Women who suffer from hair loss now have more choices when it comes to re-growing their locks.
Pharmacist Seema Patel’s hair loss made her feel embarrassed around her customers.
“No matter what you do, put on makeup, dress up, do whatever you want, but your hair doesn’t look right,” said Patel.
Nine months ago, however, Dr. Vineeta Keswani introduced her to LaserCap LCPRO. It’s a battery operated baseball cap with a special disc inside the dome. You flip the switch and more than 200 pulsed lights hit the scalp and stimulate hair growth.
“It’s basically low level laser light which goes through the scalp and acts on the cells and stimulates the energy factory of the cell, so it produces an energy-rich, oxygen-rich environment for the hair follicle,” Keswani, a hair restorationspecialist, told CBS News.
The device has been on the market for six years but was recently FDA approved to promote hair growth.
Patients can take the cap home instead of visiting their physician’s office several times a week for the laser therapy.
Doctors recommend patients wear the cap three times a week for 15 minutes while they do routine activities.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 80 million men and women in the United States have hereditary hair loss.
There aren’t many treatment options for women. Minoxidil, commonly known as Rogaine, is the only FDA-approved medication for female pattern baldness.
The laser cap technology offers an alternative.
Patel, 43, wears it on her drive to work and says she combines the treatment with vitamins and other scalp therapies. She says nearly half of her hair has grown back.
“People are like, ‘Wow, you look really good today.’ So it feels good,” Patel said. And she feels confident facing her customers again.
The Lasercap LCPRO retails for about $3,000. The cosmetic treatment is only available through a doctor and it is not covered by most health insurance.
There are other FDA-approved laser caps on the market as well.