A Doctor Shares The 5 Derm-Approved Supplements To Take If You’re Going Through Hair Loss: Minoxidil & More

It’s hard to explain to anyone who hasn’t dealt with sudden hair shedding and thinning how stressful and upsetting the situation can be. Losing hair can feel like losing control. It’s also so much more common than people think, though it’s still taboo to talk about among women.

It’s reassuring to hear an expert like Dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss say she understands the feelings that accompany hair loss and that it’s okay to “throw the kitchen sink” at it because a multifaceted approach may be what’s best.

Idriss’ first slice of advice is that it’s important to first figure out the root cause of your hair loss — without that knowledge, it’s difficult to figure out the best approach to tackle the problem. The reason you are losing hair can be genetic, hormonal, due to illness, stress, or something else entirely.

In the meantime though, while you are working with a dermatologist or trichologist to get more answers about your hair loss, these supplements and products can help bridge the gap and promote new hair growth.

Men’s Rogaine (Minoxidil)

First of all, skip over women’s Rogaine — Idriss says men’s Rogaine is most effective. Rogaine, which is also called minoxidil, works by dilating blood vessels to boost blood flow to the hair follicles and help boost hair growth. In addition to stimulating hair follicles, it helps extend the anagen phase, which is the hair phase when strands are actively growing. Minoxidil is also linked to cell proliferation in the hair follicle to help strands grow back stronger and healthier.

Ketoconazole Shampoo

Ketoconazole shampoo is an anti-fungal topical shampoo that relieves dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. These conditions and other examples of inflammation on the scalp can clog hair follicles and cause more shedding, while prohibiting hair from growing properly. Using a ketoconazole shampoo inhibits the growth of fungus and can reduce scalp inflammation. For best results, leave the shampoo on your scalp for a few minutes before rinsing it off.

Prenatal Vitamins

Prenatal vitamins contain an abundance of nutrients that are important for hair health, such as folic acid, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D. They help enhance nutrient absorption and fill in any nutritional gaps you may have to promote healthy hair growth.

Specific Supplements for Hair Loss

There are a number of supplements on the market now that are designed to help with hair loss, including fan avorite Nutrafol. They aren’t all one and the same — it’s important to speak to your dermatologist and do your own homework to compare the ingredients in various supplement brands. If you can afford to invest in a specific supplement for hair loss, you’ll benefit from ingredients like saw palmetto that helps balance hormones, curcumin to reduce inflammation, zinc and collagen, and ashwagandha, an adaptogen that aids in managing stress.

Biotin (But There’s a Caveat)

There’s always some confusion around biotin and whether it’s as important as we’ve been told for hair growth. Here’s the truth: biotin is important. You need biotin in your diet. But you don’t need an overabundance of biotin, and taking too much can, in fact, cause negative gastrointestinal distress and skin/scalp issues like rashes. Most people are not deficient in biotin and taking too much of it will not be helpful.