Do hair loss supplements, such as Viviscal, Hair La Vie, and Nutrafol, or topical essential oils work?

Answer:

Deficiencies in nutrients such as iron, zinc, biotin, riboflavin, vitamin D and protein can cause hair loss. Supplementing to offset these deficiencies may reverse this hair loss. However, supplementing with these nutrients is unlikely to benefit people who already get adequate amounts.

Certain supplements — such as DHEA, selenium, St. John's wort, and vitamin A — as well as many drugs can also cause hair loss. In some cases, discontinuing use of these agents can reverse hair loss.

Many supplement ingredients including saw palmetto, beta-sitosterol, black seed oil, and pumpkin seed oil, as well as topical essential oils are promoted for hair regrowth but have shown only modest benefits, at best, and the quality of the evidence is generally weak.

Similarly, there is little to no evidence to support the benefit of "hair formula" supplements, such as Forti5, Hair La Vie Clinical Formula, Lambdapil, Nourkrin, Nutrafol, and Viviscal (which includes marine protein) products, as well as hair loss shampoos such as Pura d'or Hair Thinning Therapy Shampoo or Nioxin shampoos.

There is preliminary evidence taking a low dose of the drug minoxidil orally (as opposed to its approved, topical use, as in Rogaine) or dutasteride (which is used for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia) may help regrow thinning hair and may work better than low-dose finasteride (Propecia, which is approved for treating male-pattern baldness), although there are possible side effects with these drugs.

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• Nutrient deficiencies that can cause hair loss
• Supplements that can cause hair loss
• Medications that can cause hair loss
• Supplement ingredients for treating hair loss
• Supplement formulas for treating hair loss
  • Armra Colostrum Immune Revival
  • Forti5
  • Hair La Vie Clinical Formula
  • Lambdapil Hair Density Capsules
  • Nourkrin
  • Nutrafol
  • Viviscal
• Topicals for treating hair loss
• Shampoos for treating hair loss
  • Nioxin
  • Pura d'or Hair Thinning Therapy Shampoo
• Drugs for hair loss (Minoxidil, finasteride, and dutasteride)