Schematic diagram of the research results (Image provided by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, KAIST)
DAEJEON, Feb. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a wearable hair-loss treatment device that resembles a fabric cap, marking a potential advance in light-based therapies that could be used beyond clinical settings.
The research team, led by Professor Choi Kyung-chul of KAIST’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, announced Sunday that it had applied specialized organic light-emitting diode technology to create a flexible, cap-shaped wearable platform designed to deliver uniform light stimulation to the scalp.
Conventional light-based hair-loss devices are typically built in rigid, helmet-style structures that are heavy and largely confined to indoor use. They also rely on point-based light sources such as LEDs or lasers, which make it difficult to evenly irradiate the entire scalp.
To address those limitations, the KAIST team employed surface-emitting OLEDs capable of distributing light uniformly across a wide area. By embedding near-infrared OLEDs into textile-like materials, the researchers designed a device that conforms naturally to the contours of the scalp, ensuring consistent optical stimulation.
A Light-Based Breakthrough Brings Hair Loss Treatment Out of the Clinic (Image supported by ChatGPT)
The team also focused on slowing cellular aging in hair follicles, a key driver of hair loss. Drawing on wavelength-control technologies originally developed for display applications, the researchers engineered the OLEDs to selectively emit near-infrared light in the 730 to 740 nanometer range — a band found to be optimal for activating dermal papilla cells, which play a central role in regulating hair growth.
Laboratory tests using human dermal papilla cells showed that the tailored near-infrared OLED suppressed cellular aging by about 92 percent compared with a control group, according to the researchers.
Professor Choi said the flexibility and thinness of OLED technology allow light to be delivered evenly across the scalp, a significant advantage over existing devices. He added that the team plans to conduct preclinical studies to further evaluate safety and therapeutic effectiveness before exploring clinical applications.
The findings were published online earlier this month in the international journal Nature Communications.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
