Low-Level Light Therapies Effective, Safe as Alternative Treatment for Alopecia

Low-level light therapy (LLLT) is emerging as an option for improving hair growth across multiple types of alopecia, recent data suggest, with strong results in androgenetic alopecia and promising early data in scarring forms, such as central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) and lichen planopilaris.1

Findings on the use of LLLT were highlighted in a recent analysis by Robert J. Vanaria—a medical student from Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in Nutley, New Jersey—alongside a team of other investigators. Vanaria and colleagues highlighted that light-based therapies for hair loss may provide a promising alternative to topical medications.

“Ongoing clinical trials and mechanistic research continue to refine our understanding of optimal wavelengths, treatment regimens, and combinations with other therapies, positioning light-based treatments and photobiomodulation as a valuable component in the management of hair loss,” Vanaria et al wrote.1,2 “This review explores the role of LLLT in managing different alopecias, examining their mechanisms, efficacy, and clinical applications.”

Trial Design and Findings

The investigative team noted the spectrum of disorders that alopecia represents, all of which can markedly diminish quality of life, particularly in women and pediatric patients. While pharmacologic treatments such as minoxidil remain the mainstay of hair loss management, the team noted the increase in attention that non-invasive approaches such as laser and light-based therapies—most notably LLLT—are gaining as alternative options.

LLLT is a treatment that involves the use of targeted wavelengths of light to stimulate follicular repair. It then extends the anagen phase of patients' hair, and may encourage regrowth. Accessibility of such options has expanded due to recent advances in dual-wavelength LED systems and the availability of at-home devices. Vanaria and colleagues' review assesses the mechanisms, efficacy, and clinical utility of LLLT in treating different forms of alopecia.

They used a search through the PubMed database with the terms “alopecia” OR “hair loss” combined with “laser” OR “photodynamic therapy” OR “light.” The filters the investigators applied limited their findings to English-language works published between 2020 - 2025. Any duplicate entries were removed. Additional research was highlighted via supplementary PubMed queries and citation tracking. This allowed for the inclusion of relevant data published outside the initial timeframe.

The review spotlighted 63 of the initial 403 articles identified, as these studies. met their criteria for inclusion. These studies, focusing on a focus on light- or laser-based therapies specifically for alopecia or hair loss, were categorized by therapeutic approach and subtype of alopecia. These data could be included in more than 1 category if relevant.

Overall, Vanaria and coauthors' review underscores LLLT’s expanding role as either an adjunctive or alternative therapy across subtypes of alopecia.1 Among those with telogen effluvium, treatment with of LLLT demonstrated the ability to extend the anagen phase and decrease shedding, though larger-scale research was highlighted as necessary for the validation of such findings. In androgenetic alopecia, LLLT was shown to have improved hair density and follicular activity, with the investigators noting data suggesting synergistic benefits when LLLT was combined with agents such as finasteride or minoxidil.

Among patients with alopecia areata, findings included in this review demonstrated that LLLT could enhance hair regrowth by modulating local immune responses and improving perifollicular circulation. Vanaria et al also highlighted early evidence that points to potential benefits of this light-based therapy in lichen planopilaris and CCCA. Specifically, case reports describe decreased inflammation and visible hair regrowth.

Vanaria and coauthors noted that LLLT has been shown to be a safe, non-invasive, and generally well-tolerated therapeutic option across multiple forms of alopecia in this review. However, they reiterated that further data is necessary to establish standardized treatment protocols and long-term effectiveness.

“Devices such as those that use dual-wavelength LED light caps show promising results in addition to (and perhaps secondary to) high compliance rates,” they wrote.1 “Given the promising results, clinicians should consider integrating light-based treatments into individualized regimens, particularly for patients who seek alternatives to systemic therapies or have not responded to conventional treatments.”

References

1. Vanaria RJ, Chaudry A, Nestor MS. The Use of Light-Based Therapies in the Treatment of Alopecia. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025 Sep;24(9):e70434. doi: 10.1111/jocd.70434. PMID: 40878907; PMCID: PMC12395542.

2. Wake Forest University Health Sciences, “A Pilot Study of Revian Red All LED Cap as a Novel Treatment for Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia,” clinicaltrials.gov, (2025), accessed May 1, 2025, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04764331.