Alopecia (hair loss) can be caused by a variety of different factors, such as allergies, hormonal imbalances, toxins, burns, injuries, infections, medications, stress, iron deficiencies and medical treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.
The most common form of hair loss is androgenic alopecia, commonly known as male pattern baldness (although it can affect both men and women). More than 50 per cent of men over the age of 50 have some degree of hair loss, while 15 per cent of women will have some degree of hair loss before they reach menopause.
There are some medications for treating male baldness, such as minoxidil and finasteride; unfortunately, no medications have been developed for female baldness. However, there are other options for both.
Laser treatments are most commonly associated with hair removal, as a longer-lasting alternative to waxing or shaving; however, it can also do the reverse and help you to grow hair.
This healing laser light is known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), although it might also be referred to as cold laser, soft laser, biostimulation or photobiomodulation. LLLT originated as a treatment for skin conditions in diabetic patients in the 1960s. Since then, its use has been expanded and today it’s used in the treatment of chronic pain, soft tissue damage, inflammation, wound treatments, scarring and, yes, hair loss. The benefits for stimulating hair growth were discovered in 1968 when, during an experiment regarding the use of high-intensity lasers for tumor removal in rats went wrong. The assistant didn’t turn the laser off but reduced it to a low-intensity wavelength. The result was that the rat grew hair! Two years ago, the FDA approved the claim that LLLT does stimulate the growth of hair.
An LLLT treatment is non-invasive and, unlike surgery or medication, is painless and has no potential side effects. Each treatment lasts up to 30 minutes and treatments are carried out weekly at first, with the frequency reducing over the first three to six months until the desired result is achieved. The maintenance stage generally requires treatment once per month.
It should be noted that LLLT does not work in the treatment of scarring alopecia, which is caused by deep bacterial or fungal infections of the skin. Unfortunately, these scarred areas will not re-grow hair.
Terme Nuvo offers laser treatment for both male and female hair loss as well as other conditions. For more information, visit www.termenuvo.ca.
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