Doctors Agree: These Futuristic Helmets Could Help Grow Your Hair Back (2024)

This LED cap checks all the boxes for Dr. Finney, not only because it has the right kind of wavelength and energy (the lights in this cap are 604nm), but it also “has stabilization appendices that part the hair a bit and allow the LED to penetrate better,” he says.

The key to any LED device, after all, is how well the light reaches your scalp to stimulate the hair follicles. This one is FDA-cleared and has been shown in the brand’s own clinical studies to give visible results in 16 weeks when wearing it for just 10 minutes a day.

When it comes to light-based devices, the biggest thing to keep in mind is that the light has to reach your scalp in order to give its full benefits. If you have heavy thinning or bald spots, caps and helmets should be fine, but “this comb is great if you have pretty good hair density because we know the laser is getting directly to the scalp,” says Dr. Finney.

Use this comb like you would a regular hair brush and the bristles help part your hair to ensure the light from the 12 laser diodes (these aren’t LED) actually penetrate and reach your scalp.

Microneedling, when combined with topical treatments like minoxidil or PRP, has been shown to help improve hair growth (there’s less evidence that it works as well on its own). Dr. Finney recommends using a 0.5mm derma stamper like this once a week both before and after you apply a topical treatment.

Use this as a stamp to cover your entire head or just the areas you are noticing thinning. Sterilize it before using it with “a solution of hypochlorous acid and water,” he advises.

No matter what the hair loss gadget you choose, our experts agree that there are a few factors to look for before buying. When it comes to light technology, make sure it’s FDA-cleared, which means that any claims the brand makes about how effective it is have been vetted and verified.

The second most important thing is choosing a device that you can realistically use every day (or however often it was meant to be used). “One of the main barriers to treatment success is poor compliance or consistency,” says Dr. Kash. If the device is not something you’ll be able to use consistently, it’s not going to do anything for you.

Different hair loss devices require a different usage schedule, so before using or buying a device, check what the manufacturer recommends.

It’s important to follow what the manufacturer recommends because not only is that how the device was designed to be used, but it also means that’s how it was used in any studies they have—which means that schedule is going to be give you the most effective results. “In my experience most individuals are more consistent long term with a daily device which is usually used every day for a shorter period of time,” says Dr. Kash.

But it’s important to think realistically about how often you can use the device and how much time you can commit since consistent use is the most important factor in seeing results.

LED light may sound like a newfangled technology but it’s been well-studied for hair loss for over 20 years, says Dr. Finney. “A hair contains cells at its base that help to regenerate it called the hair bulge cells,” he says. “Red light between 620-678nm has been shown to target these bulge cells to help activate them, recruit a better blood supply, reduce inflammation and increase local nitrous oxide production which has been postulated to help reduce DHT.”

Keep in mind, however, that LED therapy has only been studied in genetic hair loss and in order for it to work, the light must be able to reach directly to the scalp.

One caveat: while red light therapy has been shown in studies to improve hair growth, it’s only been studied in Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV, says Dr. Kash. That’s not to say it won’t work for darker skin types V and VI, but it’s something to keep in mind when choosing and using an LED device.

Again, compliance is key here. “For most people who have a large area to cover, I recommend a cap or helmet,” says Dr. Kash. That’s because you can not only treat the whole area at once, but because you don’t have to actively move the device over your head in order for it to work (they’re more of a set it and forget it type of thing).

“Most individuals with a large area of hair loss are unable to be compliant with combs, wands or bands and this is often a barrier to regular use” she says. Seriously consider how easy the device is for you to use and whether you can commit to using it as often as the manufacturer recommends.

• Natalie Kash, MD, is a dermatologist and co-founder of Root Hair Institute in Bellevue, WA.
  
• Robert Finney, MD, is a dermatologist and founder of Soho Skin and Hair Restoration in New York City.

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