Q: I am a 26 years old male. My hair are falling day after day. I consulted an American doctor online. He asked me to take Propecia and Rogaine. I have been taking these for the past one month. He also told me of a procedure called low level laser light therapy. I need to continue this for nine months to increase my hair. I want to know where is this type of therapy is available in India? Is the laser comb effective? Please tell me what is the cost of low level laser light therapy or the cost of laser comb? Are these methods safe? Please advise.

A:Minoxidil (sold as Rogaine in the US) and Finasteride (or Propecia) are the only drugs that work in hair loss. These drugs work in only 60 to 70 % of people, and can reduce hair loss or even promote new hair growth. These drugs also have a limitation, because if they are effective in reducing hair loss or promoting new hair growth, the hair which have been stopped from falling, or have grown for the medication, are dependent on the medicines, and if these medicines are stopped, those hairs tend to fall off again. This effectively means that you have to continue taking the medicines for the rest of your life, if you want those hairs to stay. Laser comb is a marketed product abroad, mostly used in saloons, and its efficiency is limited and debatable. I personally dont have experience with it, and would not recommend it to any patient of mine. The only permanent solution to hair loss is hair transplantation. Hair transplantation is done at our clinic by the follicular unit technique. The hair which are transplanted in the bald area are permanent, do not fall, grow like normal hair and subsequently need hair cuts. You can apply oil or shampoo them and comb them to your desired style. The operation is done on an out patient basis and the patient goes home immediately after the operation. It takes 4 hours for one session where approximately 500 grafts (i.e. 2000 hairs) are transplanted. There are no side effects of hair transplantation.