Light therapy is an extremely common and popular type of therapy that has many benefits to it. Let’s take a look at how it may help with hair loss.
Given the fact that there are so many side effects, expenses, and limited success of the more common types of hair restoration treatments, it is very worthwhile to take a look at the alternative measures we can take in order to fight hair loss. It is especially more worthwhile when the treatment method is completely painless, has no side effects, and is non-invasive. The fact that it can also help you with numerous other health conditions is just a bonus and supplementary factor of this method of treatment. The option that we are talking about is light therapy or as it is sometimes known red light therapy.
The best thing about red light therapy is that it can also help with a number of other medical conditions. This includes things such as pain in the joints, pain from arthritis, damage due to the sun, and also nerve damage, to name just a few of the things that light therapy can definitely help with. It has also been shown that it is very effective in treating one of the most common causes of hair loss which happens to be thyroid problems.
What is Red Light Therapy?
Red light therapy is a type of therapy or phototherapy that makes use of specific wavelengths of light in order to reduce inflammation, to accelerate the process of healing, and to also promote a skin tone that is a lot healthier. Red light happens to be a part of the visible spectrum of light (it must not be confused with UV light or infrared light, those happen to be invisible to the naked human eye). This type of light is also bioactive in humans. What this means is that our bodies respond to this light in a very beneficial way and the process is very much like that of how plants respond to sunlight. The main way light therapy achieves these results is by creating a lot more energy at the level of the cells.
The use of this type of therapy for the purposes of hair loss was discovered by chance and accident in the 60s. This happened when mice were given chemotherapy. While the doses of chemo caused the mice to lose their hair, they eventually did get it back with the help of red light. In fact, the hair that grew back was a lot thicker than before.
The light therapy that is available today also works in a very similar manner. They make use of LEDs that are very high power in order to saturate the body of the patient with doses of light that are therapeutic. Normally it makes use of visible light that comes in a wide range of colors, but the light of the red and infrared variety are the ones that are the best for a whole host of conditions which also includes hair loss. It is also worth noting that while sunlight covers the complete spectrum of wavelengths, it also contains harmful UV wavelengths. Light therapy on the other hand has absolutely no side effects such as burning or damage to the skin.
How It Restores Hair?
The type of light that has been found to be very useful at treating hair loss is the red light. Even within red light, certain wavelengths work better than others. The way it works is by increasing the flow of blood to the scalp. The result of this is that it stimulates metabolism in the follicles of the hair. This results in the production of even more hair.
When someone loses hair, they lose their hair but not the follicles. These are the tube-like things that are responsible for anchoring the hair to the skin. At the very base of each of the follicles is the hair bulb (the entire thing looks a lot like a vase). The part of the vase that is bulbous is the matrix and the papilla, the hair begins to grow at this place. The things that we term as the hair is in general a protein that goes by the name of keratin and this is what makes up the shaft of the hair. When the cells of these follicles of the hair and the matrix and also the papilla do not function in the right manner, they are not able to support hair growth and as a result, the growth of hair slows down or stops altogether.
Red light has the potential to penetrate the skin and go through to the base of the follicles of the hair. This has a stimulating effect on the cells, the papilla, and the matrix and as a result, it produces more energy. This allows the cells to replicate themselves much more efficiently and successfully. The end result of this is more growth of hair and growth in previously-dormant cells.
Red Light Also Helps With The Following
Red light also stimulates the production of ATP, a coenzyme whose job it is to fuel cellular structures. When there is an increase in the level of ATP, it will increase the activity of hair follicles which will also include the rate at which they replicate themselves. When the energy of the cells of the follicles is restored, it means that the papilla will create more keratin and as a result, there will be increased hair growth.
Red light therapy also increases the production of collagen. Collagen acts as an antioxidant that fights damage that is caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds that damage the follicles of the hair.
So, as we can see, red light therapy and light therapy in general really does hold some very promising effects for those who are suffering from hair loss. In addition to fighting hair loss, this method of therapy also has a host of other benefits as well.
