Last Updated on 2 months by Francis

Does Red Light Therapy Grow Hair?

One of the most challenging and stressful situations for most people is the thinning and loss of hair. No one appreciates brushing their hair only to realize that the comb sweeps up bald spots on the head. Some leading causes of thinning or lack of hair growth include genetics, hormonal changes, or different medical conditions.

Even though some people feel comfortable being bald, not all people would look good or even fit the look. Hair growth is and will remain a sentimental topic to many people.

A rising popularity in the use of the red light therapy for the restoration of healthy hair is an approach that helps to pose the question whether the approach is functional and recommended or damaging and harmful to hair growth.

The Red Light Therapy

The red light therapy involves the use of near-infrared or red light through wavelengths of about 660 nm to 890 nm.

The wavelengths expose hair follicles either through handheld devices, tanning beds, or proper positioning of the rays above the head. The therapy recommends and explains that the red light does not damage or burn the skin. Instead, the skin absorbs the light by up to at least 10 mm, effective for stimulating the growth of hair.

The red light stimulates the mitochondria found in skin that, in turns, helps with the regeneration, repairing, and functionality of hair cells. The stem cells found in hair also go through an activation by the therapy that eventually promotes healing and repairing of any damaged hair cells.

A lot of controversy residing on the relevance of the red light therapy for the growth of hair originates from the poor comprehension of the approach. The result inevitably lead to controversial remarks on the efficiency of the therapeutic approach.

The Safety of the Red Light Therapy for Hair Growth

Despite all controversy surrounding the use of the red light therapy for hair growth, the approach proves to represent one of the safest and best initiatives for growing and re-growing hair.

The approaches commonly used before the introduction of the therapeutic approach focused on using prescriptions for different conditions like medication and surgical procedures. Red light therapy, on the other hand, is less expensive compared to conventional approaches and also harmless because it involves no surgical approaches.

NASA?s research and analysis on the effectiveness of the use of the red light therapy proves the value of the approach in promoting hair growth. The experiment performed using plants by NASA provided valid results that offered a chance to test the therapy on people. The therapeutic approach gave positive results for the promotion of hair growth while exposing the human skin to no harm.

The Cycle of Hair Growth

Hair growth occurs through three distinct phases namely the anagen, halogen, or the shedding or catogen phases. Therefore, at any moment, hair growth experiences either of the mentioned phases.

The halogen phase represents the growth phases while the catogen phase represents the hair loss stage.

Understanding the cycle of hair growth is vital especially when analyzing the importance red light therapy.

The therapeutic approach helps to promote blood flow through the hair follicles that, in turn, promote metabolism. Hair follicles then experience an increase through the catogen and telogen phases that helps to promote the anagen dedicated to hair growth. Therefore, increased use of the red light therapy helps to revert the phases of hair loss by promoting hair growth through the first stage, the anagen phase, responsible for hair growth.

The Cost of Red Light Therapy

The number of available options and mechanisms for using the red light therapy keep increasing across the market spectrum.

First, medical centers offer red light therapy that cost upwards of thousands of dollars. However, with the purchase of a near-infrared or red light therapy bulb together with an appropriate adjustable lamp, a person can cover the complete cost of the red light therapy that can cost only a few hundred dollars.

Therefore, undergoing the therapy ought not to cost expensive for people looking to pursue the approach on a budget.

Using the LED Bulb and Lamp stand for Hair Growth

Before beginning self therapy for hair growth using the LED bulb, it is important to check and go through the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the LED bulb.

After carefully reading the instructions, turn on the bulb, place it at least 2 inches (5.05cm) from the target area, and point it to the area of focus for about 10 or 15 minutes. It is also important to keep the hair secure and neat to prevent any entanglement through the procedure. The therapy can get repeated two or three times every day. As a rule of thumb, however, it is vital to leave gaps of more than three hours in between sessions for maximum benefits.

Does Red Light Therapy Have Approval From the FDA?

Most red light therapeutic practices and devices focused on reducing hair loss already have approval from the FDA. The first of its kind received approval in 2007. The device focused on reducing hair loss among men using a wavelength of about 635 nm. Later in 2009, the FDA also approved other therapeutic devices focused on both men and women to promote hair growth.

The LED devices like the bulbs used for the therapy also receive approval from the FDA as cosmetic devices. Therefore, the red light therapy for prevention of hair loss through the promotion of the growth of hair is completely legitimate and approved by the FDA.

Are There any Side Effects of Using Red Light Therapy for Hair Growth?

Up to date, there do not exist any recorded negative effects of using the red light therapy. Since the approach focuses on using non-invasive treatment approaches, no pains or negative effects associate with the initiative. The user of the red light therapy only needs to carefully follow the manufacturer?s instructions while conducting the therapy.

How Long Does it Take to Get Results?

Even though the therapy takes up to three months to establish significant results, patients under the approach recorded to experience minor hair growth after three to four weeks of therapy. However, it is important for the patient to maintain patience and a consistent routine with the approach for maximum and appropriate hair growth results.

Here is an excellent helpful FDA cleared devices products review ( please click this link to find out more information )

Resources

Eckelkamp, S. (2018). This Skin-Clearing Gadget Might Help Your Hair Grow Faster, Too. Mbglifestyle. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/red-light-therapy-benefits-and-side-effects-of-this-skin-therapytechnique DuskySkin. (2019). Can Red Light Therapy Help Hair Growth? DuskySkin,com. Your Beauty Specialist. https://duskyskin.com/can-red-light-therapy-help-hair-growth/ Iversen, B. (2018). Hair Loss and Red Light Therapy. RubyLuxLights. https://rubyluxlights.com/blogs/news/hair-loss-and-light-therapy Trophy Skin. (2019). Red Light Therapy: Hair Loss A Possibility? https://trophyskin.com/pages/red-lighttherapy-hair-loss-a-possibility