Do Laser Caps Work?

Less invasive than a hair transplant and more futuristic than a topical cream, laser hair growth caps use a technique called low-level light therapy (LLLT) to stimulate your hair follicles and promote hair growth. But do laser caps work?

As the saying goes, “your results may vary.”

Laser treatment for hair regrowth is widely promoted as a treatment for male pattern baldness and as an alternative to medications like minoxidil and finasteride. While some science supports the benefits of laser hair growth caps, the research that’s available right now is far from comprehensive and doesn’t find much promise if you’re battling androgenic alopecia. 

Below, we’ve explained how laser hair growth caps work, as well as their potential benefits for treating hair loss and stimulating hair growth, and what you should know about the limitations.

Laser hair growth caps, designed to look like casual baseball caps, are head-worn devices that use laser diodes to stimulate your scalp and promote hair growth. The lights may enhance better blood flow, stimulating follicles to enter the growth phase (also called the anagen phase) and, in some cases, promote wound healing for hair shafts that may be damaged and affecting hair growth.

Although the specific design of these devices can vary, most look like a baseball cap with laser diodes on the inside. Many laser hair growth caps feature hundreds of laser diodes designed to target your scalp from every possible angle.

Other laser hair growth devices, such as combs, bands, helmets and beyond, are designed to apply the same light treatment on your scalp.

Laser caps are sort of the opposite concept of laser hair removal, so don’t get them mixed up. Research suggests that exposure to low-level laser light stimulates cellular activity, from which hair grows. By exposing your hair follicles to concentrated laser light, a cap may be able to promote hair growth and improve your hair in areas with hair loss. 

According to an article published in the journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, exposure to low-level laser light stimulates cellular activity, which has been shown to help in the management of thinning hair and hair restoration.

Although these products can and do stimulate hair growth, laser caps have only limited abilities to fight specific types of hair loss like male pattern baldness.

Male pattern baldness, the most common cause of hair loss in men, develops as a result of genetic factors and the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). 

If you’re genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness, DHT can damage your hair follicles and, over time, prevent them from producing new hairs. This process tends to begin at your crown or hairline and become more noticeable over time. You can learn more about the effects of DHT on your hair in our guide to DHT and male pattern baldness. 

Unfortunately, LLLT does not impact DHT levels and does not appear to stop long-term damage to your hair follicles. The most effective treatments for male pattern baldness work by reducing the amount of DHT in your bloodstream and preventing damage to your hair follicles.

Like many other hair growth devices, laser hair growth caps can vary in design, cost and quality. But make no mistake, these lids aren’t cheap.

Cost is often determined by the number of LEDs or lasers built into the caps. Plus, caps fitted with a lot of lights may be available by prescription only, which can drive up the cost. Caps with fewer lights are available over the counter.

Simple devices that feature a few hundred laser diodes with a low to moderate output are often available for around $300, while high-end, high-powered devices with thousands of laser diodes can cost $3,000 or more. 

Costs can be similar for laser helmets, which have similar technology, but look more like bicycle or snowboarding helmets than caps.

If you’re interested, do your homework before shelling out your hard-earned cash. Read customer reviews and talk with your dermatologists or anyone you know who tried a laser cap.

And when it comes to cost, one thing laser caps have going for them is that they represent a one-time investment. The costs of other options that require multiple treatments can add up quickly.

But you should know: Even if you get some good results from your laser cap, it’s unlikely that this treatment will be covered by your insurance. 

While there isn’t much research on low-level laser therapy and hair growth, studies that have found the treatment may be effective do exist. A 2024 study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology suggests that non-ablative fractional laser was more effective than 5% minoxidil topical treatments in treating androgenetic alopecia.

Similarly, an evidence-based review published in 2016 looked at 21 studies of laser devices for hair growth and concluded that low-level laser therapy devices are safe and effective for both men and women with pattern hair loss.

A 2018 review of clinical trials published in the journal Lasers in Medical Science reached a similar conclusion, noting that laser therapy “appears to be a safe, alternative treatment” for pattern hair loss. 

As for research into the specific effects of laser hair growth caps, only a few small-scale studies are currently available.

According to an article studying women between 18 and 60 years of age with pattern hair loss treated with a device called the Handi-Dome Laser, the women treated with the laser cap achieved a 51 percent increase in hair count over the course of 17 weeks of treatment, compared to those treated with a non-therapeutic device.

A similar study published in the journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine involving a laser hair growth helmet called iGrow® found that women who used the device experienced results comparable to those achieved using the hair loss medication, Minoxidil. 

You can learn more about the issues with research into laser hair growth devices in our guide to laser hair treatments. 

Do laser caps work to stop or reverse hair loss? The answer depends on a number of factors. And your results depend on an equally large number of caveats; don’t be surprised if you come across claims that these tools are just a “sham device,” which is a common, though unproven, accusation. 

While there are FDA-approved hair regrowth laser products on the market, most of them are not designed for or able to effectively manage androgenetic alopecia, more commonly known as male pattern baldness or female pattern hair loss. Instead, they’re seen as effective hair restoration tools for encouraging the anagen (growth) phase of the hair growth cycle — not the management of DHT.

And then there’s the question of laser caps versus other LLLT devices like the lasercomb. While the above research is certainly promising, it’s important to note that several of the studies featured looked at laser hair growth devices as a whole, not hair growth caps specifically. And that’s just one limitation. 

Finally, there are the research conflicts. As a 2020 review published in the journal Skin Appendage Disorders noted, some studies in this field appear to be associated with the laser hair growth device industry — a clear conflict of interest. Two of the above were also associated with a hair growth device manufacturer who has a vested interest in the success of laser treatment. 

Some of the studies featured in this research also involved the use of laser hair growth devices in combination with other treatments, such as the hair loss medication minoxidil. So the research is far from perfect.

There’s little known about the potential side effects of laser treatment options, so you may want to consider alternatives. While Rogaine, PRP, stem cells, supplements and hair transplant surgery lack the futuristic simplicity of shining red light wavelengths on your scalp, other options for hair growth treatment may make more sense.

If you’re losing your hair, just know that there are a lot of treatment options. Your best first step? Talk to a licensed healthcare provider to learn more about possible treatments. As for laser hair growth caps, here’s a 101:

• Laser hair therapy and other laser hair devices rely on a technique called low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to stimulate your hair follicles and promote hair growth.

• Laser hair growth caps can vary in price, from a few hundred to thousands of dollars for high-end devices with powerful laser diodes, making them a substantial purchase for most. 

• Although some studies have found that low-level laser therapy may promote hair growth, there is very little research on the effectiveness of laser hair growth caps and helmets as treatments for male pattern baldness. 

• As such, it’s tough to recommend these products, especially when proven, inexpensive options for treating hair loss like minoxidil and finasteride are available. 

If you’re losing your hair and want to take action, it’s best to talk to a healthcare provider about your options. If appropriate, they can prescribe medication to help you stop hair loss and even potentially regrow hair in areas of your scalp with noticeable thinning.