Common treatments for hair loss include minoxidil, corticosteroid injections, laser treatment and hair transplant surgery, all of which have to be carried out by a professional.
But a team of scientists from Korea has now developed a hair growth photosimulator device that customers can use at home.
Focusing on flexibility, the team created an ultrathin array of flexible vertical microlight-emitting diodes (μLEDs).
These consisted of 900 red μLEDs on a chip smaller than a postage stamp and 20μm thick, and were then tested on mice with shaved backs.
The results showed that the mice treated with the μLED patch for 15 minutes a day for 20 days showed significantly faster growth, compared with untreated mice or those receiving minoxidil injections.
The treatment also resulted in a wider regrowth area and longer hairs.
The team says the device is sturdy and flexible, enduring up to 10,000 cycles of bending and unbending, meaning it would be suitable for consumer use.
Wearable devices for hair regrowth do already exist on the market, such as those manufactured by UK company Theradome.
The FDA-cleared laser hair regrowth helmet is said to cut the costs of clinical strength laser phototherapy coming in at £749.
