How is it that you can have too much hair on some places of your body while not enough on others? Seems a little unfair not to mention frustrating, right?
After trying out a low-level light therapy helmet with success to combat my own hair loss, which I will chalk up to stress, I decided to go further down the rabbit hole and try out a different light-based device—the Hairmax LaserBand 82, an FDA cleared device that delivers low-level laser therapy to slow hair loss while also stimulating new hair growth. What drew me to this device was unlike my other one the Hairmax device did not require an electrical outlet during use and the treatment time was 90 seconds every other day versus 25 minutes every other day.
With four months of consistent use I can say that my hair is just about all grown back in. While the new hairs all along my hairline need a few months to catch up with the rest of my length, I finally feel as though I have rounded the bend. Although I am still working to reduce the stress in my life, I have at least found a solution to the hair loss it caused, and one that could be of great benefit to the estimated 80 million other men and women out there looking for help. Being so impressed with my results I wanted to catch up with the HairMax founder, David Michaels to not only thank him for making this option available but to learn more about the technology.
HairMax officially launched in 2000 with an initial self-funded investment of $300,000. Michaels tells me, “As with many new innovations, they usually come about by someone trying to fill a need. In my case, the need was a treatment for my hair loss. I was 37 years old and had already been experiencing a sunburned scalp for a few years. I had tried everything I could find with little or no results. Then I heard about some success with laser therapy in treating hair loss at a clinic in Australia. Soon after getting the treatments, my hair became thicker and fuller, my hair loss subsided, and I re-grew a significant amount of lost hair. I was so amazed at the results but realized that these treatments, because of the cost and inconvenience of visiting a clinic several times a week would not be accessible to most people.”
From there Michaels formed a working relationship with the clinic founder, Henry Pearl, who was a pioneer in hair loss treatment, to develop an affordable laser therapy device to promote internationally. After several years of research, design, and development the efforts resulted in the first device, the HairMax LaserComb.
HairMax has several touch points that make it different then the other options in the marketplace. Michaels tells me, “Our R&D team continually explores ways to make laser therapy more affordable, easier to use and more effective. For example, we addressed the fact that hair is a photo protectant, which blocks light from the scalp. That led to developing devices with patented hair parting teeth, an integral mechanism that parts your hair during treatment, allowing unobstructed laser energy to reach the hair follicles. Without the teeth, your hair blocks a large amount of the light from reaching the follicle. HairMax devices are the only devices on the market with this important feature. In addition to the teeth, the laser density and laser intensity help make HairMax a highly effective treatment.”
Efficacy was of the utmost importance for the brand but so was product design.“These devices become part of your life and everyday routine, so we partnered with Italian designer, Pininfarina to redesign our devices with a modern, sleek look that are more visually appealing. The LaserBand 82 was launched with great success, with its unique band design, for full scalp coverage, and the fastest treatment time ever available, as little as 90 seconds. The form, functionality, speed, and effectiveness of the HairMax LaserBand 82 is a game changer in the hair loss industry. The super-fast treatment helps users to be more compliant with treatment and achieve better results. We continue to research and explore ways to enhance customer satisfaction and effectiveness”, continues Michaels.
There is a difference between LED lights and laser diodes so I asked Michaels if he could provide some clarification. “LEDs are used for treatments on the first layer of the skin but you need the power of laser light to penetrate down to the second layer of the skin where hair follicles originate,” Michaels explains to me. Although they may look the same, lasers provide stronger, highly focused, and more intense light energy than LEDs. Our high quality lasers deliver columnated light to the follicles to more effectively reach and energize the follicle root and stimulate the growth factors of the follicle. LED devices put out dispersed light, which is not focused, and is spread out like a fan over the scalp. Dispersed light does not penetrate or effectively reach the follicle when compared to lasers. HairMax lasers are densely distributed within our devices and are optimally spaced providing full and concentrated scalp coverage with a single wavelength.”
All of the HairMax devices are cleared by the FDA to treat Androgenetic Alopecia and promote hair growth in both males and females. Says Michaels, “HairMax medical devices went through rigorous clinical studies in a 510k submission to the FDA resulting in marketing clearance. In the submission, we proved that our devices were not only effective, but would also be safe for consumer usage. We revolutionized the treatment of hair loss with the first-ever home use hair growth medical device to be granted clearance by the FDA to treat hair loss and promote hair growth in males in 2007 and in 2011, additional clinical studies were submitted to the FDA and clearance was also granted for females.”
To date, HairMax holds 8 FDA clearances for their devices, all of which demonstrate safety and efficacy based on 7 scientifically designed clinical research studies conducted at top medical research centers including the Cleveland Clinic, the University of Miami, and University of Minnesota. HairMax also holds 14 medical device licenses worldwide.
When I ask Michaels about the demographics of his products he tells me, “We estimate that the percentage is somewhere around 55% men and 45% women. Hair loss is typically thought of as a male issue, but the reality is that 1 in 4 women will also experience hair loss and thinning hair. Triggered by changes in hormones, most commonly with the onset of menopause and after childbirth it’s something that most women will have to deal with at some point in their lives. It’s a very emotional topic for both men and women, but for women especially, it can be devastating. For many, it may be difficult to speak about or seek help for it as the treatment options very limited. HairMax laser treatments provide the only non-drug, FDA Cleared treatment for both male and female pattern hair loss.”
In addition to the devices, HairMax also offers a hair care line that can be used on its own but was designed to work with the devices with their latest formulas launching this October. Michaels tells me, “We are extremely excited about the upcoming launch of our new HairMax for Density advanced hair care line including Stimul8 Shampoo, Exhiler8 Conditioner, Acceler8 Hair Booster & Nutrients and Density RSN8 Overnight Pro Scalp Treatment. This innovative hair care system goes beyond just treating thinning hair but also targets the health of the hair and scalp. They combine advanced hair loss science with a unique targeted liposome delivery system that enables the active ingredients to penetrate the skin and hair follicle for a deeper absorption. Formulated with Anti-oxidants, Peptides and essential extracts that protect the hair from biological aging and environmental stress. Key ingredients include DHT Blockers, Caffeine, Apple Stem Cell, Niacinimide, Adenosine ATP and our own proprietary NRG8-pLEX™, 8 highly effective ingredients to treat thinning and lifeless hair. Our hero product, Acceler8 Hair Booster contains a light activated ingredient that is amplified when used in conjunction with our laser treatments—transforming your thinning, lifeless hair into fuller voluminous looking hair.”
Always curious about the most rewarding and challenging aspects of any business I ask Michaels about his experience with bringing this technology to market. Michaels tells me, “As far as the most rewarding is the satisfaction in knowing that we developed a product that has changed people’s lives – for the better, innovating a treatment for a problem that was most likely causing a lot of distress. Although laser therapy for hair growth had been identified, there was not a wide spread use of it – and no use of it at home for hair loss. We took the established science of hair growth and innovated it in a brand new way, bringing it into the homes of over 1.5+ million (and counting) people around the world.
I can certainly attest to the devastation and embarrassment that hair loss creates. Perhaps it’s time to include hair loss regardless of gender in our body positive conversations?
