Laser devices & blood flow: Is increasing blood flow the main mechanism of hair lasers?

Low level laser therapy (LLLT) for hair loss

I'm often asked if increasing blood flow to the scalp is the main mechanism of hair lasers?

In short the answer is no.

How do lasers help hair loss?

Although it is often explained that low level laser devices simply increase blood flow this is not really the precise mechanism. That's far too simple. Increasing blood flow via exercise, a hot towel or standing on one's head does not help hair loss.

The precise mechanism by which low level laser works has still to be fully understood. Laser acts at the cellular level to affect mitochondria inside cells to affect their production of a chemical known as ATP. Low level laser therapy also changes reactive oxygen species (ROS) inside cells and affects various transcription factors (which influences the messages that are exchanged deep inside the cell).

In short, low level laser therapy brings about a very complex array of biochemical and cellular changes. It's far more involved than simply altering blood flow.