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Capillus Laser Caps

Capillus Laser Caps

Overall Rating

1.6

5 Customer Reviews

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Summary

Capillus is a cap equipped with lasers to give your scalp the benefits of low-light laser therapy to prevent and reverse hair loss for men and women.

Pros

  • Clinical studies show evidence LLLT technology works to combat hair loss
  • Simple to use, unobtrusive design
  • Company is responsive to help requests

Cons

  • Mixed customer reviews on effectiveness
  • The company charges a 25% restock fee on all returns
  • Customer reviews show the hat breaks often
  • Products cost between $1,000–$3,000

Capillus Laser Caps Review: Does It Work for Hair Loss?

By Lydia Noyes

Updated on: Dec 18, 2019

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Over 50% of men and more than 30 million women experience some level of hair loss before age 50. Though not uncommon, losing hair can have a significant psychological effect on the sufferer, and hair loss treatment products have become a popular if somewhat unscrupulous industry.

Capillus claims to counter the effects of hair loss with an FDA-approved device that looks like a baseball cap outfitted with laser diodes. If you use it consistently, the company promises you will experience less hair loss and restored growth and thickness in places where your hair is thinning.

Will these caps work as promised to restore your hair? Our research below will help you make an informed decision.

What Is a Capillus Laser Cap?

Capillus sells hair regrowth baseball caps outfitted with lasers. If you wear this hat daily, the company claims that it will stimulate and energize the cells within your hair follicles. This can reverse hair loss and encourage thicker, healthier hair.

This Miami-based company began in 2012. Today, it manufactures a variety of surgical and non-surgical medical devices designed to combat hair loss. In this article, we will focus on their hair loss caps.

The cap promises that photobiomodulation through low-light laser therapy is the key to these results and that the device is a safe, effective way to restore your hair. You are meant to wear the cap for six minutes a day (it comes with an auto-shutoff feature) for as long as you want to maintain your results.

The company states that results vary between individuals, but you can expect your results to follow this general timeframe:

  • 0–3 Months: You may notice an increase of shedding, which is a sign that the treatment is working, and your scalp is making room for new hairs.
  • 3–6 Months: Shedding should slow down, and hair might appear slightly fuller
  • 12 Months: Your results may start being noticeable, especially if you took before and after pictures
  • 24 Months+: You’ll see the full impact by now, and should maintain the results for as long as you continue the treatment.

Do Laser Caps Work for Hair Loss?

Since the technique was invented in the 1960s, LLLT (low-level laser treatment) has been used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including chronic pain, ulcers, headaches, and male and female pattern hair loss.

The technique was first approved for hair loss treatment by the FDA in 2007 in the form of a laser comb. Today, Capillus claims its laser hats are an easier, more effective method for experiencing the benefits of LLLT for hair loss.

As stated above, Capillus hats purportedly utilize low-level laser therapy to trigger the biological effects of photobiomodulation. This is the process of stimulating and energizing cells in the hair follicle to stimulate hair growth and prevent your hair from falling out.

Capillus suggests that wearing its caps for six minutes a day will improve cellular respiration in your hair follicles, which in turn promotes a healthy growth cycle by increasing oxygen availability and nutrient delivery.

This, in turn, leads to thicker, more durable hair shafts, and stimulated sebaceous glands that promote silkier hair.

Do these claims hold true? Here’s what the research says.

  • A double-blind, clinical study of the Capillus272 Pro device indicated that 17 weeks of treatment with the device improved hair counts by 51% more than participants who used a placebo. It was found to be a safe, effective treatment for androgenic alopecia and other forms of hair loss.

  • A 24-week study published in Lasers of Medical Science in 2019 found that wearing laser helmets (similar to Capillus) was found to be an effective treatment against hair loss in 36 men and women, as it led to an increase of hair density and diameter compared to a placebo group.

  • 2013 research published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine found that LLLT at 655nm—the same level used in Capillus caps—for 16 weeks led to statistically significant improvements in hair counts and density in men with alopecia.

  • A 2014 meta-analysis in Lasers Surgery Medical of studies on hair loss and LLLT found that the practice appears “both safe and effective,” though parameters still need to be determined.

These studies look promising, but it’s important to note that they are small—often involving fewer than forty people. Likewise, “statistically significant” improvements to hair growth might still be too subtle for most people to notice or appreciate.

More robust research is needed to prove the effectiveness of this technique for hair growth, especially regarding how study participants felt about the improvements for themselves

Does Capillus Cure Baldness?

While Capillus is branded as a hair regrowth product, it’s important to note that the company doesn’t claim it can cure baldness. Instead, this laser therapy hat is meant to restore the health of existing hair follicles, including thin or dying ones.

In other words, Capillus won’t regrow your hair where it doesn’t already exist and consequently won’t affect places on your head that are already bald. For this reason, the company recommends its devices for the earliest stages of hair loss so you can prevent it from further developing.

This device isn’t suited for all types of hair loss, and it shouldn’t be your only strategy to combat it.

“As there are many types of hair loss, I would recommend a patient be evaluated by a dermatologist specializing in hair loss, prior to starting [treatment with Capillus laser hats],” says Dr. Juliya Fisher, a board-certified dermatologist who practices at JUVA Skin and Laser Center in midtown Manhattan.

Mac Fadra, the CEO of the international hair loss clinic Maxim Hair Restoration and a personal user of laser caps similar to Capillus, agrees that these caps should be considered as one out of many options for combating hair loss.

As he explained to us, “laser hair therapy can be a useful ancillary hair loss treatment if and when combined with other modalities such as minoxidil, finasteride, hair transplants, and other treatments. "

Are Capillus Laser Caps Safe?

According to the company website, all Capillus laser technology operates at 650 nm, which is considered a safe level that won’t damage skin cells. You might irritate your eyes if you overexpose them to the lights, but using the cap as designed shouldn’t lead to problems.

You can expect to feel some mild warmth when you use the device, but it shouldn’t burn your skin or harm you in any other way.

Capillus Laser Cap Models and Cost

At publication, Capillus offered three hats at different strengths and price points:

CapillusUltra CapillusPlus CapillusPro
Price Per month (If choosing the payment plan) $28/month $56/month $84/month
Full Price $999 $1,999 $2,999
Strength 410 mW 1010 mW 1360 mW

The primary difference between each hat is its total megawatt output. At 1360mW, CapillusPro delivers more than three times the output of the 410mW Capillus Ultra. The idea is that more lasers in the hat lead to more surface area coverage of your scalp and better hair growth results.

We reached out to Capillus customer service to learn more about the difference between these models. They responded that the difference in wattage between them affects the distance between the diodes within the dome.

While the lower-cost version will leave spots on your scalp that aren’t treated, the higher-end model covers more surface area.

All three have only been approved by the FDA for six minutes of daily use, so it’s not recommended that you wear a lower wattage hat for a longer time to try to mimic the effects of a higher wattage model.

A 12-month satisfaction guarantee covers all Capillus laser devices. This means that they can be returned up to 12 months after purchase, though your refund will be deducted a 25% restocking fee. Only fully functional like-new lasers qualify for this guarantee.

The company will repair or replace any defective caps at no charge at any time. You can contact customer service from 8:30 am to 7 pm EST Monday-Friday at (844) 280-4680 or request a Return Material Authorization at (786) 888-6249.

At Costco, Capillus hats range from $1,699 to $2,299 for the Plus and Pro models. These orders also include a four-piece set of hair-care products from Capillus, including the brand’s shampoo, conditioner, revitalizer, and activator.

Any purchases made through Costco can be returned within 90 days for a full refund, including shipping costs. Capillus’s restocking policy doesn’t seem to apply to Costco’s orders.

Capillus Laser Cap

Buy Capillus Laser Cap from Amazon:

Capillus sells two of its models on Amazon: CapillusUltra ($799) and CapillusPlus ($1,799). Shipping on both models is free.

$799 (CapillusUltra)

$1,799 (CapillusPlus)

Analysis of Customer Reviews

At publication, there were about 30 reviews of Capillus on Amazon, and together they average just over three stars. Trustpilot has more than 300 reviews and the product averages four stars on that platform.

Here’s a summary of some of the key points they make:

Excellent Customer Service

Numerous reviewers reference how helpful Capillus customer service was for them. Many wrote that the company addressed problems with broken caps quickly and repaired them at no additional cost- even when the warranty had expired.

These customers wrote that it took two weeks or less for them to ship their caps to Capillus and then receive them back in like-new condition.

Experienced Real Results

Some reviewers wrote that they noticed real changes in their hair after using Capillus. They noted that they saw more hair growth in thinning areas, especially around the temples, after three months of daily use and that the changes seemed to be relatively permanent.

No Noticeable Difference

A large percentage of reviewers wrote that Capillus made little, if any, difference in their hair. Some wrote that they used the cap daily for over a year and didn’t see any more hair growth than they had before.

Others took issue with the cap’s sizing, saying that it was too small for their head. This meant that they couldn’t wear it close enough to their scalp for the lasers to be effective.

Didn’t Like the Company’s Return Policy

Some users took issue with Capillus’ return policy. They stated that the company wasn’t transparent about the 25% restocking fee, which wound up cost users more than $250 each.

Others wrote that they believed they received other people’s returned caps for their order, which they resented from a sanitary perspective.

Hat Stopped Working Too Soon

Some customers complained that the Capillus hats seemed cheap and stopped working soon after they received them. Even though the company was quick to fix the problem, they resented not being able to use the hat for several days while it was getting repaired.

Others wrote that their hat arrived defective in the first place and that they had to return it immediately after delivery.

Key Takeaways

Many Capillus users are happy with this product and claim it’s helping them regrow their hair. Others didn’t notice much difference or thought that the hat was too expensive for the effects.

Quality seems to be a concern, as a significant portion of reviewers noted the product broke and that it was inconvenient waiting for Capillus to fix it.

Capillus Laser Cap vs. HairMax, iRestore, and Theradome

It’s not easy to know how to choose between different LLLT devices for hair growth. Is paying more always better? This chart compares three competitors to Capillus.

Capillus HairMax iRestore Theradome
Cost $999–$2999 $199–$1,999 $695–$1195 $595–$895
Device Style Baseball cap outfitted with laser diodes Hair combs, headbands, and a baseball cap equipped with lasers Hair helmets outfitted with medical-grade lasers Hard-sided hair helmets
Strength 410–1360 mW 9 medical-grade lasers, 1360mW 51 to 282 medical-grade lasers and LEDs 80 lasers
Average Rating 3.1–3.5 3.4–4.4 3.9 3.5
Return Policy One year guarantee, minus 25% restocking fee Six-month guarantee, minus 20% restocking fee and return shipping fees One year money-back guarantee, company pays full refund including return shipping fees Six-month money-back guarantee, minus shipping costs

At first glance, all four companies seem to be offering similar devices. Each average about 3.5 stars from Amazon reviewers, with some people being thrilled with how their hair looks while others found it to be an expensive failed experiment.

Capillus offers the most expensive LLLT devices, but the company also earns the lowest average rating. The CapillusPro costs $1,000 more than the HairMax Laser 272 PowerFlex Cap, even though they both offer 1,260 mW.

Both companies offer similar return policies, though you will only pay a 20% restocking fee for the HairMax.

HairMax also sells a range of less expensive hair growth brushes and headbands. These might be good options for anyone interested in the potential of laser hair growth that doesn’t want to pay for a full helmet.

However, these devices (and the ones sold by iRestore and Theradome) measure their output by the number of medical-grade lasers they contain. The scientific research on LLLT was focused on total watts, not the number of lasers, so it’s harder to know whether these devices are powerful enough to produce significant results.

Key Takeaways:
Capillus is on the more expensive end for a laser therapy cap, but customer reviews and a high restocking fee show that it might not be the best option. You may want to consider a less expensive option from another brand.

The Bottom Line: Is Capillus Worth It?

The Capillus Laser Cap utilizes low-level laser therapy, an FDA-approved technology for combating hair loss, in a simple-to-use form that allows you to give yourself daily treatments at home.

Though some clinical evidence shows that LLLT technology can improve hair strength and thickness, it won’t regrow hair in places where you have already lost it. This makes it a better preventative strategy than a way to reverse hair loss altogether.

This laser cap costs between $1,000 and $3,000 and customer reviews show that many users don’t believe it was worth the price for the benefits they experienced.

Keep in mind that you will need to use the cap daily for up to two years before you might see a noticeable difference in your hair.

For these reasons, we think that Capillus won’t act as a cure-all solution for hair loss, but that it might be a viable preventative strategy for some.

If you can afford it, are willing to commit to using it daily, and understand that you may need to seek out additional strategies with a hair loss expert, then this product might be worth it.

Customer Reviews

1.6 Stars out of 5 Reviews
5 Star:0% 4 Star:20% 3 Star:0% 2 Star:0% 1 Star:80%
20% Recommend This Product
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Posted on Mar 31, 2019

Piece of junk

By Dean T., Arizona, Verified Reviewer

I had some hair transplant work and after a while the new hair started to fall out. My dermatologist prescribed some medications and suggested I try the Capillus Laser Cap. I bought the $2,000 model 202 direct from Capillus. There's a power pack with a cable that you attach to the hat while wearing it. After about three months the cable started coming out of the power pack, but the laser lights still worked. Around two years the laser lights stopped working. I figured the wires to the power pack had completely come loose, so I bought another power pack from Capillus for $60. When I received the new power pack the hat still didn't work. It wasn't the power pack that was the problem; it was the hat. I sent the hat back in for repair at a postal shipping/insurance cost of $170 (Capillus doesn't pay the shipping cost). The hat was repaired and returned to me. After less than a year it stopped working again. I sent it back in to be repaired, for another $170 shipping cost. I'm now into this cap an additional $400 and it still doesn't work.

I get an email several weeks later asking me to call them. They said it would cost me another $275 to have it repaired. Since it had just been repaired the previous year, I went ballistic. I told them if they don't repair it at their cost to keep the cap because I wasn't paying another cent to have it fixed. That was the end of the conversation. Several weeks later the cap was delivered to my house and I thought, great, they realized that it would be unreasonable to charge me again, so they fixed it at their cost. So, I went to plug it in to try it out and the plug on the end of the cord that comes out of the hat didn't fit my old power pack so I couldn't use it. I called them and they said they hadn't fixed the cap because I wouldn't pay the $275 but that they'd send me a new power pack. I said, why the heck would I want a new power pack for a hat that doesn't work? They sent it anyway, and I promptly threw the hat and the power packs in the trash.

The hat certainly doesn't stop or regrow hair. My hair continued to fall out while wearing the cap for the short period of time that it worked but there's no way to know if it slowed the loss or not.

Buyer beware...the quality of this cap is junk.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Helpful Review? 376 People Have Voted

Posted on Sep 17, 2019

Deceptive and concealing

By Dave N., Virginia, Verified Reviewer

While Capillus does in the fine print, if you look for it, tell you that there is a 25% restocking fee.

When you return the product for the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee!

If they were obvious about that huge RESTOCKING fee that supposedly means you get "All Your Money Back" which they do say out loud during their ads.

But the reality is you do have to RISK 25% of your purchase price plus return shipping costs.

Oh and if you are a new customer you may just end up with one of these USED and Restocked devices...

What does an independent review of low-level laser therapy for hair growth or to slow/stop hair loss? According to WebMD:

"You may have heard that laser combs, brushes, hoods, and caps can help halt hair loss. The theory is that when hair follicles absorb laser light at a certain level, it stimulates hair to grow. But there’s not enough evidence that any of these devices restore hair or prevent balding."

Capillus is clearly NOT 100% confident in their product since when it doesn't work for you you'll only get back 75% of your purchase price. The cheapest of their caps is about $1000.00.

Once you have returned the product, they will restock it and resell it to the next person that didn't see the small print and instead believed their 12-month 100% satisfaction guarantee...nothing to lose, no risk GUARANTEE?!

Personally, if you want to take a risk just realize that if this company really knew their product was effective why would they need to RESTOCKING FEE? I doubt these products cost the 1/10 of what they sell them for and probably a lot less.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Helpful Review? 152 People Have Voted

Posted on Jul 3, 2020

Total waste of time

By James D., Florida, Verified Reviewer

This thing does not work, plain and simple.

Don't waste your money. It is a scam, rip off. They want to keep 25% of the price. DO NOT BUY.

Length of Use: 3–6 months

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

No “pros” were specified in this review

Total rip off

Does not work

Scam

Helpful Review? 12 People Have Voted

Posted on Jun 5, 2022

Do not buy!

By J D., California, Verified Reviewer

Used this diligently as directed daily for over a year. Saw ZERO improvement. May have actually made hair loss worse. Not only do you look ridiculous using it, but it doesn't work. The company does not stand by its product. A $3000 mistake. Terrible customer service and refund policy. Look elsewhere.

I am posting this review everywhere I can. The company should have issued a refund but they are so short-sided. They will lose countless orders due to bad reviews.

I will take it up with my credit card company, as well.

Length of Use: 1–2 years

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Being hopeful it would work

Didn't work

Terrible refund policy

Bad customer service

Helpful Review? 2 People Have Voted

Posted on Apr 17, 2023

Pretty good, you need to be patient

By Bryan F. , New York City, NY

I started LLLT on the advice of my dermatologist. He first suggested Minoxidil, but I really didn't like the greasiness and itching I experienced. I was also looking for a solution that didn't require continual purchases. My only two options were LLLT or a hair transplant (plasma therapy requires expensive maintenance treatments). I chose LLLT since it was the cheaper (and quicker) option.

Before spending so much money, I looked up the relevant research in actual medical journals (using PubMed). Apparently, LLLT for hair loss was a real thing and most studies show positive results. NBC Dateline also had an episode comparing 4 treatments for hair loss and the laser comb proved effective (you can find the video on YouTube). Since a comb was the cheapest option, I started with that. After two weeks, I have up. With only 9 lasers, the coverage was awesome and the combing was tiring. I sold the comb and upgraded to a helmet with 40 lasers (I think) and LEDs. Finally, no combing. But when I told my doctor about the purchase, he told me that LEDs were a scam. Shining red LEDs on the scalp won't do anything. They're put there mostly to fool people to think that they're lasers. And that's what you'll see on many cheap generic Chinese "laser" caps on eBay. So I sold that too. As an aside, even the respectable iRestore cap is a laser/LED hybrid so I avoided that.

I next got a HairMax Laserband 41. It uses real lasers, so I finally get to start a real LLLT treatment. To save money, the Laserband has a 1" strip of 42 lasers that you have to shift over your head 6x repeatedly for full head coverage. That seemed logical, but I got tired of that and upgraded to the Laserband 82. With twice as many lasers, you only have to shift it 3x repeatedly. Unfortunately, it fell off my head and broke (I've heard that the new Flex models grab tighter to the head).

Since I didn't want to interrupt my treatment, I finally decided to invest in a real full coverage cap. I started with a Capillus 82, given to me as a gift. It's been about 3 months after starting LLLT (with the Laserband 41) and there were definitely changes. I was actually LOSING more hair! But this is described in the Capillus manual as new hair pushing dead hair out of the follicles. I confirmed this with my doctor, who said that people using Minoxidil experience the same thing. So the temporary accelerated hair loss is a good thing.

After two more months, I decided to give the 82 away and splurge on the Plus 202 laser model. By now, I've had about 6 months of treatment. I wanted objective opinions so I showed a Before and 6 Month photos to 10 people to see if they notice a difference on my crown. I let them randomly pick the photos out of a bag (because many people are biased into thinking a photo on the left is Before). I then asked them which was Before and which was 6 Months. 8 out 10 saw a difference and labeled the photos correctly. The results were not dramatic but there was definitely more hair after 6 months.

A coworker who saw the photos was so intrigued that he bought the 202 from me and I upgraded to the 272 Pro (I also tried the Rx model with 312 lasers but decided I couldn't afford it). It's been about a year and I've been satisfied. I will never get back my full head of hair but with some creative combing, most of the bald spot can now be covered. In the past, only a hat could do that.

I don't know if I've reached my maximum growth. Research claims that some people need 1–2 years for maximum results. But I'm satisfied enough that as long I can keep these results, I'll keep going. Wearing a cap 6 mins a day while I watch TV takes no effort.

As an aside, I've emailed Capillus several questions and they've always replied informatively — even though it may take over a week.

Some thoughts:

1) Too many are complaining about the lack of results after only 3–4 months. Guys, you need to do some research on the growth cycle of hair. Go ask a dermatologist. I would say wait 6 months before you complain. And make sure to take photos monthly so that you can compare. Use the macro lens if possible so that you can look for fine "peach fuzz." And do the same test I did you get objective opinions. Don't rely on your own eyes because you're biased by expectation.

Also, keep in mind, that for some, LLLT may not regrow hair — but just stopping the hair loss is a victory. That's what I learned researching Minoxidil. And that's all Finasteride does. It stops hair loss but not regrow hair. That's why Finasteride and Minoxidil are often used together. Similarly, some people use LLLT along with medication

2) If you don't get any results after 6–12 months, then you may be one of the unlucky ones where LLLT doesn't work. As mentioned above, see if your hair loss has slowed before admitting defeat. If it has indeed failed, that's expected with any medical therapy. Even hair transplants aren't 100% effective. You can't blame the therapy as a scam just because it doesn't work for you. Look at the medical literature. If the research says it works and you don't see results, then the problem is you, not the therapy. Seriously, search for LLLT on PubMed and see what's published in actual peer-reviewed journals. This is why I laughed when I read about the lawsuit against Capillus. You can't sue them when the device is based on sound research AND they never claim that it's 100% for everyone. You may just be biologically unlucky. That's why they offer a guarantee.

3) The restocking fee. I hate them, which is why I never buy anything from any place that has them. However, Capillus is not being unreasonable. Because this is a medical device that must be used for months, it can't be resold as is. Unlike an Xbox, for example, the Capillus must be sanitized and possibly rebuilt. They may even replace the latex lining. This is why Hairmax also charges a restocking fee (they charge less because it's MUCH easier to refurbish, e.g. the comb comes off). It's the same reason some stores won't let you return underwear and swimwear. The restocking fee is charged for the cost of refurbishing and repackaging the unit. You see many As-Seen-on-TV products use a similar tactic: "Only $14.95 to try the UltraOven!" That $14.95 is a prepaid restocking fee in case you decide to return the product.

In short, a restocking fee is justified as long as it's clearly stated on the site. It's ALWAYS up to the consumer to find out the return policy before buying anything, anywhere. If 25% is too much for you, then go elsewhere.

3) Yes, medical laser devices are expensive but when you consider that medical laser diodes are $10-$500 EACH (according to a Google search), it's somewhat justifiable. That means the 272 Pro has at least $2720 worth of lasers at retail prices.

But do what I did: Buy a used model off eBay. You'll only get a 30-day guarantee for defective products but that's enough to detect any problems. And if it doesn't work after 6–12 months, just resell it. You won't get the money-back guarantee or lifetime support from buying direct, but you'll save a helluva lot of money. The 272 Pro is often seen for only $1000 or so. And again, if it doesn't work, just resell it to the next sucker. Just kidding...LOL

Length of Use: 6–12 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Convenience

Ease of use

Cost

Helpful Review? 1 Person Has Voted
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