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Low-Level Light Therapy

Scalp hair density in pattern hair loss is the one thing it reliably grows back.

Also called Near-Infrared Therapy, PBM, Low-Level Laser Therapy, Red Light Therapy, PBMT, Cold Laser Therapy

A device

The item

Three squares: proven in human trials. Two: a strong signal. One: early human data. Striped: the trials disagree.

Start today

  1. Start using it on your scalp tonight, and keep it off muscles you just trained.
  2. The studies used Less than 100 mW/cm2 and 4 to 10 J/cm2 at the target tissue.

How you'll know it's working

Track
Hair density on the thinning area of the scalp
When to judge
Gains showed between 4 and 26 weeks of treatment; the pooled effect was larger past 20 weeks

Why it works

Red and near-infrared light, too weak to heat tissue, is absorbed by cytochrome c oxidase. That is an enzyme in the mitochondrial energy chain. The proposed effect is that light knocks nitric oxide, which slows the enzyme, off its site. That briefly lifts the brake on the cell's energy production. Everything downstream is credited to that one light-driven step: repair, less inflammation, hair regrowth.

The doses the studies used

Study / ContextRouteDoseDuration
Pattern hair loss - review of the trials vs placeboLaser or LED device to the scalpNot stated4 to 26 weeks; pooled effect larger past 20 weeks
All uses - dose parameter reviewAt the target tissueLess than 100 mW/cm2 power density and 4 to 10 J/cm2 energy density; some groups run up to 50 J/cm2 at the tissue surfaceNot stated

Where it fits

Low-Level Light Therapy is a move in 5 protocols. Each one opens the plan it sits in.

What people say

Here is what doctors, influencers and men online say about Low-Level Light Therapy, word for word.

Experts

Clinicians, authorities

  • “Until better evidence emerges, I'd put a red light on red light therapy and look at any claims very skeptically.”

    Science-Based Medicine (registered pharmacist)

  • “red light therapy can be an effective treatment for androgenic alopecia, a genetic disorder that causes hair loss.”

    WebMD (medically reviewed by a dermatologist, MD)

  • “Randomized, controlled clinical trials show that red light therapy can reduce pain, inflammation and tissue damage.”

    The Conversation (Associate Professor of Oral Biology, University at Buffalo)

Gurus

Podcasts, channels, influencers

  • “just brief exposures to red light early in the day can offset much of the vision loss that occurs in people 40 years or older.”

    podcast episode page (partial transcript)

  • “Although these effects are not yet well proven in humans, there are indications that red light therapy can treat certain symptoms.”

    biohacker light-therapy site guide

  • “I do the face every day. I think I told you this on the last podcast. I do a clay mask in the red light once a week and I feel great.”

    biohacking podcast host (episode transcript)

Regular people

Forums, reviews, comments

  • “Limited efficacy, after 5 months of daily use, have not noticed anything.”

    Trustpilot review aggregate for a laser hair-growth cap brand: 1,622 reviews, TrustScore 4.5/5, 70% five-star

  • “The evidence seems stronger than for most supplements people take, for everything from hair loss to collagen production to soften tissue repair to brain function.”

    Hacker News comment thread on the 670 nm red light / aged mitochondria study, 223 comments

  • “So you apply the light and hope to improve the energy, repair etc in your cells. It is systemic because blood cells, white cells etc move around the body.”

    r/redlighttherapy · 26 points

The studies

Every study behind this page.

Words on this page

PMID
A study's ID number in PubMed, the public index of medical research.

Wear the laser cap. Hair density is what red light actually delivers.

Emergency: call 911.

I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. This is self-education. Talk to a physician who has your history before you change anything.