140 of 149 people found the following review helpful:
only bad thing is the price
I've been losing my hair for quite awhile....slowly.
Now, the crown of my head has lost all of its hair, and the front is thinning now.
I was going to get transplants.
However, I then got into a very bad car accident, and all money went to a new vehicle.
When I heard the comb was approved by the FDA, I called the company, and they were completely...
439 of 458 people found the following review helpful:
Well, I took the bait...
I wrote a previous review for this device, based on my research as to its effectiveness, and summed it up with a cautiously positive opinion. That review discussed the FDA approval (based on the device being safe, but not necessarily effective), independent peer-reviewed studies, and the Dateline show that followed a HairMax user for one year (note that he was using it in...
This review is from: HairMax LaserComb (Health and Beauty)
I wrote a previous review for this device, based on my research as to its effectiveness, and summed it up with a cautiously positive opinion. That review discussed the FDA approval (based on the device being safe, but not necessarily effective), independent peer-reviewed studies, and the Dateline show that followed a HairMax user for one year (note that he was using it in combination with drug treatment). I received a few comments disregarding my review because i hadn't used the device, so here's a new one based on my actual experience.
Yes, I took the bait. I'm a user now. I figured that I'd rather spend the money on a non-invasive, non-chemical treatment that will leave me with a device to sell rather than a prescription to a drug that reportedly has the same odds of success.
First impressions:
It shipped out late (2+ weeks), with no alert from the manufacturer (I ordered direct). The package I received was missing the instructional DVD and the second set of combs. The DC plug was difficult to fit into the device and the lasers were not aligned very precisely (the beams diverged noticeably at two feet away - I doubt that this matters at all, other than an overall indication of precision). Hmmm... not a great first impression.
First 10 weeks:
The process is fairly straightforward... drag the comb across your entire scalp at least twice, taking enough time to make sure the laser penetrates the scalp. Half an inch every four seconds, with the entire process taking twenty minutes or more. It's not at all painful or unpleasant, but it does require a commitment to make the time in a busy schedule. I chose mornings right after my shower on M-W-F for the procedure, and this worked well. The manual mentions that more treatments probably won't hurt, but they still recommend the prescribed 3-day treatment every week. The manual also mentions that wet, clean hair (before gel treatments, spray, etc.) is preferable. Makes sense... water makes tissue more translucent. Drop some water on a piece of paper and hold it up to a light for an example of the principle.
I experienced accelerated hair loss in the first 10 weeks, which was mentioned in an online report. It didn't bother me too much... the combing process involves working the hair against the nap and using a comb to clear it away as you progress. My hair wasn't used to this type of disruption.
I also experienced increased body to my hair, which was also mentioned in the report. I attributed this to the same combing process... the device gives out a very small amount of heat, and as you comb through your hair it dries in a fluffed position. That leads to increased body much like blow-drying might.
The report also mentioned reduced gray hair with some users. Lately I think I may be seeing this as well, and I'm not complaining. Perhaps the thinner, weaker gray hairs are falling out.
Unfortunately, what I didn't see in the first 10 weeks was convincing hair growth. And this is the tricky part... how do you know for sure? I mean, even without any kind of treatment, my hair looks thinner on certain days when I haven't washed it, or if I've worn a hat, or my mother-in-law is around. And when the stars align just right, it can sometimes seem thicker as well. So how do you know whether the device is really working, given our subjective perception? You can choose to believe the independent studies (while wondering who paid for them), you can choose to believe the personal testimonies (while wondering about their compensation as well), or you can choose to just believe. Or maybe not, and return the thing (they give you 20 weeks for a return). I chose to keep going, based on desperation more than belief.
Next five weeks:
I'll update this review (if it stays up on Amazon) as long as I keep the device, and so far I've used it for approximately fifteen weeks. I've neglected to use it maybe four times in those fifteen weeks, due to a lack of time (four out of forty-five... not too bad).
The lasers seems solid, but the beeper seems to go haywire now and then, either sticking on or going silent for awhile. Hmmm.
I've had a bit of an uptick in my opinion. It may have been just the planets aligning again, but my hair seems thicker overall, and definitely less gray. Then again, days later it seems thinner. Again, this is really a tough thing to gauge, given so many variables. For now, I'll keep forging on, but if I don't see more certain results by the holidays, you'll see my LaserComb on eBay. It'll be easy to spot - the one without the CD and with only one set of combs.
Final update:
Forgive me for not concluding my review... it's been quite some time since I wrote my original comments, but I stopped using the Hairmax after about five months of use (and too late to take advantage of their 20-week return policy). In the end, I found I was fighting time (in more ways than one) and time is one tough cookie. Although I think the HairMax probably does work to some extent, I just couldn't take the time needed to consistently use the device. Perhaps that's a sorry statement about the busy nature of life in America, but I think it's better seen as the ultimate comment regarding this device: I couldn't find the time to fight time itself.
If you think you might have more commitment to the battle than I, the HairMax might be worth the effort. I chose to work out a peace agreement (okay, I surrendered). My hair is thinner than ever, but I no longer mind as much. I've accepted the fact that I'm getting older, and I welcome the clarity that comes with the decision.
I'll be selling mine on eBay. As soon as I can find the time...
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This review is from: HairMax LaserComb (Health and Beauty)
I've been losing my hair for quite awhile....slowly.
Now, the crown of my head has lost all of its hair, and the front is thinning now.
I was going to get transplants.
However, I then got into a very bad car accident, and all money went to a new vehicle.
When I heard the comb was approved by the FDA, I called the company, and they were completely sold out.
I plunked down the money and got the comb.
It has been working for me! Seriously!
It may not work for everyone, but the thinning hair in front is thicker and growing back. Even the crown is starting to show life of small hairs regrowing. It's not been long enough to see how things will end up, but it truly makes MY scalp feel better, has stopped the hair from falling out, and I truly, and unbelievably so, have seen regrowth!
The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because of the price...way too high.
Then again, though I must stress again that it may not work for everyone, I'm happy to see actual results. I'm shocked!
I'm looking forward to the weeks ahead to see what may happen.
If all else has failed, you may want to give the laser comb a try.
I'm really glad I'm doing so!
Good luck to all.
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This review is from: HairMax LaserComb (Health and Beauty)
I'm 33, Asian, my top crown area started to thin about since a year and half ago. Didn't want to go for any chemical drugs because I didn't want to mess up my kidney/body by their side effect. Also the sex drive side effect is very scary. I also looked at Rogaine but I was afraid of the heart-beat side effect because I'm a very devoted soccer player. I just can't stop playing soccer for any reason. So I decided to give this hairmax a try. $550, not very cheap but I can afford it for a chance, why not, right?!
Started using it since March 2008, 3 times/week, 15 minutes each. From April thru mid June my hair GOT WORSE, lost more hair, and the top crown part had a clear 'hole', the horseshoe style. (I kept taking pictures to monitor the results) so i wondered why and did some research on the internet and found that it's called 'shedding' period,it happens to some folks and i was one of the 'lucky' guys, but it was actually a good sign of new hair is about to grow out.. Oh well I had already begun using it so I thought to myself if I stopped there I'd have lost the hair and didn't have a chance to get anything back.
So I kept using it. From mid July til now, mid Sept, I'd say that it clearly shows good re-grow of the hair, the crown hair has thicken and I could see many baby hair were there too. Very thrilled about the result, didn't think it actually works!! I'll keep using it until my comb dies, then I'll buy another one! Another tip is sulfate free shampoo, I highly recommend you guys start using sulfate free shampoo, just use any brand, doesn't matter. Sulfate really kills your hair.
Oh one thing I forgot to mention is that hairmax also made my hair looks healthy from day-one, that was also one of the reasons why i kept using it even the shedding occurred.
So the conclusion is, it took about 6 months for the hairmax comb to work on me, so if yours doesn't seem to work for you in the first 2-3 months, or even 5,6 months, KEEP USING IT. THe result wasn't crazily good like the before/after pictures shown on their website, but it is certainly good enough to keep me a happy customer and I'll certainly keep using it!
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This review is from: HairMax LaserComb (Health and Beauty)
If you want to buy this comb for regrowth, forget it. It does not regrow any new hair. But it does offer some benefits:
1) The hair feel thicker.
2) Very few hair shed during regular use. If you stop using it, hair would shed as before.
3) The hair feel more manageable.
4) Combs like these are used by hair-implant patients for faster recovery.
For these simple benefits, the high price of the comb is not worth it.
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This review is from: HairMax LaserComb (Health and Beauty)
Next week will be 3 months since I started using HairMax. I waited because I wanted to be sure if it was working or not. First of all let me say that I am a woman with thinning hair in the front, at the hairline and to about halfway back (around my ears but on top, not on the sides). My mother has VERY thin hair to where you can see her scalp all the time all over her head, and I appear to be going that same direction so I was willing to do about anything to stop the hair loss, not to mention regrow some hair. When I bought this product it had not been tested on women so there wasn't much information for me to go on, plus it was pretty pricey but like I said, I'd have tried just about anything. I'm not a particularly disciplined person and I'd say I've used it between 3-5 times a week. I'm not going over my whole head...just the areas of concern and that only takes a few minutes per treatment.
So now, nearly three months later, I can see that it is working. I even showed my husband yesterday. Both of us can definitely see a lot of short (maybe 1 cm or so) length hairs sticking up out of my scalp in the area of treatment. Obviously this is really encouraging! I am going to continue to use it and hope for even more but I'm cautiously optimistic. It did take quite a while to work so you have to be patient.
Some of the negative reviewers haven't used the product as directed because they say they are sending it back before trying it for the recommended length of time. A couple of weeks isn't going to do much of anything so if that's what you want don't waste your money. I'm sure like everything else in this world, it won't work for everyone but it is working for me and I'm very happy about it. A side note to those of you who say balding is a fact of life and to get over it....that may be fine for men who can easily look within normal range walking around in public with an obviously bald or balding head, but it is extremely insensitive to say that to a woman! It is a very distressing problem and the emotional impact on women AND men should not be minimized, so deal with your own issues and don't make matters worse for others.
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This review is from: HairMax LaserComb (Health and Beauty)
Since February 4th of 2007, a fair amount of news has been generated by the FDA approval of this device, including coverage on national news shows. But it is prudent to read the FDA approval document directly (it's very brief). [...]
Apparently, the FDA has granted the HariMax device to be marketed based on it's similarity to "predicate" devices (in other words, devices that have come before; that this device or concept is built upon or modeled after). It's important to keep in mind that the FDA has made no judgement as to whether the device works as advertised, but only that the device is apparently safe. Along with the news of FDA clearance, Lexington International (the makers of HairMax) have added results from their own clinical trial. Keep in mind that these results are from Lexington International, not the FDA.
So that leaves open the question of whether the device truly works. Judging by various reviews (including a fairly thorough year-long trial by the news show Dateline), some peer-reviewed study reports, and the proven effectiveness of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in other areas of dermatology, I'm inclined to think that it does what it's advertised to do and has the potential to sustain or even regrow hair. The problem is that results will vary by user, so that in the end it may prove to be an expensive gamble. But then again, the same can be said about drug treatment, which can cost about the same after a year or so. With the HairMax, at least you have a device you can re-sell if the results are disappointing.
As they found on Dateline, the best solution for hair loss is surgery. But this may be the second-best option, especially if it's used at the early stages of hair loss. Keep your expectations in line, though, in order to avoid disappointment. Even if it only stops further hair loss, it may prove to be a worthwhile purchase.
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This review is from: HairMax LaserComb (Health and Beauty)
I'm 30 years of age and tried many medications from herbal to rogane without any help and the side effects were troublesome. Anyway, once hairmax was approved by FDA, I gave it a try. It's been 4 months that I'm using it. For Thanks Giving I visited my sisters whom haven't seen me in one year. They were shocked by the change in the my hair. The good thing is hairmax doesn't irritate the scalp. It's not hair transplant for sure but for about 300-500$ it really worth it. The only concern that I have is long term use of hairmax and its side effects. Unfortunately there is no way to tell in long run what side effect hairmax has, but till then I'm happy with hairmax.
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This review is from: HairMax LaserComb (Health and Beauty)
I used the comb regularly for about 3 months and did not see any noticable changes in my hair thickness. Perhaps I needed to use it longer, I don't know.
For me, it caused acne breakouts on my scalp which continued to get worse. As a result it sort of hurt when I used the comb. Finally I stopped using it and in about 4-5 days my scalp cleared up completely.
In general, I have acne prone skin, but I'd never had scalp problems like that before.
Also, for me the comb often gave me a slight headache.
Questionable product....
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This review is from: HairMax LaserComb (Health and Beauty)
This product works. One should expect mild hair growth in the crown area at best but markedly thickened hair. I have some thinned areas which were showing through revealing my scalp but were covered after using the laser comb. It also works well after hair transplants to thicken and color new growth. I've had 4 transplants and this is a nice adjunct. One can complete a treatment in 10 minutes easily. I suspect those that take longer are overlapping treatment and/or not spacing each movement far enough apart.
Midoxidil does work some in some people but is dissolved in an oily liquid that leaves a greasy residue and is a twice daily treatment. I would have to wash my hair after using this to get rid of flat oily looking hair. Propecia is a daily pill that can kill your sex drive. It killed mine and took a few months to reverse.
My experience; if you need to replace bare or baring areas your best bet is a hair transplant. Be prepared to get more transplants every few years. Minoxidil and propecia can grow some hair in some people but have side effects and the results go away if treatment is discontinued. Laser is about as effective as minoxidil/propecia but is much more user friendly and cheaper.
PLG
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This review is from: HairMax LaserComb (Health and Beauty)
My hairloss wasn't dramatic, but my hairline had been steadily receeding since my early twenties and my hair was thining slightly in the typical, "male pattern baldness" areas. The first few months after using the laser comb, I saw virtually no improvement. However, I did notice that I shed a lot less. Typically, at the end of the day, I could firmly rub my fingers through my hair and find 10 to 30 hairs, but after about 6 months using the laser comb, that decreased to between 5 to 10 maximum.
After about a year of fairly consistent use, I noticed that my hair appeared fuller and thicker than from the previous year.
At this point, I've been using the laser comb for over two years. I have never noticed any new growth, but my hair continues to look fuller and thicker than before--the comb has reinvigorated previously thin or dying hairs while maintaining the healthy ones. I have not experienced further hair-loss and continue to shed less.
In my opinion, the best way to use the device is two to three times a week: (1) wash and clean your hair thoroughly (no conditioner until you're done); (2) towel it off, but leave it somewhat damp; (3) comb it back to reveal maximum scalp area; (4) recline, sit or lay down in a comfortable position (in front the of tv for example) with a hand miror; (5) place the comb directly on the scalp where you are experiencing the most hairloss; (6) let the comb stay in that position for AT LEAST A MINUTE (disregard the directions in this respect) before moving it to another area (turn off the annoying beeper); (7) use the hand mirror to see exactly where you are placing the comb; (8) return to your problem areas at least two to three times before completing your treatment; (7) don't waste your time on areas uneffected by hairloss (the sides for instance) Good Luck!
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