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Question answered:03/06/08
In 2004 Cutis published ‘Hair Loss Remedies—Separating Fact From Fiction’ [1], this reported:
“Laser Light Therapy—Low-intensity laser light therapy has been shown to be effective in promoting wound healing and in improving circulation. For these reasons, some hair loss treatment centers are offering the use of lasers for treating alopecia in both men and women. To date, there are no known studies looking at the efficacy of these lasers for treating hair loss. The use of low-intensity laser light for treating alopecia is FDA approved for safety only, not for efficacy.”
A 2007 review [2] reported:
“This paper is a consensus of hair loss experts on the current scientific data, mechanisms of action, safety, protocols and recommendations regarding laser/light treatment for hair loss. The authors believe that, while seemingly safe, there are no controlled, peer-reviewed studies validating current devices for hair loss....”
We found some small studies looking at lasers for alopecia areata [e.g. 3, 4], these were small and were not randomised controlled trials. But I imagine the question refers to androgenic alopecia and therefore these studies are invariably superfluous.
References
1) http://www.permanente.net/homepage/kaiser/pdf/45577.pdf
2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17457763
3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16581682
4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18076615
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