Expert-Approved Hair Growth Products for Women 

Although hair loss is often seen as a male issue, more than a third of women experience it as well. There are numerous causes, age being one of them, but you don’t have to just live with the condition. Scalp treatments (and even supplements) that promote healthy hair growth can be beneficial to many.. They support anyone experiencing hair thinning or hair loss and can even add extra strength to otherwise brittle or breakable strands. 

If you're experiencing hair loss or hair thinning, you should always talk to your doctor or a scalp expert. We tapped BosleyMD trichologist Gretchen Friese for her advice on the best options for women experiencing hair loss and/or thinning. 

Find the Root Cause of Hair Loss

Before you jump into a treatment, it’s a good idea to see if there’s a health reason for your hair loss. There might not be a black-and-white answer, and that’s OK. But you want to gather all the information you can. First, Friese recommends checking your iron levels, since iron deficiency can sometimes lead to hair loss or thinning. Checking your thyroid is a good idea, too, as thyroid dysfunction can cause hair loss. Next, she says, "Make sure you are eating healthy, drinking enough water, and controlling your stress levels as much as possible."

Try a Scalp Treatment 

Once you rule out any root causes, Friese suggests "taking a supplement for healthy hair support and using topical products like shampoos, conditioners, and treatments focused on hair growth and preventing hair loss." It's important to note that these are different from hair treatments that just add thickness, volume, and strength to hair strands. "Most hair growth products focus on the hair follicle," she says. "They will create a healthy environment for the hair to grow and strengthen the hair follicles. Products that [just] strengthen the hair mostly focus on the hair strands and help provide things like keratin to add strength to the hair already on the head. However, a good hair growth product will also help grow thicker, healthier hair out of the follicle."

As mentioned, you should always talk to your primary care physician or dermatologist if you are experiencing hair loss or thinning to pinpoint what the root cause is before investing in a hair growth treatment or supplement. But once you get the OK to try something, the below options are some of our favorites.

Nutrafol for Women

Nutrafol is a leading supplement brand when it comes to targeting hair loss and hair thinning. This physician-created formula is designed specifically for women and contains a host of vitamins including biotin, zinc, and growth-promoting herbs such as saw palmetto. It’s a drug-free choice with great clinical research, but it does involve taking many pills a day, so it’s a commitment. 

Women's Rogaine

Rogaine is what we would consider the "big guns" when it comes to hair growth treatments. It contains 5% minoxidil, the only over-the-counter drug that's FDA-approved to treat hair loss. It reactivates hair follicles and stimulates growth, but it's also considered a category C pregnancy drug. This means it might not be safe for babies and you'll want to steer clear if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.

Hers Hair Blends Solution

Hers offers a topical scalp solution that can be prescribed online after a consultation with a Hers health care provider. The solution contains a blend of growth-promoting ingredients such as biotin, ketoconazole, and vitamin B5, along with minoxidil, the medication that increases new hair growth. The same pregnancy concerns exist here, as well.

Musely The Hair Topical Solution

In addition to minoxidil, this topical serum contains dutasteride and spironolactone to encourage new hair growth and inhibit the production of hair-loss-causing hormones. As with Hers, you can get a prescription to the treatment with an online consultation.

Nurx Scalp Treatment Plan

Another great option that provides you with a customizable treatment plan for your scalp needs is Nurx. As with other custom solution-oriented sites, you'll speak with a licensed medical professional about your concerns, provide a few photos of your hair, and then receive a custom treatment plan. This can include medications such as minoxidil or drug-free options.

Happy Head SuperCapsule + Custom Topical

Happy Head offers a growth-promoting bundle of both a custom topical scalp treatment and oral medication to supercharge your hair growth. If you don't want or need both, you can purchase each of the items on their own, too, after chatting with a health care provider online.

Ro Hair Solution RX

Whether you're looking for a spray, oral medication, or serum to help with hair growth, Ro can deliver one or all three directly to your doorstep. Here you’ll find both prescription and drug-free choices.

BosleyMD Revive+ Hair Densifying Foam

"This foam helps regrow hair by activating the hair follicles on a cellular level," Friese says. "It also extends the hair growth cycle, and the longer a strand of hair is in the follicle, the thicker it will get."

Viviscal Hair Growth Supplements

If you'd rather go the medication-free route, you can try Viviscal's supplement with a proprietary blend of growth-promoting ingredients such as collagen, biotin, zinc, vitamin C, iron, and niacin.

Vegamour Gro Serum

This serum is more of a hair-strengthening and redensifying product than a true growth one, but it's another great option if you're not too keen on using a topical medication on your scalp. It contains a host of ingredients that help decrease hair fall and improve density, such as turmeric and red clover.