LED for hair: we tried the leading caps and helmets claiming to make your hair grow 

The topic we beauty editors are most asked about? LED face masks. But lately we’ve also seen a steady stream of queries about LED hair caps and hats. With increasing numbers of women suffering from hair fall, hormonal hair loss and breakage, it’s hardly surprising that interest in a painless, drug-free, at-home solution is peaking.

LED hair masks use the same skin-calming, cell energy-boosting, collagen-plumping red light technology that you’ll find in an LED face mask. But what can it do for hair and scalp health? Claims range from boosting circulation to awakening dormant follicles to calming scalp inflammation. But while the research is encouraging, it’s still very much in the ‘emerging’ stage, and if you’re planning to invest in an expensive helmet in the hopes of re-growing a luscious mane, note that results may be modest.

Prices range from £199 for a Beauty Pie All Systems Grow cap to £1200 for a Celluma Mystique helmet. Some come with clinical proof and medical clearances, while others are purely cosmetic. Alongside LED light, you will find some devices that use low-level laser beams, and while most hair devices use red LED wavelengths, some also include near-infrared (NIR) ones.

All devices have different protocols, ranging from 10 minutes a day to 30 minutes every three days, which is an important consideration. For this technology to work, you must be able to fit it into your life.

We talked to doctors and manufacturers we trust to tell us the unvarnished truth, and we tried the leading brands ourselves. If you’re looking to invest, here’s what you need to know.

How does LED therapy for hair work?

At the very least, your LED cap will help boost circulation and blood flow in the scalp, optimising its health. But a well-designed device with clinical studies to back up its claims will interact with the follicles and stimulate cellular energy. This is thought to make follicles function, repair, and regenerate more efficiently, leading, potentially, to increased hair growth and strength.

What results can you expect?

“Benefits will be gradual and modest, says cosmetic doctor Jennifer Owens. “Reviews and sham-controlled [the equivalent of placebo-controlled] trials suggest low-level light therapy can improve hair density and thickness in androgenetic (male and female pattern) hair loss, but results depend on device design, dose, and consistent use.”

The thinking is that the light extends the anagen (growth) phase of the hair, so you hold on to your locks for longer. Other types of hair loss respond less well, and in varying degrees, to light therapy.

It’s important to know that no brand has actually done independent clinical trials on its LED hair devices, although many have done in-house trials and consumer tests.

Get the Gloss Editorial Director Victoria Woodhall tries LED hair growth helmets by Currentbody (left) and Nooance Paris (right)

Red light, near infrared light, laser? What should you look for?

Some devices, such as the Currentbody Hair Growth Helmet, offer just red LED light. Others, such as Celluma have red and near-infrared (a combination you’ll find in most LED face masks). Some, such as the Nooance Pro Hair Helmet, add in cold laser (aka LLLT, aka low-level laser therapy). So what is best?

“The strongest and most plentiful evidence for direct follicle support and boosted hair growth is for red light, with wavelengths between 630-680 nanometres (nm),” says Tracy May from iSmart Developments, who manufacture LED devices for well-known brands, and their own, FaceLite.  The most reliable wavelength for modest hair improvements is 650nm, which has been used in most of the research studies on androgenetic alopecia.

The jury is out on whether it’s helpful to combine red light with near-infrared (NIR) light when it comes to hair support. “NIR may encourage deeper light penetration, better microcirculation, anti-inflammatory effects and follicle support, but we don’t have a lot of evidence that a combination is better than red light alone.”

LLLT laser light – is it better than LED for hair?

As for low-level laser beams versus LED light, there is no clear consensus over which is best.

LLLT or low-level laser therapy uses cold lasers to emit the same wavelengths that LEDs do, but instead of it being diffuse light (non-coherent) these beams are concentrated and focused (coherent). You’ll find them in professional, often very expensive devices, used by some trichologists such as ‘Hair Whisperer’ Ricardo Vila Nova, who looked after Get The Gloss’ Victoria Woodhall’s hair restoration, using a laser device alongside microneedling and PRP.

The original clinical studies on light therapy, or ‘photobiomodulation’ used laser, not LED, so some claim that laser is the only form of therapeutic light that works.

However, says May, “light quickly becomes less coherent once inside the skin, so claims of ‘deeper, more focused’ therapy don’t carry that much meaning.” The current thinking in clinical circles, she says, is that the correct wavelength + correct dose + correct scalp delivery matter more than whether you use lasers or LEDS.”

In other words: LLLT and LED light can be similarly powerful, provided you use a correctly-designed device with FDA Class II medical clearance, such as the Celluma Mystique.

Can red light therapy help me grow back my hair?

It’s thought that red light therapy may produce modest regrowth by supporting sluggish follicles, although “proof is often overestimated in advertising,” says May. It certainly cannot revive follicles that are destroyed or indefinitely dormant, for example, if you have scarring alopecia.

The main proposed way it works is by prolonging the growth phase of your hair. This particularly appears to be the case for people with male and female pattern hair loss. Increased hair density, slowed-down follicle thinning and reduced shedding have all been noted.

If you have telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, and stress/inflammatory shedding, LED hair devices may support hair growth by dampening inflammation, although the evidence is weaker, says May.

For best results, she says, your helmet should be used early in cases of mild-to-moderate thinning, where follicles are still alive but weakened. “The most important factor is treatment consistency over time,” adds Celluma’s founder, Patrick Johnson.

Red light baseball caps emit no noticeable glow for hair regeneration on-the-go. Editorial director Victoria Woodhall tries Higherdose (left) and Bon Charge (right)

Can red light therapy boost the effects of hair loss treatments such as Minoxidil?

Using a red light device alongside a hair growth therapy such as Minoxidil or PRP would be the best way of using your cap, suggests Owens.

Hair loss is multifactorial, she says, so the best results usually come from assessing things that may be driving it, such as “hormones, nutrition, inflammation, stress, scalp health and certain counterproductive topical treatments.” Red light therapy should be one supportive part of a broader plan, she feels.

Which red light hair helmets have FDA medical approval?

A decent LED hair device will have FDA Class II medical approval (or FDA Class II medical clearance), which means it’s effective enough for both home and clinical settings and complies with strict regulatory standards. And while it doesn’t actually mean there’s independent clinical proof for any hair growth claims, it usually has, says May, “at least some supporting clinical data”.

You should also make sure your device mentions specific clearance for the treatment of hair loss: general FDA approval does not mean the device is proven to work for every condition LED is purported to treat. In our list below, the Celluma, Nooance, Hairmax, Bon Charge and Currentbody devices have both FDA Class II medical approval and clearance for the treatment of hair loss.

Is a non-medical ‘cosmetic’ LED hair device still effective?

This doesn’t mean devices without FDA clearance are bad, says May. “If it’s well-designed, delivers adequate energy and uses evidence-based red and near-infrared wavelengths, it may well stimulate follicles provided it’s used consistently.”

Cosmetic physician Dr Sophie Shotter agrees that in practice, a baseball-cap style device that someone wears faithfully for a year, “may well outperform a bulkier ‘gold standard’ helmet that ends up abandoned in a cupboard after two weeks.” She feels compliance is up there with the right technical specs when choosing an effective device..

Johnson, whose Celluma devices are used by doctors and dermatologists, advises to look for a clear indication of the dose. “Anything between two and ten joules per square centimetre, and ideally 6j/cm2, is good,” he says, as this is the “evidence-based therapeutic dose.” However, May points out that the right dose for hair growth hasn’t in fact been independently determined.

How often should I use red light for hair?

Usage recommendations will differ depending on the power density, proximity to the scalp, choice of wavelengths and more, so always stick to the instructions, whether you’re looking at 30 minutes three times weekly or 10 minutes a day.

Either way, success involves dogged, long-time use: “Hair growth cycles are slow, so visible changes are typically assessed over months rather than weeks,” warns Johnson.

Can too much LED therapy be harmful?

Potentially, yes: too high a dose, or too much heat, can hamper hair growth, says May, which is why treatment duration and power density matter. “But mainstream FDA-cleared home devices are generally low-risk when used as directed.”

Can I use my LED face mask or panel for my scalp?

You could, but don’t expect too much. “The issue is not just fit and design,” says Owens.  “The design needs to take into account that the light must get past hair, so the evidence for hair loss is much stronger for scalp-specific devices than for repurposing facial devices, even where wavelengths look similar.”

In a nutshell: what makes a good LED hair helmet or red light cap?

• Does it have clinically proven wavelengths? Look for red light between 630 and 670nm and potentially NIR between 810-850nm, either in the form of LED or low-level laser (LLLT).
• Does it have FDA Class II medical approval and a specific clearance for treating hair loss? This ensures safety and a level of efficacy. The term ‘FDA registered’, however, is meaningless.
• Is it easy to use consistently? You have to use your device consistently and for the correct duration and time frame.
• Does it fit close to your scalp? The device has to fit properly to irradiate every part of the scalp evenly in order to deliver a therapeutic dose even when your hair is in the way.

The best red light therapy hair helmets

These are our top expert-selected and award-winning LED hair devices.

Best LED hair therapy baseball caps