I found out by taking hours and hours of research that there is a solution to thinning hair after all! I was right about the fact that going to sulfate free shampoos, keeping my scalp clear and healthy, exercising and eating well all contribute to healthier hair, but in addition, this cool laser for hair stimulation is the latest and the greatest. The only problem is which one do I choose? Let me make some comparisons for you. There is a LOT to know!

There is quite a variety of hand held lasers and another group of “wearable” laser devices. Both seem to work on the same principal, it is just that some have more “power” than others due to the number of true lasers in the device. Some companies intersperse LED lights with the lasers, but there is a big question as to any effectiveness from just LED lights versus true laser diodes. Only one company actually PULSES their light which works best according to research I could dig up. Basically, I wanted to investigate two things: the effectiveness of the product and the “user-friendly” aspect of the product. I figured if I didn’t use it, why have it? It all comes down to the idea that “the best product is the one you will USE”!

In order to understand the effectiveness aspect, there is a lot of background information I had to wade through. I learned that laser light therapy is the most effective way to slow or stop hair loss. It has also been shown to thicken existing hair and to make sure that every viable hair follicle is producing at its optimum level.

It CANNOT grow new hair from a dead follicle…so if you have completely permanent bald spots, then hair transplants are the only way to go. However for MY problem of overall thinning hair or for guys with male pattern baldness that is beginning, the laser comb or brush is perfect!

Low-Level Laser Therapy or LLLT is not, in itself, new. Cool lightwave therapy has been around for a long time. It has been used in many aspects of physical therapy and dermatology. Mice re-grew their shaved spots in lab tests when LLLT was used in the area to help heal surgery scars faster. The red light spectrum that is used in laser hair therapy is found to have no negative side effects as it is highly concentrated, but kept at a low level of light (650 to 670 nanometers). On our scalp, it increases the blood flow by increasing the energy factories of our cells. More energy means more movement and efficiency in carrying food and healing properties to our hair follicles which are the “birthing chambers” of our hair shafts. Happy follicles mean healthier, thicker, shinier hair.

In the past, the laser option was only available in salons or dermatology offices and the cost factor was huge! Not only were the treatments expensive, but just the time and gas and scheduling alone made it cumbersome. Treatment required you visit 2 or 3 times a week for a YEAR to sit under a hair-dryer type device for 20-30 minutes. Only a licensed person could administer this therapy, so it did come with a specialist or physician to check on and monitor your progress. Now, however, this technology has been approved for individual use and it has gotten a lot smaller AND a lot less expensive (like computers or cell phones all have). With all of the new home use devices, I also find that they offer money back guarantees to try their product for 6 months so that you can get your money back if you use it properly but do not see results. Most offer over the phone consultations too…but the knowledge of the different customer service sites does vary!

All of the devices were safe, painless and most will work to stop or slow hair loss , but NONE will work forever…in other words if you stop using any of these devices, the progress that you made will diminish and your hair or lack thereof will be back to the beginning. Of course, it is the same with any of the topical chemical or internal medical products too. JUST like exercise, we need to keep up the work. DARN! In the beginning, every other day for 20 minutes or so is needed, but your results can be maintained after 6 months or so with only a once or twice a week treatment. Now that we have the basics down, lets compare actual products and companies.

I rapidly was able to determine that I need to start using sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners that do not leave a buildup on my scalp. These and heavy hairsprays, gels or mousses all can clog the very pores of the scalp (follicles) which need to breathe and be open for new hair to come out! Any oily residue can smother a follicle! I also am investigating products that can treat the hair shaft (such as oil treatments that I now just put on the ends of my hair instead of spreading it out all over my head). I will not give up my hairdresser’s coloring regimen, though I did actually ask about the drying effects of the products she uses, sulfate levels, etc. Luckily, I go to a great spot that is very conscious of these issues and they use only the safest of products that are the healthiest for hair and scalp. It was there that this whole thinning issue was brought to my attention in the first place!!!

I also found out that my diet, exercise (or lack thereof), stress levels (ommmmm) DO actually matter! I now rethink what is going into my body as well as what is going on my scalp. I am lucky enough to not take any prescription medications yet, but if I am prescribed something in the future, I will ask about side effects…maybe even actually READ those 50 page inserts that come with meds. Over the counter medications (self-prescribed) can also do damage to our chemical balance, so I will take that into account as well. Hormones??? Well, our bodies dance to their own tune when it comes to timing and duration of hormonal change.

What we CAN do though is investigate exactly which foods trigger hormonal responses and which foods have anti-inflammatory properties so that we can eat to smooth out our hormonal journey. I am currently hot on turmeric and probiotics (by eating yogurt and Kim chi). I am also cutting out salt, sugars (well trying) processed meats (processed anything) diary other than the yogurt (I miss cheese/love rice milk!!!). I actually feel a little more like exercising and have more energy with my lighter tummy.

But what do all of these changes mean for my HAIR??? Well, I am finding that the benefits will show up, but may take awhile. Remember that the hair we see is already dead! The follicles are where it all begins. After a month or so though, I am already seeing new hair along my hairline (short little hairs that stick out a little from the pack) and that is the signal of new growth. The next thing I want to investigate though is the latest in laser use. I have always thought of lasers as “removers” of stuff (skin cancer, gum tissue, hair…) Wait, HAIR??? Well, I am learning that it depends on exactly which wavelength of laser we are talking about. Removers and cutters are “hot” lasers. For hair regrowth we are talking cool lasers…and I mean COOL! Hair therapy laser treatment actually works to feed your follicles. When this means of thickening thinning hair and improving growth first came about, it could only be done by big machines in hair salons and the treatments were very expensive. Now, technology has improved to the point where they have been able to make products that work just as well that are small enough and small enough on the budget to be used at home. Privacy and saving gas are

just a side benefit! These hand held or hands-free lasers are pretty much safe for color treated hair, any type and color of hair and any ethnicity hair type. Sound too good to be true? That’s what I thought. So, I investigated these new devices, and this is what I found…..