I feel like I’ve tried every treatment going for my long-term alopecia. Hair growth shampoos, supplements, steroid injections, topical minoxidil, acupuncture, autoimmune diets, psychotherapy, craniosacral therapy…the list goes on.
One thing I’ve never tried is LLLT (low-level laser therapy) for hair loss. But since I run a hair loss website, and this is becoming a more and more effective way to treat shedding and encourage hair growth, I thought it was about time I explored this treatment.
HairMax, a popular haircare brand that offers laser light therapy to customers, also make a range of hair vitamins, shampoos, serums and other topical treatments. Which I’ll look at briefly – but I’ll mainly focus on their laser cap, laser band and laser comb. Mainly because they look like Star Trek props, and I’m curious.
I want to see how this form of hair therapy could prevent hair loss, stimulate the scalp and even promote hair growth. So let’s get started!
HairMax is a pioneer in laser hair growth devices products, bringing these and their at-home haircare products to men and women around the world. The company is best known for its hair loss devices: spreading the discolight effect to baldies everywhere!
These low level laser therapy devices include: laser bands, laser combs and a laser cap. Each HairMax device uses therapeutic light energy to increase blood circulation, treat thinning hair and stimulate hair growth.
Laser devices can treat all forms of hair loss, including hair thinning as a result of genetics or androgenetic alopecia (also known as male pattern baldness). Remember, hair loss is triggered by lots of different things – whether it’s genetics, stress or as a result of an illness.
But hormonal changes, like those experienced during menopause or pregnancy, is also a common form of hair loss, and of female pattern hair loss in particular. Hairmax laser devices come top-rated for those with male androgenetic alopecia and female androgenetic alopecia, thanks to the full scalp coverage they provide and the higher chance of their ability to promote hair regrowth.
Low Level Laser Therapy can be applied through various devices to stimulate hair. (As we’ll see, HairMax uses it across its non-LED laser caps, laser bands and laser combs, for that sci-fi chic look.)
LLLT can treat both female pattern hair loss and male pattern hair loss, to promote hair regrowth in specific areas of hair thinning and to do so more quickly and effectively than other hair loss treatments.
The difference being, many other hair growth products simply sit on the outer dermal layers of the skin before being rinsed off. While HairMax devices get deep into those dormant hair follicles, with full scalp coverage which allows laser light to get deeper follicle stimulation. Yay!
It’s not simply a case of apply and rinse off, using products that can lead to healthier hair. Of course, these hair treatments are effective in their own way: but with things like a laser cap, you can get right to the root of the problem and treat hair loss on a much deeper level. (Looking trendy while you do it…hmmm maybe not!)
And can it stop hair loss, or even result in new growth? Well, scientists and medical experts seem to think so! Plenty of studies and randomized controlled trials, with both male and female participants, show how regular use of LLLT can be effective in treating people with androgenic alopecia, who didn’t respond to standard hair loss treatments.
LLLT from HairMax has been validated by 7 clinical studies, 14 international medical device licenses, and has had 6 published articles in medical journals. Based on clinical trials, HairMax’s range of laser hair devices have been proven to regrow hair: with an average hair count increase of 129 additional new hairs per square inch after 6 months.
These positive results speak for themselves – in the same treatment time as a popular hair loss shampoo or other hair treatments, HairMax devices can do a whole lot more.
These are great options as non-surgical treatments for alopecia: designed to increase the anagen (hair growth) phase and minimize the catagen (hair loss) phase.
Let me tell you upfront: laser hair caps, bands and combs don’t come cheap – but they have a proven success rate and you can use them in the comfort of your own home, instead of having to go and see a specialist about your hair loss. Happy days.
This LLLT form of headgear has a rechargeable battery: so you can wear it at home or out and about, all the time stimulating your scalp and promoting hair growth while you get on with your day. Think of it as a massage for your hair follicles, 3 times a week!
This non-surgical, FDA approved process helps to treat male and female hair loss; particularly in cases of androgenetic alopecia (hormone related hair loss).
If you have pattern hair loss like I did, with extensive patches covering most of your head, this laser cap is probably a better option than the other HairMax devices: as it provides full scalp coverage while the laser light gets to work. It also means consistent dispersion and delivery of laser lights to the hair follicles, whereas the laser comb and laserband 82 (coming up!) are slightly more targeted.
The RegrowMD laser cap is made up of diodes: the higher the diodes, the more nanometers of light are emitted. This laser cap (with 272 diodes) costs $599 – sounds like a LOT of money but considering the fact that their PowerFlex laser cap is over twice that price (eek!) the price range is pretty wide for laser devices.
Whether you’re trying the PowerFlex laser cap, the RegrowMD one, or the Flip version (designed to treat half the scalp at a time), none of them come cheap. But if you’ve been coughing up a fortune on luxury hair loss treatments or supplements every month anyway, this one-off purchase could actually be a better idea in the long run.
Plus, you could also start with a cheaper laser comb (number 3 on this list!) to see if LLLT works for your particular hair loss.
Pop on your laser cap 3 days a week. (Research doesn’t show any benefits to using it any more than 3 times a week, so that’ll be enough.) Select which mode you want – continuous vs pulsing – and keep it going for 15 to 30 minutes.
Now this LLLT device really looks like a sci-fi prop – and the name, HairMax Laserband 82, sounds a bit threatening! But the science behind it is sound and according to pretty much every HairMax review I’ve read about it, it’s a really comfortable option, too.
The flexible band design and hair parting teeth allows optimal laser light delivery and follicle stimulation as it separates the hair.
It might seem like less scalp coverage in one go than a cap, but it’s a great choice for those with a thinning hairline or bald patches, which the band can target across the front, middle and back of the scalp with the equivalent of 246 lasers spread across its hair parting teeth.
Like the laser cap, the Laserband 82 comes with a rechargeable battery, so it’s easy to use on the go…with a much faster treatment time, and a recommended starting treatment time of just 90 seconds.
Like the laser cap, you should wear the band 3 times a week…indefinitely, for the best ongoing results. Wear it from 90 seconds up to a few minutes, changing its position around the scalp as you go.
Laser combs are a little different to the other laser devices on this list – as you need to hold its hair parting teeth to the area you want to target, rather than popping the device on and letting it get to work while you go about your activities.
So it needs more of your attention – but still, it’s an effective and much cheaper way of delivering strong laser light to the parts of your scalp where you’re experiencing hair loss.
Featuring 12 medical-grade lasers, the hair parting teeth of this handheld device allows you to comb through the hair and pause over specific sections to directly target problem areas and help to stimulate hair regrowth. They also have a smaller, version: the Ultima 9 classic, but they’re not all that different in terms of price so I’d go for the Ultima 12 over the Ultima 9 classic.
Like the other laser devices, HairMax recommends using your laser comb 3 days a week, indefinitely for the best hair regrowth results. The treatment time is more than the band but less than the cap: it’s suggested to use it for 8 minutes at a time.
If you’re not into the thought of laser devices and it all sounds a bit futuristic/expensive, I get it! Here are a couple of other treatment options you can try for all-round healthy hair. (You can also use them in addition to your laser device, as a sort of concomitant therapy!)
In fact, HairMax recommends that you use a laser device in combination with other hair treatments, for maxium hair density and volume. They advise combining your device with minoxidil in particular – I personally wouldn’t do this, having suffered bad side effects from minoxidil before. But you could try Nanoxidil instead, which is a much safer version!
Although HairMax’s products below mightn’t stimulate the hair follicles to the same extent as Hairmax devices, they contain great natural ingredients to boost hair growth and are pretty affordable compared to many other hair growth products.
The brand gets a 3.7 rating out of 5 on TrustPilot, which is pretty high for this website as it often deals with severe complaints and is a reflection of the brand’s values and standards. I’ve also included some Amazon reviews – the good and the bad – below.
The positive reviews gush about how these laser devices are the best thing ever and how quickly they noticed results. They love HairMax’s other products to reduce shedding and boost volume, too.
While the more negative ones don’t notice any major difference and advise people to save their money. Admittedly though, I couldn’t actually find that many negative reviews, which indicates to me that perhaps these laser devices really are worth it!
I can’t speak highly enough about HairMax. The products are great and the customer service exceeds all expectations. I have been using the cap and all the products to make the cap work and have been so pleased with the results. My hair has become much fuller and my beautician comments on this fact every time I go in for a hair cut. The fact that the company provides such helpful customer service such as the excellent customer service I received today from Josh makes me an especially appreciative loyal customer since November of 2021.
– Sara, Trustpilot, May 2023
Customer Service is amazing. Within 2 hours, I received an answer to how to use the Accelerator 8 with minoxidil. I sure wasn’t expecting it that soon. Also the serum smells great and my hair isn’t full of static now. The shampoo and conditioner make my hair clean, tangle free and seem fuller as well as more manageable. I have what the beauticians call hair like corn silk so this is huge.
– KBelle, Trustpilot, March 2023
I am seeing less hair-fall whenever I take a shower after a few days of using this. I am so grateful that I found out about this cause I was worried and anxious about me getting bald at such a young age but as I said, this really helped me a lot.
– Jo, Amazon, November 2019
I took a leap of faith buying this and I am so glad I did! My hairline has filled in a lot after 6 full months of using it. Very fast and easy to use. SO worth the money coz it actually works and is way cheaper / safer than getting surgery down the line. If mine broke, I would 100% buy again!
– Belli, Amazon October 2022
The built in timer is nice. Laser seems to work as advertised. My main issue or concern with it has to do with my eyes. I’m constantly flashing my eyes with it as I comb my hair. I think I would have been happier with a cap or hat type product that has a built in laser.
– Amazon Reviewer, April 2019
When I got this product, I used it religiously with the suggested frequency. After six months, I got discouraged, but I kept on going. After a full year, I realized that nothing was ever going to change. Perhaps it works with some people and not with others, but 700 bucks is a lot of money to bet on it working for you, when in fact, it may not. Also, read the other comments about people who tried to get a refund. I think the older you are, the less likely it is to work.
– Paul, Amazon, January 2023
According to HairMax, their laser devices are for anyone dealing with hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia in particular…but that hair regrowth results are best when the treatments begin soon after noticing hair shedding.
Whether you go for the comb, one of the laser caps or the Laserband 82, you should be over 18 before using laser devices. It’s worth noting that, although other LLLT devices exist, few other brands have as many FDA clearances around safety and effectiveness…so if you do decide to try laser light therapy, HairMax is a good brand to choose.
Of course, it’s rare to find a hair growth treatment that doesn’t come with potential side effects: and some negative reviews about HairMax, or LLLT in general, have reported an itchy or irritated scalp. But like I said, the biggest complaint I could find was around a lack of effectiveness.
Although the side effects appear to be minimal, I’d still recommend consulting a healthcare professional before undertaking any light therapy treatment.
We’ve covered a lot in this article, so let’s have a quick recap of the pros and cons of using laser devices to treat hair loss.
Hairmax’s caps range from $599 up to $1,499. For a cheaper option, try the laser comb, starting at $199.
It really depends on what device you’re using. But if you use the device 3 times a weeks as instructed, with a treatment time ranging from 90 seconds to 30 minutes (depending on the model you’ve chosen), users typically start seeing results within 12–16 weeks. The best results, apparently, come after 20 weeks, or 5 months of consistent use.
Clinical studies sound quite promising in terms of regrowing new hairs – however, you will need to use the device consistently for up to 20 weeks, or longer, for the best results.
According to the brand, the laser comb alone has over a 90% success rate.
Although an LLLT device costs a small fortune, maybe it’s worth it. After all, unlike many other hair thinning treatments, these ones have FDA clearance and scientific evidence to back up their effectiveness, not just customer testimonials.
Hair loss is more and more common nowadays, and even light thinning can have a massive impact on your self esteem. So before trying all the hair growth products and clocking up a fortune every month until you find the one that seems to fit, maybe consider low level laser therapy, in whatever laser device you can afford, as a starting treatment.
Who knows, it could be just the thing you need to stop that hair loss before it gets too widespread – and it could regrow hair, too.
In saying that, always speak to a healthcare professional before making any big changes to your lifestyle routine…and I would definitely count regular light therapy as a big change!
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s used HairMax products before, or indeed, another laser headgear device. What did you try? Did it work? Get sharing your experiences and thoughts in the comments! In any case, I hope this breakdown of laser devices has proved helpful!
Now go forth and rock the laser look. May the force be with you.
Love & hugs,
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Alopecian. Yoga Teacher. Copywriter. Here to share information, offer support and show people the adventures that can lie in hair loss. I’m proud to have alopecia and I want to help others embrace their baldness, too!
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I’m Emma. I’ve had alopecia for 24 years and I’m here to inform/hopefully empower people like me! Read my full story here. But I’m not a doctor, so any advice here is based on my own research and experience. I’m also in a few affiliate programs – see my disclaimer page for more. Or contact me here. Also, why not join a thousand fellow alopecians and get my-semi regular hair about life with irregular hair?
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