Do hair growth pills actually work?

By Anneliese Hesse.

<3 minute read.

"Take one a day for 30 days and see the difference!"

"Instant inches!"

"The miracle pill all your friends are using"

OK that last one sounded more like viagra.

But we've ALL seen the ads on the internet.

The question is, do any of them really work?

The short answer is ‘sometimes’.
Here’s why.

Hair growth pills typically work in one of three different ways.
They will usually either:

- Increase the QUALITY of the blood fed to the hair
- Increase the QUANTITY of the blood fed to the hair
- Reduce DHT


The quality of the blood comes down to nutritional factors, so supplemental pills can help if you are lacking in something, eg iron, zinc, or other nutrients.

However, supplements should never be solely relied upon, but instead may be used alongside nutrient rich foods to support a balanced diet. It’s also helpful to know exactly what you’re lacking in before starting anything new.
 

Increasing the quantity refers to encouraging blood flow, in this case by dilating the blood vessels.

Since the blood contains the nutrients which 'feed' our hair, think of this as 'giving the hair bigger portions of food'.

There are other ways to do this including massage and physical exercise, which may also help in promoting hair growth.

Reducing DHT is relevant to androgenetic alopecias such as Male Pattern Hair Loss.

It is not a ‘cure’ but a way of managing hair loss, and will often be accompanied by side effects. DHT stands for Dihydrotestosterone and is a hormone, so consideration of taking any pill that has an effect on hormones should always be discussed with your GP.



So, are hair growth pills worth it?

It depends what you are working with.

Hair loss can be caused by many, many different factors.
If one of the above is the core instigator, then yes, they may well be worth it - although identifying the correct type of hair growth pill for you is extremely important.

If however the cause of the hair loss is something different, then it’s highly likely the problem will not be resolved by 'hair growth' pills alone.

The true solution, as always, is determining the cause. This has never been truer than with hair loss because hair loss is not a thing on its own, but always a symptom of another condition.

Finally, an important thing to remember is to never trust a product or person promising to ‘regrow your hair’ without ever having met you, consulted with you, or seen your hair and scalp. It’s like promising someone platinum blonde hair having never even clapped eyes on them.

We hope this was helpful guidance - make sure you follow us on Instagram for more trichology and colour education!


@humankindhair
@anneliese_hesse