Compare Laser Treatment with Hair Transplants


The advantages of laser treatment for hair loss over other hair replacement therapies includes the non-invasive nature of laser treatment and the fact that it does not require you to take any medication or use any chemicals (unless you want to use these methods to supplement the results achieved from the laser treatment alone). Laser treatment can be used on all hair types and because the method increases the blood flow to your scalp, it will also have additional healing effects so it is particularly effective if you have a dermatological (skin) condition on your head (such as eczema or seborrhoea), or if you suffer from a hormonal imbalance, stress or have a poor diet.

Difference between Laser Treatment for Hair Loss & Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a more invasive method of hair loss treatment compared to laser therapy so if you are looking to use a non-invasive method to treat your hair loss problem, then you would certainly be advised to consider laser treatment before FUE. During FUE treatment a small round area is punch out of your scalp in order to extract 4-6 hair follicles from a donor area on your scalp (commonly from around the side of your head or the back of your neck, where you have hair). This is done using a specialised instrument that and the follicles that have been cut out are then removed from your scalp using forceps. A graft area is created in your balding area using a small scalpel so that the donor hair follicles can be implanted into the area. This procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic and typically around 500 follicular units (around 2000-3000 hair follicles) are transplanted during a single FUE procedure. Obviously this contrasts quite markedly with the non-invasive method of laser treatment for hair loss. However, the advantage of the FUE method comes from the fact that you will leave the FUE clinic with hair in your previously bald areas, whereas the laser treatment method typically takes between six to twelve months before any results are seen. 


The surgical method of FUE means that it will leave you with visible scars from where the follicular units are extracted from your donor areas. In addition, these donor areas will need to be shaved before the procedure so that your surgeon can easily see where the individual hair follicles lie. This means that the scars left from the extraction (which are typically small, round and white after a few days) will be easily visible until your hair in your donor area grows to a sufficient length. Obviously, laser treatment for hair loss leaves no visible scars but using laser treatment after having your FUE would stimulate the blood flow to your scalp and potentially reduce the visibility of the scars left from your FUE treatment.

Difference between Laser Treatment for Hair Loss & STRIP

The STRIP technique for hair replacement is arguably even more invasive that the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) technique. It involves surgically cutting out a strip of hair from a donor area of your scalp (where you have good hair cover, such as around the back of your neck) and inserting it into your balding area. In order to do this, you would be put under local anaesthetic and a recipient area would have to be cut out of your balding areas with a scalpel so that the donor strip could be placed there. This technique typically leaves you with a thin scar in the shape of a line from where the donor strip has been cut out and your skin sutured back together. As with FUE, because the donor area will first need to be shaved so that the surgical team can see your hair follicles more easily, this scar will be easily visible (once it has healed) until your hair grows back. However, the advantage of the strip technique over laser treatment for hair loss is that you will see immediate results after your strip procedure instead of having to wait for the 6-12 months to see your results from laser treatment.

In addition, it is sometimes suggested that you could use laser treatment to stimulate further growth and reduce any future hair loss once you have had your strip procedure carried out. 

Difference between Laser Treatment for Hair Loss & Direct Hair Implantation (DHI)

Direct Hair Implantation (DHI) extracts individual hair follicles from donor areas on your scalp (which are areas where you still have good hair growth) using a specialist instrument and implants them individually straight into your balding areas. The use of the specialised instrument means that the direction and angle of all the implanted hairs will be uniform and blend in naturally with the rest of your hair. Due to the fact that your hair follicles are removed and implanted a single hair at a time, the hairs are exposed to the air for a shorter period, so the health of the hair is thought to be better maintained compared to some of the other surgical methods. However, Direct Hair Implantation is still more invasive that laser treatment. The advantage of Direct Hair Implantation over laser treatment for hair loss is its more immediate results, but this could also be a disadvantage if you are looking to improve your hair coverage gradually to ensure that nobody realises that you are undergoing hair loss treatment.

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