Low Level Laser Therapy Reviews – Discover the Pros, the Cons, the Effectiveness, the Procedure, the Purpose, the Costs, The Difference and the #1 Recommended Cap on the Market Today. We’ve spent countless hours and research uncovering the truth and science behind the low level laser therapy phenomenon, also known as LLLT.
We encourage you if you’re looking at using LLLT specifically for hair loss, you’ll want to read this review in it’s entirety. Let’s begin the journey and find out what we can uncover…
It all started back in the 1960’s when physicians were using lasers to transfer very small amounts of energy into the skin. Too much energy into the skin and it would burn. This is why it’s called low-level, low-energy or low-power therapy because it only produces a small amount of energy.
LLLT is also called “cold laser therapy” because at low power, it feels cold to the skin.
The Purpose
Back in the 60’s when LLLT was first used, it’s was used to treat all sorts of pain and joint disorders because of the natural healing that occurs at the cellular level. It was used to heal open wounds, tuberculosis, joint disorders, carpel tunnel, fibromyalgia, and other forms of arthritis.
The main reason for using Low Level Laser Therapy was because scientists discovered by using low-level lasers, that blood circulation increased dramatically which in turn aided in the “relief of minor muscle and joint pain and improvement of superficial circulation.”
Because this was a new form of treatment for other disorders, what scientists also discovered “by accident” was that the hair on mice grew faster when exposed to this low red light. So after a series of clinical trials and numerous testing, doctors have been able to harness the power of this low level light.
They have been able to harness this light at optimal frequency not only for stopping hair loss, but also for stimulating new hair growth. The “cool” red light will actually stimulate new hair growth from follicles which were previously dormant. This technology is 100% safe, totally painless, approved by the FDA and works on both men and women.
The Procedure
Laser caps are very simple to use and why most companies use them because they deliver the perfect amount of cool light evenly across the scalp. Thus allowing for maximum benefit. Most are also equipped with timers so you don’t have to worry about having one on for too long or not long enough. Most all come with a rechargeable battery pack too for charging convenience. Battery life should last long enough for multiple treatments if necessary.
These laser caps are extremely easy to use. Once the battery is fully charged, simply place on your head and turn it on. It looks like you’re wearing a baseball cap. Some of the older caps were large, bulky and very uncomfortable. These newer caps are great because they are not so obvious and they are a lot more comfortable.
Generally speaking, most treatments last 15-30 mins a day. Depending on the cap and the results, you can do treatments everyday or every other day. Some caps have more lasers in them so they cover more surface area and are more concentrated.
The Costs
The cost of laser caps vary from product to product. Laser caps costs are in the range of a few hundred up to several thousand. Generally what you are paying are the number of diodes or lasers that come out of the cap.
The most lasers diodes we have found in a single cap are 272. This seems to be the common number found in the more well-known caps. Another common number we found was around 80. Those seem to be the sweet spots.
Like we mentioned earlier, the higher number of diodes, generally the higher the price.
Here is what we found looking at the top 5 industry leader caps.
- Capillus cap with 272 laser diodes – $3000
- Illumiflow cap with 272 laser diodes – $800
- Kiierr cap with 272 laser diodes – $845
- iRestore cap with 82 laser diodes – $1195
- Thermadome cap with 80 laser diodes – $895
As you can see, there is a huge difference in price. Is there a huge difference in effectiveness?
The Effectiveness
While low level laser therapy is extremely effective, it does not have the same effect on everyone equally. There are other factors which come into play, like genetics and hormones.
A typical growth cycle of a hair follicle is 5-6 weeks. Hair naturally falls out and then grows back again. Some estimate that a healthy scalp has around 100,000 hair follicles and around 100 hair follicles are lost each day.
The only way to know if it’s going to help you, is to try it. However, it may take up to 9 months before you see a noticeable difference because of how long it takes for the growth cycle.
In a study back in 2014, they found LLLT was in fact an effective treatment and provide a 39% increase in hair growth over a period of 4 months.
They’ve also found that taking supplements in conjunction with laser therapy helped to boost hair re-growth. Specifically supplements that inhibit the hair loss hormone known as DHT.
The Pros and Cons
As with any treatment, there are going to the PROS and CONS with using laser caps.
PROS
- Clinically proven to prevent further hair loss and re-grow dormant hair.
- Most are now FDA approved so they are completely safe to use.
- Only take minutes a day for a treatment
- Easy to put on
- Battery pack for ease of use and cord free.
- Most are backed by a 2-5 year product replacement guarantee
CONS
- Any type of laser cap is going to be costly
- Generally takes 4-6 months to see results
- In some cases you have to wear a bulky helmet
- Takes time out of your day
The Differences and our Opinion
This is one of the main reasons when we chose to write this low level laser therapy review because we wanted to compare the differences between all of them an decide which one we would buy based on several factors.
- Price – Wanted it to be good price
- Quality – Wanted good quality or a good warranty to stand behind defects in workmanship.
- Easy of Use – wanted it to be simple to use
- Comfortable – I mean when you use something everyday, you want it to feel nice<
- Weight – We don’t want this unit to weight a ton
Quick Review of the Capillus cap with 272 laser diodes – $3000
First thing we notice here with Capillus is the price. This unit which consists of 272 laser diodes is the most expensive of all the laser caps we’ve looked at. It has the same number of diodes as other comparable caps. The difference in my opinion is the quality of the unit itself. It’s also FDA approved which is a plus.
It is a very sturdy cap, easy to use and should last the user a very long time as long as they take good care of it. Their warranty is one of the better ones for 3 years against defects. It’s also a somewhat comfortable cap that is flexible. However, it weighs a ton coming in at 5 pounds. Obviously a very well built product, but kinda annoying on your head.
Good news is that you only need it on for 6 minutes for a treatment which is nice.
Quick Review of the Illumiflow cap with 272 laser diodes – $800
First thing we notice on this unit is the price, being the least expensive laser cap on the market with 272 laser diodes. It also puts out the same frequency of red light as all the others, so there is no difference on delivering the same light, but costs a lot less.
So based on this we can conclude and verify that the quality may slightly not be as good as the higher priced cap. However, what shocked us even more so was the warranty. Illumiflow has the best warranty out of all of them. 5 years. So even if the product may feel inferior to it’s competition, because of the warranty, it becomes a far superior product.
Still a very well built unit. The cap is not bulky, fits like a baseball cap and weighs in at 4 pounds. 1 pound lighter than Capillus. 30 mins a day for treatment.
Quick Review of the Kiierr cap with 272 laser diodes – $845
Again, the first thing we notice is the price. It’s 1/3 the price of it’s competitor Capillus, just like the Illumiflow cap delivering the same number of diodes and same wavelength of red light to the scalp. This is a huge plus just like the Illumiflow cap.
When we quickly look up the warranty in which the company stands behind, we find it’s only for 2 years. Not anything like the Illumiflow cap and not even as good as the Capillus cap. This doesn’t give us as much confidence in the quality of the product, but at least they offer something.
They are FDA approved as well. The cap is comfortable and easy to use, just like the others. It’s not bulky and fits just like a baseball cap. Weighs just under 4 pounds. 30 minutes a day for treatment.
Quick Review of the iRestore cap with 82 laser diodes – $1195
As we jump right into this cap from iRestore, first think that stands out to me is the price for the number of diodes. This cap has almost 1/3 of the laser diodes as the other competitors and the price is higher than some of the caps. It does come with LED lights which add up to 282 total lights, however, LEDs are not as effective. This allows for lower cost.
There is a 3 yr warranty just like Capillus cap which can be extended to 5 yrs if you pay another $50. The helmet is somewhat comfortable and well built, but looks like a marine combat helmet. It’s big and bulky. Definitely staying at home with this bad boy.
However, it only weighs 2.8 pounds, so quite a bit smaller then the others. This helmet is also FDA cleared, and easy to put on. About 30 mins for a treatment and you’re done.
Quick Review of the Theradome cap with 80 laser diodes – $895
This cap just like the iRestore in that it has 80 red lasers. Price is a little bit better, but not by much considering the number of diodes.
We could only find a 6 month warranty on this product which is not great. It’s also another helmet just like iRestore. so it’s big and bulky. Don’t really care for that.
One good thing about the Thermadome cap is that is weighs 3.5 pounds. It’s easy to use, FDA cleared and you only have to wear it 2 times a week for 20 minutes each time. Not bad for only having 80 lasers.
Side by Side Comparison of Top Laser Caps
*source Illumiflow
Our Final Decision
Based on these low level laser therapy reviews, we feel very strongly that Illumiflow is hands down the best laser cap right now on the market and is our #1 recommendation. You get the best bang for your buck with the highest number of diodes, it has the strongest warranty of all the laser caps on the market and it’s FDA approved, unlike some of the other laser caps.
You can check out the illumiflow right here.