide additional boost to the treatment carried out at the clinic. The use of the laser comb is also advised following the surgical procedure of hair transplantation, in order to quicken the healing process. The patient should consult a doctor prior to making any purchase of the existing models offered in the market.
Laser Therapy For Hair Restoration Treats Hair Loss
Hair loss and thinning can start at any age, in men or women. Although there are many misconceptions and myths about balding and why we lose our hair that include overuse of hair products, wearing a hat too often, stress, blow drying hair and more, the truth is that 95% of hair loss is an inherited condition from your mother or your father. Hormone conditions and age can also contribute to hair loss.
Coping with balding and sparse hair has been something that our society has been experimenting with for many generations. Popular ways include wearing hats, wigs and toupees, creative hairstyles (such as combing thicker areas of hair over the balding spots), hair transplant surgery and/or topical or oral drugs that promise to stimulate hair growth. Some of these remedies can be costly, while others are less expensive, but none of them really address the "root" of the issue - which is the failing function of the hair follicle.
Normal hair follicle cycles include growth for about 1000 days, "resting" for about 100 days, and shedding. A healthy head of hair sheds an average of 50 to 150 hairs each day, not significant when a typical adult head of hair has over 100,000 hairs on it. As previously mentioned, hair loss is primarily dictated by a person's genes. When hair loss and patterned baldness begins, the hair follicle cycles become abnormal, sometimes referred to as a "miniaturized" follicle, that produces hair that is weak, lacks luster and is thin. As these miniaturized follicles become dominant on the head, the thinning hair no longer adequately covers the head, causing the person to have bald spots. It is at this point that laser hair therapy can be beneficial.
Low level laser hair restoration therapy works by penetrating the scalp about five to six millimeters, stimulating the body's mechanism to repair and heal the miniaturized hair follicles which leads to normalization of cell function and the halting (reversal) of the miniature hair follicles. The laser therapy does not alter the molecular structure of the hair follicle, nor does it have a thermal component that can cause burns or injuries. It is considered a non-surgical therapeutic laser that is certified Class 3A by the FDA.
Various studies have shown that the effects of low level laser light therapy can increase scalp blood flow and micro-circulation by 20-30%, stimulates and accelerates hair growth, stops progression of hair loss, repairs and improves hair shaft quality.
Laser hair restoration works best on people who have thinning hair, not on people who have little or no hair, and the process usually takes six months or more. A typical treatment includes sitting under the laser for two 30-minute sessions per week and, often, routine maintenance after the treatment is completed. Compliance, and patience, are the keys to a successful hair restoration treatment.