More than 15 million people in the UK experience hair loss. Pattern balding affects more women than men, with 8 million women living with hair loss last year compared to 6.5 million men, according to the National Council on Ageing. Regrowth solutions are becoming more attainable and affordable thanks to innovation in beauty tech. The best hair growth devices use low-level laser therapy or red light LEDs, from helmets to brushes and headbands.
How Laser Devices Work
“Laser devices are clinically proven hair loss treatments that stimulate cell activity within the hair follicle, decrease hair shedding and promote growth where possible,” explains Samantha Stewart, MIT, The Spencer Clinic of Trichology. “They help to stimulate the follicle and increase blood flow, which helps to keep the hair in the anagen phase (growing phase). The laser beams direct light into the skin and promote the production of the molecule ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), which is the energy source for all living cells.”
Mandy Graham, Paul Mitchell Trichologist, agrees. “Numerous studies and controlled clinical trials have indeed shown that LLLT (low-level laser (light) therapy) can stimulate hair growth in humans through a variety of pathways,” she says. “Most of these are on AGA (Androgenetic Alopecia), AA (Alopecia Areata), CIA (Chemotherapy Induced Alopecia) and TE (Telogen Effluvium), and it seems to give better results in women than men. It seems to be a safe, effective and non-invasive way to combat hair loss as long as there are still some stem cells present to stimulate.”
HigherDose Red Light Cap Review
Beauty journalist Emma North reviewed the best light therapy hair growth devices for The Standard. HigherDose’s laser therapy cap stood out for its efficacy and everyday ease. Boasting an incognito design that looks like a baseball cap, it led to baby hairs sprouting around her parting and hairline.
“Hair growth devices only stand a chance of working if you actually use them, and the HigherDOSE red light hat was easily the one I used most consistently. It looks exactly like a baseball cap, so I happily wore it while working, pottering around the house and watching TV without feeling like I was wearing a piece of beauty tech,” North writes.
Beneath the baseball cap, there are 120 LEDs delivering 650nm red light, with sessions taking just 10 minutes. Beauty Pie's all-systems-grow cap packs in 125 LEDs and delivers 655nm, but North found the HigherDOSE hat more comfortable and more her style. “Yes, £449 is a lot of money, but the hat design made it easy to stick with,” she notes.
Based on a survey of 28 participants wearing the hat for 16 weeks, 83 per cent saw hair growth in sparse or balding areas, and 93 per cent noticed an improvement to their scalp and hair health. North’s own experience was positive: “I definitely clocked more baby hairs sprouting around my parting and hairline, while my scalp acne became noticeably calmer with fewer breakouts and irritation.”
Device Details
Device type: Hat. Light modes: Red (650nm). Wireless: Yes. Treatment time: 10 minutes. Uses per charge: 8-10. Available at Healf for £403.
