A place for Lasermax users to speak up about their experiences...

Ok, there is one commercial device made that is reasonably affordable and offers high power.  It’s called the “Lasermax”, and they sell them on eBay.  http://myworld.ebay.com/laser-max is the page.  As seen in the picture, these units are an overhead laser device mounted on a stand, so you would basically just sit under it and let it do it’s magic.  This design emulates some of the very expensive clinical lasers (like that $40k Sunetics model).

They come in different increments of diodes, and lots of forum members seem to use them and are happy with them, and I must say it *is* a pretty good deal.  There are several reasons I personally wouldn’t buy one (but their concept is still solid and we have more similarities than differences).  I’ll mention my dislikes quickly just in case anyone wants to hear a “learned LLLT amateur’s” preferences and opinions: First, even though this is technically “hands free”, I don’t want to still be stuck under a device and have to worry about limiting my head movement.  For me to ensure that I’m going to stick with something like this… I’ve got to be as free as possible to go to the can, the home office, the kitchen, etc.  Second, I like a tighter cluster with an even greater number of diodes that are diffused for greater coverage.  Finally, I can make a device to more fit my likings for a lot less.

One more point here… the most common increment choice of forum users is the Lasermax 50.  While 50 diodes is a lot more diodes than the standard laser brush, remember: the clinical lasers devices usually have twice as many.  ...And laser results are completely dose dependent. Many other helmet designers, as you can see on this site, also have well over 100 diodes.  My first laser helmet has only 68 diodes, but they are tightly clustered and I move them three times -which is really the equivalent of having 204 diodes. So keep that in mind.  If you have a Lasermax 50, it’s probably reasonably safe to assume that you won’t get results exactly like laser clinics or our homemade laser helmets! 

BUT, it’s still a pretty good deal, so if constructing your own isn’t your thing (even though I’ve set up this entire site just so you can see that you CAN do it!), or if you have read my dislikes and think it’s still fine for your needs, then you certainly want to buy one of *these* instead of one of those hand-held TOYS!  This should be a no-brainer.

I’m extremely happy to have Lasermax out there making them and selling them, and I hope they keep adding more and more lasers to their designs!  ...And frankly, having read their page, it seems we share a lot of the same ideas about the state of the LLLT market.  Because of their power, affordability, and the number of users that are having positive experiences with them, I basically wanted to give the Lasermax users a voice since they are definitely in the “high-powered” range.  Posters can post whatever their experiences are with them, whenever they want, and hopefully others will learn from their experiences and be able to decide if this is an option for them.

Lasermax users… SPEAK!

-O.M.G.

PHASE II - The completed product!
Jul 16, 2008

Here is the completed unit.  The instructions for ‘Phase 1’ would apply to the construction of ‘Phase 2’ (and they are together in the do-it-yourself section under The Lasermax 50 on Steroids (How to add diodes to your Lasermax)! -by RosarioRose9), with the following thoughts:

1.  The ‘box’ is, as I advised earlier, the Serpac A-31, available from numerous electronic parts suppliers.  They manufacture the box in a variety of sizes.  I chose this size because the added ‘depth’ allows for better ventilation;

2.  I chose not to add a box for the back of the head because it turned out that the Phase 1 design provided coverage to a point about half way down the back of the head;

3.  The side boxes are attached to a piece of black lucite (cost: $11.00) which measures 12” across the top, 7” on each side, 6” deep and 1/8” thick.  I toyed with more exotic designs, but chose this one because of its simplicity and functionality;

4.  There are 5 rows, with 9 diodes in each row (total: 45) in each of the two boxes.  This yields a total of 225 diodes, which are easily handled by the TRC power supply;

5.  I went completely ‘off the reservation’ with the ‘tripod’ for this unit! LOL. It’s a fully articulating stand (so I can adjust it to exactly the position required) used for a heating lamp.  I picked it up from an accupuncturist for $10 because the lamp didn’t work.  It features a timer which controls the AC, and which will handle 250 watts - more than enough for our use.  I attached the power supply to the stand (see Photo 5).  So, I simply plug in the stand, dial in the treatment time, the unit powers on, and 225 diodes light up!  At the end of the treatment a bell rings and the unit powers off.  Pretty slick.

Had my first treatment last night, and my head is totally bathed in light..  So, we’ll see what happens…

Here are the pictures:

-Rosariorose9

Lasermax on Steroids, Phase 1! -By RosarioRose9
Jun 29, 2008

Note:  This is design has it’s own page in the Do-It-Yourself section!  Great job, Rosario!!! -O.M.G.

THE LASERMAX 50 ON STEROIDS: Phase 1

Note: Phase 1 covers modding the Lasermax 50 to contain 135 diodes.  These steps may also be used to mod the Lasermax 75 to contain 160 diodes, or the Lasermax 90 to contain 175 diodes.  Phase 2, which awaits the arrival of some additional supplies I’ve ordered, will increase the diode count to 225 in the Lasermax 50, and will also substantially increase the coverage area. O.k, here we go…

Supplies needed:

1. ‘Automatic’ wire strippers (see photo 1 below).  These strip the wire perfectly every time, even if you’re a klutz like I am, and are invaluable for stripping the relatively thin guage wiring of the diodes.  They make the job quick, easy, and infinitely less prone to result in damaged wires or diodes.

2. Wire nuts.

3. Wire cutters or a razor blade.

4. Pliers - preferably needle nose.

5. Ruler or straightedge to lay out the ‘grid’ for the location of the diodes.

6. Drill bit (size: .31)

7. No. 1 and 2 Phillips head screwdrivers.

8. Super glue.  This dries in 15 seconds, and greatly simplifies securing the lasers you’ll be adding to the boxes.

9. Aixiz diodes as linked in OMG’s supplies section.  These are the exact same diodes as those used by Lasermax, and will yield a professional appearing result.

10. TRC power supply, also linked in OMG’s supply section.

Procedure:

1. Using a #2 phillips head screwdriver, remove the (4) screws which secure the unit to the tripod.

2. Using a #1 phillips head screwdriver, open the two ‘boxes’ which enclose the diodes of the unit.

3. Remove the wire nuts from the wires, and ‘un-twist’ all of the wires so that they are no longer bound together.  I know you don’t want to do this as they look so tidy, but trust me, you HAVE to do it!

4. Disconnect the red on/off switch, and the power supply connections from the main box.  You may choose to later reconnect the switch (assuming that it can handle the increased power of the modded unit - I’m not sure of that).  I chose not to, so the unit turns on when I plug it in.

5. Save the Lasermax power supply as we’ll be using it in ‘Phase 2’ when we exceed the power capacity of the TRC supply.  Edit: As it turns out, the TRC supply will accommodate 233 lasers - more than enough for our mod.

6. If you’ve decided to use diffused diodes (which OMG and I recommend, as it provides more ‘solid’ coverage), remove the existing diodes.  They are held in place by a small amount of glue, and can be fairly easily popped out with pliers.

7. Using wire cutters or a razor blade, snip off the female screw receptacles located at the bottom inside the two boxes (see Photo 2 below).  These are not used by Lasermax (make sure that you don’t clip off the ones located higher up which are used!) and will interfere with the additional holes we’ll be drilling for diodes.

8. Using a straightedge or ruler and a pencil, draw the ‘grid’ (see Photo 3 below) which will mark the location of the holes to be drilled.  If you have one, a clear straightedge makes the job easier.

9. Drill small pilot holes where each of the new diodes will be installed.  Then, using a .31 bit (the exact size of the Aixiz diodes) drill the holes for the diodes.  While not essential, a drill press makes this task much, much easier and more precise.  Your boxes will now look like this:

10. Drill ventilation holes on either side of the boxes (see Photo 6 below) - with 99 lasers in the overhead box, and 36 in the front one, the diodes tend to get rather warm!  Be careful not to drill too close to the female receptacles for the screws which hold the top and bottom of the boxes together.

11. Remove the lenses from the diodes.

12. Strip the diode wires and install the diodes, using a single drop of Super glue for each diode.  Wait 15 seconds for the glue to dry before moving on to the next diode.

13. Bind the red and black wires together in groups of 8 to 10 wires.  This is called wiring in parallel, and will maintain the proper voltage for the diodes and the power supply.

14. Using 18 to 22 ga. Wire, attach a single 10” piece of wire to each of the groupings of red and black wires.  Then attach all of the red” pieces together.  Do the same with the black ones.  These will be your ‘leads.’

15. Use wire nuts to secure all the bundled wires.

16. Attach the red and black leads from the large box to the red and black ones from the small box. Use wire nuts to secure these. Then attach a six foot length of wire from each of these to the power supply as detailed on OMG’s site.

17. The box will now look like this:

18. You can either replace the ‘end panels’ of the boxes, or leave the panels out, allowing the wires to protrude.  I’ve tried it both ways, and while leaving the end panels in place yields a cleaner looking finished product, I chose not to, since removing the panels allows the unit to run MUCH cooler, extending the life of the diodes.

19. Phase 1 of the mod completed.  The entire top, back and front of your scalp will be totally bathed in laser light, with no gaps!!  This puts to shame even the clinical laser units - and at about 1/50th the price.

Soon to come: Phase 2, where we add an additional 72 to 108 diodes to the array....

Six Month Report Using LaserMax 50
Jun 22, 2008

I am extremely happy with the product. My hair has thickened up a lot. With every hair cut it looks better. Here’s the best part...during the sixth month I started seeing regrowth. I also incorporated scalp peels during that month. I use the LaserMax 50 every other day for forty five minutes. I might be using it too long but with the results I’m getting I’ll stick with the current exposure time. I still have a long way to go but I’m hoping by this time next year I will have regained 7-10 years of hair loss. Call me a fool but I think it can be done.

Laser Slave

In The Beginning…..
Jun 19, 2008

My first post!

I finally received my LaserMax50 today. Here are some pictures.

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My first use…

It went alright, but it was kinda annoying having to sit very still for 30 mins. For the first couple minutes, I could feel the heat coming from the lasers but it quickly goes away.

I will update very month.

LaserMax 50 Impressions, by rosariorose9
May 16, 2008

Per your request on the Regrowth forum that I provide you with some info on the LaserMax 50, I note the following:

First, I must confess that I haven’t used the unit for a number of months - this despite your convincing advocacy of LLLT’s potential effectiveness.  I had used it regularly for about a month before I caught a TERRIBLE flu, which knocked me out for about 6 weeks.  Since recovering I’ve been in New York and have yet to start back up with it, but will absolutely do so when I return home to Los Angeles at the end of this month.  I’ll keep you advised of my progress when I start back up.

So, with that caveat in mind, here are my impressions.

The LaserMax 50 (see attachment) consists of two ‘boxes’ which are mounted on a sheet of curved plexiglass.  The unit is attached to a tripod base which provides adjustments for both height and ‘depth’ relative to your scalp.  The uppermost box contains 30 laser diodes which aim downward to cover the top of the scalp, with a second box containing 20 diodes and sitting forward at an angle to cover the front hairline.  The diodes are positioned 2 1/8’ on center apart from each other on the top box, and 5/8’ apart on the forward box.  When I ordered it, I expected the unit to have a ‘home made’ appearance, but it does not.  It’s very professionally made, and the construction quality (fit and finish) of the unit is excellent.  There would appear to be no other commercial unit available for sale which offers as many diodes at a comparably low price. For those who are interested in purchasing one, I suggest you buy it on Ebay, where the price is $375 shipped, rather than on the LaserMax website where the price is $425 shipped.

Thanks again for your continuing efforts.

Best regards,
rosariorose9

OverMachoGrande’s Lasermax test entry
May 09, 2008

Test test test!