I have chronically dry hair that grows at a snail's pace. When it does get to my desired length, the ends split and I'm left needing to cut, essentially negating all of the new growth. My hair is also very thin and tends to tangle, resulting in breakage and large chunks that pull out when I brush. While I've mostly given up on my quest for Rapunzel-length hair, I do want to ensure that I'm doing what I can to cultivate a healthy scalp for new hair growth.
I previously tested the CurrentBody LED Hair Growth Helmet, a large, Bluetooth-enabled helmet that uses infrared LED lights to spur hair growth and promote scalp health when used consistently for 12 weeks. Rather than a large red-light wearable (like a red-light therapy mask), the Laduora Duo 4-in-1 Red Light Therapy Scalp and Hair Care Device utilizes the more familiar style of a hairbrush, and uses not only red-light therapy to support hair growth but also incorporates microcurrents, sonic vibration, warmth, and a serum.
So, did all of these extras actually give me longer, thicker hair worthy of a Danielle Steel book cover? Not exactly. I didn't notice my hair growing longer, but I did see baby hairs sprout on my hairline, and the pod serums helped smooth flyaways.
The Laduora Duo aims to support stronger, thicker hair in multiple ways: red-light therapy at 660 nanometers, microcurrents at 330 to 400 microamperes, sonic vibration, warmth, and a serum. Laduora claims you'll see results in as few as four weeks by using the device for five minutes daily, though as you get used to it, you can use it for up to 30 minutes daily.
The device looks just like a high-tech brush. It plugs in via a USB cable and takes about four hours to fully charge, then lasts for 60 minutes on a single charge (about 12 individual five-minute sessions). The brush has just one button to turn it on and off, and with the button, you also toggle through the three modes: Gentle, Balance, and Boost. There isn't a ton of information about the different settings, but each one increased the overall intensity of the vibrations, which are felt through the small, rounded metal nib bristles that vibrate the scalp in short, buzzy intervals. These bristles are short, hard, and don't move, so be careful because they can get stuck in tangled hair (more on that below). After the five-minute session, the device automatically turns off.
Make sure your hair is (mostly) clean for best results; you can use the device on dry or damp hair. Ensure the brush teeth are all touching your scalp, then you’ll brush front to back and side to side, or in circular motions, to cover the entire area of your scalp. The brush has a center hole where you insert the serum pod, which releases through the brush tips to enhance the desired results. The Boost serum (which came with my test unit) aims to combat thinning and shedding; Balance restores the scalp's natural pH with rose, raspberry seed, argan, and castor oils; and Awaken offers soothing, cooling relief for irritation with a blend of peppermint, tea tree oil, and aloe extract.
Whichever formula you choose, each pod costs $30 for a two-pack and lasts for about nine sessions, meaning you'll need to buy them about every two to three weeks if you use the pods daily. You can only buy replacement pods through Laduora’s website. The device is usable without the pods, but the treatment will no longer have the serum benefits. My hair looked noticeably shinier with fewer flyaways when using the serum, but it did make my hair a little greasier-looking afterward (despite Laduora's claims that it won't).
While on, the brush device heats up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit to increase blood flow and allow the pod ingredients to absorb deeper into the scalp, follicle, and hair shaft. However, the effect I felt most physically was the vibration. The vibrating teeth are akin to a quasi-scalp massage, which helps to reduce tension and promote blood flow. I felt the tingly sensation you get when someone plays with your hair or lightly scratches your scalp with their fingers. The microcurrents work with the warmth to promote hair growth by boosting blood circulation and stimulating follicles. It was hard for me to differentiate between the microcurrents and vibrations, as the microcurrents also produce a low vibration that felt similar.
All of this is happening in tandem with the red light therapy, which uses 30 medical-grade LEDs at a 660 nanometer wavelength (nm) to revitalize follicles. According to the American Hair Loss Association, wavelengths in the range of 630 to 680 nanometers are ideal for increasing blood flow to the scalp, boosting cellular activity, and helping reduce inflammation. This wavelength penetrates deeply, reaching through the epidermis and dermis to the hypodermis, where it stimulates growth and repair at the follicle root. All of these elements work together to stimulate the scalp and increase blood flow, promoting more hair growth.
Clinical studies suggest red-light therapy alone can help energize hair follicles, increase blood circulation in the scalp, and reduce inflammation. Plus, as seen in fruit fly studies, red-light therapy supports adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, which could increase oxygen and blood flow to the scalp and encourage follicles to remain in the hair-growth phase.
Brushing my hair with the device for five minutes daily was easy to include in my beauty ritual and felt like less of a chore than donning a huge astronaut-helmetlike device for 10 minutes. I loved the warmth and the tingly sensations I felt from the vibration. However, because the bristles aren't flexible, my thin, easily tangled hair was often ripped off if I wasn't careful to do a pre-brush using a Wet Brush with flexible teeth before beginning a session with the therapeutic device. This isn't recommended by the manufacturer, but I learned through trial and error with my ultra-fine, tangle-prone hair that it was necessary to get a truly relaxing, pain-free session.
Like all the red light therapy devices I’ve used, you really do need to use it consistently (ideally daily) to see and maintain results. As with the previous red light device I tested, I didn’t see a dramatic improvement in hair length. However, I could definitely feel an improvement in my scalp—it just felt cleaner, with less buildup, dandruff, and itchiness, and the serum made my hair shinier and smoother after just one use (and every subsequent use after, until the pod ran out in a little over a week). Like I said, I loved the short-term results of the serum, but it made my hair a little oily at the root. Once the pods had run out, I used the device without and didn't see the same smoothing effects on my flyaways.
After each session, my scalp felt revitalized and invigorated, like I just had someone give me a massage with their fingers. The hard metal bristles helped reduce scalp buildup and stimulate the follicles on my scalp that I don’t normally give as much attention to (when not using the device). Within about six weeks, I saw baby hairs sprouting at the crown of my head and noticed more fullness near my temples when my hair was combed back or put in an updo.
Even when I used the device without the serum pods, I still felt a tingling sensation of increased blood flow throughout my scalp each session, although my hair wasn’t as shiny and full-looking without the serum. I didn't have any noticeable hair growth in the length of my hair—it continued to grow at the slow turtle's pace. But overall, my scalp felt healthier. If you’ve been curious about red-light therapy for hair and like the idea of a targeted treatment plan for specific issues like scalp health or breakage with the pods (or just really love scalp massages), this brush is a more affordable option than traditional devices.
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Source: Wired
