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Fighting Hair Loss
By David P. Melamed, MD, MSc
Excerpt from the original article published
February 2007...
“ A new era of non-surgical hair restoration
technology is here for men with hair loss.
For obvious reasons, most men are skeptical
of treatments that promise to reverse hair
loss. But a new era of hair restoration
technology, using "cold" laser hair therapy
(LHT), offers hope for those who don't have
advanced hair loss. LHT alone and in
combination with topical and/or oral
medications has produced excellent results
for men and women.
Also known as "cold" lasers, LHT uses
therapeutic soft low-light level lasers (LLLL)
that were developed in Europe for healing
wounds, treating hair loss and other
diseases of the scalp.
The LHT program uses a laser device with
multiple lasers on a rotating head. The
rotating head is housed in a moveable hood
that is positioned directly above the
patient's head. The patient is seated while
the hood is lowered onto the head,
approximately 2 cm from the scalp. The close
proximity of the laser to the patient's
scalp allows for maximum irradiation and
minimal dispersion of the laser light
energy.
LHT is effective in treating androgenetic
alopecia and telogen effluvium. Based on the
experience in my practice, 80 percent of
patients with androgenetic alopecia report
increased hair density after the first three
to six months of treatment. Nearly all of my
patients with telogen effluvium report
complete cessation of shedding. The hair
growth continues while patients complete the
full one year of LHT and will taper after 12
months. Most patients will require monthly
follow-up treatments to maintain their
results. All patients who take oral or
topical medications are encouraged to
continue on those as well.
With LHT, we have the enhanced benefits of
low-light level lasers that stimulate
biophysical repair and neovascularization.
This is a remarkable adjunct to the
combination of other therapies we now have.
It warrants further consideration and
integration into practices serious about
treating hair loss. "
David P. Melamed, MD, MSc, is in private
practice at West LA Medical & Skincare, with
offices in Los Angeles and New York. He
specializes in non-surgical cosmetic
enhancements and age management medicine. He
is a member of the American Academy of
Aesthetic Medicine and the American Society
for Laser Surgery and Medicine.
Disclosure: Dr. Melamed indicates that he
has no affiliations with any commercial
entities, directly or indirectly referenced
in this article. |
