Thursday, July 19, 2007

7 Healthcast: Hair laser

Posted: 07/19/07

There are thousands of things on the market to treat hair loss- from lotions and creams, to pills and special combs. Now, you can add a laser light.

At 52-years-old, Geoff Fowler hopes the sunetics advanced laser will help.

"I feel self-conscious about it because people when they talk to me, their eyes wander up," said Fowler.

Dr. James Harris of the Hair Sciences Center says the science behind the machine is the laser light.

"This wavelength has been shown to be absorbed by the follicle, and when those follicles absorb that energy, it allows them to increase their metabolism," said Dr. Harris.

Some physicians say that the jury is still out.

"People have been trying to treat baldness literally for centuries and there have been thousands and thousands of devices and creams and lotions and potions that come out to treat hair loss," said Dermatologist, Dr. Michael Maloney. "Some of them don't work very well and some of them end up being dangerous."

But for those who want to try something different, something that doesn't include the difficult surgical option of hair transplants, the laser is attractive.

"So many people that I see are hesitant to try either surgical therapy or medical therapy because of the possible side effects," said Dr. Harris.

Dr. Harris says the full treatment will last almost a year, and after that you'll need some additional tune-ups every few months or the hair will stop regenerating.

The laser light procedure runs about $4,000, and is currently being studied by the FDA.

(Copyright 2007 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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