iRestore is a hair growth system that uses red light lasers on the inside of a helmet to stimulate hair regrowth. The brand claims that their system is “clinically proven” and is “the most trusted laser device brand.”

But is red light therapy proven in medical studies to cause hair regrowth? Has the iRestore device been tested? Are there any risks or side effects associated with this type of therapy? And is iRestore better or worse than other hair loss devices like Capillus?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we review clinical studies on red light therapy to give our take on whether or not it’s likely to be effective for regrowing hair.

We’ll also explain whether the iRestore device is proven to work, discuss the risk of side effects, and compare iRestore to other popular hair loss brands to pick our winners.

Key takeaways:

• Red light therapy is clinically proven to regrow hair
• iRestore uses red light at research-backed wavelength
• We currently recommend iRestore

Can Red Lights Regrow Hair?

Red light therapy, which uses red wavelengths of light for health and cosmetic benefits, has been studied in clinical trials.

A 2013 clinical trial tested the effects of red light therapy in men with pattern baldness.

The treatment “significantly improved” hair counts by 61% after 16 weeks of treatment.

Red light therapy has also been clinically shown to be effective in women.

As we documented in our Capillus reviews article on another red light therapy device, a follow-up trial to the previously cited trial reported similar results: women experienced significant hair count increases.

A medical review published in the Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology journal analyzed data on red light therapy for hair loss and suggested it may be more effective in women than men, because women have lower levels of a hormone called DHT which has inflammatory effects on hair follicles.

Overall, we consider red light therapy to be potentially effective for hair regrowth. The studies are early-stage, but are promising. 

Is iRestore Clinically Proven to Work?

Whether or not any specific red light therapy device is likely to work depends on a few factors: if it’s been studied and proven to work in clinical research, if it uses an appropriate red light wavelength and if it uses an appropriate power value.

We can’t find any evidence that iRestore has been clinically proven to work.

We can’t locate any clinical studies on the device. This makes their “clinically proven” claim on the brand’s homepage questionable in our opinion.

Just because the underlying technology is clinically shown to work, it does not necessarily follow that iRestore will work.

The good news is that the iRestore device uses a red light wavelength that appears effective.

The wavelength used in iRestore helmets is 650 nanometers (nm). The effective wavelength range based on the clinical trials cited in the previous section appears to be around 620 nm to 700 nm, so iRestore falls right within this range.

The total power output of iRestore Professional is 1,410 milliwats (mW) and the device has 282 lasers, which equals a power level of 5 mW per laser.

A medical review published in the Lasers in Medical Science journal on red light for hair loss concluded that “low-level light...at low powers of 5 mW, can enhance hair growth.”

Based on the technical specs of iRestore, we consider the device likely to be effective for hair regrowth, even though it doesn't appear to be clinically tested.

iRestore vs. Popular Hair Growth Brands

Here's how iRestore compares to other popular hair growth brands in terms of potential effectiveness and safety, in our opinion:

Capillus

A direct competitor to Capillus, iRestore doesn't make the same questionable clinical claims, and has clearer technical specs.

Winner: iRestore

Spartan Shampoo

Shampoo brand marketed to men that claims to support hair regrowth.

Contains research-backed active ingredients, but also contains an inactive ingredient clinically shown to be toxic to humans, as we documented in our Spartan Shampoo review article.

Winner: iRestore

ScalpMED

Unclear active ingredient doses, questionable clinical claims, missing ingredient lists for some products.

Winner: iRestore

Our Clean Hair Growth Picks

Ritual HyaCera is our top hair growth supplement.

This supplement contains wheat oil extract, and a 2024 clinical trial reported that a wheat lipid complex had "a reducing effect on hair shedding and a stimulating effect on hair reappearance and growth."

MBG Omega-3 Potency+ is our top hair thickness pick.

Supplementation with omega-3 fats and antioxidants is clinically shown to improve hair density, and MBG's supplement contains both.

Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.

iRestore Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of iRestore in our opinion:

Pros:

• Backed by legitimate technology
• May regrow hair
• Unlikely to cause side effects
• Positive Google reviews
• Mostly positive Amazon reviews
• Free shipping from brand's website

Cons:

• Expensive
• Can’t find clinical studies on iRestore device
• May not be as effective in darker skin tones

Conclusion

The potential benefits of red light therapy for hair loss are promising.

This type of therapy may allow consumers to regrow hair without the hormonal side effects of traditional pharmaceutical hair loss treatments.

We consider iRestore likely to be effective for hair regrowth because it’s built with technical specs similar to devices used in existing clinical research.

Specifically, iRestore uses lasers with a wavelength of 650 nm and 5 mW power, and both of those specs are within the effective range.

We can’t find any clinical studies proving the iRestore device regrows hair, but we also haven’t found any studies proving any other commercial red light therapy device for hair to be effective.

We consider iRestore to be a better option to ScalpMED and Spartan Shampoo for hair loss, but a worse option than Capillus (mostly due to brand quality and not potential efficacy).