Treatments and supplements · Laser treatment

Do laser treatments work on ageing skin?

What we can tell you today: how thoroughly this has been studied.

Thoroughly studied

22 studies, of which 4 bring together the results of several trials in people. This is as strong as evidence gets.

5 Repeated evidence 4 studies

4 Large controlled trial 3 studies

3 Small study in people 15 studies

This says how thoroughly something has been studied — not whether it works for you. What each study actually found is in the study itself, and in the plain-language write-ups we are adding.

Appears under: Hair and nails · Sleep, energy and the brain · Skin aging

The studies

5 Repeated evidence Low-Level Laser and LED Therapy in Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
2025 · Dermatologic surgery : official publication for America · 3,098 participants
5 Repeated evidence A systematic review on whole-body photobiomodulation for exercise performance and recovery.
2025 · Lasers in medical science
5 Repeated evidence Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials comparing efficacy, safety, and satisfaction between ablative and non-ablative lasers in facial and hand rejuvenation/resurfacing.
2022 · Lasers in medical science · 124 participants
5 Repeated evidence Laser Resurfacing at the Time of Facelift Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
2026 · Aesthetic surgery journal · 1,361 participants
4 Large controlled trial Photobiomodulation Reduces Periocular Wrinkle Volume by 30%: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
2023 · Photobiomodulation, photomedicine, and laser surgery · 137 participants
4 Large controlled trial Fractional CO 2 Laser and Minoxidil in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata, A Comparative Study.
2025 · Lasers in surgery and medicine · 150 participants
4 Large controlled trial Combination 532-nm and 1064-nm lasers for noninvasive skin rejuvenation and toning.
2003 · Archives of dermatology · 150 participants
3 Small study in people Facial Skin Rejuvenation Using Poly- dl -Lactic Acid Injected With a Laser-Generated Needle-Free Microjet Injector.
2025 · Dermatologic surgery : official publication for America
3 Small study in people Needleless laser injector versus needle injection for skin enhancement and rejuvenation effect of dermal filler.
2026 · Lasers in surgery and medicine
3 Small study in people Comparative analysis of erbium: glass 1550 nm and combined erbium: YAG & Nd: YAG lasers for perioral rejuvenation: a prospective study.
2025 · Lasers in medical science
3 Small study in people A New 675 nm Laser Device in the Treatment of Facial Aging: A Prospective Observational Study.
2021 · Photobiomodulation, photomedicine, and laser surgery · 22 participants
3 Small study in people Randomized controlled study for the anti-aging effect of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide after laser therapy.
2021 · Journal of cosmetic dermatology · manufacturer helped fund this
3 Small study in people Combination of fractional carbon dioxide laser with recombinant human collagen in periocular skin rejuvenation.
2024 · Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 26 participants · manufacturer helped fund this
3 Small study in people Comparison of 1064-nm and Dual-Wavelength (532/1064-nm) Picosecond-Domain Nd:YAG Lasers in the Treatment of Facial Photoaging: A Randomized Controlled Split-Face Study.
2022 · Lasers in surgery and medicine
3 Small study in people Comparative efficacy of 2% minoxidil alone against combination of 2% minoxidil and low-level laser therapy in female pattern hair loss-A randomized controlled trial in Chinese females.
2024 · Photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy
3 Small study in people Photobiomodulation therapy and 5% minoxidil in female pattern hair loss: a case series focusing on hair growth phases over a shorter timeframe.
2025 · Lasers in medical science
3 Small study in people Clinical Trial Comparing Three Wavelengths in Photobiomodulation Therapy for Hair Loss.
2025 · Photobiomodulation, photomedicine, and laser surgery · 68 participants
3 Small study in people The growth of human scalp hair mediated by visible red light laser and LED sources in males.
2014 · Lasers in surgery and medicine · 22 participants
3 Small study in people Therapeutic efficacy and safety of a 1927-nm fractionated thulium laser on pattern hair loss: an evaluator-blinded, split-scalp study.
2018 · Lasers in medical science
3 Small study in people A Novel Treatment of Acne Keloidalis Nuchae by Long-Pulsed Alexandrite Laser.
2018 · Dermatologic surgery : official publication for America
3 Small study in people Minoxidil stimulates cutaneous blood flow in human balding scalps: pharmacodynamics measured by laser Doppler velocimetry and photopulse plethysmography.
1985 · The Journal of investigative dermatology
3 Small study in people The removal of unwanted hair using a ruby laser.
1999 · British journal of plastic surgery · 116 participants