LaserCap LLLT Device Gets FDA Clearance for Women's Hair Loss

A new laser-based hair loss device that claims to be “completely portable, hands free and can be worn discretely under any hat” is has been cleared by the FDA in America for use as a treatment for female pattern hair loss.

Named the LaserCap LCPRO, the device is the company's latest laser cap model and adds to the range of existing devices already on the market - such as the iGrow and Theradome helmets, which use low-level laser treatment (LLLT) to promote hair growth.

Noticeable results in 12 weeks

The makers a US firm named the LaserCap Company say that users typically need to wear the LCPRO for 36 minutes every other day, and that results will be noticeable in 12 weeks. At present, it seems the only way to try one is to first make an appointment with a "select physician or hair restoration clinic" who can supply it. The LaserCap Company say there are more than 60 countries in which their product is available.

“The dream of the LCPRO is to bring an affordable and effective solution to a large number of people who are frustrated with the limited options available now that are truly effective, safe and portable,” says Michael Rabin, MD, LaserCap Company co-founder and the product’s inventor. “Only a few years ago, laser therapy was not well understood by the public, but it’s since cleared a number of important hurdles in terms of scientific validity and proven treatment effectiveness.”

The LaserCap website doesn’t, however, seem to dig too deeply into those claims of scientific validity. In fact, the general science behind LLLT and the efficacy of the award-winning HairMax LaserComb, which is FDA cleared for use by both men and women, appears to be the main foundation of LaserCap’s claims that their device is ‘scientifically proven’.

Part of an overall package

The HairMax LaserComb is the original LLLT device; it was the first and only medical laser device cleared by the FDA as a home-use hair loss treatment for androgenetic alopecia. The device received this clearance in January 2007 for men and in June 2011 for women. It uses nine or 12 beams, depending on model, and employs a patented handheld comb design in order to part the hair, allowing the lasers to get straight to the scalp.

Although the LaserCap LCPRO, with 224 laser diodes, can treat the whole head all at once, as these lasers are static this may mean they need to work harder to penetrate the scalp through the hair.

The science behind the HairMax LaserComb's efficacy is based on studies which have shown how laser light energy can penetrate soft tissues and increase the action of a molecule known as ATP that is a major carrier of energy from one reaction site to another. The LaserComb improves and speeds up hair growth and both thickens and strengthens existing hair.

LLLT devices are best thought of as a 'hair growth booster' rather than as a treatment, given they offer the best chance of seeing successful results when used as part of a personalised regrowth plan featuring medically-proven hair loss treatments.

“We would not normally recommend it as a solution to hair loss on its own,” says Belgravia’s Senior Trichologist, Leonora Doclis. “However, LLLT certainly has a part to play, which is why we offer it to our clients - either for home-use, or as part of clinical therapy sessions. It is definitely becoming more popular, particularly with women, although it should only ever be used as directed and, for best results, it should be used in conjunction with minoxidil, as advised by a professional hair loss specialist”.