iRestore Elite Laser Hair Growth System Review: Surprisingly Effective

Red light therapy has come a long way since then. Rahman explained that red light wavelengths activate mitochondria in skin cells and increase blood flow to hair follicles. This increase in stimulation encourages mitochondria to increase their production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), promoting new growth.

When it comes to effectiveness, we noticed that iRestore Elite is FDA approved. This rating is given to medium-risk instruments that are sufficiently similar to others already on the market. There are specific pathways that devices must follow to gain FDA approval, and iRestore Elite has been approved through a 510(k) premarket evaluation conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There are three hair growth devices in the iRestore lineup: the entry-level Essential ($499), the mid-level Professional ($899), and the Elite ($1,899). Each contains iRestore’s proprietary “Lumitech” technology, which combines LEDs with medical-grade lasers. These laser diodes are proprietary to iRestore and are called the Vixo laser, and operate in the 655 to 680 nm range. (Preliminary studies in mice have shown that using red light in the 600 to 660 nm range, and infrared wavelengths in the 800 to 850 nm range, can promote everything from cell regeneration to pain relief.)

The idea is that this dynamic duo can penetrate the skin deeper than regular red light using lasers, while the LEDs ensure the light is distributed across the scalp for maximum effectiveness. Combined, they max out at 2,500 mW, compared to the Professional’s 1,410 mW and the Basic’s 600 mW.

The Elite is iRestore’s top offering and has the most LEDs of the three laser hair growth systems, with a total of 500 diodes – that’s 300 lasers and 200 LEDs. The Essential has 51 lasers and 69 LEDs for a total of 120 diodes, while the iRestore Pro has 82 lasers and 200 LEDs for a total of 282 diodes. Elite is also designed to cover more scalp. Elite requires 12 minutes of daily use, while Professional and Essential require 25 minutes every other day.

If price is no object, the Elite is a no-brainer option for more intense light therapy, shorter application time, and potentially faster results.

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Photo: Julia Forbes

The helmet arrived in a huge red package containing the helmet, portable battery pack, charging cord, and a red and black zippered travel bag. It looks pretty fragile, and I wouldn’t throw it anywhere, but then again, you probably wouldn’t put an $1,899 helmet in the back of your bathroom counter.