Treatment of Alopecia with Low-Level Light Therapy
Main Article Content
Keywords
LLLT, Alopecia, hair loss, Red light
Abstract
Low-level light therapy (LLLT) is a safe, non-invasive treatment for various alopecias, offering an alternative or adjunct to pharmacologic therapies. By using specific wavelengths, LLLT releases nitric acid, increases blood flow, inhibits DHT, stimulates follicular cells, enhances mitochondrial activity, and modulates inflammatory pathways. In androgenetic alopecia (AGA), LLLT increases hair density and count, with combination therapy alongside minoxidil or finasteride showing enhanced outcomes. Evidence also suggests benefits in telogen effluvium (TE), alopecia areata (AA), and select cicatricial and traction alopecias, primarily through anti-inflammatory and follicular stimulation mechanisms. LLLT is well tolerated, and advances in at-home and dual-wavelength devices have improved accessibility and adherence.
References
2.Tamashunas NL, Bergfeld WF. Male and female pattern hair loss: Treatable and worth treating. Cleve Clin J Med. 2021;88(3):173-182. doi:10.3949/ccjm.88a.20014
3.Messenger AG, Sinclair R. Follicular miniaturization in female pattern hair loss: clinicopathological correlations. Br J Dermatol. 2006;155(5):926-930. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.2006.07409.x
4.Nestor MS, Ablon G, Gade A, Han H, Fischer DL. Treatment options for androgenetic alopecia: Efficacy, side effects, compliance, financial considerations, and ethics. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021;20(12):3759-3781. doi:10.1111/jocd.14537
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY): lets others distribute and copy the article, to create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as a translation), to include in a collective work (such as an anthology), to text or data mine the article, even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit the author(s), do not represent the author as endorsing their adaptation of the article, and do not modify the article in such a way as to damage the author's honor or reputation.
Authors retain copyright in their work and license the publisher to publish the content. The publisher is the National Society for Cutaneous Medicine, with production and publishing support provided by OJS, Open Journal Systems,see https://pkp.sfu.
Prior to January 2022, authors transferred copyright to the National Society for Cutaneous Medicine. However, all articles are freely available to anyone in the world. There are no subscription fees, page charges, or article processing charges.