Red Light Scalp Massage Comb

If you've been following here for a while, you probably know this comb, which I've been using for a year. The purpose of the comb is to treat shedding and accelerate hair growth, by combining massage and light therapy. I will emphasize and say that I am very, very doubtful about the treatment with red light, for reasons that I will expand on later in the post. I decided to purchase it anyway because of the action of the massage which helps in itself, and also because of the low price.

So what is red light therapy?

Red light therapy is a relatively new technology and is still being researched for various skin problems, from acne, wrinkles, to accelerating hair growth and treating hair loss in women and men. In this post we will focus on the topic of hair.

Studies have proven that the treatment has the ability to accelerate the growth of terminal type hair, the type of thick hair that grows for example on the head, (not the thin hair we have on the face). One of the studies showed similar results to minoxidil, and that the combination between them is even more effective.

hair life cycle consists of 3 phases: angen - the growth phase, catagen - the resting phase, and telogen - the shedding phase. The light works on the first stage, the organ, and lengthens it. The way it works is still unclear but there are a few theories that I won't elaborate on here.

*But* not all devices are the same. The recommended wavelength for red light treatment is 630-700 nm. There are several devices that have been proven in clinical studies and approved by the FDA. Their cost is hundreds of dollars (varies from device to device) and I couldn't find a way to order them from the US.

This comb costs NIS 50 from Aliexpress, so I highly doubt that it really produces the necessary wavelength. It is not written on the packaging what the wavelength is, but even if something was written, I don't know if I would believe it because it is AliExpress after all. Anyway, I felt I had nothing to lose, because of the low price.

Free article on the subject - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8906269/

And what about the massage?

So the comb actually vibrates and you can pass it on the scalp and it pumps blood to it. There are few studies that have proven that the action of the massage can thicken hair, accelerate growth, and reduce shedding (sources at the end of the post).

My experience:

I started using the comb a year ago. The comb has several modes - with red light, blue light, and without light. I only use the red light (I don't know what the purpose of the blue is). I try to use it every evening, together with the curl smith scalp serum, for as long as possible, but sometimes only for 2 minutes when there is no time. You can simply move it on the scalp or leave it for a few seconds on each and every area (recommended for curly hair when hair is not wet).

At first when I started using it I felt that my scalp secreted more oil than usual, but after two weeks it stabilized and returned to normal.

Honestly,, because of the low price, I didn't have too many expectations for it, and I combined the serum with it, which I felt helped me a lot, but I do think that the comb gave a boost and helped the change I had with my hair in the last year. It also helps spread the serum throughout the scalp.

I originally ordered it from YesStyle and they stopped selling it there, but I found one that looked exactly like it on Aliexpress.

In my opinion, it's a really nice tool for the price, but if you want to try a more serious and scientifically proven device, it's worth checking out the company HairMax.

Articles about massage

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4740347/

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13555-019-0281-6