Buyer Beware
Lights are not
lasers.
Most red-light caps advertise a headline number of "lights" and hide the actual laser count in the specifications. The difference is the entire treatment. LEDs are lightbulbs. Laser diodes are coherent, medical-grade sources that reach the follicle at full strength. 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 that scatter before they reach the follicle.
Encore Laser Hat
256 lights
Actual count
256 lasers + 0 LEDs
Every single light is a coherent medical-grade laser diode. No scattered LEDs.
LEDs scatter
An LED sprays light in every direction. Hair and skin absorb most of it as warmth before it reaches the root.
Lasers focus
A laser diode emits one wavelength in one direction. It stays coherent through hair and skin and arrives at the follicle at full strength.
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 · $1,250$1,000The Science
Three chapters,
one honest read.
What the standard medication does to the rest of you, what the laser literature actually reports, and 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
Same result.
No trade-off.
Published work on low-level laser therapy reports outcomes on par with finasteride or dutasteride, with one difference. No drop in libido. No loss of muscle. No brain fog. No hormonal effect. Natural, safe, and easy.
Key published clinical studies
- Male regrowth trial
- A double-blind randomized controlled trial of 655 nm laser therapy in men with androgenetic alopecia. Treatment every other day for 16 weeks produced a 35% to 39% net increase in hair count over baseline versus placebo (p = 0.003). Lanzafame et al., 2013.
- Female regrowth trial
- A parallel trial of the same 655 nm protocol in women recorded a 37% net increase in hair count versus a sham device (p < 0.001), showing equivalent efficacy across genders. Lanzafame et al., 2014.
- 24-week sham-controlled trial
- A 24-week double-blind study of a 660 nm home-use helmet device found significant gains in hair density and hair thickness against a non-laser sham helmet, with no severe adverse effects. Suchonwanit et al., 2018.
- Mechanism review
- A systematic review in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine describes how 650 to 680 nm light triggers photobiomodulation. Photons stimulate cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondria, raising ATP production and nitric oxide release, which moves follicles from telogen back into anagen. Avci et al., 2013.
- Meta-analysis
- Across randomized controlled trials of FDA-cleared home-use devices, LLLT produced a statistically significant overall increase in hair density versus sham (p < 0.001), and pure laser diode sources yielded stronger effect sizes than mixed or LED-only setups. Liu et al., 2019; Pillai and Mysore, 2021.
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 | 17 to 28 hairs/cm² increase. | 18 to 22 hairs/cm² increase. | 25 to 35+ hairs/cm² increase (highest clinical yield). |
| DHT Suppression | None (completely non-hormonal). | Moderate to High systemic DHT reduction. | Extreme systemic DHT suppression. |
| Systemic Side Effects | None (localized light energy). | Libido loss, ED, brain fog, gynecomastia (~2–4%). | Sexual dysfunction, mood changes, long drug half-life. |
| Post-Treatment Shedding | Low shedding return (~10% resume shedding post-cessation). | High rebound shedding upon discontinuation. | High rebound shedding upon discontinuation. |
Comparative data synthesized from published randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses referenced above. Individual results vary.
The Encore Laser Hat carries 256 medical-grade laser diodes and zero LEDs. Twenty-five minutes, hands-free, in the morning.
Science in our DHT Blocker
Peptide-forward
restoration.
Our clients want the best version of themselves, not the exchange where one problem gets fixed and several worse ones arrive. So the formula counters DHT at the scalp, then rebuilds the follicle around it.
Natural 5α-reductase and DHT inhibition
- Red clover extract 2.5%
- Rich in Biochanin A for natural 5α-reductase inhibition.
- Rosemary leaf extract 0.5%
- Natural 5α-reductase inhibitor and circulation enhancer.
- Zinc PCA 0.5%
- Reduces excess scalp sebum and inhibits 5α-reductase.
- Caffeine 0.5%
- Counters localized DHT activity and stimulates root microcirculation.
Growth stimulation and peptides
- Minoxidil 5.0%
- FDA-approved vasodilator and growth stimulant.
- Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 3.0%
- Strengthens the follicle anchor.
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3 2.5%
- Biomimetic peptide that stimulates extracellular matrix proteins.
- Copper Tripeptide-1 2.5%
- Enlarges follicles and supports scalp skin repair.
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 2.5%
- Promotes collagen synthesis and tissue repair.
Scalp nourishment and barrier
- Aloe leaf extract 3.0%
- Soothes, hydrates, and calms inflammation.
- Niacinamide 1.0%
- Improves the scalp barrier and microcirculation.
- Panthenol 0.5%
- Retains moisture and thickens the hair shaft.
- Ginger root extract 0.5%
- Anti-inflammatory circulation stimulant.
Finasteride and dutasteride target one enzyme systemically. Encore works at the scalp across four pillars, with no finasteride or dutasteride in any form.