Does WEEM Grow Hair and Is It Worth It?

Answer:

WEEM Hair.Skin.Nails supplement is marketed as a "plant-based, clinically tested hair health blend" purportedly able to reduce hair fallout, promote new hair growth, combat hair thinning, and give fuller, healthier hair.

Unfortunately, as discussed below there do not appear to be any clinical studies assessing WEEM for hair loss.

While some of the ingredients in WEEM may reduce hair loss, other ingredients probably won't help and some might actually cause hair loss if taken in excess. The most promising ingredients in WEEM can be purchased individually as supplements for a much lower cost than WEEM.

Also see our article about supplements for hair loss, which includes information about other supplement formulas for hair loss such as Armra Colostrum Immune Revival, Forti5, Hair La Vie Clinical Formula, Hair Strong Gummies, Hårklinikken Hair Supplement, Lambdapil Hair Density Capsules, NourishVita Hair, Lash & Brow Growth, Nourkrin, Nutrafol, and Viviscal.

What Is In WEEM Hair.Skin.Nails

Each 2-gummy serving of WEEM Hair.Skin.Nails is listed as providing the following ingredients. We have not tested WEEM gummies, but if they contain what they claim, they can significantly contribute to meeting the Daily Values (DVs) for a range of vitamins and minerals. None of these amounts pose a safety concern in themselves.

• Vitamin A (as retinyl acetate): 630 mcg RAE (70% DV)
• Vitamin C: 20 mg (22% DV)
• Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol): 10 mcg (50% DV)
• Vitamin E (as DL-alpha tocopherol acetate): 15 mg (99% DV)
• Vitamin B6: 2 mg (118% DV)
• Folate: 433 mcg DFE (108% DV)
• Vitamin B-12: 6 mcg (250% DV)
• Biotin: 5,000 mcg (16,667% DV)
• Pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5): 5.2 mg (104% DV)
• Iodine: 42 mcg (28% DV)
• Zinc (as zinc citrate): 2.7 mg (25% DV)
• Choline (as choline bitartrate): 0.04 mg (>1% DV)
• Inositol: 40 mg

A 2-gummy serving of WEEM also includes 3 grams of sugar (4 grams of carbohydrates in total), providing 15 Calories.

Ingredients In WEEM That Might Help with Hair or Nails – With Caveats

Biotin — but only if you’re deficient

Biotin deficiency can cause hair loss, but taking biotin if you're not deficient won't help your hair. However, one study suggested that high-dose biotin modestly strengthened brittle nails — see the Biotin section of the B Vitamin Supplements Review for more information.

Be aware that high doses of biotin, like the 5,000 mcg in a serving of WEEM, can interfere with certain medications and laboratory tests, including tests used to diagnose thyroid disease and heart attacks, so you should tell your doctor if you are taking a supplement high in biotin.

Vitamin B-12 — weak evidence

Vitamin B-12 has been proposed to be beneficial for boosting the number of hair cells, but there is no strong clinical evidence supporting its use for hair loss (Drake, JAMA Dermatol 2023). A 4-month study among 10 people with a specific form of telogen effluvium (diffuse hair loss) and normal blood levels of vitamin B-12 showed that taking 2,000 mcg of vitamin B-12 by mouth once daily and receiving subcutaneous or intramuscular injections (1,000 mcg of B-12 once monthly) reduced hair shedding in all individuals compared to baseline, but this study did not include a placebo group, which is needed to prove a benefit, especially since this type of hair loss is generally self-resolving (Daly, J Drugs Dermatol 2018). Also, the amount of B-12 in WEEM (6 mcg per serving) is just a tiny fraction of the amount given in this study.

Ingredients In WEEM Unlikely to Help

Zinc

Severe deficiency in zinc (which can result from, or cause, hypothyroidism) can cause diffuse hair loss (Franca, JCDSA 2013). Although zinc supplementation has been shown to improve symptoms (including hair loss) in cases of hypothyroidism and low blood levels of zinc (Ambooken, Int J Trich 2013), the dose used to correct zinc levels (usually at least 15 mg and up to 100 mg per day) is far more than the amount of zinc in a serving of WEEM (2.7 mg).

Vitamin C

Some experts recommend taking vitamin C to boost absorption of iron — low levels of which have been linked with hair loss. However, research shows that vitamin C supplementation does not significantly increase iron absorption (Li, JAMA Netw Open 2020; Snook, Gut 2021). See our Iron Supplements Review for details.

Vitamin D

Severe deficiencies in vitamin D can cause diffuse hair loss, but there do not appear to be clinical studies evaluating vitamin D supplementation for reducing hair loss (Saini, J Cosmet Dermatol 2021; Franca, JCDSA 2013). Furthermore, the form of vitamin D in WEEM (the D2 form) may not be the best options, as some studies have shown that the D3 form is more effective at raising blood levels of vitamin D (Armas, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004; Trang, Am J Clin Nutr 1998; Holick, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008; Biancuzzo, Am J Clin Nutr 2010).

Pantothenic Acid (vitamin B-5)

No research has linked pantothenic acid deficiency with hair loss, and a study showed that taking a calcium salt form of pantothenic acid did not help women with diffuse hair loss (Brzezinska-Wcislo, Wiad Lek 2001).

Vitamin B-6

Receiving daily injections of vitamin B-6 for 20 to 30 days every 6 months reduced hair loss among women with diffuse hair loss compared to baseline in one study. However, the study did not include a placebo-control group, which is needed to prove a benefit (Brzezinska-Wcislo, Wiad Lek 2001), and there do not appear to be any clinical studies showing a benefit of oral vitamin B-6 supplementation for hair loss.

Iodine

A deficiency in iodine can lead to hypothyroidism, which can cause hair loss. However, most people can get enough iodine from their diet, and there does not appear to be any clinical evidence showing that iodine supplementation is beneficial for hair loss.

Choline and Inositol

There does not appear to be any research indicating that choline or inositol are beneficial for hair loss.

Ingredients in WEEM that might worsen hair loss

Vitamin A

There does not appear to be evidence that vitamin A is beneficial for hair loss, and getting too much can actually cause hair loss.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E has antioxidant effects that some believe may reduce oxidative stress in the scalp, which has been linked with hair loss. However, there is very limited evidence supporting vitamin E supplementation for hair loss. Research linking low blood levels of vitamin E with hair loss is mixed (Ramadan, Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2013; Naziroglu, Cell Biochem Funct 2000). A small study showed that taking the tocotrienol form of vitamin E might increase hair density among adults with various types of hair loss, but it did not increase hair weight compared to placebo (Beoy, Trop Life Sci Res 2010). However, the form of vitamin E in WEEM is DL-alpha-tocopherol acetate — a synthetic form that does not contain tocotrienols — and there are no studies evaluating this form for hair loss. Furthermore, getting too much vitamin E may cause hair loss (Rushton, Clin Exp Dermatol 2002).

Folate

There does not appear to be evidence linking low blood levels of folate with hair loss or showing that folate supplementation is beneficial for hair loss (Durusoy, Clin Exp Dermatol 2009). In fact, a study among women with diffuse hair loss showed that about 30% had elevated blood levels of folic acid (Rushton, Clin Exp Dermatol 2002).

Is It Worth It?

We don't think WEEM is likely to help people with hair loss who do not have nutrient deficiencies. We also don't think it worth its price — 83 cents per 2-gummy serving. Only two of the ingredients in WEEM (5,000 mcg of biotin and 6 mcg of vitamin B-12) might have benefit for hair loss. However, you can get these ingredients from other supplements at much lower cost. For example, you can get 5,000 mg of biotin from our Top Pick for biotin for only 6 cents. Our Top Picks for vitamin B-12 cost only 5 to 20 cents and provide 50 to 1,000 mcg — much more than the 6 mcg in WEEM. Combined, these ingredients would cost less than one-third that of WEEM.