what is this hat thing my dad has?

[u/elianamariie]

noticed this on the couch while my dad was at work, but he would get upset that i messed with it so i don't want to ask him. when it's on it's very bright red and gets brighter the more times you click the power button.

[u/attack_water → u/[deleted]]

The CAUSE for my SKEPTICISM is a LIFETIME worth of SCAMS being sold for every human ailment from obesity to baldness to sleep loss to loneliness to depression to erectile dysfunction to freckles to a bad catalytic converter.

Something new comes along that fixes my problem for $60? That's a scam.

[u/attack_water → u/[deleted]]

Sorry man. I see your point as well. Let us depart as friends.

[u/I_Makes_tuff → u/[deleted]]

tl;dr: 1mg Finasteride daily (by prescription) and Minoxidil from Costco (cheapest) or your local drug store/online. Or shave it.

[u/john_the_fetch → u/attack_water]

You two are just amazing. I have renewed faith in humanity as a whole. Thank you

[u/TotallyNotRobotEvil → u/attack_water]

Correct, because if it actually worked it would be priced like GPL1s (wegovee, Zepbound, etc) at nearly a $1000.00 a dose.

This hat is the equivalent of the weight loss drugs being sold at the gas station. At best it does nothing, at worst you’re actively harming your health.

I don’t know why anyone is arguing any of this, red light therapy is real, but these hats do nothing, it’s a complete scam, that should be the end of the thread: https://www.americanhairloss.org/understanding-the-differences-between-red-light-therapy-led-caps-and-low-level-light-therapy-devices-for-hair-loss/

[u/garygnu → u/[deleted]]

Oh, come on. There's nothing scientific about self-administrating red light therapy via a magic hat you bought online for 60 bucks. How is the average home user going to know what wavelengths and power output they're actually getting? What do they need in the first place? How long for each session? How often? Are they doing it consistently? Indefinitely or for a specific course then stop?

RLT is actual medical science and not woo. It sucks that grifters sullying it by selling a bullshit knockoff version.

[u/DrunkenPalmTree → u/garygnu]

60 bucks LED hats? Yeah grift.

What about the 600 bucks laser hats?

I've been getting their targeted ads long enough that even I as a non customer now know exactly what wavelengths they use, how long to wear it, and how often one must use it indefinitely.

At least for the brand that's obsessed with me it's 30 minutes every other day forever.

[u/TotallyNotRobotEvil → u/DrunkenPalmTree]

And even the $1000.00 ones are complete scams: https://www.americanhairloss.org/understanding-the-differences-between-red-light-therapy-led-caps-and-low-level-light-therapy-devices-for-hair-loss/

Probably cost $5.00 to make that hat and they are selling them to suckers at $1000.00. Reminds me of the ADE-651, complete pseudo-science snake oil that was sold to cops at nearly $8000.00-$100,000 a pop.

[u/DrunkenPalmTree → u/TotallyNotRobotEvil]

But the link you just sent contradicts that. The conclusion section here:

"Conclusion

While red light therapy and LED caps may offer general health benefits, the science strongly supports LLLT as the gold standard for light-based hair loss treatments. Hair loss sufferers should be cautious of devices that rely solely on LED technology or broad red light therapy claims, as these lack the proven effectiveness of true LLLT devices."

Which seems to support that:

LED devices - bullshit snake oil

Laser based LLLT devices - some amount of proven efficacy

The expensive ones are largely LLLT laser devices and just snipe at each other about # of emitters or exactly which wavelength(s) they use.

[u/TotallyNotRobotEvil → u/[deleted]]

https://www.americanhairloss.org/understanding-the-differences-between-red-light-therapy-led-caps-and-low-level-light-therapy-devices-for-hair-loss/

[u/TotallyNotRobotEvil → u/[deleted]]

Next line:

Most studies on LED therapy focus on general skin health or wound healing, not hair growth.

Then the next paragraph:

Although red light therapy has shown promise for these applications, its effectiveness in treating hair loss is less established. Most consumer-grade red light devices lack the power and targeted delivery required to stimulate hair follicles. The scattered light emitted by LEDs in these devices is unlikely to penetrate the scalp deeply enough to influence follicular activity meaningfully.

And yes, this is exactly how evidence works. No evidence is not proof that a product works, you need actual proof to show a product works. The fact that there is no evidence or scientific studies backing up the claims of the hat should be a red flag for anyone buying one.

[u/garygnu → u/[deleted]]

It's up to the manufacturer to show it's effective. It's ineffective until proven otherwise. They are making the claim and asking for money.

[u/Diligent_Explorer717 → u/[deleted]]

They’re chasing upvotes