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The High Dose Red Light Cap is a beauty device that can be easily incorporated into your daily life. When used for several months, it strengthens your hair and stimulates new hair growth.
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Hair loss is a common problem among both men and women. As we age, our hair naturally becomes thinner and sparser than before. While there are many serums, potions, and ointments that promise to rejuvenate your scalp, not all products live up to the hype.
Over the past few years, new beauty and health devices like the best LED face masks have begun to use red light, which is said to have a variety of beauty benefits, from firming and clearing the skin to improving mood. High-dose red light caps are the latest development in red light devices for home use. I tried this hat myself to see if it delivers the benefits it claims.
The Higher Dose Red Light Cap costs $449 in the US and £449 in the UK. It’s available from the Higher Dose website and retailers like Healf. It’s quite expensive for a cap, but since it’s designed with red light, it’s the standard price you’d pay for this type of technology, whether it’s a cap or a mask.
The product has a simple design and is comfortable to use. From the outside, it looks like a typical trucker hat with a flat brim. It’s probably not a hat you’d want to wear on the street (it’s certainly bulky), but it’s not designed to look like a futuristic helmet either.
Under the hat’s dome is a soft foam panel that houses 120 LED bulbs that emit 650-nanometer red light. The charger and power supply are a small, palm-sized plastic piece that attaches to the back of the cap. There’s one button that does one thing: turn it on and off. The power supply quickly detaches for charging. The charger has interchangeable plugs and can be used anywhere in the world, making it convenient for travelers.
The material of the hat is thick, strong and durable. The foam pad around the red light is soft and flexible, so it will not put pressure on your head or cause discomfort when wearing. When you press the power button, the device will light for 10 minutes (recommended daily use) and then turn off automatically. Overall, the product has an elegant design and is convenient to use.
If you want to see results, this device requires regular use. The brand recommends wearing the cap for 10 minutes a day for the first 16 weeks. Then you can move on to regular use, wearing the cap three to four times a week for 10 minutes each time.
Although this hat is very comfortable to wear, it does get hot and takes some getting used to. It’s not too hot, but you can definitely feel the glow of the bulb.
The science behind this hat is pretty solid, although there aren’t enough human trials to draw definitive conclusions. Researchers have found that low-intensity (650 nanometers) red light increases human hair follicle production in cultured tissue (i.e., in an artificial environment, not on an actual human head). Another study on a small group of balding men (41 participants) found that 655-nanometer laser therapy “significantly increased hair count.”
Higher Dose warns users that regular use may result in increased hair loss during the first few weeks – this is normal and indicates that the red light is working. Users experience the full effect within six months of continuous use.
I have very fine hair that falls out easily, and since I started wearing hats regularly, my hair loss has increased. According to the experts at Higher Dose, this is because “weak hair makes room for stronger new hair.”
After I started using the high dose red light sensitive cap daily, I soon experienced the hair loss phenomenon that was mentioned with the high dose. To me, this is a sign that the treatment is working and my hair follicles are responding to it. I will have to continue using it and see if a few months of regular use improves the texture or volume of my hair.
If you’re looking to increase the thickness and volume of your hair but don’t want to use expensive equipment like high-dose caps, consider using one of the best hair thickening shampoos (which can also complement the effects of red light therapy).
CurrentBody offers the LED Hair Growth Helmet, a red light hair growth device in the form of a helmet that costs £650 in the UK. While we haven’t tried it yet, customer reviews suggest it’s easy to use and produces impressive results, especially for those suffering from hair loss.
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Lizzie Briskin is a food and health writer and editor, chef, runner, recipe developer, and photographer. She is a frequent contributor to Runner’s World, Popular Mechanics, Insider, and the Chicago Tribune, among other publications. Originally from Boston, she currently resides in New York City. When she’s not chasing the sun in Los Angeles, she’s exploring, savoring, and enjoying all that the city has to offer.
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