Lasers and light therapies have many uses in healthcare, treating brain injuries, mood disorders, skin conditions, broken bones, and much more. Focused light can stimulate cell growth, reduce inflammation, and speed healing.
Low-level lasers can also improve scalp health and spur hair growth. With its high success rate and low risk of complications, photobiomodulation therapy has become a popular option to help regrow or thicken hair with and without drugs or surgery, using light to energize the cells and tissues in your scalp.
What Is Photobiomodulation?
Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a non-surgical, non-invasive hair restoration therapy that uses lasers to stimulate hair growth. It is also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or laser capping.
At PNW Hair Restoration, we offer FDA-approved laser capping treatments that provide a safe and painless way to spur hair growth, alone or best in conjunction with other therapies. During PBM treatment, gentle laser light spurs hair follicles to enter and prolong the anagen phase of their growth cycle. This leads to visibly thicker, fuller hair.
What Can I Expect During Photobiomodulation?
Photobiomodulation therapy is simple: You just sit back and let the laser cap do the work. During a session, the cap is placed on your head, and you are free to relax for the duration of the treatment – typically treatment time is 8-10 minutes daily.
The procedure is comfortable and painless, and you may feel a warm sensation that fades when the cap is removed. Side effects are rare and may include short term scalp dryness, itching, or redness.
Advantages of Photobiomodulation
Photobiomodulation treatment can improve hair growth in both men and women. It is safe and non-invasive, with little-to-no risk of side effects. Treatment is fast (typically treatment time is 8-10 minutes daily) and pain-free; any discomfort during PBM capping is minor and short-lived. Patients can return to work and resume regular activities immediately.
Results can be seen relatively soon, with noticeable regrowth within several months of consistent treatment.
Is PBM Right for Me?
Photobiomodulation treatments are an option for both men and women with thinning hair. It is especially effective for those in the early stages of hair loss, but it can also be used in later stages to preserve existing hair or in tandem with other hair restoration treatments, including transplantation. PBM treatments require an ongoing commitment to see and maintain visible results.
PBM is used to treat hair thinning from telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, and other types of hair loss. Ongoing research suggests that PBM may even help to slow the progression of androgenic alopecia, also known as male (or female) pattern baldness.
PBM may be performed in conjunction with other treatments or as a supplemental treatment after a hair transplant. It also may be an option for those who are unable to undergo a surgical hair loss procedure or for individuals who cannot safely take medications like finasteride. It is contraindicated for those with skin cancer of the scalp, head, or neck.
Begin Your Hair Replacement Journey Today
If you are experiencing thinning or lost hair, photobiomodulation treatments may be a safe, effective option for you. We are happy to discuss PBM and other surgical or nonsurgical treatments at an in-person or virtual consultation. Contact us today to begin your journey to a thicker, fuller head of hair with PNW Hair Restoration.
*MODEL, NOT A REAL PATIENT
