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 how do real users rate and describe the effects of iRestore?

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 feature real iRestore customer reviews.

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.

Real People Try iRestore

A popular health and beauty influencer and dermatologist named "Dr Dray" shared her experience after using iRestore for 18 months:

A YouTube creator named Dr. Tommy Martin reviewed iRestore after three months of use and included before-and-after images:

Where to Get the Best Price

iRestore is sold on the brand’s official website and on Amazon.

Here are the prices for a one-time purchase at the time of updating this article:

iRestore Essential

Brand website: $499 (free shipping, link)

Amazon: $499 (free shipping, third-party seller, link to Amazon listing)

iRestore Professional

Amazon: $979 (free shipping, third-party seller, link to Amazon listing)

Brand website: $899 (free shipping, link)

The brand's website currently has the best prices on iRestore.

We consider the Essential model to be the best value, because we haven't come across clinical research suggesting that more lasers equates to better hair regrowth results.

Customers Rate iRestore

Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.

iRestore Essential has been reviewed over 3,000 times on Amazon, and has an average rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars at the time of updating this article.

A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “SS" who gave the product a 5/5 rating:

“Update after 3 1/2 months: It's working! I got my hair cut. My hair stylist noticed immediately that I had more hair. I've been using the helmet for 3 1/2 months, and I didn't tell her until after she noticed the difference. ‘Amazing’, she said. She found new hairs just over an inch long.”

A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Joy” who gave the device a 1/5 rating:

“I was shocked and amazed. This product is only clinically approved for certain skin types. It has nothing to do with your hair. According to their manual, which you cannot see unless you actually purchase the product, if you have a skin type that doesn't burn in the sun, that gets darker in the sun, e.g. brown or black skin (their words not mine) then this product has not been clinically approved for you.”

iRestore currently has an average review rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Google.

Our Clean Hair Growth Picks

Happy Head Topical is our top premium hair growth solution.

This formulation uses FDA-approved hair loss ingredients like minoxidil which is clinically shown to increase hair count by 11%. 

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.

All of the products recommended in this section are entirely 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.

At the time of updating this article, the brand's website has the best prices and offers free shipping.