According to the Cleveland Clinic, more than 50% of women are dealing with hair loss.There’s only one FDA-approved ingredient formulated to effectively treat hair loss, minoxidil, so consider a product with a concentration of minoxidil for the best growth potential.
Causes of hair loss is multifactorial and can include things such as stress, hormonal changes, medications, genetics, and hair products that irritate the scalp, says dermatologist Peterson Pierre, MD. He notes that there is only one FDA-approved medical treatment for hair loss: topical minoxidil. Formulas that exfoliate the scalp can also be helpful, he says. Ingredients like saw palmetto and tea tree oil have antibacterial and healing properties that contribute to overall scalp health.
With this in mind, we conducted hours of research on the best hair loss treatments for women, evaluating formulas on active ingredients, type, and results. Our team then combined these results with dermatologist-recommended picks to create this list.
Best OverallWomen’s Rogaine 5% Minoxidil Foam for Hair Thinning and Loss
“OTC minoxidil has a long-standing history of being effective in slowing down hair loss while promoting hair growth,” says Pierre. Longsworth is a fan, noting that this option, which contains a 5 percent concentration of the ingredient, is effective and scientifically proven to boost hair growth.2 In short, this is our top pick because there’s no question about it getting the job done. The unscented foam is easy-to-use, though FYI, it does have to be used daily to see and then maintain results. One box contains a two-month supply.
Best Scalp Scrub: Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Happi Scalp Scrub
Exfoliation isn’t just for your face or body. It’s also an important step for your scalp, where it can help eliminate built-up residue and dead cells that can clog the follicles from which new hair grows. We like this option because it uses a combo of different alpha-hydroxy acids—glycolic, citric, lactic, and tartaric—to dissolve all of the above without irritating. And unlike so many other scalp scrubs out there, it comes in an easy-to-use squeeze bottle versus a jar, which can easily get messy.
Best Serum: Vegamour GRO Hair Serum
Vegan and cruelty-free, this relies on plant-based ingredients to help combat shedding and thinning. Turmeric and mung bean help condition the scalp for optimal growth. Reviewers note the formula doesn’t leave behind a greasy residue.
Best Overall, Runner-Up: Nioxin Hair Regrowth Treatment For Women
Another minoxidil-based pick contains 2 percent of the active ingredient. Apply it (twice daily) just on top of the scalp, on any areas where you have hair loss. Reviewers rave about how well it works, though note that it does take some time to see results.
Best Budget: Keranique Hair Regrowth Treatment for Women 2% Minoxidil Topical Solution USP
A 30-day supply of this option, yet another pick that contains 2 percent minoxidil, comes in at just under 30 dollars, making it a great wallet-friendly choice. Reviewers note the targeted sprayer makes it super easy to apply exactly where you need it.
Best Supplement: Nutrafol Women Hair Growth Supplement
According to Pierre, this is one of the very few supplements that has research backing up its claims. It’s also a best-seller with tons of positive reviews. The formula contains saw palmetto to help address DHT, ashwagandha, and marine collagen peptides.4 Ingredients work in tandem to help slow shedding and help hair grow longer, faster, and stronger.
Best Supplement, Runner-Up: Viviscal Hair Growth Supplements for Women
A more affordable pick, Pierre says this has research behind it to show it works; credit a combo of biotin, iron, and horsetail extract.5 Not only can it help promote hair regrowth, but it also strengthens the hair you do have, always a good thing in our book. You only need to take two tablets daily, though bear in mind that it may take anywhere from three to six months to see results.
Best Shampoo: Advanced Trichology HairStem DHT Blocking Treatment Shampoo
While a rinse-off shampoo isn’t going to be a miracle solution on its own, it is a good option to use in tandem with other treatments. This one was developed by a trichologist and has 14 years of research behind it. The formula contains ingredients such as saw palmetto to help block DHT, an androgen that’s derived from testosterone and can shrink the hair follicle.6 Plus, it also contains natural antibacterial tea tree oil to combat scalp issues and strengthening biotin, among other ingredients.
Best Shampoo, Runner-Up: Pura D’Or Original Gold Label Anti-Thinning Biotin Shampoo
Another great shampoo option, this formula from Pura D’Or contains a blend of 17 natural herbs to help with hair loss, such as argan oil, saw palmetto, and tea tree oil. Its been clinically tested to show that its formula to improve hair growth, but if that isn’t enough to convince you, it’s almost 15,000 5-star reviews on Amazon will probably do the trick. Reviewers love that their hair looked noticeably thicker after continued use, and they saw less shedding after washing.
Best ConditionerBosleyMD BosRevive Volumizing Conditioner
By definition, a conditioner is meant for the lengths of your hair and not your scalp; in other words, it’s not going to do much in the way of growth. But what the right conditioner can do is help strengthen hair and make them look fuller, giving you instant gratification that other products can’t. This particular pick has panthenol to strengthen hair and improve moisture retention so that hair looks fuller, so much so that, according to a brand-backed study, 94 percent of users saw more volume in their hair.
Best Conditioner, Runner-UpBaebody Argan Oil Conditioner
This is a great conditioner choice if you’re looking for something that can nourish and protect the hair. It’s full of ingredients that are popular for their moisturizing and strengthening properties, such as argan oil, olive oil, shea butter, and vitamin E. Reviewers love that it doesn’t leave their hair feeling greasy or heavy.
Best System: Collective Laboratories Regimen
This three-part system makes for a super easy (and very effective) way to address hair loss every single day. Suds up with the detoxifying shampoo, which contains DHT-blocking saw palmetto, then follow up with the strengthening conditioner. The final step is the brand’s hero product, a leave-on serum that stimulates microcirculation, strengthens hair, balances oil production, deters yeast growth, and can help address all kinds of different types of hair loss as a result.
Best for Scalp Health: Alodia Soothe Hair & Scalp Herbal Infusion
This oil formula penetrates the hair follicles to strengthen from the inside. A blend of tea tree, chamomile, peppermint oil, and spearmint oils stimulate growth, and cool, calm, and soothe an itchy or irritated scalp.
Best Oil: Soultanicals Bloom-Supa Potent Healthy Hair Growth Oil
Bridgette Hill, a certified trichologist likes this pick because it contains rosemary oil, which can help stimulate hair follicle growth with daily application. She adds that it also improves blood circulation to the scalp and destroys bacteria that clog hair follicles, and has fewer side effects than minoxidil.8 Plus, there are other ingredients here that are good for your hair and scalp, including moisturizing olive oil, horsetail extract, and biotin, among others.
Best Oil, Runner-Up: Tropic Isle Living Strong Roots Red Pimento Hair Growth Oil
The start of the show here is castor oil, which is rich in ricinoleic, oleic, stearic, palmitic, linoleic, and linolenic acid, says Hill. These fatty acids have been shown to reduce DHT formation by inhibiting the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT, she explains, adding that DHT production is a major cause of genetic hair loss. Also nice: There are plenty of ways to use it. It works well as a pre-shampoo treatment, hot oil treatment, or simply to accompany a scalp massage.
Best for Shedding: Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Hair Fall Scalp Serum
This scalp serum contains botanical active ingredients and nutrients helps keep the hair follicle healthy and the hair fiber strong and intact. Also nice: It contains pro-vitamin B5 to keep the hair you do have from splitting.
Best Preventative: Renee Furterer Triphasic Progressive Serum
If you’re trying to prevent hair loss, Hill recommends this serum. “It nourishes the scalp with hydration and feeds it the necessary ingredients to support scalp and hair at the cellular level, helping to create healthy hair.” It only needs to be used twice per week for the first month and once per week thereafter.
Best Treatment: Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil
This product has been all over TikTok lately as a must-have product for hair growth, and for good reason. It’s formulated with over 30 essential oils to stimulate the hair follicles and infused with biotin to accelerate hair growth—and it can also be used to soothe dry scalp and treat split ends. Reviewers love that it has a cooling sensation when applying and that they can see noticeable results.
Final Verdict
Our best overall pick is Rogaine’s Women’s 5% Minoxidil Topical Aerosol Hair Regrowth Treatment for its high concentration of active, clinically proven growth ingredients. For a more affordable pick, consider Keranique’s Hair Regrowth Treatment for Women 2% Minoxidil Topical Solution USP, which also contains the FDA-approved ingredient for hair growth and is an effective thickener.
What to Look For in Hair Loss Treatments
Minoxidil
Trichologist Bridgette Hill stresses that there are a multitude of reasons why you could be experiencing hair loss and that there is no single cure. However, she says there are many products out there that support both scalp and hair health, so it’s important to get to the root of your issue and treat it accordingly.
She says there is truly only one ingredient approved by the FDA to help regrow hair: minoxidil. “It was initially created to support patients with hypertension and later found to help regrow hair,” she says. “It’s reported to push the hair from the resting phase to the growing stage. However, there is no defined reason for how this happens.” She also mentions that there may be some adverse side effects when using a Minoxidil product, so be sure to do your research before trying it for yourself. Of course, there are plenty of products on the market that can improve hair health, though they don’t boast growth benefits. If you’re looking to try a product that contains Minoxidil for hair growth, we recommend the Women’s Rogaine 5% Minoxidil Foam and the Nioxin Hair Regrowth Treatment For Women.
Scalp Health-Boosting Ingredients
A healthy scalp is the key to healthy hair, so Hill also suggests reaching for products, such as ingestibles, that contain scalp health-boosting ingredients. If you’re dealing with an itchy scalp, dandruff, or irritation, she recommends topical ingredients like salicylic acid or natural options like rosemary, peppermint, and tea tree oils. We love the Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil, which includes these three oils as well as biotin for hair growth.
With that in mind, she also recommends avoiding products with silicones and heavy oils. “Silicones or heavy oils of any type combined with your hair’s natural sebum can clog the follicles, causing follicle stress and negatively impacting overall follicle fitness,” she says.
DHT-Blocking Ingredients
Hill says it could be beneficial to try a DHT-blocking product if your hair loss is related to hormones or genetics. “Fluctuations in hormones can negatively impact your hair’s life cycle,” she says. “For example, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), derived from testosterone, can shrink the follicle, basically ‘killing’ it and causing hair loss and future hair growth challenges. It’s thought that topically applied DHT blockers like saw palmetto and pumpkin seed oil could help eliminate DHT from attacking the follicle.” Some of our favorites with DHT-blocking ingredients include the Advanced Trichology HairStem DHT Blocking Treatment Shampoo and the Nutrafol Women Hair Growth Supplement, which both contain saw palmetto.
FAQ
What are the causes of hair loss?
William Gaunitz, a trichologist, explains that genetic hair loss in both men and women is connected to a sensitivity to DHT and revolves around certain levels of androgens connected to hair follicle receptors. “This type of hair loss only affects the top of the scalp,” he says.
Gaunitz adds that inflammatory hair loss—the kind caused by stress, medications, and lifestyle factors—is the most challenging to deal with because everyone is different. “This type of hair loss can be patchy and unpredictable and be associated with itching and burning,” he says.
Another big cause of hair loss? Lack of nutrition. “Nutritional hair loss, in my opinion, is the most prominent form of hair loss worldwide and is also the most easily correctable,” he says. “Nutritional hair loss causes general thinning throughout the entire scalp and can exacerbate other types of hair loss.”
To get your hair back to its thickest, fullest potential, it’s important to address all the root causes of your hair loss. “Hair is very sensitive to inflammation, so it’s important to avoid anything that irritates the scalp, such as certain hair dyes,” says Peterson Pierre, MD. “The frequent use of heating tools can cause breakage. You should also condition your hair and moisturize your scalp regularly to minimize your chances of hair loss.”
As for nutrition, you want your doctor to run a full blood panel, so they can recommend nutrients you could be lacking. For healthy hair, key nutrients are iron, zinc, ferritin, folate, and vitamin D3, says Gaunitz.
