Category Archives: Low Level Laser Therapy

iRestore Laser, LLLT, Low Level Laser Therapy

Free iRestore Laser System Prize Drawing

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All iRestore laser hair growth sytem prize drawing entries are closed as of September 6th. Please read the next post for winner notification. Make sure to also read my summary of the best laser hair growth devices.

iRestore Laser
The iRestore Laser Hair Growth System.

iRestore New Hair for the New Year Giveaway

Several days ago, someone from a public relations company contacted me and asked me if I was willing to give away a free iRestore laser hair growth system to one of my readers via a random drawing. This is part of a promotion called “New Hair for the New Year” with the logic being that the iRestore laser will take 12 weeks to show results, just in time for the coming new year. I accepted the offer, since these laser devices are quite expensive and not guaranteed to work on everyone.

Do note that there is some evidence (e.g., see my LLLT post and here) that low level laser and light therapy (LLLT) does benefit hair growth. Lasers are unlikely to ever stimulate hair growth in areas that are totally bald, but there is a chance that lasers will make your existing hair stronger. In fact I have noticed that that my own hair feels stronger and denser when I have been outdoors in the sun for half the day, although there is perhaps no strong connection between sunlight versus focused proximal laser light.

Reddit and iRestore Reviews

The iRestore laser device is FDA cleared for sale in the US. You can find many iRestore discussions and before and after photos on Reddit if you conduct a search.

However, be careful to not fall for any fake reviews, especially on Amazon. The official website of the company is legit. The company currently has two models in the Eseential and the Professional:

  • iRestore Essential Laser Hair Growth System. Costs around $500 when on sale (including discount and add-on coupon). Average rating of 3.9 out of 4 stars based on 3,700 reviews. It has 51 medical-grade lasers and LEDs.
  • iRestore Professional Laser Hair Growth System. Costs around $800 when on sale. Average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars based on 605 reviews. It has 282 medical-grade lasers and LEDs.

Prize Drawing Rules and Notes

  • This sweepstakes/prize drawing is for US residents only (although if you are a nonresident who has a reliable physical US address, you can still participate).
  • All you have to do is post a comment to this post and state that “I want to enter the prize drawing” or something similar such as “I am in”. Note that if you have never made a comment on this blog before, I will need to approve your first comment and it will be on hold for a bit or might go to the spam folder. Also note that if you are posting a comment, you do not need to fill out the URL box (just leave it blank please) when prompted. When you fill out the name and e-mail boxes when writing a comment, you can enter a fake name, but please enter a valid e-mail address.
  • If you do win the prize, I will announce it on this blog and e-mail you, and then you will need to e-mail me your real name and real physical address. I will not share your information with anyone other than the company that sends out the free iRestore laser device.
  • Do not enter more than once!
  • The drawing is supposed to be random, so what I will do is that once I have all the entries (most likely I will wait for anywhere from 5-10 days before closing), is pick one name at random. However, if the name I pick is someone who has made too many foolish comments on this blog in the past (i.e., one of just 5 or so people that I recall in three years of writing this blog), I will redraw to find a more suitable winner.
  • If commenting for the first time, I also highly recommending sticking to the same username once you pick one. And try not to pick something like “Mike” “Matt” “Joe” etc… that has already been taken before and causes too much confusion. At least add a number to the end of a name if its a very common name like the ones that I just listed.
  • Finally, I am trusting that this company that has contacted me will make sure that the device gets to the winner on time. They have assured me that it will get there within several days of my notifying them of the winner, so hopefully the lucky man or woman will get it in two weeks from today at the very latest.

FYI — in case you win, you will have to verify that you are the same person by posting another comment next week via the same computer/IP address (I can see those each time you comment) and same name. Any suspicious entries/repeat entries from new first time commentators will be ignored. For first-time commentators, please put in your exact correct e-mail address instead of a fake one when prompted before making a comment. I will be emailing you if you win.

Theradome, LLLT, Low Level Laser Therapy

Interview with Dr. Tamim Hamid, Theradome Inventor

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I have discussed low level laser therapy (LLLT) many times in the past on this blog. Today there are a select few laser products that are on the market that have been cleared or approved by the FDA for use on the scalp to regrow hair. Of course these approvals and clearances do not mean that the product has gone through rigorous clinical trials. For the most part, you can only assume that the approval ensures safety rather than efficacy.

Hair regrowth from lasers is still a controversial subject, and from what I have read in various studies, the best results will lead to maintenance and, if you are lucky, minor regrowth. You will not get anywhere near your teenage hairline back from using lasers. Totally bald areas of the scalp will not sprout hair once again after light phototherapy.

The oldest of these FDA cleared lasers is the HairMax LaserComb, while the most recent of these is the Theradome Laser Helmet. Also cleared are the funky looking iGrow Laser Helmet; the iRestore Hair Growth System; and the Capillus Laser Therapy Cap. Note that the FDA clearance statement for each of these products uses different terminology and is not the same thing.

Theradome CEO Interview on Reddit

Several days ago, the inventor of the Theradome (ex-NASA scientist Dr. Tamim Hamid) answered a number of questions about the product on Reddit.

Some of the interesting things that I learnt from those responses include:

  • The company is primarily targeting females.
  • A wavelength of 660-680nm is needed for the follicle to absorb the laser light.
  • The product could also work on beard hair.
  • It seems like Dr. Hamid is a big fan of anti-fungal shampoos such as Nizoral.

I suspect that the high price of these products has to decline significantly in the coming years, and hopefully we will have a few more FDA cleared products on the market in the next several years.

On internet hair loss forums, you can find numerous posts from people who have been making their own cheap at-home laser devices for hair growth. For safety reasons I cannot ever advise readers of this blog to do likewise, but I highly recommend reading some of those entertaining forum posts.

Maybe in the future I should author a blog post with links in there to my favorite hair loss forum threads regrading futuristic at-home laser device contraption construction?