What it is
This is not the laser used for hair removal. LLLT uses low-power red light that doesn't heat or damage skin. The idea is that the light nudges follicles to stay in their growing phase. You use a home device for a set number of minutes a few times a week, or sit under a hood at a clinic.
The evidence
Several controlled trials found more hairs per square centimetre after four to six months, in men and women with pattern hair loss. Most were small and funded by device makers, and nobody knows how long the gain lasts. Doctors treat it as an add-on to minoxidil or finasteride. It does nothing for scarring or patchy hair loss.
Who it suits
People with early pattern thinning who want something without medicines, or who can't use them. It won't fill a bald area. If you take a medicine that makes your skin sensitive to light, ask your doctor first.
Clinic sessions or a home device
| Clinic course | Home cap or comb | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | You sit under a hood, usually once or twice a week | You wear or use it at home a few times a week |
| Cost | €200 to €400 for a course | One purchase, at a wide spread of prices |
| Good for | People who want someone checking progress | People who will keep to a routine for months |
| Watch for | Open-ended courses with no review point | Devices with no published trial behind them |
Cost
Clinic courses in Ireland cost €200 to €400. Home caps and combs are sold online at a wide spread of prices. Before you buy, ask what result the clinic or maker promises in writing, and what the refund terms are.
Questions people ask
Does laser treatment regrow hair?
It can thicken thinning hair a little in some people. It doesn't regrow hair on bare scalp.
How long before it works?
Trials measured results at four to six months of regular use.
Is it safe?
It is low-power light and side effects are rare: some people get a tingly or dry scalp.
Is laser therapy the same as laser hair removal?
No. Hair removal uses high-power light to damage the follicle. Low-level laser therapy uses weak red light that doesn't heat the skin.