The “Tell Me Everything” series is a spin-off of “Ask A Beauty Editor” designed to tackle the big, sometimes complicated beauty topics you’re most interested in. I’ll share the latest reporting in these explainers and update them when there’s new research or breakthroughs (or related questions) that warrant it. —Jennifer G. Sullivan
I’d love to write an article about the singular, absolute best hair-loss treatment for women — something that stops shedding, makes hair look thicker, and works for everybody. But that panacea isn’t here yet.
“People are like, ‘Should I use minoxidil? Should I get rosemary oil? Should I use rice water?’ All these things! But if the cause of the hair loss is an autoimmune disease, none of that is going to help,” says dermatologist Oyetewa Oyerinde, MD, director of the Skin of Color Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine. “Understanding the type of hair loss you have dictates the treatment.” So if you’re reading this and you’ve been experiencing hair loss for six months or more, make an appointment with a dermatologist to get to the root of the problem.
However, if you’re temporarily shedding more than usual or think your loss is caused by one of the more common issues below, you can do plenty of things at home. Read on for the best shampoo for thinning hair (surprise: It’s not even marketed as a hair-thickener!), tricks for making your hair look fuller, and the supplements that make your hair grow, according to dermatologists and hair stylists.
Why is my hair thinning?
It often takes the help of a specialist to determine why your hair is thinning. Jodi LoGerfo, DNP, APRN, a doctor of nursing practice and nurse practitioner who specializes in dermatology, says there are autoimmune diseases, hormone imbalances, and nutritional deficiencies that can contribute to the problem, and many people are dealing with more than one of those concerns at a time. She also says that female-pattern hair thinning (androgenetic alopecia) is more common than many realize, affecting an estimated 40 percent of women by age 50. “Women typically may start to notice changes at 40, 50, but it’s insidious and happens over months to years,” LoGerfo says.
What are the best supplements for hair growth?
One of the least expensive hair-growth supplements is one you’ve probably never heard of: pumpkin-seed oil tablets such as NutriTion Pumpkin Seed Oil ($23.95 for 180 1,000 mg softgels). “Pumpkin-seed oil has been shown to have some benefits for hair growth,” says Oyerinde. For example, people who took 400 mg of pumpkin seed oil daily for 24 weeks showed a 40 percent increase in hair count compared to a 10 percent increase in those taking a placebo, according to one study. So why isn’t it more widely recommended? “I think there aren’t as many high-quality studies about natural products versus medications because there’s not a lot of money to be made,” Oyerinde says. “If I need $200,000 to do a study, no one is funding a big study of pumpkin-seed oil because you can go get it from the grocery store or the farmers market, and we can’t capitalize on that in the same way as medications.”
The manufacturers of name-brand supplements with “proprietary” hair-loss formulas, however, often have the funds to sponsor research. In a 2023 review published in the journal JAMA Dermatology, researchers found high-quality evidence for the potential hair-loss benefits of the following supplements: Lambdapil ($44.10 for one-month supply), Nourkrin ($97 for three-month supply), Nutrafol ($79.20 for one-month supply), Pantogar ($54.90 for one-month supply), and Viviscal ($22.79 for one-month supply). McMillan says he first heard about Viviscal from the model Daria Werbowy and has seen it work for numerous clients over the years. “Nutrafol is the other one — Nutrafol and Viviscal, always a good idea,” he says. Just be sure to speak with your primary-care physician before starting any new supplements or vitamins.
What are the best vitamins for hair growth?
The other “vitamins” that help with hair loss aren’t vitamins at all — they’re prescription medications. LoGerfo says the medications she prescribes depend on the cause of her patient’s hair loss, but her tool kit includes spironolactone (“It’s a diuretic, but it’s also a male-hormone blocker, so it sometimes helps with hair loss,” she says), as well as birth-control pills to balance hormone levels, finasteride, and oral minoxidil. “I’ve been using the oral minoxidil for a little over two years, and it’s shocking — the results are kind of good,” she says. However, many of these medications are used off-label, and she says whether or not she prescribes them depends on her patient’s medical history, their family history, and their lifestyle. Definitely talk to a doctor you trust before seeking a prescription solution.
What is the best shampoo for thin and thinning hair?
Many hair-growth experts, including LoGerfo and Oyerinde, say people with thin hair can benefit from using a shampoo that contains ketoconazole, such as Nizoral ($15.09). “We know that ketoconazole, which is an antifungal ingredient, also has some activity against DHT, a male-pattern hormone that can contribute to hair loss,” Oyerinde says. That’s right: Ketoconazole is an OTC drug for treating dandruff, but it may act like a hair-thickening shampoo even if you don’t have dandruff.
Nizoral A-D Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
“We know that ketoconazole, which is an antifungal ingredient, also has some activity against DHT, a male-pattern hormone that can contribute to hair loss,” Oyerinde says.
However, Oyerinde points out, it’s not great for those with color-treated, curly, or textured hair because it can be drying. “If you could take the hair off of your head, put this on your scalp, let it sit for three to five minutes, and then rinse it out without touching your hair, that would be ideal — but you can’t,” she says. “I tell people to use it like a treatment as often as you can. Let your hair down, apply the product directly to the scalp with a nozzle applicator, massage it into the scalp, and then, as much as you can, hold the hair up in the shower and rinse out sideways. It’s still gonna touch your hair a little bit, but you just don’t want to get it all through the hair like a normal shampoo.”
What’s the best conditioner for thinning hair?
If you’re using a medicated shampoo for hair loss, it’s even more important that you condition your hair afterward, especially if you comb or detangle it when it’s wet. “If you’re combing wet hair that hasn’t been conditioned, that can take hair that may be thin already and stress it to the breaking point,” LoGerfo says. She recommends using whichever conditioner you’re really going to enjoy, even if it’s simply because you like the scent or the way it makes your hair feel. “But I do think there’s some benefit to higher-end products,” she adds, citing Living Proof (Living Proof Full Conditioner, $34) and Aveda (Aveda Invati Advanced Thickening Conditioner, $35.25) as two brands she likes.
Living Proof Full Shampoo - Set of 2
Aveda invati™ Advanced Three-Step Kit
What is the best style for thinning hair?
McMillan says that if you’re experiencing hair loss, there is nothing better than taking some length off. “One inch will help with the dead ends, so it just automatically looks thicker. But if you can, two inches or more — a really good chop,” he says. “I do this with clients in their late 40s, and 50s, and then it just grows in like a weed.”
What are the best hair-thickening products?
Hair-color powders and sprays are genius for thinning hair; they’re marketed as a way to temporarily disguise new growth if you haven’t had time to dye your hair, but McMillan uses them almost like scalp makeup. He says using Color Wow (Root Cover Up, $34.50) “right on your scalp tones down the shine, and then when you’re in overhead lighting, your hair looks thicker.” He also suggests using temporary color sprays (he likes Rita Hazan Root Concealer Touch Up Spray, $17.10) to plump up the base of your hair and disguise thinning. And if you have straight or wavy hair, don’t sleep on good old hairspray. “You can use it to build out the hairs. So spray it all over, let it dry, brush it out, then spray it again, brush it out, and then style it,” McMillan says. His favorite spray for this hair-plumping technique is Shu Uemura Moya Hold Hairspray ($42), but he also likes L’Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray ($12.34).
Which at-home hair-thinning treatments actually work?
I’ve been reporting on hair loss for more than two decades, and I’ve noticed there’s one thing that the best treatments have in common: They’re not one-and-done shampoos or vitamins; they’re regimens from companies that put scalp health first and emphasize the importance of consistency and maintenance. A lot of people I know — including beauty journalists and hairstylists — have had success with Harklinikken, for example. I also have a friend who is seeing results from visits to Great Many, a hair-growth clinic staffed by medical professionals who can prescribe hair-loss drugs (such as spironolactone and minoxidil), offer medical treatments (such as platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, injections, which have been shown to improve hair growth), and recommend in-shower-regimens and scalp serums all in one place.
Vegamour GRO Revitalizing Shampoo for Thinning Hair
I’ve tried this and like it.
But suppose you don’t live near a clinic and can’t get to a dermatologist. Consider a subscription service, which kind of forces you to be consistent with your hair-thinning treatments. In that case, I like Nulastin Vibrant Treatment ($109.65 for five-month supply) and Vegamor’s GRO Revitalizing Shampoo and Conditioner Kit ($76 per month). Think of them like a gym membership! If those bottles keep coming, then you will stick with the routine. And since experts say it can take up to three months to see results once you start a new product, that ups your chances of success.
NULASTIN Vibrant Scalp Treatment,
Does Ozempic cause hair loss or hair thinning?
Hair stylist Chris McMillan (the pro who gave Jennifer Aniston “the Rachel”) says he’s had more clients dealing with hair loss in the past few years than ever before. Why? “Stress, post-COVID, Ozempic,” he says, half-laughing at the absurdities of life in the 2020s. He’s on to something, though. People who go through prolonged periods of stress or illnesses such as COVID-19 can experience telogen effluvium, which is basically when the hair-growth cycle stalls temporarily. And while there’s no evidence (yet) that people who take GLP-1s, like Ozempic, are more likely to experience hair loss, experts say it’s a possibility and are calling for more research. Oyerinde also points out that diet and lifestyle have a big impact on hair health, so if you’re eating less because of a medicine you’re taking — and not getting enough nutrients (protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals) to support hair growth — that could lead to shedding or halted growth.
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