Hair Loss Remedies: The Best Men’s Hair Growth Supplements Worth Your Time and Money
Say it with me: Biotin is not a pivotal hair loss solution.
July 26, 2024
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When it comes to fighting and preventing hair loss, there are a few hair growth supplements that you can put your faith in, but only to a certain extent.
And no, I’m not talking about standalone biotin pills. I’ve spoken with a lot of guys who think that taking biotin is going to be the solution to their hair loss woes. Sure, that vitamin is effective-ish at making hair grow faster (and you’ll probably be clipping your nails more frequently too) but as a hair retention remedy, biotin itself is not the panacea for improving follicular nutrition nor fighting off the androgens that shrink hair follicles. Leave that to the more reliable hair loss treatments, like minoxidil and finasteride.
So which hair growth supplements actually work to prevent hair loss (and maybe even help regrow some hairs too)? Or rather, which ingredients are most important in the many hair-targeted nutraceuticals out there? Read on.
Jump to: Multivitamins | Hair Loss Multivitamins | Saw Palmetto | Pumpkin Seed Oil | Ashwagandha | Plan of Action
Where Hair Growth Vitamins Rank in Terms of a Hair Retention Plan
Let’s take one step back and look at supplementation’s benefits on hair in general. Compared to minoxidil and finasteride (and even plasma injections and low-level laser therapy), I think hair supplements are certainly a supplementary component. That is to say, they should not be your primary choice for retaining and regrowing hair—at least not if you want to take the most science-backed, modern-tech approach.
Sure, some people will argue tooth and nail for a naturals-only approach. I do think a few select supplements show promise—and I’ve been using them for years—but I also would never advise someone to put their faith in supplements alone. Still, I would rank these hair loss vitamins far ahead of a true non-starter, hair loss shampoo.
But research does suggest that ingesting specific nutrients can play a huge role in hair retention and restimulation of dormant follicles. I also think hair supplements are an absolute must if you’ve had a hair transplant and need to keep the original hairs as strong as possible for as long as possible. The last thing you want is to experience any thinning of the pre-transplant hairs up top there.
The 4 Anti Hair Loss Supplements Worth Considering
1. Multivitamins
Alright, I know it’s underwhelming to start this list of hair growth supplements with something as general as “multivitamins”. However, hear me out: A multivitamin gives you all kinds of nutrients that you may be missing on any given day (even for benefits beyond hair strength).There are a bunch of pro-hair minerals like zinc, selenium, and iron—plus the usual suspects such as biotin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and so forth. I could do an entire spinoff article on all of these ingredients and how they individually help keep hair healthy, but do I honestly expect you to take this many supplements? No. Plus, there are so many nutrients that your body will just rid of once it reaches its daily needs. And in addition to that, there are certain ingredients like the above minerals that need to be ingested in controlled amounts, at risk of toxicity, so a reputable multivitamin will provide you with adequate supplementation without overdoing it.
I think of a multivitamin as the best way to throw a Hail Mary and get the most from doing the least. It’s not as targeted and intentional as the other ingredients that I mention below. For that reason, I use a multivitamin as my baseline, then add other ingredients to the morning pill intake.
If you’re taking minoxidil, you will also improve the delivery of these nutrients to the hair follicles, since minoxidil works as a vasodilator to open up the blood vessels and boost circulation.
If you want to take a very general multivitamin, then you can find a lot of low-cost ones across Amazon or your local drug store. Some of the nutrients I listed above are the buzzwords to look for, if you want one specifically benefiting hair growth. (Again, just assume it’s going to benefit you in a host of ways, with some hair help being one.)
It can be a guessing game as for which brands are producing reliable, results-oriented formulas. If you’re stuck search, then stick with a name brand like One A Day, which is also a great value (200 pills, one per day, under $20); the 50K monthly sales and nearly 50K reviews that average 4.7 stars is a great indication, too:
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As for Hair Loss Multivitamins…
You can also take a daily multivitamin that frontloads the hair benefits, most of which will include the other ingredients on my list below.
The single best hair loss multivitamin in the game is a no brainer: Nutrafol’s supplements for men. (I guess technically it is considered a nutraceutical as opposed to a multivitamin.) They are the gold standard, with a complex of 21 ingredients that all play a role in hair, scalp, and follicle health, including many of the aforementioned nutrients plus collagen, curcumin, amino acids, and more—like saw palmetto and ashwagandha, both of which are on my “key supplements to target” list below.
There’s no beating around the bush: Nutrafol is expensive, and the brand recommends taking 4 pills a day (so you get a month’s supply in one bottle). That’s why I often recommend that guys build their own supplement regimen—you can probably stretch your budget 3 or 4 times as far, if not more than that. That said, know that this pill is just about the best any one hair supplement is going to do for you. And it takes a lot of the guesswork out of supplementation; this is truly your all-in-one hair care supplement.
Now is a good time to remind you though: Even the best nutraceuticals and multivitamins should be secondary to primary hair loss solutions like minoxidil, finasteride, PRP, and LLLT. Studies echo my sentiment, too.
And I’d be lying if I said that Nutrafol’s formula didn’t give me the script for the other targeted vitamins that I take (since I typically take a generic multivitamin with the three below standalone supplements).
2. Saw Palmetto (up to 320 mg/day)
Saw palmetto is a hero ingredient in most hair nutraceutical blends, and is often deployed topically in scalp serums that target hair loss. Studies have shown that simply applying it to the scalp can block DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which is the androgen that shrinks hair follicles in male-pattern hair loss. (Ignore its inclusion in “hair loss shampoos” though. Shampoos aren’t on your scalp long enough to allow absorption of saw palmetto.)
Saw palmetto is used in high dosages to treat prostate issues, which could explain its comparison to finasteride (which is also prescribed in large doses to address enlarged prostates). As Dr. James Collyer told me for a GQ article on the same topic, side effects are rare and minimal with saw palmetto, so you’re not at high risk of toxicity here, within reason. I try to stick with the lower end of the dosage since I’m just taking it cosmetically and alongside finasteride–so I try to aim for under or around 200 milligrams a day. (Remember, I’m not a doctor. I’m only saying what I personally do, given my many years of covering this as a journalist.) But again, studies have shown success and little concern with patients ingesting up to 320 mg a day, too, and I trust Dr. Collyer’s take.
As the same studies suggest, ingesting saw palmetto will have similar if not greater benefits than topical application, in terms of inhibiting DHT production in the body. So, for obvious reasons, saw palmetto is often compared to finasteride for this DHT-stifling ability, though studies suggest that finasteride is still doubly effective than the standard 320 mg of saw palmetto.
Again, a saw palmetto supplement is supplementary compared to the prescriptive medicines—however, lots of guys choose not to take oral finasteride for its risks of sexual side effects, which makes a saw palmetto supplement doubly appealing, given its lack of similar risks. I would say, if you are taking minoxidil but not taking finasteride (nor do you plan to take finasteride), then saw palmetto is essential. You can scroll down to see my “plan of action” for supplementing, which will summarize this article.
Here’s a saw palmetto supplement I’ve taken many times—it also has pumpkin seed oil (the next ingredient on my list), albeit in small 80 mg amounts:
3. Pumpkin Seed Oil (as much as 1000-2000 mg daily)
Pumpkin seed oil is right there with saw palmetto in conversations about DHT mitigation. Studies suggest that this ingredient also has similar DHT-thwarting abilities as saw palmetto, thanks to its bounty of phytosterols. (And enlarged-prostate-calming abilities, too.) Those studies also found few side effects in their patients, who were taking anywhere from 320-400 mg of pumpkin seed oil per day. These findings aren’t as firm as those for saw palmetto, so if you just choose one of these two, make it saw palmetto for now. I take both daily.
I always aim for a single low-volume dose around ~400-500 mg per day (since I am also taking saw palmetto), but you could consider going up to as much as 2000 mg/daily, Collyer told me for that GQ article; if you aren’t taking saw palmetto, perhaps you could err on the 1000+ mg end of that spectrum.
Here’s a pumpkin seed oil supplement, also from Now, a supplement brand I trust wholeheartedly. The 200-count bottle has a great value:
4. Ashwagandha (up to 500 mg daily)
The last supplement I take daily is ashwagandha. You know the phrase “the stress is making all my hair fall out?” Well, here’s an adaptogen that can neutralize stress’s impact on your bodily functions, by lowering cortisol levels throughout. So, your scalp stays chill, and because your body isn’t flowing with stress juices, your hairs stay anchored too. (And the rest of your body benefits, as well; ashwagandha could help lower breakouts, even, since cortisol is often to blame.)
You can often find ashwagandha in powder form, but I take it in a pill every day. Aim for 250-500 mg per day, Collyer told me for that GQ piece; side effects aren’t likely (they’re very rare in the first place, though I’d be remiss not to mention that rare instances of liver issues have arisen in patients who pair it with antianxiety drugs—again, I’m not a doctor, so run all of your decisions by a board-certified dermatologist, please!).
And yes, ashwagandha is a common ingredient in most nutraceuticals for hair loss for all of the above reasons—but its whole-body benefits are so fantastic, too, given how it lowers the impact of stress uniformly. This can yield better sleep quality, better fertility and testosterone levels, and more.
Let’s keep it in the family with Now’s 450 mg dailies—the brand maintains a high-value at reasonable costs, and I love that these ones are a generous dose of the ingredient without exceeding the doctor’s orders:
Hair Growth Supplements: The Best Plan of Action
So, let’s recap: At least be taking minoxidil and/or finasteride for hair loss, among the many hair growth solutions. As for supplements, take a daily multivitamin first and foremost.
If the multivitamin doesn’t include the following three ingredients, then consider bringing them into rotation too: saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, and ashwagandha.
Saw palmetto is great if you aren’t taking finasteride, which many men choose to forego given its risk for sexual side effects (which saw palmetto won’t risk). Adding pumpkin seed oil in support of saw palmetto is a great insurance policy, too, since it also helps thwart DHT production (the androgen that shrinks hair follicles).
But if you only choose one of those two, make it saw palmetto. Adding ashwagandha to your daily rotation will help lower cortisol levels, and in turn reduce inflammation to improve hair retention.
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