RMM
05-17-2009, 06:13 PM
My experience with getting laser treatment at a facility. I am planning to write about it about once a month to be helpful to other people thinking of getting treatments.
I know cold laser therapy is used by alternative doctors and sports clinics for sports injuries and to promote wound healing, so it sounds plausible to me that it would help promote healthy scalp and follicles.
Ideally, laser therapy will encourage non-productive follicles to produce; will encourage fragile hairs to grow in stronger; will strengthen existing follicles/hairs. I don't know if laser therapy will decrease or increase shedding, and I will post here if I notice that happening to me. Basically, laser therapy can't hurt; it may help; at worst it will be a waste of time and money. So I will share my experience with you over the next few months.
First of all, I was not able to find a hair restoration clinic run by a doctor. I know you can find such places in big cities, but not in my town. I ended up going to a specialized "hair replacement center" that is not run by medical people. There was a steady stream of clients coming and going while I was there, and I'd say it was about 50% men and 50% women, ranging in ages from early 20s to late middle age, all races. It was a great relief to me to see plenty of other women at this place. It wasn't just me and dozens of men.
The facility is well set-up, professional looking. They offer hair replacement surgery (at an affiliated medical clinic), hair replacement "systems" (wigs, I guess) and laser therapy.
You first meet with the sales staff on one side of the facility, and if you decide to buy a laser treatment program, from then on you go to the treatment side of the facility. I felt that I was treated respectfully and with as much privacy as possible. You can't help running into other people in the waiting room areas, though. But all the discussions take place in private rooms with closed doors. The laser stations are set apart in cubicles for privacy.
Now I will say right off -- if you are going for the laser therapy, you need to be an educated consumer. None of the staff seemed informed or knowledgeable about the laser therapy. They are nice, but knew appalling little. I only signed up because I had done the research before I ever walked in and I had decided for myself that I wanted to do this. This sales staff certainly could not have answered my questions or sold me on this. The treatment center staff seemed no more knowledgeable.
So, now for some product info. The therapy used for hair loss is called "cold" or "soft" laser or "cosmetic" laser. These are NOT like the hot lasers used to remove hair.
The stronger cold lasers (808nm) are used by chiropracters and sports clinics for pain relief, to reduce inflammation, and to promote wound healing. The weaker cold lasers (635nm) lasers are the ones used to promote hair restoration. A cold laser commonly used at many hair restoration clinics is a 650nm called the Anagen Alphalase LX40. It looks like an old-fashioned ladies hair drier; you sit in a chair and a hood is lowered over your hair. It is a Class-3R cosmetic laser. It does not emit heat and cannot injure. You feel nothing during the treatment.
So, back to describing my first appointment. The saleslady took a digital photo of my frontal hairline and then she stood on a step-stool and took a digital photo of the top of my head. So there it was on the computer screen. The hair loss was quite plain. I am mystified by people who insist they see no difference in me.
I also had my scalp examined by a "trichologist." That's supposed to be a quasi-medical professional who specializes in hair and scalp problems. When I asked what her qualifications were, she was simply a licensed cosmetologist. If she had more qualifications, she didn't trot them out. She hooked up a device to a computer monitor and examined my scalp and hair under 200x magnification, and took snapshots along the way. She started at a part of my head where the hair is thick and full. Then she slowly moved a wand from the thick to the thinning parts and through all the thinning parts. The contrast was quite obvious. She pointed out the follicles to me (they look like bumps) and she pointed out the fragile hairs which were in clear contrast to the normal thick hairs. She explained what we were seeing on the computer monitor. I noticed that my scalp looked red. She seemed unconcerned and said it was due to vascularity and a good sign. Huh. Maybe I should see a derm, but I don't want to deal with their BS.
I waited for this exam until 5 weeks after my last haircut/coloring appointment, and I deliberately did not wash my hair for 24 hours before this exam, and I let the cosmetologist know that. She said she couldn't see oiliness or buildup or dandruff, etc., no scalp conditions, nor did I see anything myself. She said she thought I'd get good results from laser therapy since she saw a lot of follicles and she thought I had a healthy scalp and good vascularity.
So back to the saleslady. They offered 104 laser treatments (2 per week for a year) and 26 "intensive scalp treatments" which sound like massages and probably a waste of time. I have had 2 laser treatments so far but not a scalp treatment yet and I'll write about what that is like.
They wanted me to sign a contract and pay $3,000, and they wanted it in full, up front, no refunds for any reason. How shady can you get. Just like a gym membership.
But as I said, I went to this clinic with the intention of getting the treatments. They were willing to offer financing, but I charged it and will pay it off over the upcoming year.
I was misled to believe that the fee included a year's worth of shampoo, conditioner and scalp treatment spray. Actually just included the first batch of bottles. I have to pay for more if I want them. I'm rolling my eyes. For $3,000, they can't throw in the shampoo?
The brand is Therapro Mediceuticals. The shampoo is called Folligen, the conditioner is called Vitatin and the last bottle is "Cellagen Bioactive Follicle Stimulator." I couldn't find any consumer reviews online about these products.
The facility also offered vitamins for sale, doesn't include them in the $3,000 price. I am already satisfied with my vitamin regime and didn't buy any.
So that is my initial report. I will let people know how my experience goes.
More product info below:
Cold Laser Terms Defined
Wavelength, Color or Nanometer or nm:
Different ways to express the color of light. All 635nm lasers are bright red. They penetrate human tissue about 3/8" of an inch or so (depending on the color of the skin and density of the tissue). All 808nm lasers are a bright red, however, since they are near infrared their light can barely been seen. They penetrate human tissue about 1.5" inch or so (depending on the color of the skin and density of the tissue).
Joules, Milliwatts or mw:
Different ways to measure the power of a laser. 5 milliwatt = 0.3 joule/minute, 50 milliwatt = 3 joule/minute, 150 milliwatt = 9 joule/minute and 315 milliwatt = 18.9 joule/minute. Power is a mathematical equation. The more powerful the laser, the shorter the treatment time (and the greater the chance of burning tissue).
Frequency, Hertz and hz:
Indicate how many times per second laser light flashes on and off. Widely accepted theory is that pulsed lasers have more of a therapeutic benefit than non-pulsed light.
The LaserMax Hair Comb is a Class 3-R laser, 650nm, less than 5mw, and has 9 diodes (the little light-emitting dots). The Anagen Alphalase LX40 is a Class 3-R laser, 650nm, 7mw, and has 40 diodes.
I cannot find anywhere whether the LaserMax Comb or the Anagen Alphalase LX40 are pulsed lasers.
You sit under the Anagen Alphalase LX40 for 20 minutes at a time. You use the HairMax Laser Comb for about the same amount of time.
You do the Anagen Alphalase LX40 twice a week. You do the The HairMax Laser Comb 3 times a week (every other day).
I know cold laser therapy is used by alternative doctors and sports clinics for sports injuries and to promote wound healing, so it sounds plausible to me that it would help promote healthy scalp and follicles.
Ideally, laser therapy will encourage non-productive follicles to produce; will encourage fragile hairs to grow in stronger; will strengthen existing follicles/hairs. I don't know if laser therapy will decrease or increase shedding, and I will post here if I notice that happening to me. Basically, laser therapy can't hurt; it may help; at worst it will be a waste of time and money. So I will share my experience with you over the next few months.
First of all, I was not able to find a hair restoration clinic run by a doctor. I know you can find such places in big cities, but not in my town. I ended up going to a specialized "hair replacement center" that is not run by medical people. There was a steady stream of clients coming and going while I was there, and I'd say it was about 50% men and 50% women, ranging in ages from early 20s to late middle age, all races. It was a great relief to me to see plenty of other women at this place. It wasn't just me and dozens of men.
The facility is well set-up, professional looking. They offer hair replacement surgery (at an affiliated medical clinic), hair replacement "systems" (wigs, I guess) and laser therapy.
You first meet with the sales staff on one side of the facility, and if you decide to buy a laser treatment program, from then on you go to the treatment side of the facility. I felt that I was treated respectfully and with as much privacy as possible. You can't help running into other people in the waiting room areas, though. But all the discussions take place in private rooms with closed doors. The laser stations are set apart in cubicles for privacy.
Now I will say right off -- if you are going for the laser therapy, you need to be an educated consumer. None of the staff seemed informed or knowledgeable about the laser therapy. They are nice, but knew appalling little. I only signed up because I had done the research before I ever walked in and I had decided for myself that I wanted to do this. This sales staff certainly could not have answered my questions or sold me on this. The treatment center staff seemed no more knowledgeable.
So, now for some product info. The therapy used for hair loss is called "cold" or "soft" laser or "cosmetic" laser. These are NOT like the hot lasers used to remove hair.
The stronger cold lasers (808nm) are used by chiropracters and sports clinics for pain relief, to reduce inflammation, and to promote wound healing. The weaker cold lasers (635nm) lasers are the ones used to promote hair restoration. A cold laser commonly used at many hair restoration clinics is a 650nm called the Anagen Alphalase LX40. It looks like an old-fashioned ladies hair drier; you sit in a chair and a hood is lowered over your hair. It is a Class-3R cosmetic laser. It does not emit heat and cannot injure. You feel nothing during the treatment.
So, back to describing my first appointment. The saleslady took a digital photo of my frontal hairline and then she stood on a step-stool and took a digital photo of the top of my head. So there it was on the computer screen. The hair loss was quite plain. I am mystified by people who insist they see no difference in me.
I also had my scalp examined by a "trichologist." That's supposed to be a quasi-medical professional who specializes in hair and scalp problems. When I asked what her qualifications were, she was simply a licensed cosmetologist. If she had more qualifications, she didn't trot them out. She hooked up a device to a computer monitor and examined my scalp and hair under 200x magnification, and took snapshots along the way. She started at a part of my head where the hair is thick and full. Then she slowly moved a wand from the thick to the thinning parts and through all the thinning parts. The contrast was quite obvious. She pointed out the follicles to me (they look like bumps) and she pointed out the fragile hairs which were in clear contrast to the normal thick hairs. She explained what we were seeing on the computer monitor. I noticed that my scalp looked red. She seemed unconcerned and said it was due to vascularity and a good sign. Huh. Maybe I should see a derm, but I don't want to deal with their BS.
I waited for this exam until 5 weeks after my last haircut/coloring appointment, and I deliberately did not wash my hair for 24 hours before this exam, and I let the cosmetologist know that. She said she couldn't see oiliness or buildup or dandruff, etc., no scalp conditions, nor did I see anything myself. She said she thought I'd get good results from laser therapy since she saw a lot of follicles and she thought I had a healthy scalp and good vascularity.
So back to the saleslady. They offered 104 laser treatments (2 per week for a year) and 26 "intensive scalp treatments" which sound like massages and probably a waste of time. I have had 2 laser treatments so far but not a scalp treatment yet and I'll write about what that is like.
They wanted me to sign a contract and pay $3,000, and they wanted it in full, up front, no refunds for any reason. How shady can you get. Just like a gym membership.
But as I said, I went to this clinic with the intention of getting the treatments. They were willing to offer financing, but I charged it and will pay it off over the upcoming year.
I was misled to believe that the fee included a year's worth of shampoo, conditioner and scalp treatment spray. Actually just included the first batch of bottles. I have to pay for more if I want them. I'm rolling my eyes. For $3,000, they can't throw in the shampoo?
The brand is Therapro Mediceuticals. The shampoo is called Folligen, the conditioner is called Vitatin and the last bottle is "Cellagen Bioactive Follicle Stimulator." I couldn't find any consumer reviews online about these products.
The facility also offered vitamins for sale, doesn't include them in the $3,000 price. I am already satisfied with my vitamin regime and didn't buy any.
So that is my initial report. I will let people know how my experience goes.
More product info below:
Cold Laser Terms Defined
Wavelength, Color or Nanometer or nm:
Different ways to express the color of light. All 635nm lasers are bright red. They penetrate human tissue about 3/8" of an inch or so (depending on the color of the skin and density of the tissue). All 808nm lasers are a bright red, however, since they are near infrared their light can barely been seen. They penetrate human tissue about 1.5" inch or so (depending on the color of the skin and density of the tissue).
Joules, Milliwatts or mw:
Different ways to measure the power of a laser. 5 milliwatt = 0.3 joule/minute, 50 milliwatt = 3 joule/minute, 150 milliwatt = 9 joule/minute and 315 milliwatt = 18.9 joule/minute. Power is a mathematical equation. The more powerful the laser, the shorter the treatment time (and the greater the chance of burning tissue).
Frequency, Hertz and hz:
Indicate how many times per second laser light flashes on and off. Widely accepted theory is that pulsed lasers have more of a therapeutic benefit than non-pulsed light.
The LaserMax Hair Comb is a Class 3-R laser, 650nm, less than 5mw, and has 9 diodes (the little light-emitting dots). The Anagen Alphalase LX40 is a Class 3-R laser, 650nm, 7mw, and has 40 diodes.
I cannot find anywhere whether the LaserMax Comb or the Anagen Alphalase LX40 are pulsed lasers.
You sit under the Anagen Alphalase LX40 for 20 minutes at a time. You use the HairMax Laser Comb for about the same amount of time.
You do the Anagen Alphalase LX40 twice a week. You do the The HairMax Laser Comb 3 times a week (every other day).