Does Red Light Treatment for Hair Growth Work?

Hair loss and thinning hair happen to both men and women. Yes, it happens more often to men. In fact, around 85% of all men will experience some level of hair loss in their lifetime [1]. This number is around 55% for women, and even then, most of the hair loss is due to hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy or menopause [2].

If you have thinning hair, however, you don’t much care for the cause. What you want is a way to stop it and reverse it.

There are many treatments out there, including low level laser light therapy (LLLT). This is a red light therapy hair growth treatment that’s been around for decades now. Since it’s been around so long, extensive studies have been done, and we know all about the potential side effects and benefits.

So, if you’ve been wondering if red light for hair growth is the way forward for you, then dive into this guide:

What is Red Light Therapy?

Red light therapy, also known as low level laser therapy or photo-biomodulation, is a simple but very effective treatment. It also doesn’t actually involve any lasers, but instead LED lights. The word laser in the name simply refers to the size of the light beam, and has no connection to any science-fiction concepts.

In short, it’s safe.

It works by producing light wavelengths between 630 and 700nm, which is the red-light range of light. This type of light is naturally found in sunlight, yes, but with this red light therapy hair growth treatment you don’t also expose yourself to dangerous UV rays in the process.

This light range can penetrate beyond the surface of the scalp, and is used to help boost blood flow and cell function. By improving both, you can help encourage hair production, meaning fuller, thicker hair.

For best results, you’ll want to go to a clinic to get this treatment done. This is because clinics will use a targeted, more powerful laser device that can boost the benefits of the treatment. There are, however, at home options like laser hair growth caps or helmets.

How Does Red Light Therapy Hair Growth Work?

Despite this light treatment being used for treating injuries, reducing inflammation, and even boosting hair growth, its benefits are not conclusively agreed upon. There is still a lot of research to be done, including clinical trial after clinical trial, to try to replicate results consistently.

That being said, many studies have provided compelling results. If that weren’t enough, you can have a look at before and after cases for this treatment, to see with your own eyes the results.

What is agreed upon is that red LED lights do penetrate beneath the skin. When it does, it stimulates the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase, which is found in the mitochondria. By stimulating this enzyme, we can kickstart the mitochondria so it produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

ATP is what helps direct energy into your tissue. Since ATP is telling your body to send energy to your scalp, your hair follicles will get a boost in energy and blood flow. This, in turn, helps extend the growth phase of your hair, helping it grow thicker, and faster. At least, that’s the theory.

Does Red Light Hair Growth Stop DHT?

Unfortunately, red LED lights don’t block dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which has been linked to hair loss. Instead, you can use medications to block DHT and slow down hair loss, and use transplants to replace the hair you’ve already lost. Then, you can rely on any red light laser device as it increases hair density, filling in the gaps.

What Does the Science Say About Red Light Hair Growth?

There are studies that have shown that red light therapy improves hair growth. In a study of 47 different women, those using the real treatment experienced a 37% increase in hair growth compared to the placebo group [3]. Similarly, a study of 44 men saw a 35% increase among those getting the real treatment [4]. The results were even bigger for women experiencing androgenetic alopecia, as they saw a 51% increase in hair production compared to their placebo counterparts [5].

How Long Does it Take for Red Light Therapy to Work?

Red light therapy for hair loss is not a fast, one-session treatment. In the studies where success was seen, for example, the patients went through 60 sessions at home. In short, you’ll want to see this treatment as an ongoing effort against hair thinning. Each session should be between 20 to 30 minutes long. It’s recommended you use at-home treatments between three to five times a week.

Yes, you can get more in-depth treatments at a clinic, but after that, you’ll want to continue treatment at home.

Are There Side Effects of Red Light Therapy Hair Growth?

There are minimal side effects of this light device. This is because red light is a natural part of our days. We get a little bit of it every time we step outside, since sunscreen doesn’t block it out (it doesn’t need to, either).

Overall, red light therapy is very safe [6]

Red light therapy does not burn your scalp, either. It also won’t change your hair colour, or cause skin cancer. At most you may feel a bit of itchiness on your scalp, but that should go away quickly.

How Can You Help Boost Hair Growth Further?

While you’re using red light hair growth treatments you can and should try additional at-home remedies to boost hair growth even further. These treatments are natural, and won’t interfere with the laser device.

1. Massage your scalp every day to boost blood flow and reduce stress
2. Start a healthy, well-balanced to avoid vitamin deficiencies
3. Use heat protectant and other hair care products to stop damage on the hair shaft

 

What Other Treatments Can Help With Hair Growth?

The good news is that it isn’t red light therapy or bust when it comes to hair growth. There are several other methods, steps, and hair loss treatment that you can turn to restore your hair, or help it grow back in healthier than ever.

Start By Tracking Your Hair

The best way to understand if any treatment is working (including red light therapy for hair growth) is to track your hair. You can easily do this with a free hair track app that lets you compare photos side by side and create a timeline of your hair. This will help you understand your hair loss or growth easily.

Improve Your Scalp Health

The next essential step is to simply improve your scalp health. Dry scalp can occur if the skin on your head is irritated due to an allergen, a sunburn, or even the cold. Keeping your hair clean, your scalp moisturized, and your head protected from environmental damage can help your scalp heal naturally on its own.

As it heals, your ability to grow healthy hair that doesn’t break off increases. So long as the reason isn’t male pattern baldness (or the female equivalent), stress, or hormonal, then you should start to see an improvement to your hair growth.

Use Hair Oils

Hair oils can help nourish the scalp with essential vitamins while keeping both your scalp and hair hydrated. There are many different oils that are used, though their benefits aren’t fully explored. Oils commonly used today include:

• Rosemary oil
• Coconut oil
• Jojoba oil
• Mustard oil
• And more

Since oils, when used properly, cause no adverse side effects (unless you’re personally allergic), and instead work to keep your hair looking silky and smelling great, you can confidently try them out and see what happens (that hair tracking app will come in handy here).

Try Hair Loss Medication

If you are actually suffering from hair loss, then no amount of hair boosting treatments is going to help. Instead, you’ll want to take two steps. The first is to start a hair loss medication treatment. This doesn’t reverse hair loss, unfortunately. What it can do is slow down future hair loss.

Use Hair Transplants

What you’ll need to do to actually regain your hair in the long term if it’s due to genetic causes is get a hair transplant. An FUE hair transplant works by taking donor hair follicles from the back of your head (or elsewhere, like your back) and transplanting them into your scalp where they are needed the most. They can be used to restore hairlines, or even fill in thin sections of hair.

Learn About Your Options in Person

If you want a targeted, effective route towards thicker, healthier, happier hair, then you need to visit a specialist. This is particularly true if you’ve been trying everything under the sun to get thicker hair after you noticed it thinning out, and nothing is working. Our team are experts in their field and fully licensed, so you can trust the treatment plan forward we’ll recommend will help you get the results you’re dreaming of. You can even see previous success stories in our patients gallery, so you know just how effective and natural-looking our transplants are first-hand.

Resources

[1] https://www.americanhairloss.org/men_hair_loss/introduction.html#:~:text=Androgenetic%20alopecia%20or%20common%20male,men%20have%20significantly%20thinning%20hair.

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684510/

[3] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lsm.22277

[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28328705/

[5] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lsm.22173

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3423866/