Welcome to OverMachoGrande.com!

Read this first!

You have found THE HOME on the internet for do-it-yourself / homemade high-powered laser devices!  This website’s purpose is to both educate about LLLT and provide instruction on how you can cost-effectively do-it-yourself. You will have the power to turn your hair loss obsession into a legitimate hobby!

Let me start by saying this: All laser therapy for hair loss is NOT EQUAL!  An unfortunate benchmark has been set with this industry in terms of criminally high price and ridiculously low power.  With price, that -of course- is my judgment call, and your opinion may differ. 

However, with power… this is NOT a subjective opinion!  It’s a simple math equation.  The standard laser brush/device delivers merely a fraction of the power that you need for proper biostimulation to occur.  As a result, only the “best responders” get results, and the rest of us are left with an extremely bitter taste in our mouths about wasting the time to laboriously use the laser brush for 1/2 an hour or an hour every other night (and the sheer boredom that results from only being able to use one hand). 

What I just said about the power… I can prove it, and you will be able to also if you digest the contents of these pages!  The “do-it-yourself” option of building your own laser brush/comb/helmet/hood/whatever is right there, hanging in front of you -and you can build one that gives you the proper 3-6 joules/cm2 that you really need.  I hope I can show you how easy it is, and that very minimal skills and tools are needed for this.

From here on out, I’m going to refer to devices that give the “proper” amount of power as “high-powered laser devices” (even though they’d be more aptly described as “correctly-powered laser devices").  The fact is that high-powered laser devices used in clinics have been giving amazing results, while standard-powered laser brushes/combs have had honestly an average of POOR results, and only give results to the very best responders.

Let me absolutely clarify something, though: it’s not the POWER of the individual diodes that’s different… it’s the NUMBER of those same diodes that separate a high powered clinical laser type device from a standard laser comb or brush.  The standard for laser diodes for hair loss is 5mW, 650nm, and they pretty much *all* use those same 5mW, 650nm lasers (that only cost $4.00, by the way) with very few exceptions -from my laser helmet, to the $40,000 clinical devices, to your average laser brush.  It’s just that clinical laser devices and our laser helmets have enough diodes -sometimes more than 100- for “full coverage” so that they are able to get the all-important, necessary amount of energy to the scalp in a reasonable time!  That’s the only difference... and that’s all the difference in the world!  THAT is what separates astonishing results from colossal disappointment!  It’s not magic, it’s science and math!  More on that later, though…

Should *you* be doing high-powered laser therapy??  I’ve been using my laser helmet that gives roughly 5 joules/cm2 per session as a part of my regimen since December 6th, 2007, and the results are amazing.  I have never seen anything like this in the more-than-a-decade that I’ve been fighting hairloss.  It’s working *exactly* like the often-ignored studies involving clinical lasers say it should be, and it’s paralleling the results touted by laser clinics.  I’ve said this in forums before, and I’ll say it again here:  Seeing what has occurred after such a short time would make me VERY NERVOUS if I ever had to fight hair loss without my laser helmet ever again!  Couple your high-powered laser device with a solid regimen including a DHT Blocker and a regrowth agent, and you’ve got the best shot of fighting hair loss of anyone out there!

But don’t rely on MY testimony… you need to do the legwork yourself!  Go into a laser clinic and ask them to show you their results!  There are multiple locations in every decent-sized city now, and they have literally hundreds of photos showing remarkable regrowth.  Then… ask yourself, how is that possible?  What have I been missing?  lol… Then come back to this site and MAKE ONE with the same specs for a fraction of what they want to charge you for one year!

Besides just basic hair follicle stimulation, hair growth, and hair thickening… the proper amount of power from high powered laser therapy has been proven to reverse inflammation, reactivate S.O.D., produce N.O., increase wound healing, release histamine and increase vasodilation, induce collagen remodeling, and increase collagen production (among other things).  Excuse me, but those things are EXACLTY what the more learned members of every forum and scientists alike have speculated MUST OCCUR for hair regrowth to be possible for most of us!  So… why aren’t you using a high-powered laser device yet?

This isn’t just *my* site… this is the site for every forum contributor that has built one or wants to build one!  My purpose was only to start the ball rolling and then let people smarter and more creative that me add to it.  I don’t have comments enabled or email posted here because I think all of the discussion should still be held in the forums so a wider audience can follow it.  But poke around this site, and I’ll try to show you that it’s easier than you think to get started.  ...In fact, it’s so easy that you’ll palm-slap yourself on the forehead and exclaim “D’oh!” if you’ve ever spent a dime on a commercial laser device before!

Also, others have been gracious enough to share their designs in the “Do-It-Yourself” section.  In fact, if YOU have a design that you would like to share, please let me know in the forums and I can set up a page for you!

Remember that with any treatment, it takes time.  Don’t expect overnight results… it took me a solid 3 1/2 months of use before I started really noticing positive benefits, and I’m not expecting the true benefits to kick in until a long time from now!  Also remember this… with a high-dose laser device, science is on your side, baby, so don’t give up hope!

So there is a lot of information on this site.  Were do you start??  How about scroll down and read my easy-to-follow essay!  When you are through with that, you will have a much better understanding of everything having to do with LLLT for hairloss!

Your forum friend,
-OverMachoGrande

An Essay, by OverMachoGrande!

Introduction

I probably don’t know you…

...but I probably already know one of two things about you since you found this site! Either…

1)You paid/are going to pay too much for your laser device
-or-
2) Your laser device isn’t/won’t be strong enough!

...or BOTH. Let me tell you something… I know NOTHING about electronics.  I know how to strip a wire, connect it, and put electrical tape on it.  That’s it!  I’m even pretty lousy at that.  You know, in full honesty, I have wired a guitar pickup a few times before, which required using a solder gun and owning a screwdriver.  If you’re interested, I put three DiMarzio HS-3’s in my strat so it would rock like Yngwie’s (2003 guitar solo of mine that I converted into a ringtone!).

...And with that basic knowledge and some very limited handyman skills -and you can even forget about the solder… I didn’t use it on my laser contraptions- I can not only build something to the exact specifications of the Hairmax Laser Comb for 1/10th the price, but I can build a device that rivals Sunetics $40,000 clinical laser system for 1/100th the price!

Some of the nicer commercial laser BRUSHES cost around $400 or more… and I’m telling you that for that money, you can make one that more closely resembles the $40,000 clinical laser systems!  Without all of the [completely unnecessary] computerized crap, of course!  lol… I can’t help but laugh when I think about that!

The hardest part about this is coming up with a creative way to “hold” the laser diodes, and I have a few pages that will give you some ideas ranging from simple/ugly to complex/beautiful.  You need some tools.  For the wiring the diodes and adapter, you need:

• Black and Red Wire

• A wire stripper

• Pliers

• Electric tape.

...All of which can be bought at Radio Shack.  For the helmet, brush or whatever, you will probably need wood, saws, a drill, etc., but that all depends on your design so we’ll cover that later.

One other thought as we get started… if you have any preconceived notions about a laser “helmet” being something magical or wonderous, forget those notions!  A laser HELMET can be though of simply as a ginormous laser BRUSH… it just has more coverage area so you don’t have to move it every 10 seconds, therefore enabling you to get the necessary energy to your scalp in a reasonable period of time!  Also, there is great appeal and benefit to having a “hands free” device, whether it be a helmet, a lasermax unit, or even just a microphone stand holding a big brush!  Any treatment’s success is dependant upon how motivated you are to use it, and having limited use of even just one hand for an extended period of time really cuts into that motivation.  So no more mystery here about “helmets”, ok?!

Before we cover any construction, though, we need to get back to my original points!  Lets take these on one at a time, starting with “You paid/are going to pay too much for your laser device”...

Personal Notes Blog!

An unexpected Christmas present from my laser helmet to me!  …Noticeable reduction of gray hair!
By OverMachoGrande
Dec 17, 2008

Coming soon!

Build your own power supply!  …An instruction manual to modify an ATX power supply from Hapyman
By OverMachoGrande
Dec 04, 2008

This is HUGE!  If there is one problem that we all share in the “world of laser helmets”, it’s that finding the correct power supply can be very difficult sometimes. 

The amps that our diodes require can really add up, especially when you have a couple of hundred diodes.  Frankly, there aren’t many types of power supplies that can handle that many amps that are ready-made for us to buy.  The few that *are* available aren’t always available internationally, they are often backordered, and the price isn’t always the most affordable.

The solution?  BUILD YOUR OWN!  Thanks to Hapyman at Regrowth, we now have the instructions to modify computer ATX power supplies to suit our needs, and pretty inexpensively, too.  The main benefits are that you can get them in any country that sells computer parts and it will most likely greatly surpass all of the power requirements that anyone would require.  Plus, these are VERY reliable power supplies that run really “clean” and “well regulated” with no power spikes… something very important for ensuring maximum performance and a long lifespan for our diodes!

Here are the downloadable…  [Click here to read more...]

OFF TOPIC:  Flowbee, Grapefruit Seed Extract (for sinus problems), and Listerine Whitening mouthwash
By OverMachoGrande
Nov 04, 2008

Since I have your attention, I thought I’d bring up a couple of off-topic, non-laser items that I’m absolutely THRILLED about!

Flowbee:

First, dudes… I got a FLOWBEE!  Yes, for those of you that remember.. this was heavily advertised in the 80’s on infomercials, and it was the butt of a lot of jokes.  It basically uses a vacuum to pull the hair up into the electric razor blades.

I’ll cut to the chase of why this is good, and probably just like you are now… I completely didn’t realize why I should be interested in this and what the benefits were.  I saw that a few people on the forums mentioned they had been using it for years, and then I looked into it on my own and found out how amazing it really is.  Mainly, it allows for LONGER HAIR STYLES, and you can still cut it evenly -including perfectly tapered sides! …  [Click here to read more...]

Just to remind everyone, about $250 bucks is all it really takes…
By OverMachoGrande
Oct 23, 2008

Hey guys… you know you don’t HAVE to spend an arm and a leg to make very effective laser helmets, right??  You do know that a cluster of 68 moved three times still works great, don’t you?  If you can’t (or don’t want to) spend the money on a “full coverage” device… DON’T!  Spend about $250 instead… that’s all it takes for you to make a great device that is as effective as laser clinics!

Listen up… while the “Laser Messiah” indeed is a truly great helmet and it covers all the bases that I feel a really good helmet MUST HAVE:

1) It has diode spacing based on the “gutter guard” mesh, which is about as good as we can ever hope for with the spacing, and it allows for the diodes to be as close as reasonably possible without overlapping.

2) With the brush bristle supports, the diodes are a uniform distance from the scalp that allows for equal coverage on a curved head, even going down the sides a bit.

3) With the brush bristle supports, we can “diffuse” the diodes for the…  [Click here to read more...]

Posted by OverMachoGrande
"The Grand Duke of Laser Hell"
10/23/08 at 09:12 PM

What a FANTASTIC WEEK for the “common person” like you and me!
By OverMachoGrande
Oct 17, 2008

Yes, it was a FANTASTIC WEEK for the “common person” like you and me!  We have documented, undisputed proof of outright fraud from BOTH SIDES of what is wrong in the hair loss world: the fraudulent, bogus naysayer “quacks” and the fradulent, deceptive laser device companies!

First, as many of you know, there is this hair transplant doctor -and I use the term “doctor” very loosely based on his lack of research- that posted a video called “Why LLLT CAN’T Work”. [PLEASE SEE THE 10/20/2008 UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG ENTRY!!!] Not only was the video debunked as total junk science (that goes completely against what 1500 REPUTABLE studies on LLLT have proven over the past 40 years) on the very first page of the thread, in the discussion that ensued he is now on permanent record for being an outright, lying fraud, as well as proving himself to be an extremely disreputable person with sociopathic tendencies and a poor character. 

When confronted with the facts that exposed his shoddy video and destroyed his credibility as…  [Click here to read more...]

The importance of S.O.D., and why 5mW (yes, I said FIVE milliwatt) laser diodes are GRRRRRRRRREAT!!!
By OverMachoGrande
Sep 29, 2008

“One of the truly unique characteristics of LLLT is that it has the ability to actually promote and enhance healing, not just treat symptoms. The irradiation by low-level laser light accelerates and enhances healing activities carried out by the body” -"Inflammation/Pain Reduction and Healing”, Richard Martin BS, CLT

ALSO: “The SOD activity, first of all, depends on irradiation time, but not on intensity or wavelength of irradiation.” -"Influence of laser irradiation on superoxide dismutase activity of human lymphocytes in vitro”.

If you know anything at all about hair loss, you already know that propecia and minox DO NOT do a good job on their own with the “bigger picture” of what is going on and what has already happened to your balding scalp.  All signs point to the fact that your hair follicle is being attacked by your body -as anyone can tell by the itchiness, the inflammation, and the resulting fibrosis.

While an anti-androgen like Propecia does indeed help to prevent some new damage by blocking DHT (at least temporarily), it doesn’t do anything to repair the massive damage, inflammation, and fibrosis that is already…  [Click here to read more...]

O.M.G. has retired from the forums indefinitely!
By OverMachoGrande
Sep 28, 2008

Until further notice, I will no longer be posting in the forums. I -and the other proud members of the laser helmet “Alpha Chapter"- are REGROWING OUR HAIR!  Soon, all of us will probably retire from the forums.  Why?  Because this high-powered laser stuff that I’ve been involved with intensively for the past year WORKS.  I -and already many of the others- are frankly losing interest in posting in a “hair loss forum”!  lol… Do you want to be like us?!  THEN MAKE A LASER MESSIAH, and in six months you more-than-likely feel the same way, too!

I realize that there are still some really good people out there that are just finding out about this, people that are starting to get EXCITED about the possibility of doing what could be the very first proactive thing that gives REAL RESULTS for their hair, and people that are really looking for help.  That’s why I’m giving out the special “Laser Helmet Construction Hotline” email, lasermessiah (at) lasermessiah (dot) com!!!

I know I’d be in a better position to help more people in the forums, but don’t fret!  THIS SITE will still…  [Click here to read more...]

Happiness Is…
By OverMachoGrande
Sep 17, 2008

It can’t be about hair loss all the time! Sometimes you have to take stock of the things that are REALLY important in your life, like pets that have been by your side so long that they are closer than your closest best friend!

I was lucky this time, but I’m a firm believer in MAKING YOUR OWN LUCK! That applies to “real life” as well as laser helmets.

If we hadn’t nailed up 230 fliers and spoken to every man, woman, and child in the neighborhood we saw, more-than-likely my cat’s cries (yes, the cat prominently featured in the “Laser Messiah” instructions) wouldn’t have been paid attention to by the neighborhood kids, and they wouldn’t have come running straight to ME to tell me they think they heard a cat in [what we found out later to be] a foreclosed, very recently abandoned apartment building.

Whew… FIVE DAYS.  As I type this, it would be day eight that he would have been trapped, and I hate to try and guess if he’d still be alive.  I’ve checked and…  [Click here to read more...]

Bjegunac’s 08.09.2008 update
By bjegunac
Sep 08, 2008

I was hesitant to post the DIY instructions for the construction helmet until I had given it a chance to see how it performs. It failed. After 3+ months of use I did not notice any positive results. However, having bought $1,200 worth of diodes I thought it wouldn’t hurt to build the “Laser Messiah” by OMG and see if differences in design could attribute to lack of effectiveness of my own construction helmet. Although I have built the “Laser Messiah” I have not used it enough times (only 3x thus far) to be able to characterize its effectiveness. I can say that after my second treatment with this design I think I am getting that soreness feeling. Hopefully, this is an indication that good hair days are ahead.

The differences in design between the construction helmet and the “Laser Messiah” are many. For one, the construction helmet does not contour to my head whatsoever. Initially I was lazy to think about the design itself and just took a construction helmet lying in my garage and drilled holes in it. This was a mistake; you really have to give it more thought then I did. The concavity of…  [Click here to read more...]

New!! A personalized TRAVEL piece!
By Lemming
Sep 08, 2008

So I recently went on a long journey and had to fly with the Lemming helmet. I was successful with bringing my helmet on the trip through my checked luggage, but it takes up a lot of space and I just hate the fact that I have to trust its safety to the airlines. I travel way too much to be doing this or to constantly send it to myself through the mail as has been suggested by some. Well, I got this creative itch after getting back and built me a new Travel Lemming. It only took a few nights and was made with nearly the same process as my original helmet. Also, I figured that since I have to do a few modifications and rewire the Lemming up anyway, I’d just build one now for my next trip and transfer some diodes to my new device. That way I won’t have to rush the mods on my helmet just so I can get back to my laser treatments.

The design is pretty cool and I am excited about the pattern of it. I wanted something that would be used three times, cover all my thinning areas…  [Click here to read more...]

Imagine Three Groups of Cavemen…
By OverMachoGrande
Sep 05, 2008

The first group discovers “the wheel”, and hops on and rolls off into the sunset. 

The second group looks at another wheel, and talks and argues and pounds the ground about how to make the wheel roll better by making it shaped like a SQUARE… but yet they never even jump on the round one. 

The third group shows up late, didn’t see the first group roll off, refuses to check the chiseled stone tablets that chronicle the event, and thinks that since this other group that’s hanging around is talking about a “square wheel”, then the first round wheel must never have been tried properly either, and the first group must not have rolled off… although they clearly did.

I’m spelling out for you what is wrong with some forums right now.  Don’t be in the second or the third group, and especially avoid falling into the traps of the third group!  Laziness is easy.  Doing your own research is hard.  But do your own homework, jump on that wheel, and join us in the sunset!

It’s funny (yet sad) for…  [Click here to read more...]

Switchable Zones and Soreness… an Added Benefit to Laser Therapy for Hair Loss (???)
By OverMachoGrande
Aug 29, 2008

By popular demand, I have spelled out my theory of “Switchable Zones and Soreness”! Many of you see me reference this in the forums, but if you haven’t been following my discovery process of this phenomenon since December 6th, 2007, then you may be a little lost. 

I put this in my third set of instructions, “Wiring of the Laser Messiah”, but I wanted to put it on it’s own since many people are interested in this!  ...plus, it gets a little “buried” in those instructions!

Let me first add some upates… Since the completion of the “Laser Messiah”, I have indeed confirmed that the soreness is NOT due to overlapping regions (like we speculated it could be).  Plain and simple… it’s due to using “zones” versus “all at once” coverage.

Now… I still am not sure how much of a benefit -if any- this gives to us in regards to fighting hair loss, but the fact remains that those of us that do our treatments this way seem to have much quicker results than others.  THAT is why we are pursuing this, and that is why I…  [Click here to read more...]

Re-introducing the “Hapyman” 15 amp power supply!  …a computer ATX that you can modify YOURSELF!
By OverMachoGrande
Aug 26, 2008

Let me officially re-introduce the “Hapyman” power supply!  It’s a modified computer ATX power supply that can run up to FIFTEEN AMPS!  ...That’s up to 500 diodes, and I don’t think ANYBODY is EVER going to need any more than that, so this more than suffices!  He’s probably going to sell them, too, if he can get his hands on some cheap sources (if he does, I’ll put that in my “power supplies” section).  Let’s first give the background of why this is HELLA IMPORTANT to what we are doing so we don’t leave anyone behind…

Ok, to recap… my device has “switchable zones”.  That means I have the option to use it one zone at a time, OR as a “full coverage” device.  Now, to use one zone at a time, I can just use my original 2.4 amp power supply that I used with my first helmet.  That will run up to 80 diodes, and my three sections have 73, 73, and 71 diodes so that will power a section-at-a-time just fine!  However, I no longer have as many options, do I?!  I can’t run it “full coverage” that way……  [Click here to read more...]

“WIRING OF THE LASER MESSIAH” -the FINAL STEP of building your own laser helmet with O.M.G!!!
By OverMachoGrande
Aug 24, 2008

Finally!  The last part of building your own laser helmet with OverMachoGrande is complete!

You’ve built the helmet, you have the diodes, and you are ready to wire it!  Here’s the link to the PDF download:

...And this part, just like the other parts, require harldy any tools and/or skill!  Actually, this last set of instructions is a very conclusive wiring guide, so even if you aren’t building a “Laser Messiah"… you can go through this and learn how to wire ANY sort of laser project! 

The “Do it Yourself” section on the left sidebar has the link to the page with the bigger pictures, so if you can’t quite make something out in the printable PDF, go check that out! 

Also, in this set of instructions is the long-awaited “Switchable Zones and Soreness… an Added Benefit to Laser Therapy for Hair Loss (???)” section!  Please… join us in the experiment!  I may still make that section into it’s own personal blog because I feel it’s something very important that just might give you a boost over…  [Click here to read more...]

Build your own laser helmet w/ O.M.G: Part II - Determining the Number of Diodes (Downloadable PDF!)
By OverMachoGrande
Aug 17, 2008

Ok, you want to get this LLLT thing rolling!  If you’ve already built your laser helmet, determining the number of diodes you need is a pretty straight-forward task (and we ARE going to cover that). 

...But what do you do if you haven’t constructed your helmet yet, you want to come up with another unique helmet design, etc.??  How do we figure out how many diodes we need for THAT??

...EASILY!  And I’m going to show you how!

...also, these instructions are located on the left column in the “Do-It-Yourself” section!

First of all, let me state that although determining the amount of diodes that you will need is pretty easy… if you haven’t already constructed your “Laser Messiah” or other helmet design, go ahead and expect that your final diode count will more-than-likely be a little different than the initial “ballpark” figure we come up with!

That’s ok, don’t worry… I’ll prove to you in the next set of instructions that it’s REALLY EASY to add an additional few diodes to the whole shebang…  [Click here to read more...]

Downloadable/Printable PDF Instructions for O.M.G.’s “Laser Messiah” Laser Helmet!
By OverMachoGrande
Aug 07, 2008

Here it is, folks… the instructions to construct the helmet -the hardest, most intimidating portion of this (now made ridiculously easy)- all in one printable document!  Download it, save it, pass it around… go nuts with it!

THIS IS WHAT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!  No power tools, very limited hand tools -a hammer, a box cutter, and a hole punch (not even a saw!)- and it requires all the skill of a kindergarten class craft project!  Also, it’s made with materials that are locally available from stores that are located in most every city in the U.S. -Wal-Mart, Michaels, Joanne Fabric and Craft Stores, and Home Depot!  AND IT’S DIRT CHEAP.

The practical knowledge that I’ve gained from my experience in do-it-yourself laser helmet projects has given me invaluable insight as to what is necessary to make an effective laser helmet.  I can tell you that this one meets and surpasses all of them...

• The top is created to conform perfectly to the curvature of the head.
  

• The base is custom fitted around your head with plenty of padding.
  …  [Click here to read more...]

  
  

  Posted by OverMachoGrande
  "The Grand Duke of Laser Hell"
  08/07/08 at 08:14 PM

You’re a moron if…
By OverMachoGrande
Aug 04, 2008

...you think that I’m in any way making money off of anything having to do with this FREE SITE and go around talking out of your ass saying that I do. 

I’m going to lay something flat out for you right at first here… I don’t know what sort of “nickel and dime” existence or lifestyle you’ve grown up with, but I don’t live in a world where I have to resort to making cuts or kickbacks off of something deceptive to ilk my way though life.

If you do, that’s your problem.  I was brought up with CLASS, and I was brought up very comfortably -something that I enjoy now as well- so I don’t have to do that.  That clearly should come across without you even knowing me, and if it doesn’t… it says something about YOU, not me, and I would therefore be correct in mistrusting your judgment on most other things.

I CLEARLY couldn’t care less about making whatever small amount of money would be made off of such nefarious activities, and any money I would make from my hard work on this would…  [Click here to read more...]

I’m working on my Laser Helmet 2.0… Why not build yours alongside mine?!
By OverMachoGrande
Jul 26, 2008

Lost in the wilderness about how to make your own laser helmet?  Daunted by the overwhelming intricacies involved in making a device that contours your scalp and can hold potentially a couple of hundred diodes?  Well… you are IN LUCK!!!

...Why not make it with me?!

Because of Nidhogge’s cool-ass gift, I’ve decided to work on my second helmet earlier than I thought!  I don’t even have the funds for all of the diodes, but the hardest part without a doubt is the actual HELMET, so I’m going to get started now!  So, if for some reason you’ve been hesitating on this laser revolution because you don’t think you can build one yourself… why not go ahead and make the helmet part, the HARDEST PART (but also the cheapest part), even if you aren’t ready to buy diodes yet?!

That’s right, make it with me.  Step by step!  ...And I’ll be doing it VERY SLOWLY.  I’ll make updates on the “NEW!!!  ...Build your laser helmet right alongside OverMachoGrande!” page in the “Do-it-yourself” section every day that I work on it, and the steps will be slow…  [Click here to read more...]

Laser Clinic Success Rate Observations… 71% in the first 6 months, 80-90% after 1 year!
By OverMachoGrande
Jul 19, 2008

Yep… that’s it!  Those are the stats from Dr. Maricle -one of the world’s leading authorities on LLLT and hair loss- based on his observations and information gathering over his long, expansive history with this:  71% success in the first 6 months, 80-90% success after 1 year.  Also, when Dr. Maricle and others looked into the 10-20% that FAIL to get results, a large portion of those failures can be attributed to user error… meaning a large hunk of that percentage is chalked up largely to folks who weren’t consistent with their treatments or as consistent as they ought to have been to achieve results within that timeframe.

This is key… those aren’t STUDIES. Studies seem to have a knack for not translating well into “real life”.  Those aren’t phony-baloney Hairmax laser comb study numbers, or even minox/propecia trial numbers.  Those numbers are REAL NUMBERS. Those numbers represent what is actually occurring in clinics with laser devices that provide the necessary 3-6 joules of energy to thousands of customer’s scalps all over the world.

Here is another key element that you have to keep in mind… the definition of SUCCESS.  Laser success…  [Click here to read more...]

What you’ve all been waiting for… The connection between lasers and DHT revealed!
By OverMachoGrande
Jul 11, 2008

Whether you are interested in LLLT for hairloss or not, I think everyone trying to fight MPB would be well served reading this!

This is the Golden Tamale… right?  The $64,000 Question?  ...or is it?!  Isn’t this what we’ve been told over and over that we must target to eradicate baldness?

Devices as strong as our laser helmets and clinical laser devices grow hair and halt further hair loss… ALL ON THEIR OWN, without anything else.  It’s been PROVEN!  Therefore, there *must* some mechanism by which LLLT reduces or removes DHT. 

I hear “OverMachoGrande… do you know the connection between lasers and DHT?” all the time.  People in forums are simply waiting on the edge of their seat to hear how lasers fit right in to what they think they know about hair loss!

Yes, I know the connection.  If you want to read the answer, you’d better be prepared to “let go” something you may have been conditioned to believe as an absolute truth, though.  I’m serious… don’t keep reading unless you want to really learn something -and it’s not what you expect!

Diffused vs. Undiffused diodes: Are diffused diodes more effective? …That’s not really the point.
By OverMachoGrande
Jul 09, 2008

I thought I’d better address this since it get’s an occasional question.  People wonder why I chose to use diffused diodes vs. undiffused diodes, and if I think the “scatter” under the skin of undiffused laser energy is as effective as the “blanket effect” of undiffused diodes (please see “A quick note on diodes and power” for an explanation if you don’t know what I’m talking about).

Well, the surprising answer is that those two things don’t have anything to do with each other as far as my consideration for choosing diffused vs. undiffused!  Let’s start with some background here so you can know exactly what I know...

First, let’s look at this graphic, which is a basic interpretation of laser scatter under the surface of the skin.

Undiffused lasers have a thin, tightly focused beam of energy.  Yes, it’s energy scatters under the skin in an elliptical “U” shape.  I’ve heard reports that say it can spread energy and positively benefit an area as large as a 1/2 inch radius surrounding the impact point.  I don’t know how accurate that…  [Click here to read more...]

WIRE NUTS: Wiring just got A LOT easier! …A “D’OH!” moment for O.M.G.
By OverMachoGrande
Jul 07, 2008

EVERY DO-IT-YOURSELFER NEEDS TO READ THIS! The time and effort you will spend constructing your helmets just got a lot less…

Thank you, RosarioRose9! Your work on modifying your Lasermax 50 to an “Abominable Laser Beast” clued me in to something ultra simple that I missed… “WIRE NUTS!” lol…

After seven months and one day of hard use, my wiring -which was all done with electric tape- was starting to get a little shaky.  I wired it by rows, and sometimes those rows would dim a bit and perhaps even flicker.  I could tap or flick the connections and the same thing would occur.  Of course, I did totally expect that after a while since I always put things through tremendous abuse (electronics, women, etc...), so I knew a re-wiring was probably going to have to happen at some point.  I mean, come on... it was only ELECTRICAL TAPE! lol…

Well, thank goodness for RosarioRose9, because -as you see in his do-it-yourself post- he used wire nuts that he had in his toolbox.  When I re-wired my helmet today, I wanted to try that, too, and simply…  [Click here to read more...]

LLLT Safety Part II - Addressing EMF fields!
By OverMachoGrande
Jul 06, 2008

I completely forgot about addressing this before in the other safety post!  It was a question that we addressed last year because YES… it seems that IN THEORY that all of these diodes could generate an extremely unsafe electo-magnetic field, and this might not be the best thing if we are wearing them around on our heads!

Here is the question from EIC on my LLLT safety thread at the laser forum:

“The timing of this thread is uncanny, as I’ve been thinking about the safety issue myself quite a bit recently.  It seems to me that the danger many not come from the lasers themselves, but rather from the electromagnetic field (EMF) that is generated by having so many lasers so close to one’s head.  There is a serious electrical current by so many lasers and those currents can generate considerable EMFs.  EMFs have been associated with a cancer risk, at least theoretically. 

I think we ought to look at the risks of having such an electrical device directly on one’s head as opposed to the danger from the lasers themselves.  I do not know enough about such…  [Click here to read more...]

Posted by OverMachoGrande
"The Grand Duke of Laser Hell"
07/06/08 at 05:15 PM

Question: How many times should you use laser therapy a week? -ANSWERED!
By OverMachoGrande
Jul 05, 2008

This question comes up a lot in the forums.  The simple, quick answer from a summary of what you see all over the internet is that…

1) three times a week is probably the maximum amount of times that you should do it (and perhaps most beneficial… remember it’s “dose dependent”!),

2) you should have at least a full “day off” in between treatment sessions,

3) and to use it without the proper rest can cause an “acclimation of the tissue” to the therapy, resulting in the treatment being less effective.

Therefore, I would think that Monday/Wednesday/Friday is probably pretty optimal, especially since you have two full “off days” to rest at the end of the week to make sure that you’ve fully recuperated by the start of next week.

Now, reading that in multiple places and drawing up a three point summary is one thing -and that is definitely the advice that I stand behind- but actually putting your hands on the corroborating scientific data is another!  Therefore, this section will be a “work in progress”, and when I find more concrete sources…  [Click here to read more...]

“Would You Take a Knife to a Gun Fight?” Laser Light vs. LED Light… the DIFFERENCE explained!
By OverMachoGrande
Jul 05, 2008

I’m glad I found this article, which was published by David Rindge in August, 2004… it sums up the differences between laser light and LED light, and in a nutshell COHERENCE is the key.  It also talks about the “speckling” that occurs.

Rather than re-word it, I’m just going to cut and paste the entire article because it’s pretty short and easy to read.  However, I do want to draw attention to something that it seems I was very right about:

“If light-emitting diodes were as effective as therapeutic lasers, they would already have replaced lasers in the clinic. After all, LEDs are less expensive to produce. Researchers and clinicians clearly prefer lasers. The library of laser therapy-related books, studies and articles is steadily expanding, whereas interest in (and supporting literature for) LEDs seems to be languishing.”

I’m telling you… when MONEY IS NOT AN OPTION (meaning what is used by the top laser clinics), it is usually perfectly accurate to look at the devices the market is producing and say “there must be something to this” when it comes to certain aspects of the devices.  As you know, I’ve…  [Click here to read more...]

Question: Is LLLT safe?  Can it cause cancer? What about eye safety?? -Answered!
By OverMachoGrande
Jul 02, 2008

I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. 

I swore to myself that I wouldn’t put this type of stuff up on my site because I wanted my site to be a “STEP 2”<… a place where you would go when you already *had* the answers, and you were looking to take it to the next level and become an ACTION MAN! lol…

Well, because of the sheer number of times this question comes up, I've decided I'd compromise… I'm going to allow myself to cut and paste the best, most concise answer I've found (that, of course, has all the necessary sources listed)!  This is from eLearning’s “What is LLLT: Risks, Side Effects & Contra-Indications article, and I couldn’t have written it better:

No Cancer Risk

Can laser therapy cause cancer The answer is NO. More than 2000 clinical studies have been conducted on the use of LLLT and in all of these studies NO mutational effects have ever been observed resulting from therapy with wavelengths in the Red or Infrared red range, in doses used within laser therapy.

But can…  [Click here to read more...]

Posted by OverMachoGrande
"The Grand Duke of Laser Hell"
07/02/08 at 07:57 PM

AIXIZ LLC DEALS FOR CUSTOMERS ON THIS SITE
By Dr. Charles E. Maricle
Jun 30, 2008

AixiZ LLC is a supplier to several manufacturers in the health products marketplace. While we may be involved with several companies in the the hair restoration space, we are not permitted to divulge any intellectual property.

We are happy to provide the following discounts:

50-200 lasers $3 each
201-750 lasers $2.85 each
750+ lasers $2.60 each

When wiring these units, make sure you connect them in parallel. Each laser will draw approximately 30mA so a 50 laser array will draw 1.5A at 3.2VDC for planning purposes.

Power supply data will be available soon.

We have provided direct payment links to the manager of this site.

Also feel free to call us directly as follows:

AixiZ Service and International LLC
Main (702) 991-2067
Toll Free (888) 424-9491
Northern Europe (London) 020.7993.2961
Central Europe (Paris) 017-281-3002
Southern Europe (Milan) 02-9942-1306
Mexico (Central America) 52 55 8525 9138

(702) 974-0713 FAX

FDA registered OEM importer and manufacturer
Licensed Class IIIB and Class IV laser company license TX#…  [Click here to read more...]

Question: O.M.G., does laser light penetrate through my thick hair, too?? -ANSWERED!
By OverMachoGrande
Jun 30, 2008

This is a very common question out there!  It’s usually followed with “Should I buzz my hair down initially when I’m doing these treatments?”

First, before I answer that, let me “paint the proper picture” here of the mentality you should have about hair loss, because you are much more inclined to be happy when you have (and follow) the right perspective!  Let me start by saying this… a chrome dome -of course- would get much more exposure than a head full of bushy hair!  That’s easy to see… but look, isn’t the POINT of any treatment for hair loss to make it so we don’t have to do things like buzz our hair down?? Don’t we want to have thicker, fuller hair and not be forced by anything to compromise the way we wear our hair?

If you don’t know me well yet, I’ll go ahead and outright tell you that I wouldn’t be the de-facto leader of any movement that involved sacrificing your looks!  No way, man!  A hair treatment shouldn’t devastate your appearance, either by making you shave your head yourself, or by using certain topicals…  [Click here to read more...]

The Lemming page is complete!
By Lemming
Jun 29, 2008

...for the most part. : ) Yes it took a while to complete this, but other than a few more updates and some “house cleaning”, my page is essentially finished!! I still have to add a bit on the importance of foam spacers (give me a few days). Also, I apologize for the amount of time it has taken me to complete this. Not sure just how many of you all have been quietly cursing me to get this done already! - lol… Sorry, but in my defense I have had a *ridiculously* busy schedule with working full time and going to school at night. All I do is write research papers for this, report papers on that. I get physically sick at a computer now because I am always writing!—Yuck!

Anyway, I am always good with criticism so if anyone has any suggestions (like taking out that stupid picture of the lady in a lumpy beanie), I’ll consider it…

Ok, now go… — build your Laserpiece!

~ Lemming

How much do ‘diffused diodes’… diffuse?? -Laser diffusion sizes at 1cm / 2cm / 3cm!
By OverMachoGrande
Jun 25, 2008

This post is in tandem with the post I made yesterday with the “Gutter Guard mesh printout”.  Basically -as the “gutter guard” printout helps those that don’t have access to a neighborhood Home Depot have a mesh pattern similar to ours- this printout located below will help you if you just want to see the rough size of a diffused diode at the heights of 1cm, 2cm, and 3cm… perhaps for a custom mesh holder, maybe a new design that’s going to put all of ours to shame, or perhaps just to satisfy your curiosity as you are anxiously awaiting to get cracking on your high-powered laser device!

Whatever the reason, I want to stress that this should probably be considered a very rough measurement, but more on that later.  First… No, don’t worry!  lol… I haven’t gone “metric” on you, my fellow American Do-it-Yourselfers!  And the rest of you guys all over the world… I would say that the metric system *is* a much easier system to do measurements with, but I would be in danger of losing my American citizenship if I admitted that out loud!  lol… Kidding, Kidding (but…  [Click here to read more...]

Don’t have a Home Depot but want to space or calculate your diodes like us?? Look no further!!!
By OverMachoGrande
Jun 24, 2008

Ok, for all of you peeps out there that don’t have a neighborhood Home Depot but want to arrange your diodes like most of us do-it-yourselfers have done, I decided to make a template of the mesh that you can print out!  This is posted over in #6 of the “Do-It-Yourself Introduction (Revisited!) and Checklist” area as well…

Plus, this is probably helpful for people in the US that *aren’t* using this mesh in the actual designs, but are still using the mesh to mark locations on their rubber, plastic or whatever material they are using to hold the diodes.

Yes, you will probably waste a good few sheets of paper doing this.  What you have to do is first set it so that the graphic fits perfectly on an 8 1/2” x 11” piece of paper.  So, don’t print this out straight from your browser!  Save it, PUT IT IN YOUR GRAPHICS PROGRAM, adjust the size, print it out, then get your ruler or measuring contraption to compare it to either the inches or the centimeters in the “scale” section.  Obviously, if the scale measurement is too short,…  [Click here to read more...]

Common question, “OMG… is this laser stuff for real?”, answered!
By OverMachoGrande
Jun 20, 2008

I get this question a lot, so I wanted to put my response on the site.  This is a question from Destro at Regrowth (great name, by the way):

“OMG - got a question for ya!

I was reading your site… I want to build a laser helmet and building one is not a problem but is lasers for real? What kind of results have you seen? I figure giving it a try plus since there may be a discount coming from your source I figure why not if it works!!”

Here is my response, and I try to cover as many bases as I can, and I think it’s a pretty good “primer” for those of you that missed the revolution that started at the end of last year:

Destro...

This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve been fighting hair loss for a LONG TIME… 12/13 years I think?  I want to say this though… it’s really funny re-reading what I’ve written to you here, because the things I’m saying have become “common knowledge” for this forum now during…  [Click here to read more...]

I no longer endorse “standard laser brushes”.
By OverMachoGrande
Jun 18, 2008

To further prove that I’m rapidly turning into a “crazy blogger-type”, lol, I thought I’d make this entry!  Please note that a “standard laser brush” refers to the Hairmax, the Amazing Laser Brush, the X5, and others like that (five to ten 5mW diodes)… NOT the higher-powered Aculas, Mike’s higher-powered “Lazerfish”, or even Mexco’s LED/ion device!  Those are NOT “standard”, and have much more power.

I’ve been talking about this for a few months, but I thought I would make a concise, to-the-point post addressing this, even though my entire site lays down the evidence very well and allows you to reach this revelation on your own.  I’ve researched laser therapy for a long time now, and I’ve obviously devoted a large part of my free time to this year in order to help others reach the same epiphany.  I’ve tried to set up my site to accomplish two things:

1) to explain how most laser devices -just like everything else for hair loss over the course of modern history- are exorbitantly overpriced,

2) and to show you there is a vast distinction between the power of laser…  [Click here to read more...]

Posted by OverMachoGrande
"The Grand Duke of Laser Hell"
06/18/08 at 03:25 PM

Inside the $600-$700 Hairmax Laser Comb (it’s SICKENING)…
By OverMachoGrande
Jun 16, 2008

Well, I decided to take the picture that Calo38 at Regrowth posted and make an entry over in the “Commercial Devices” section.  Here is the link: “Hairmax Revealed (It’s over, fellas...)”

I just want to say that posting that page has probably been one of the most repulsive things I’ve had to do, and it literally makes me sick to my stomach.  Not only because of the sheer rip-off factor, but because they’ve muddied the waters so much about laser therapy for hair loss that we were set back at least five years.  I don’t know about you, but I miss my hair that I had five years ago, and yes… we are well directed to place a lot of our frustration and angst at this company.

DO NOT confuse anything having to do with this piece of shit as anything at all related to what we are doing with our high-powered laser devices.  For the purposes that we are talking about, there is NOTHING SIMILAR between the two.  That reason alone made me not want to post this page at all.

For those of you that…  [Click here to read more...]

Six Months - Itchiness LONG GONE (and apparently forgotten!)…
By OverMachoGrande
Jun 12, 2008

As expected, after six months, my hair still gets better looking every day!  This is without a doubt the most amazing treatment available for at least my particular case of hair loss:  extremely aggressive temple regression that wants to make a horrible horseshoe shape!

To spell it out again… this is completely expected, though, as I am paralleling the results of the $4000 a year laser clinics.  Why?  Because my device is LIKE those laser clinics… at a fraction of the cost!  Yes folks, this is the real deal.  Like I’ve always said, it’s ONLY MATH AND SCIENCE, NOT MAGIC!  You build it, and they will come!  Or, at the very least, the ones you have will stay and return to a youthful condition again.

I want to share something else that I’m really just starting to pay attention to.  I don’t have an itchy scalp anymore.  AT ALL. Honestly, it’s been so long that I’ve had an itchy scalp that it’s hard to think that only in January I was finishing that bottle of Bioskincare!  I’m actually tempted to use the word “cured” here.  Itching usually -at least with…  [Click here to read more...]

How’s this for results…
By OverMachoGrande
Jun 04, 2008

Laser Therapy grows A LOT of hair (and keeps it) without any other treatments.  Thanks to jdp710 at Regrowth, I have a great study over on the left over there called “Long-term (1-year) experience with LDS 100, a popular clinical laser, in the treatment of men and women with androgenetic alopecia”. It has pictures, too.

First of all, this is important -it says nothing but laser light was used (no minox, fin, dut, transplants, or even changing your hairstyle was allowed)...

“Principal exclusion criteria included significant abnormalities on screening physical examination or laboratory evaluation, surgical correction of scalp hair loss, topical Minoxidil use within one-year, use of drugs with androgenetic or antiandrogenetic properties, use of finasteride or other 5aR inhibitors, or alopecia due to other causes. Men and women were instructed not to alter their hairstyle or dye their hair during the studies.”

And here are the results…

Results. Treatment with LDS 100 led to durable improvements in scalp hair over 1 year (p < 0.001 versus placebo, all endpoints), while treatment with placebo led to progressive hair…  [Click here to read more...]

Posted by OverMachoGrande
"The Grand Duke of Laser Hell"
06/04/08 at 09:16 AM

Laser clinic dishonesty in reduction of times/week during course of treatment…
By OverMachoGrande
Jun 02, 2008

This just really hit me today, and it’s so obvious that I don’t know why it didn’t hit me before!  I think that laser clinics (or the manufacturers “advising” these clinics) are pretty dishonest when they say that you need to go “x” times a week at first, but then you can reduce it to “y” times a week later, eventually petering down to none or just an occasional “maintenance visit”.

This is just common sense telling me that right now, but I’m going to casually search for proof.  There isn’t any other type of treatment in the world were you “peter down” like this when the underlying problem is still there.  Kemo?  Yeah, but kemo targets something and destroys it.  When it’s destroyed, it’s destroyed.  Kemo isn’t a solution for cancer that keeps coming back like hair loss would.  Get my point?

That just really hit me today and I wanted to share it.  I think the motivations are somewhat similar to the laser brush/comb manufacturers purposely giving a time that’s too short… you know, no one would want to spend 200 minutes or whatever a night using a…  [Click here to read more...]

Missing part of laser article
By backspace
May 17, 2008

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cell culture and preparation. Rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells were obtained from the cell bank of Shanghai Science Academe. Cells were grown in minimal essential medium (MEM) with Earle’s salts containing 10% fetal bovine serum, 2% L-glutamine (all from Gibco), in an incubator with a humidified atmosphere (5% CO2) at 37°C. Cells in exponential phase of growth were used.

Fluorescence measurements of intracellular Ca^sup 2+^ . The cells were seeded on the cover-slips in 12-well culture plates and allowed to attach for 12 h. Before the measurements, cells were washed with Hank’s buffer solution (KH^sub 2^PO^sub 4^ 0.06 g, NaCl 8.0 g, NaHCO^sub 3^ 0.35 g, KCl 0.4 g, glucose 1.0 g. Na^sub 2^HPO^sub 4^*H^sub 2^O 0.06 g. CaCl^sub 2^ 0.14 g. MgSO^sub 4^*7-H^sub 2^O 0.20 g, add H2O to 1000 mL), and then incubated with 10 µM fluo-3/AM (Dojindo, Tokyo, Japan) at 37°C for 30 min. After three washes, these stained cells were sealed on the slides for fluorescence microscopical measurements.

Fluorescence images of intracellular [Ca^sub 2+^ ]^sub i^ were made by confocal fluorescence microscopy (DSU, IX-71; Olympus, Japan). The blue light (460-490 nm) filtered from an attached xenon lamp…  [Click here to read more...]

Site Under Construction!
By OverMachoGrande
May 14, 2008

I’ve gotten the framework up and a lot of the other basic information, but the site is still massively under construction!  I put my original laser brush instructions up again, and I’m in the process of making the instructions for my laser helmet (you shouldn’t make yours like mine, though!  There are much easier ways...).  Also, I’ve sent out the invites for some forum members (those whose email I have on this computer… my main computer is still in the shop) to post their instructions, blurbs, or whatever they want, so that will hopefully be coming soon!

Also, we aren’t going to put our email up here or enable comments or questions on the pages because I’d rather the discussion be held in the forums.  Much more people will be able to see it that way!  I want this site to be a permanent place to store the information after it goes off the main screen.  Yeah, I know what you’re thinking… “The forums?!  The forums are usually full of nuts that discredit what you guys are doing because of either ignorance, jealousy, or mental illness.” lol… Ok, maybe it’s not that…  [Click here to read more...]

The site is almost ready….
By OverMachoGrande
May 07, 2008

It’s not quite there yet, so forgive the mess!

-O.M.G.