Hair Loss Cure 2020

Name: LaserComb
Brand: HairMax
SKU: 6361315
Price: 199 USD
Availability: OnlineOnly
Rating: 4.4 (93 reviews)

When it comes to the best laser hair growth devices, the HairMax LaserComb is the oldest well known product on the market. And it is a lot cheaper than laser helmets and laser caps. I briefly covered Lexington International (the company that owns Hairmax) a few years ago when its president Leonard Stillman commented on this blog.

HairMax (part of Lexington International) currently has two laser comb models on the market. The Ultima 9 Classic LaserComb and the Ultima 12 LaserComb.

HairMax LaserComb

The LaserComb’s inventor and CEO is David Michaels. The first LaserComb device obtained US FDA 501(k) clearance to market for use in balding male androgenetic alopecia sufferers in 2007.

Approval for female pattern hair loss patients came in 2011. At the time, they had three devices: HairMax LaserComb Advanced 7; HairMax LaserComb Lux 9; and HairMax LaserComb Professional 12.

A study in 2009 concluded that:

“HairMax LaserComb is an effective, well tolerated and safe laser phototherapy device for the treatment of AGA in males.”

Another study from 2014 found “a statistically significant difference in the increase in terminal hair density” between lasercomb-treated versus sham-treated subjects.

HairMax currently has two laser comb models on the market. The Ultima 9 Classic LaserComb and the Ultima 12 LaserComb. Both products come with money-back guarantees and warranties. A directly competing product is the NutraStim Laser Hair Comb, although it seems to have become unavailable in recent years. Other more expensive (non-comb) low-level laser therapy (LLLT) products for hair growth include Theradome and Revian Red and iRestore. HairMax itself also sells a laserband.

Dateline covered the LaserComb quite favorably in 2011, with before and after photos and patient feedback included. I even mentioned that story in a post in 2014. Thereafter, a whole bunch of new companies have come out with FDA-cleared low-level laser devices to grow hair. None are laser comb or brush type products that entail combing one’s hair daily or several times a week.

HairMax Ultima 9 Classic LaserComb

On Amazon, the price of the Ultima 9 is currently $190. The sometimes also offer a bonus coupon available as an add-on. The combined LaserComb 9 and 12 models have an average rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 1,630 customers. On the manufacturer HairMax international’s own site, 204 customers have rated the product at 4.4/5 stars as of today based on 395 reviews.

Recently, I saw the HairMax Lasercomb 9 for sale at $180. Of the numerous well known brand name low-level laser therapy devices on the market, this is by far the best price. You can purchase lesser known unproven brands at lower prices.

The HairMax Ultima 9 Classic LaserComb comes with the following features and properties:

FDA Clearance.
9 Medical grade lasers (but no LEDs).
Cordless with rechargeable battery.
Power cord also available.
11 minute treatment time.

On the Best Buy, Costco and Macy’s websites, the price of this Ulima 9 product is currently $190-$200 (Edit: no longer available for sale on those sites). Walmart currently has a refurbished Hairmax Prima 9 Classic LaserComb for sale at just $145.

Make sure to also see this official Lexington video on how to use the HairMax Ultima 9 Classic LaserComb.

HairMax Ultima 12 LaserComb

HairMax’s newest LaserComb model is the Ultima 12. On Amazon, the combined LaserComb 9 and 12 models have an average rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 1,630 customers. The Ultima 12 is currently priced at $348 after a discount. Edit: The Ultima 12 is currently on sale at Beauty Club for $249.

The average rating on Walmart’s website in the past was a much better 4.4/5, based on far fewer customer reviews. Almost the same rating can be seen on HairMax’s Ultima 12 product page. On Bed Bath & Beyond’s site, the Beyond+ members discounted current price is $317. However, the currently the product is unavailable.

The main advantage of Ultima 12 over Ultima 9 is that while the former has 12 lasers, the latter has 9. Treatment time is just 8 minutes with the Ultima 12, versus 11 minutes with the Ultima 9.

Laser Comb Reviews and Ratings

I am quite surprised to see so many positive HairMax LaserComb reviews considering its weaker strength compared to more expensive LLLT devices such as laser caps and laser helmets. An average of 4.0/5 across the diverse list of vendors and retailers that I listed above is quite impressive for a laser comb product.

In online hair loss forums, a large number of people seem to conclude no significant hair growth benefit from using laser combs for hair growth.

Safety and Side Effects

In 2012, Lexington released the results of its sponsored clinical study on the efficacy of the LaserComb 7 beam model. Laser combs are safe and well tolerated phototherapy devices used to treat androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness). I have never heard of anyone complaining about major side effects upon using these products to promote hair growth. However, lasers and light can be dangerous to the eyes, so do not do this type of thing.

Note that almost no-one claims that lasers will regrow hair follicles on totally bald regions of the scalp. At best, they can make existing thinning hair stronger via photo-biostimulation and light energy. And possibly regrow recently miniaturized hair follicles.

Some studies suggest that laser light energy stimulation of the mitochondria and cells can also promote new hair growth. At least in modest quantities. However, some of these same studies are sponsored by laser device manufacturers. Hopefully this does not bias results, but one needs to be careful when analyzing findings in support of LLLT.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions about the HairMax LaserComb.

Is HairMax FDA approved?

In 2007, HairMax was granted the first ever FDA clearance as a laser phototherapy device for home use to treat hair loss. Since then, Hairmax devices have received a total of 8 FDA Clearances.

What is the side effect of using laser combs?

Laser combs generally cause no major side effects if used correctly as instructed. In some cases, you can get mild scalp redness and itching. As with all laser devices, a mild burning sensation and smell is also possible, although this is never dangerous. Do not use the device on wet hair.

Does HairMax work for hair loss?

While the HairMax laser comb can improve your hair quality and thickness and even regrow some hair, it is not a cure for androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss).

How often should you use the lasercomb?

According to the manufacturer of the device, the HairMax LaserComb needs to be used 3 times a week per the recommendation from clinical trial findings. Each treatment session lasts for 8-15 minutes. Overuse will not garner any further hair growth benefits.

2-Deoxy-D-Ribose Sugar — 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR) naturally occurring sugar and hair growth.

Update: April 1, 2025

2dDr for Sale

Since I first wrote this post last year, this 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDr) sugar and hair growth story refuses to go away. Every week, there continue to be new articles covering the subject. Many authors exaggerate this as a hair loss cure, even though the results are not going to be superior to Minoxidil in all likelihood. Assuming 2dDr even works in humans as well as it does in mice. The manner of use of the word “sugar” in many articles is also deceptive, since this is not akin to table sugar.

One US based company called 2DDR Healthcare plans to conduct clinical trials of its product in India in 2025. Its serum product seems to be promoted by anti-aging proponent Bryan Johnson, who first mentioned the 2dDr study in September 2024. The company sells a basic formula and an advanced formula via its website. They claim that the advanced formula contains: 2-deoxy-D-ribose, topical exosomes, copper peptides, pisum sativum, hexapeptide-11, ethoxydiglycol and cinnamic acid.

Moreover, there are now numerous vendors selling their version of topical 2dDr in gels or serums on Amazon. Many of them seem sketchy and have similar product bottle images, so might be the same vendor selling under different names. One version under brand name Kunlen lists the ingredients as follows:

2DDR Sugar Hair Growth Ingredients — 2DDR sugar gel for hair growth: key Ingredients.

Another version lists the following five ingredients: paraffinum liquidum, dimethicone, rosemary leaf extract, polygonum multiflorum root extract and castor seed oil. I would be wary about buying any of these products without doing further research on seller reputation.

August 2, 2024

In a year filled with so much new hair growth treatment related good news, sugar has taken an undeserved victory. In the past two weeks, I have received five e-mails related to this ridiculously overhyped story. In addition to a number of reader comments in recent posts. There is a good reason that sugar is the most addictive substance on earth.

Sugar (2-deoxy-D-ribose) and Hair Growth

The original story was based on a June 2024 study, whose summary was published on July 16 by the University of Sheffield. A naturally occurring sugar in our bodies called 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR) seems to help hair growth in mice. However, the above official summary had the clickbait title: “Cure for male pattern baldness given boost by sugar discovery.”

The scientists behind this work are based at the University of Sheffield (UK) and at COMSATS University (Pakistan).

There are two major problems with the findings of this work:

The hair growth was only proven in mice. See before and after images here.
The 2dDR treatment proved to be 80 to 90 percent as effective as FDA-approved drug minoxidil in promoting hair regrowth. So this means that 2dDR is not a hair loss cure, even in mice. Minoxidil is not even remotely considered to be a cure for hair loss.

A huge number of articles have since been written about naturally occurring sugar being a side effect free cure for hair loss. Even the BBC got in on the game today with an article titled:

“Scientists may have finally found a cheap, natural cure for baldness.”

I reiterate that this is not a cure, despite all the exaggerated headlines. The topical “sugar” gel only modestly benefitted hair growth in mice.

This reminds me of 2018 when the global media distorted a study’s findings and started using the title: “French fry cure for baldness“. Everyone loves the idea of fries, sugar and beer curing hair loss or making hair thicker.

According to the study co-author Dr. Sheila MacNeil from the University of Sheffield:

“Our research suggests that the answer to treating hair loss might be as simple as using a naturally occurring deoxy ribose sugar to boost the blood supply to the hair follicles to encourage hair growth.”

Over the years, we have read about numerous drugs and products that proclaim to grow hair by improving blood flow. In all such cases, the benefits are very minimal. You will not bring back dead hair just by improving scalp blood flow.

To be fair to the BBC, they end their clickbait article with some warnings from Dr. Claire Higgins.

“Their theory stems from the urban legend that increased blood flow promotes hair growth. The link between blood flow and hair growth has not been conclusively demonstrated. I’d want to see the effect on human hair growth, bulb size and hair shaft thickness before I got too excited about the results.”

VEGF and Angiogenesis

I should also note that in 2020, these same scientists from the UK and Pakistan found that 2dDR upregulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stimulates angiogenesis (now blood vessel formation). Both of these side effects can also benefit hair growth. In fact Minoxidil upregulates VEGF, and platelet-rich-plasma contains VEGF, which can stimulate hair growth.

Hopefully, these results can be replicated in humans in the near future. The sugar delivery mechanism is via a convenient topical gel that will not be expensive. Moreover, any side effect free natural hair growth promoter is always welcome.

On a somewhat related note, a 2023 study from China became famous because of its conclusion: high sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is associated with a higher risk of male pattern hair loss.

HairMax LaserComb 9 vs LaserComb 12