A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF LASER-BASED TREATMENTS FOR HAIR FALL

Abstract

Objective: Hair loss, or alopecia, is a common condition affecting both men and women. Various treatment options exist, including medications, hair replacement, and more recently, laser therapies. This systematic review aims to compare the efficacy of different laser treatments for hair loss, including low-level laser therapy (LLLT), excimer laser, erbium glass laser, erbium YAG laser, and CO2 laser.

Methodology: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using Google Scholar to identify relevant studies on laser treatments for hair loss. Inclusion criteria encompassed English-language original research articles and clinical trials reporting quantitative or qualitative outcomes of laser treatment for hair loss.. Twenty nine studies meeting the inclusion criteria were synthesized narratively and presented in a tabular format.

Results: The review found that various laser treatments showed promising results in promoting hair regrowth. LLLT demonstrated consistent improvements in hair count and density across multiple studies, with increases ranging from 35% to 120% depending on the treatment area and patient sex. Excimer lasers showed hair regrowth in 41.5% to 60% of treated patches. Erbium glass, erbium YAG, and CO2 lasers also exhibited positive outcomes, improving hair density, shaft thickness, and inducing the anagen phase of hair growth.

Conclusion: This systematic review suggests that laser treatments, particularly LLLT and excimer lasers, show efficacy in treating hair loss. However, the small sample sizes in many studies indicate a need for larger clinical trials to further validate these findings. Future research should focus on optimizing treatment parameters, comparing the efficacy of different laser types and potentially exploring visible light therapy to provide more targeted and cost-effective treatment options for patients suffering from hair loss.