The Science
Three chapters,
one honest read.
Start with what the standard medication does to the rest of you, then the laser literature, then how our formula is built. Read in order.
Science in Medication
Current medical
practice.
Almost every ad in your feed leads with finasteride or dutasteride. Do they work? Yes. At what cost? Dihydrotestosterone is a potent androgen and an active neurosteroid. Suppress it and you move more than a hairline.
Sexual and reproductive
- Decreased libido
- Suppressed androgenic drive lowers sex drive and spontaneous sexual thought.
- Erectile dysfunction
- DHT maintains smooth muscle integrity and vascular signaling; suppression can reduce nocturnal erections and rigidity.
- Ejaculatory issues
- Reduced fluid volume, delayed ejaculation, or loss of ejaculate force.
- Testicular changes
- Mild decrease in firmness, or temporary ache in the scrotum and epididymis.
Neurological and mental
- Brain fog and cognitive fatigue
- DHT metabolites support central nervous system function. Removing them can alter sharpness, recall speed, and focus.
- Mood disorders
- Higher incidence of depressive symptoms, anhedonia, elevated anxiety, and irritability.
- Sleep disruption
- Changes in deep and REM sleep architecture, with more night awakenings.
Physical and hormonal
- Gynecomastia
- Inhibiting DHT sends testosterone down the aromatase path to estrogen. The shifted ratio can leave breast tissue puffy, tender, or enlarged.
- Body composition
- Possible loss of muscle density and power output, with more visceral fat around the abdomen.
- Facial and body hair
- Low DHT protects the scalp, and it also slows growth speed and density in beard, chest, and body hair.
- Prostate volume
- Gland shrinkage, used therapeutically for BPH, can alter urinary force and dynamics.
Persistent symptoms
- Post-5-ARI Syndrome (PFS)
- In a small share of sensitive individuals, sexual, endocrine, and cognitive effects linger long after stopping the DHT-blocking agent.
Encore contains no finasteride or dutasteride in any form, oral or topical. Talk with your physician before starting any treatment.
Science in Laser Light Therapy
Real regrowth.
No hormonal trade-off.
Randomized, sham-controlled trials show low-level laser therapy significantly increases hair count and density in men and women, without touching your hormones. No drop in libido. No loss of muscle. No brain fog. No hormonal side effects.
Key published clinical studies
- Male regrowth trial
- A double-blind randomized trial in 44 men with androgenetic alopecia, using a 655 nm helmet every other day for 16 weeks. The treated group gained 35% more hair than the sham group (p = 0.003); the unadjusted analysis showed 39% (p = 0.001). No side effects were reported. Lanzafame et al., Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 2013. View study
- Female regrowth trial
- The same device and protocol in 47 women produced 37% more hair growth than the sham device (p < 0.001), with no side effects reported. Lanzafame et al., Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 2014. View study
- 24-week helmet trial
- A 24-week double-blind trial of a 655 nm home-use laser helmet in 40 men and women found significantly greater hair density (p = 0.002) and hair thickness (p = 0.009) than a sham helmet. Side effects were limited to temporary shedding and scalp itching. Suchonwanit et al., Lasers in Medical Science, 2019. View study
- Harvard review
- A review from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School concluded that LLLT appears safe and effective for hair growth in men and women. The proposed mechanism: red light energizes the follicle's mitochondria and shifts resting follicles back into the growth phase. Avci et al., Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 2014. View study
- Meta-analysis
- An analysis of 11 double-blind randomized trials found LLLT significantly increased hair density versus sham devices, in both men and women, with both comb and helmet devices. Liu et al., Lasers in Medical Science, 2019. View study
The landmark 655 nm trials used a device combining lasers and LEDs. Encore goes all-laser so every source runs in that tight 655 nm band.
How the literature compares
| Feature | LLLT (Laser Hats/Caps) | Finasteride (Oral 1mg) | Dutasteride (Oral 0.5mg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Mechanism | Mitochondrial ATP surge, cellular stimulation (Photobiomodulation). | Selectively blocks Type II 5-AR (lowers DHT ~70%). | Blocks Type I & II 5-AR (lowers DHT >90%). |
| Hair Density Gains | Significant gains vs. sham in multiple randomized trials. | Significant gains vs. placebo. | Significant gains vs. placebo. |
| DHT Suppression | None (completely non-hormonal). | Moderate to High systemic DHT reduction. | Extreme systemic DHT suppression. |
| Systemic Side Effects | No hormonal side effects. Temporary shedding or scalp itch reported in some trials. | Libido loss, ED, ejaculation changes, brain fog, gynecomastia. | Sexual dysfunction, mood changes, long drug half-life. |
| If You Stop | Gains gradually fade. | Gains gradually fade. | Gains gradually fade. |
Feature: Primary Mechanism
LLLT (Laser Hats/Caps)
Mitochondrial ATP surge, cellular stimulation (Photobiomodulation).
Finasteride (Oral 1mg)
Selectively blocks Type II 5-AR (lowers DHT ~70%).
Dutasteride (Oral 0.5mg)
Blocks Type I & II 5-AR (lowers DHT >90%).
Feature: Hair Density Gains
LLLT (Laser Hats/Caps)
Significant gains vs. sham in multiple randomized trials.
Finasteride (Oral 1mg)
Significant gains vs. placebo.
Dutasteride (Oral 0.5mg)
Significant gains vs. placebo.
Feature: DHT Suppression
LLLT (Laser Hats/Caps)
None (completely non-hormonal).
Finasteride (Oral 1mg)
Moderate to High systemic DHT reduction.
Dutasteride (Oral 0.5mg)
Extreme systemic DHT suppression.
Feature: Systemic Side Effects
LLLT (Laser Hats/Caps)
No hormonal side effects. Temporary shedding or scalp itch reported in some trials.
Finasteride (Oral 1mg)
Libido loss, ED, ejaculation changes, brain fog, gynecomastia.
Dutasteride (Oral 0.5mg)
Sexual dysfunction, mood changes, long drug half-life.
Feature: If You Stop
LLLT (Laser Hats/Caps)
Gains gradually fade.
Finasteride (Oral 1mg)
Gains gradually fade.
Dutasteride (Oral 0.5mg)
Gains gradually fade.
Summary of published randomized controlled trials. Individual results vary.
Buyer Beware
Lights are not
lasers.
Most red-light caps advertise a headline number of "lights" and bury the actual laser count in the spec sheet. That matters. A laser diode emits a tight band of light, within about ±5 nm of its target wavelength. The LEDs used in the landmark hair trials spread across ±20 nm. Encore uses 256 laser diodes and zero LEDs, so every source runs in the 655 nm range the clinical research used. Read the spec line, not the marketing line.
Their cap
300 lights
Actual count
30 lasers + 270 LEDs
The big number is bulbs. Most are LEDs with a broader, less targeted output.
Encore Laser Hat
256 lights
Actual count
256 lasers + 0 LEDs
Every single light is a medical-grade laser diode. No LEDs padding the count.
LEDs spread
An LED emits a broader band of wavelengths over a wider angle, so less of its output lands in the target range.
Lasers stay on target
A laser diode emits a narrow band in a tight beam, concentrating its output at the wavelength the research used.
Specs do not lie
The marketing number is "lights." The spec line is "laser diodes." If the brand is not shouting the diode count, there is a reason.
Encore is not a cap with a few lasers buried in a field of LEDs. It is 256 laser diodes, zero LEDs, and zero room for marketing tricks.
Shop the Laser Hat · $1,250The Encore Laser Hat carries 256 medical-grade laser diodes and zero LEDs. Twenty-five minutes, hands-free, in the morning.
Science in Encore Ritual
Your scalp's
night shift.
Encore Ritual. Four peptides. Red clover. Caffeine. Rosemary. Zero hormones. Developed by our clinic team with a peptide specialist and a physician. Finasteride makes you choose between your hair and your manhood. Encore Ritual doesn't make you choose. Built by a clinic that has seen more than 5,000 scalps up close. We know exactly what we're up against.
We didn't start with a formula. We started with a problem. Our surgical team kept watching patients turn down the one thing conventional medicine offered them. Finasteride and dutasteride come with a well-documented list of sexual, neurological, and hormonal side effects. Patients refused to pay that price for a hairline.
So we brought in a peptide specialist and a physician. The result: Encore Ritual. Four peptides, a botanical complex of red clover, caffeine, rosemary, and zinc, and a scalp-armor blend that works the night shift while you sleep.
Zero hormones. Nothing systemic. Your hair. Your hormones. Keep both.
The Peptide Stack
- Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 · 3.0%
- The anchor. Built for hair that holds its ground.
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3 · 2.5%
- The power duo, with red clover. The same pairing that went head-to-head with minoxidil in a 24-week, triple-blind clinical trial.
- Copper Tripeptide-1 · 2.5%
- Copper power. Studied for collagen, circulation, and repair, and now aimed at your scalp.
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 · 2.5%
- Collagen on command. Tougher scalp skin, every night.
The Botanical Complex
- Red Clover Extract · 2.5%
- The wingman. Pure biochanin A, partnered with acetyl tetrapeptide-3.
- Caffeine · 0.5%
- The wake-up call. Your scalp clocks in while you clock out.
- Rosemary Leaf Extract · 0.5%
- Old-school. Still undefeated.
- Zinc PCA · 0.5%
- Cuts the grease.
Scalp Armor
- Aloe Leaf Extract · 3.0%
- Cool and calm. Soothes and hydrates.
- Niacinamide · 1.0%
- Barrier armor.
- Panthenol · 0.5%
- Instant body. Every strand looks thicker.
- Ginger Root Extract · 0.5%
- Heat. A warming kick that refreshes the scalp.
Finasteride and dutasteride shut down an enzyme across your entire body. Encore Ritual stays on your scalp, where it belongs.