I've just hit my 2nd year anniversary of using a home-made helmet for low laser light therapy to treat male pattern baldness, and as I've been happy with my results I want to share it with the forum. I searched around and saw almost nothing on RVF about LLLT, and as it's a solid alternative for people who suffer propecia/finasteride side effects it should be better known.
TLDR Version
LLLT is a potent hair growth enhancer and can save you from drug solutions, though it takes some cost and work to build your own. For a decent helmet I'd budget $1K, though once built it should last you years with a little maintenance and occasionally replacing a burned out diode.
It works as a growth stimulant so for best results pair it with a DHT inhibitor. I can't recommend propecia/finasteride due to the sides (which absolutely affected me), though if you can get away with it that's a powerful combo. I'm currently testing it along with RU58841 (a topical anti-androgen that prevents DHT from binding to hair follicles) and that combo seems strong as well though I haven't ran the RU long enough to fully evaluate it.
My Background
I've dealt with hair loss for years. When I first noticed it putting a dent in my hair line at 25 I got on propecia and it did do the job (basically stabilizing my hairline), however, over time it became obvious it caused me side effects. I stopped using it briefly and felt much more vital, so I couldn't resume taking it. Problem is, my hair loss picked right up starting with a massive shed.
After living in denial for a year and a half I realized I'd either have to find an alternative or eventually embrace the razor. I searched online and read up on people using LLLT for hair loss and saw quite a few positive reports. After a lot of procrastinating and doubting I ordered a set of diodes, paid John of overmachogrande.com to build me the helmet base, then installed and wired the diodes on my own.
Why LLLT?
Laser therapy is a known treatment for skin injuries and scarring, as well as acne. There has also been quite a bit of research on it for hair loss, and it's FDA approved for that purpose.
The exact mechanism for dealing with hair loss isn't known, though there are plenty of hypotheses. In short, it works by encouraging follicle growth and doesn't directly interact with DHT (the main antagonist of hair loss). In some men that's enough as the LLLT stimulates growth faster than male pattern baldness causing loss, though for many they need other treatments as well.
Here are some relevant recent studies, all also looking at home-made helmets:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23551662 (2013): looked at using helmets with diodes of wavelengths 630, 650, and 660 nm. The control group showed no change while the various helmets made a positive difference. Note that the home-made helmet I use employs 650 nm diodes, as those are the ones most supported by research
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24078483 (2014): another one looking at home-made LLLT helmets, this time with a wavelength of 655 nm. Also showed clear benefits over the control group
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23970445 (2014): continues the trend, showing a variety of different wavelengths though again they centered on the 600-nm range
Results
I first noticed a change within two months: after quitting propecia my hair quality went downhill (in addition to thinning out it was lacking luster), and after using the helmet I noticed it was getting glossier and looked thicker despite no immediate regrowth.
Within six months I could tell my hair was staying in the growing phase more often with fewer sheds, and the top of my scalp that was threatening to show a bald spot thickened enough that I stopped worrying about it.
Approaching the two year mark, the helmet has basically stabilized my scalp but hasn't been enough for my hairline, which has receded noticeably since starting. That lines up with what I've read about other men's experience, where some report that LLLT is good for diffuse thinning across your scalp but is less effective for aggressive hairline receding.
I still haven't had to work my hair style around hair loss and the helmet has allayed my concerns about thin areas showing, so I consider that a win as there are no side effects with LLLT. For someone with mild hair loss I expect it'd do the job on its own, and for someone with more aggressive male pattern baldness like me they need to combine it with something else
As it is, I have a somewhat receded hairline (roughly a Norwood 2 though it was trending towards 2.5 before I added the RU) and no visible thin areas on my scalp so hair loss is under control. I'm counting on it staying that way until cloning or other more permanent fixes come on the market.
Using the Helmet
The actual use of the helmet is a little inconvenient but easy to fit into your general routine. You should wear it three times a week for 20 minutes, after thoroughly washing your hair. The fellow who built the helmet sent me a list of other topicals to use with it, though I found the extra items too cumbersome so I dropped them from my routine.
I usually wear it on Sun/Tues/Thurs, adjusted by one day if I have a night out planned on one of those evenings. In a busy week with many nights out, I'll give my hair a wash in the middle of the day and wear the helmet followed by in the evening showering to go out as normal. Otherwise, I put it on while watching TV or reading, and set a timer for 20 minutes. If you're going out in public, you will definitely want to rinse and style your hair after wearing it as it effectively gives you bed head.
Traveling with it is a pain. It's not fitting in a laptop bag, so you either need a second piece of carry-on luggage or will need to ship it separately. I've only taken 1 or 2 week trips since using it so I've simply done without it while on the road, however, if you're frequently doing 1 or 2 month stays in various countries you'll need to find a way to transport it around.
Building the Helmet
If you're the crafty sort you can build the base of the helmet yourself. There's a set of instructions at http://www.overmachogrande.com that takes you through the process, as well as having a bulk order form for the diodes.
I tried building mine and had a disastrous time of it, and ultimately hired John of that site to build me the base. He did so for $150, though I don't know if the price has changed and if the service is still available now. I ordered 330 Aixiz 650nm diodes for $990 via the bulk order form, and I followed the instructions to wire all the diodes.
It took an eternity--I got through an entire season of Community while painstakingly installing each diode and wiring it--so if I did it again I'd pay someone else to do the work.
Finally, I bought a Mouser 23.1W 3.3V 7A adapter for $40 to power it, which will handle far more than my 330 diodes (I think it supports roughly 400 but would need to double-check the math)
Since then, I haven't spent any money on it. At the two year mark it's time for some maintenance so I'm going to check out the helmet and replace any burned-out diodes. I have had to tighten and reconnect wires over the years, as those occasionally come loose. I try to do a spot check of the diodes every couple months while wearing eye protection to make sure I still have good coverage.
So, if you want to put one together I suggest the following:
1. Read up on the info on that Over Macho Grande site. Some of it is getting dated--I don't think he's updated his LLLT studies section in a while--but it will give you a solid understanding of LLLT
2. Buy the diodes from Aixiz using the bulk form off the site. I bought mine piecemeal so I didn't get the best price on it, if you do a large order up-front you should be able to get the cost down compared to what I paid. Follow the guides on the OMG site for how many diodes you need...I've been satisfied with the 330 I ordered, I'm considering getting more for back-of-the-head coverage.
3. Either build the helmet yourself or have John from that site do it. If you have the budget and are hiring him anyway, I'd ship him the diodes and let him handle the wiring. You can do it yourself, it's just time-consuming and tedious.
4. Get a power supply. The Mouser here (http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Mean...Jy0Q%3D%3D) is a good choice for 100+ diodes, as long as you're not doing some 500 diode monster
5. If you're wiring it yourself, follow the wiring equipment suggestions on the site and use the errata below. Make sure you get the right gauge, if you use too thin of wires for a large number of diodes you won't get proper coverage as some of your diodes won't be sufficiently powered. The whole point of LLLT is "enough power for enough time" so having faulty wiring will kill your results.
John sent me this errata for the site instructions after I told him I was going to wire it myself:
I followed John's updated instructions and as far as I can tell all diodes are equally lit up.
Cheap testing alternative:
If you'd rather trial LLLT before jumping into the deep end you can do a test run using a modest 68 diodes and a hand-made wooden box for them. You will only cover roughly a third of your scalp, so you'd need to either move it three times for a total lasering time of 60 minutes or treat just a single region.
There are instructions on the over macho grande site for how to build a wooden frame for 68 diodes that you can try. The downside is that either you have an annoying long lasering time, or you give up potential results if you spend 3 to 6 months only treating a single area. Still, it's a lot easier to gamble $300 or so than $1K so it's an option to consider.
I originally tried the 68 diodes wooden box and quickly realized it was impractical, and I'm glad I made the jump to full helmet.
Commercial Alternatives
There are a number of pre-built laser devices out there. Unfortunately, they pretty much suck.
The Hairmax comb was the original and has FDA clearance (though not approval!) for hair loss, and you can find studies such as http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24474647 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19366270 supporting it.
The issue is the hairmax has only a handful of diodes and you need to move it by hand over your scalp. Their instructions call for holding it for only seconds per zone, which is way less than optimal. It's tedious as hell to use--I tried it for a few months and couldn't deal with it--plus less effective, so take a pass.
Here are the stats on the two pre-built helmets, compared with what you can do on your own:
Theradome -- 80 5mw 678nm diodes
iGrow -- 21 5mw 655 nm diodes
Home-made -- You should use at least 200 and can go to 400+ diodes, all rated at 5nm 650nm
Given the Theradome and iGrow are both pretty costly for less gain and aren't expandable in the future, I'd go for the gold and do my own. They don't have enough diodes for proper coverage. If you need to economize your helmet, you can start with a lesser amount of diodes to cover just your critical areas and then add more when you have the budget, which is a better long-term choice than getting one of these.
Lastly, there have been laser clinics for years with a solid track record. Problem is, they cost (last I checked thousands over a year) and you need to drive to their clinic for treatment. Given just wearing the helmet is inconvenient at times, I doubt going to a clinic three times a week is going to be sustainable.
My Current Routine
Finally, here's what I'm running now which seems to be a solid combination:
1. Regenepure (the most comfortable ketoconazole shampoo I've found, other formulas have been too harsh for daily use)
2. The LLLT helmet 3x times a week for 20 minutes
3. 1ml of RU58841 daily. I've only been using it for two months so I can't yet vouch for it, but so far I'm encouraged that it'll handle the anti-DHT part of hair loss treatment. I've noticed clear improvement since adding it to the mix.
Conclusion
LLLT is a less well known but worthy treatment that can replace the drug approach of finasteride and dusteride. If you're already using those the LLLT will augment your results, and if not it might be enough to do the job on its own.
You should get some kind of anti-DHT in your routine to support it, as otherwise it's going to be a war of attrition of LLLT growth stimulant vs DHT follicle destruction that might not go your way.
TLDR Version
LLLT is a potent hair growth enhancer and can save you from drug solutions, though it takes some cost and work to build your own. For a decent helmet I'd budget $1K, though once built it should last you years with a little maintenance and occasionally replacing a burned out diode.
It works as a growth stimulant so for best results pair it with a DHT inhibitor. I can't recommend propecia/finasteride due to the sides (which absolutely affected me), though if you can get away with it that's a powerful combo. I'm currently testing it along with RU58841 (a topical anti-androgen that prevents DHT from binding to hair follicles) and that combo seems strong as well though I haven't ran the RU long enough to fully evaluate it.
My Background
I've dealt with hair loss for years. When I first noticed it putting a dent in my hair line at 25 I got on propecia and it did do the job (basically stabilizing my hairline), however, over time it became obvious it caused me side effects. I stopped using it briefly and felt much more vital, so I couldn't resume taking it. Problem is, my hair loss picked right up starting with a massive shed.
After living in denial for a year and a half I realized I'd either have to find an alternative or eventually embrace the razor. I searched online and read up on people using LLLT for hair loss and saw quite a few positive reports. After a lot of procrastinating and doubting I ordered a set of diodes, paid John of overmachogrande.com to build me the helmet base, then installed and wired the diodes on my own.
Why LLLT?
Laser therapy is a known treatment for skin injuries and scarring, as well as acne. There has also been quite a bit of research on it for hair loss, and it's FDA approved for that purpose.
The exact mechanism for dealing with hair loss isn't known, though there are plenty of hypotheses. In short, it works by encouraging follicle growth and doesn't directly interact with DHT (the main antagonist of hair loss). In some men that's enough as the LLLT stimulates growth faster than male pattern baldness causing loss, though for many they need other treatments as well.
Here are some relevant recent studies, all also looking at home-made helmets:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23551662 (2013): looked at using helmets with diodes of wavelengths 630, 650, and 660 nm. The control group showed no change while the various helmets made a positive difference. Note that the home-made helmet I use employs 650 nm diodes, as those are the ones most supported by research
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24078483 (2014): another one looking at home-made LLLT helmets, this time with a wavelength of 655 nm. Also showed clear benefits over the control group
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23970445 (2014): continues the trend, showing a variety of different wavelengths though again they centered on the 600-nm range
Results
I first noticed a change within two months: after quitting propecia my hair quality went downhill (in addition to thinning out it was lacking luster), and after using the helmet I noticed it was getting glossier and looked thicker despite no immediate regrowth.
Within six months I could tell my hair was staying in the growing phase more often with fewer sheds, and the top of my scalp that was threatening to show a bald spot thickened enough that I stopped worrying about it.
Approaching the two year mark, the helmet has basically stabilized my scalp but hasn't been enough for my hairline, which has receded noticeably since starting. That lines up with what I've read about other men's experience, where some report that LLLT is good for diffuse thinning across your scalp but is less effective for aggressive hairline receding.
I still haven't had to work my hair style around hair loss and the helmet has allayed my concerns about thin areas showing, so I consider that a win as there are no side effects with LLLT. For someone with mild hair loss I expect it'd do the job on its own, and for someone with more aggressive male pattern baldness like me they need to combine it with something else
As it is, I have a somewhat receded hairline (roughly a Norwood 2 though it was trending towards 2.5 before I added the RU) and no visible thin areas on my scalp so hair loss is under control. I'm counting on it staying that way until cloning or other more permanent fixes come on the market.
Using the Helmet
The actual use of the helmet is a little inconvenient but easy to fit into your general routine. You should wear it three times a week for 20 minutes, after thoroughly washing your hair. The fellow who built the helmet sent me a list of other topicals to use with it, though I found the extra items too cumbersome so I dropped them from my routine.
I usually wear it on Sun/Tues/Thurs, adjusted by one day if I have a night out planned on one of those evenings. In a busy week with many nights out, I'll give my hair a wash in the middle of the day and wear the helmet followed by in the evening showering to go out as normal. Otherwise, I put it on while watching TV or reading, and set a timer for 20 minutes. If you're going out in public, you will definitely want to rinse and style your hair after wearing it as it effectively gives you bed head.
Traveling with it is a pain. It's not fitting in a laptop bag, so you either need a second piece of carry-on luggage or will need to ship it separately. I've only taken 1 or 2 week trips since using it so I've simply done without it while on the road, however, if you're frequently doing 1 or 2 month stays in various countries you'll need to find a way to transport it around.
Building the Helmet
If you're the crafty sort you can build the base of the helmet yourself. There's a set of instructions at http://www.overmachogrande.com that takes you through the process, as well as having a bulk order form for the diodes.
I tried building mine and had a disastrous time of it, and ultimately hired John of that site to build me the base. He did so for $150, though I don't know if the price has changed and if the service is still available now. I ordered 330 Aixiz 650nm diodes for $990 via the bulk order form, and I followed the instructions to wire all the diodes.
It took an eternity--I got through an entire season of Community while painstakingly installing each diode and wiring it--so if I did it again I'd pay someone else to do the work.
Finally, I bought a Mouser 23.1W 3.3V 7A adapter for $40 to power it, which will handle far more than my 330 diodes (I think it supports roughly 400 but would need to double-check the math)
Since then, I haven't spent any money on it. At the two year mark it's time for some maintenance so I'm going to check out the helmet and replace any burned-out diodes. I have had to tighten and reconnect wires over the years, as those occasionally come loose. I try to do a spot check of the diodes every couple months while wearing eye protection to make sure I still have good coverage.
So, if you want to put one together I suggest the following:
1. Read up on the info on that Over Macho Grande site. Some of it is getting dated--I don't think he's updated his LLLT studies section in a while--but it will give you a solid understanding of LLLT
2. Buy the diodes from Aixiz using the bulk form off the site. I bought mine piecemeal so I didn't get the best price on it, if you do a large order up-front you should be able to get the cost down compared to what I paid. Follow the guides on the OMG site for how many diodes you need...I've been satisfied with the 330 I ordered, I'm considering getting more for back-of-the-head coverage.
3. Either build the helmet yourself or have John from that site do it. If you have the budget and are hiring him anyway, I'd ship him the diodes and let him handle the wiring. You can do it yourself, it's just time-consuming and tedious.
4. Get a power supply. The Mouser here (http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Mean...Jy0Q%3D%3D) is a good choice for 100+ diodes, as long as you're not doing some 500 diode monster
5. If you're wiring it yourself, follow the wiring equipment suggestions on the site and use the errata below. Make sure you get the right gauge, if you use too thin of wires for a large number of diodes you won't get proper coverage as some of your diodes won't be sufficiently powered. The whole point of LLLT is "enough power for enough time" so having faulty wiring will kill your results.
John sent me this errata for the site instructions after I told him I was going to wire it myself:
Quote:Quote:
Here is the "Wiring of the Laser Messiah" document, and just a reminder ...THIS IS OUTDATED (and I will explain how): http://www.overmachogrande.com/files/wir...essiah.pdf
What you are going to do is IGNORE everything about "switchable zones", "establishing the zones", the "flux capacitor", and the 22 gauge wire! So, what you are going to do is basically just look at the pictures and get the feel for this.
You will want to look at page 4, and there is a section called "SECTION 2: An Overview of Wiring, and establishing the terminology...". Read that, and you'll understand EXACTLY what I'm talking about in the WorldHairLoss.org thread with the updates, which is here: http://www.worldhairloss.org/index.html/f.../235/#2093
Basically (and like I said... this will make sense after you read the document), you will ideally use 18 gauge for the Level Twos, 14 gauge for the Level Threes, and 12 for the end pieces. Ok, you don't HAVE TO use wire that thick -you can use 22 gauge for the level twos, and you could probably use 18 gauge for the level threes, but I think it makes it a much better helmet if you do. You want to "make sure" that the diodes are getting all of the amps/volts they need.
I followed John's updated instructions and as far as I can tell all diodes are equally lit up.
Cheap testing alternative:
If you'd rather trial LLLT before jumping into the deep end you can do a test run using a modest 68 diodes and a hand-made wooden box for them. You will only cover roughly a third of your scalp, so you'd need to either move it three times for a total lasering time of 60 minutes or treat just a single region.
There are instructions on the over macho grande site for how to build a wooden frame for 68 diodes that you can try. The downside is that either you have an annoying long lasering time, or you give up potential results if you spend 3 to 6 months only treating a single area. Still, it's a lot easier to gamble $300 or so than $1K so it's an option to consider.
I originally tried the 68 diodes wooden box and quickly realized it was impractical, and I'm glad I made the jump to full helmet.
Commercial Alternatives
There are a number of pre-built laser devices out there. Unfortunately, they pretty much suck.
The Hairmax comb was the original and has FDA clearance (though not approval!) for hair loss, and you can find studies such as http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24474647 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19366270 supporting it.
The issue is the hairmax has only a handful of diodes and you need to move it by hand over your scalp. Their instructions call for holding it for only seconds per zone, which is way less than optimal. It's tedious as hell to use--I tried it for a few months and couldn't deal with it--plus less effective, so take a pass.
Here are the stats on the two pre-built helmets, compared with what you can do on your own:
Theradome -- 80 5mw 678nm diodes
iGrow -- 21 5mw 655 nm diodes
Home-made -- You should use at least 200 and can go to 400+ diodes, all rated at 5nm 650nm
Given the Theradome and iGrow are both pretty costly for less gain and aren't expandable in the future, I'd go for the gold and do my own. They don't have enough diodes for proper coverage. If you need to economize your helmet, you can start with a lesser amount of diodes to cover just your critical areas and then add more when you have the budget, which is a better long-term choice than getting one of these.
Lastly, there have been laser clinics for years with a solid track record. Problem is, they cost (last I checked thousands over a year) and you need to drive to their clinic for treatment. Given just wearing the helmet is inconvenient at times, I doubt going to a clinic three times a week is going to be sustainable.
My Current Routine
Finally, here's what I'm running now which seems to be a solid combination:
1. Regenepure (the most comfortable ketoconazole shampoo I've found, other formulas have been too harsh for daily use)
2. The LLLT helmet 3x times a week for 20 minutes
3. 1ml of RU58841 daily. I've only been using it for two months so I can't yet vouch for it, but so far I'm encouraged that it'll handle the anti-DHT part of hair loss treatment. I've noticed clear improvement since adding it to the mix.
Conclusion
LLLT is a less well known but worthy treatment that can replace the drug approach of finasteride and dusteride. If you're already using those the LLLT will augment your results, and if not it might be enough to do the job on its own.
You should get some kind of anti-DHT in your routine to support it, as otherwise it's going to be a war of attrition of LLLT growth stimulant vs DHT follicle destruction that might not go your way.