Hair Ye, Hair Ye: Theradome’s Helmet Stimulates Hair Growth

I was going to buy a book about hair loss, but the pages kept falling out. ~ Jay London

Did you know that approximately one and one half billion people across the globe are bald or have some form of hair loss? In the United States alone, about 80 million people suffer from hair loss, including 40 million women. Hope and success wait in the wings with the application of  Theradome's unque  hair restoration process, which is available at a fraction of the price of traditional therapies and comes with clearance by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

Lady With Long hair: Source: express.co.uk

Who is Tamin Hamid and Theradome?

Reminiscent of an old television commercial that spoke of a hair club in which  its president was also a member, few people are more motivated to find a way to treat hair loss than those who themselves suffer from this condition. Such is the case with Tamin Hamid, founder and chief executive officer of Theradome and former NASA engineer whose many achievements include the construction of a speech-recognition system for the space shuttle.

Tamin Hamid: Source: dropbox.com

After seven years with NASA, Hamid relocated to Pleasanton, California, and found a satisfying niche within the bio-medical device market. After several successful projects focused on solving the problems of others, he directed his energies to one of his own: his growng baldness. His goal was to find a way to prevent his own imminent hair loss without using medication.

In his own words: 

"I had struggled with hair loss since I was thirty-two years old. I come from a family of physicians and I tried all the latest prescription drugs, but none of them worked for me. As a NASA scientist and with my doctoral work in bio-medical engineering, I knew there had to be a better solution. So I began working on a way to get rid of my medications and effectively regain my hair."

The scientifc connection between hair loss and laser use

While researching the problem, Hamid uncovered the laser-related work of Dr. Endre Mester, who back in the mid-1960s, was working on the connection between the growth of cancerous tumors in rats and high doses of radiation. Due to a miscalculation, the laser in question stimulated hair growth on the shaved side of the rat instead of developing a tumor. The record of his findings paved the way for further exploration into hair loss and restoration.

Theradome Lasers: Source: Pittsburghcbs.com

Over the years, research has indicated that laser light therapy  improves hair health, but cold laser therapy is much newer and up until now has only been available at specialty clinics.

How does the Theradome helmet work?

Theradome Headgear Parts: Source: Theradome.com

Hamid created Theradome over the course of three months back in 2008 while tinkering in his own garage. The light-weight plastic helmet transmits 80 lasers to the wearer's scalp. They are highly efficient and produce no heat, but they do allow the maximum amount of light to be delivered to the scalp area. This increases blood flow by stimulating mitochondria in the follicle cells, which in turn encourages hair growth by producing more protein. Twenty-minute sessions twice a week produce the best results, and according to company claims, reversal of the shrinking of the hair follicles occurs within the first 18 to 24 weeks of use. After regular applications for up to 50 weeks a healthier scalp is said to develop.

Theradome supporters, competitors and detractors

Woman wearing theradome helmet: Source: dailymail.co.uk

Theradome has its supporters and those who question its success. One early user of the special helmet, Ms. Ghazal Gill, had this to say about her experience:

"With my crazy beauty-pageant contestant lifestyle my hair had begun to fall out, which wasn't helping my career.I knew I had to do something about it and do it fast. I found it easy to use  the Theradome and I got astonishing results. My confidence is back, I have  a full head of  long hair and I don't need extensions."

Although Hamid claims that the laser helmet can be used in conjunction with other hair restoration treatments and after chemotherapy, Medical Director of the London Center of Tricology, Dr. Bessam Farjo, believes that lotions can be much more effective than lasers when it comes to stimulating blood flow in the scalp. He says:

"I do believe that laser technology has validty, but I'm skeptical of the specific claims made by Theradome...that this particular headgear has the ability to increase the hair shaft diameter by 200%. I have not seen any scientifc evidence to support this. It is great to see businesses putting resources into the development of this technology, but more scientific results are needed to back-up the huge claims that Theradome is making."

iGrow helmet: Source: hgspecialist.com

According to Hamid, Theradome has a number of competitors, including the iGrow and Oaze helmets.

Conclusion

Theradome helmet at work: Source: dailymail.co.uk

Selling for about $800, the Theradome helmet's uniqueness is the fact that it is the only wearable clinical-strength laser treatment approved by the FDA that people can use at home. The government initially cleared the product for use on women but is on the verge of approving it for men as well. 

Time will tell on its ultimate success.