What is laser hair growth therapy (TricoSTYM)?
The TricoSTYM laser hair treatment is a non-surgical therapy that combines photobiomodulation (low-level laser therapy, or LLLT) with electrostimulation of the scalp. Its aim is to stimulate weakened follicles, prolong the hair growth phase and slow shedding, without surgery, without pain and without downtime.
The red laser light penetrates a few millimetres into the skin and activates cellular activity in the follicle, while microcurrents improve scalp microcirculation. It is worth saying plainly: this is a stimulation treatment, not a miracle. It works on follicles that still exist —even if miniaturised—, it does not create hair where there is no follicle left, and its evidence is strongest when used as a complement to a medical plan or after a transplant, not as a substitute for either.
Techniques the Dr. Arístides Arellano practice uses
Laser hair therapy is not a stand-alone technique: it is indicated and dosed according to your diagnosis, and almost always fits into a broader strategy. These are its components.
- Low-level laser therapy (LLLT / photobiomodulation): laser light stimulates follicle activity, prolongs the anagen (growth) phase and helps thicken the shaft of existing hair.
- Scalp electrostimulation: microcurrents that improve scalp microcirculation and support the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the follicle.
- Combined protocol: TricoSTYM performs best as part of a plan —alongside PRP, mesotherapy or medical treatment (supervised finasteride/minoxidil)— and as reinforcement after a hair transplant, where it helps protect both transplanted and native hair.
How is it performed?
The treatment is performed in the office, without anaesthesia and without downtime. Each session lasts 20 to 30 minutes: you sit, the applicator delivers the laser light and electrostimulation over the scalp, and you return to normal life immediately. It does not hurt —at most a mild warmth or tingling— and leaves no marks. The protocol runs as a series of sessions (usually weekly over several weeks), because the follicle responds to repeated, sustained stimulation, not to a single application. Like any medical treatment, it requires a prior assessment to confirm that your type of hair loss can benefit and to rule out causes that are treated differently.
All surgery carries risk and requires a prior medical assessment. Results may vary according to each patient, their anatomy and their individual healing process.
Who is a good candidate?
- Early or moderate androgenetic alopecia, with a still-viable follicle (miniaturised but not lost).
- Telogen effluvium or reactive shedding (post-partum, stress, diet, seasonal), as support while the underlying cause is corrected.
- After a hair transplant, to support follicle recovery and protect the native hair surrounding the transplanted area.
- Those seeking a non-surgical option or wanting to strengthen weakened hair; it is not useful in fully bald areas, where no follicle remains to stimulate.
Recommended aftercare treatments
Laser hair therapy needs no special care: you can wash your hair, go out in the sun with protection and resume your activities the same day. When laser is used to reinforce a hair transplant, scalp care does follow a more detailed protocol during the first weeks. See the full guide: Post-surgical recovery and care.
Before and after
Most patients want to see before-and-after photographs before deciding. Out of respect for each person’s privacy, Dr. Arístides Arellano shows real cases —always with documented consent— during your in-person consultation, where you can review results from patients with a starting point similar to yours. Results may vary from patient to patient.
Approximate price
It is sold as a course: 24 sessions from approximately $9,000 MXN, depending on the area worked. Approximate price — the definitive cost is set at your private consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano.
About Dr. Arístides Arellano
Dr. Arístides Arellano is a plastic surgeon holding a specialty licence: he practises under a Mexican medical licence (D.G.P. 1125959) and a specialty licence in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (0002008), both issued by the Directorate General of Professions (DGP), which reissued his certificate of professional standing in 2025. His career began before Mexico’s present-day specialty-board system existed: he belongs to the founding generation of plastic surgery in Puebla, the second generation of a surgical tradition started in 1971 by Dr. Francisco Arellano Ocampo. Trust is verified, not promised: both licences are public and anyone can look them up in the DGP’s National Registry of Professionals.
Related patient guide
If your hair loss is advanced and laser alone is not enough, you may be weighing a transplant: How many grafts do I need? Hair transplant guide explains how a transplant is estimated and when it makes sense to combine it with laser hair therapy.
Trust is verified, not promised. All 210 scanned documents —degree, licences, diplomas, publications and certificates, from 1977 to 2025— are open in Dr. Arístides Arellano’s credential archive, alongside an explanation of the difference between a specialty licence and a board certification.
Recovery · step by step
- Day of the sessionA 20-to-30-minute session, without anaesthesia or discomfort. You resume activities immediately and can wash your hair that same day.
- First weeksThe series of sessions is completed (usually weekly). No visible change yet: the follicle is only beginning to receive the stimulus.
- Months 2–3Less shedding is often noticed, and hair that feels stronger. This is the first sign of response, not the final result.
- Months 4–6In responders, density and thickness improve. This is when the result is objectively assessed, ideally with trichoscopy.
- MaintenanceThe effect is held with reinforcement sessions and an underlying plan. If stopped without a medical plan, androgenetic alopecia resumes its course.
Frequently asked questions
Does laser hair therapy work for baldness?
It helps slow shedding and strengthen hair in early to moderate alopecia, as long as the follicle is still alive even if weakened. It does not regrow hair in fully bald areas, where no follicle remains, and it does not replace a hair transplant. Its best role is as a complement to a medical plan or after a transplant.
Does TricoSTYM laser hair therapy hurt?
No. It is a non-invasive treatment that at most produces a mild warmth or tingling over the scalp. It needs no anaesthesia, leaves no marks and has no downtime: you can resume your activities as soon as the session ends.
How many sessions do I need?
Laser hair therapy runs as a series of sessions, usually weekly over several weeks, followed by maintenance sessions. The exact number depends on your type of hair loss and whether it is combined with other treatments, and it is set at your consultation with a written plan.
When will I see results?
Results are gradual. Less shedding is often noticed around two to three months, and improved density and thickness between four and six months, in those who respond. Results may vary according to each patient, their type of alopecia and their consistency with the protocol.
Is the result permanent?
It is not permanent on its own. The benefit holds while treatment and an underlying plan continue. If stopped without any medical plan, androgenetic alopecia, which is progressive, resumes its course. That is why laser is usually part of a maintenance strategy.
Can I do it after a hair transplant?
Yes. This is one of its most common uses: after a transplant, laser hair therapy helps support recovery of the transplanted follicle and protects the native hair around the area. It is indicated according to the healing phase and always under medical judgment.
Does it replace minoxidil or finasteride?
Not necessarily; it is complementary. In many cases the best result comes from combining laser hair therapy with supervised medical treatment, rather than substituting one for the other. Which combination suits your case is decided at the consultation.
Every case is different. Discuss yours in a personal consultation.
Book a consultation on WhatsAppEvery figure published on this site is approximate and is not a quote. Any procedure or treatment first requires a private assessment consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano —$800 MXN, charged separately— and it is at that consultation that the definitive cost of your case is determined.
Educational content; it does not replace a medical consultation. Results may vary from person to person.