TLDR Low-Level Laser Therapy may help with flap survival and burn scar healing, but not with venous ulcers or hair loss, and more research is needed.
The 2015 review analyzed 40 articles on Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in plastic surgery, including 28 animal and 12 human studies. It found that LLLT was effective in improving flap survival in animals and chronic burn scars in humans, as well as acute wound healing in animals. However, LLLT was not effective for venous ulcers or alopecia, with a study on 32 patients with androgenetic alopecia showing no statistical difference in outcomes. Only two studies suggested potential benefits of LLLT for skin aging. The review concluded that more high-quality comparative studies are needed to fully establish the efficacy of LLLT in plastic surgery applications.
81 citations,
August 2014 in “Lasers in Surgery and Medicine” Red light therapy is safe and effectively increases hair growth in women with hair loss.
45 citations,
January 2014 in “International Journal of Trichology” Low-level laser therapy helps male and female hair loss alone or with other treatments.
106 citations,
April 2013 in “Dermatologic Surgery” Low-level light therapy safely improves hair growth and thickness for androgenetic alopecia.
43 citations,
June 2012 in “Lasers in Medical Science” Low-level laser treatment helped rats regrow hair faster after chemotherapy.
198 citations,
October 2011 in “Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft” Use minoxidil for hair loss; finasteride and dutasteride for men, dutasteride for women.
81 citations,
July 2011 in “Lasers in Medical Science” The Lexington LaserComb helped regrow hair in mice with a condition similar to human hair loss.
90 citations,
January 2009 in “Journal of cosmetic and laser therapy” Low-level laser therapy might help hair growth, but more research is needed.
160 citations,
January 2009 in “Clinical Drug Investigation” HairMax LaserComb® effectively promotes hair growth and stops hair loss in males with androgenetic alopecia, with no serious side effects.
15 citations,
May 2015 in “Photomedicine and Laser Surgery” Low-Level Laser Therapy may help with flap survival and burn scar healing, but not with venous ulcers or hair loss, and more research is needed.
