Jamie Allison Sanders is a Los Angeles-based writer with 20+ years of experience in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. She loves researching the latest and greatest beauty products and ingredients, and can always squeeze in one more product on her already cluttered vanity.
From thinning to shedding to bald patches, hair loss can take many forms. If you’re losing more than 100 hairs a day, there are plenty of hair growth products on the market that can help bring your locks back to life.
Plus, hair loss treatments do so much more than promote hair growth, which usually takes a couple of months to see. They also help achieve the look of fuller, stronger, and healthier hair while supporting overall scalp health.
With these benefits in mind, we considered a variety of products — including hair growth shampoos, hair masks and conditioners, scalp massagers, foams, serums, and other treatments — to determine which formulas actually help promote healthy hair growth. Over a six-week period, our testers tried multiple formulas and evaluated their efficacy and growth results. Curious which ones are worth the hype? Keep reading to discover the eight best hair growth products for long, healthy hair.
Our Stars
NEED TO KNOW
Kadi Lee, a Los Angeles-based master hair colorist and the co-founder of Highbrow Hippie, has worked with Julia Roberts, Gywneth Paltrow, and Zooey Deschanel. We chatted about the topical ingredients that you should look for in hair loss treatments and hair growth products.
- Minoxidil: The only FDA-approved ingredient to treat hair loss on this list, minoxidil is the most common one you’ll come across. “It increases blood flow to the scalp,” Lee says.
- Rosemary oil: “The science is still building around this one, but as of now, rosemary oil has been shown to increase blood flow to the scalp, which helps with overall hair growth,” Lee says. It’s also been shown to boost overall scalp health and reduce dandruff.
- Biotin: If you’ve tried supplements or shampoos for thinning hair before, you’ve probably come across biotin. The B vitamin can help with overall hair health, including for conditions like balding, hair loss, and alopecia. Lee notes that it can be helpful for those with nutritional deficiencies.
- Caffeine: “When applied to the scalp, caffeine can help boost circulation,” Lee says. “It can help with the overall health of your scalp and hair.”
- Ingredients to avoid: Anything that’s harsh, drying, or irritating. Read the labels and steer clear of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and silicones.
You may want to consult your doctor before starting a treatment plan to figure out which active ingredient would work best for you.
Reviews
While our tester didn’t see dramatic results after using this hair growth serum — “My hair looks relatively similar, [but] it looks like I might have some new hair growth” — she was interested in continuing to use it beyond the testing period.
She used a dropper and a half’s worth of this Vegamour hair serum on her fine-to-medium, slightly wavy hair every day for six weeks. She appreciated that it felt nice on her scalp, absorbed well, and didn’t leave any residue: “I could apply [it] any time of the day without worrying it would make my hair look greasy,” she said. However, she found the dropper became more difficult to fill up as less serum remained in the bottle.
Experts Say
“Hair loss and thinning are both complicated issues, especially for women, and can be caused by a myriad of factors including diet, illness, medications, hormonal changes, stress, or aging.”
—Kadi Lee
It took six weeks for this tester to spot hair growth near the front of her scalp and forehead. “I think my hair thickness looked and felt the same,” she said, “but I saw a few more hairs starting to grow.”
She used the budget-friendly Mielle hair oil two to three times per week on her thick, color-treated hair, which leans oily. The application is “very easy and mess-free,” and the formula didn’t cause irritation or tingling. That said, given our tester’s hair type, the oil made her hair look a little greasy as it absorbed slowly.
Editor’s Note: This product is currently out of stock, but we will update this when it’s available.
Our tester, who described her hair as “fine but dense,” saw results after about four weeks of nightly use. “I noticed more hair on my temples, and my hair appears more full in the spots it was sparse,” she said. “My hair does feel thicker, especially in a ponytail.”
She liked how easy the serum was to apply with the dropper. It “dried within minutes” and didn’t weigh her hair down or make her pillows greasy. While she noted a strong scent upon application, it disappeared once the product dried. She also loved wearing it overnight, and said it felt like it was “working extra hard.”
Our tester has very fine, wavy, and color-treated hair and noticed significant growth after using this Hers treatment every night for four weeks. “My hair appeared longer, fuller, and healthier, and my scalp definitely filled in [and] was thicker,” she said, adding that she was “excited to continue using it to see how it progresses.”
She noted that it made her hair look greasy and left a “slight sheen” on her scalp, yet it didn’t weigh her hair down or cause irritation. The slight tingling and cooling sensation she felt upon application disappeared after more consistent use.
This Vegamour shampoo for thinning hair was a hit with our tester. After using it two to three times a week for six weeks, she noticed about 2 inches of growth — “I have bleached hair up to my roots, so it’s pretty easy to notice.” She added, “I also noticed that the hair on the peaks of my hairline appeared thicker, [and] my hair seems fuller.”
Our tester said the shampoo had a refreshing scent and spread easily without a sudsy lather. Her self-described thin yet plentiful hair felt “noticeably softer and cleaner” after blow-drying, and she noticed “less shedding” both in the shower and throughout the day.
This Redken conditioner, which helps detangle and protect against brittleness and breakage, stimulated a “very noticeable amount of growth” for our tester with 3a curls. After using it once to twice a week for three weeks, her hair “appeared not only longer but also healthier… [and] a lot less frizzy once it was dried naturally or straightened.”
She was shocked that she only needed the recommended amount of conditioner, as she typically uses much more product. She liked the conditioner’s cream-like texture, which created a “conditioning barrier around all areas of my super thick hair” without feeling greasy or oily, and appreciated the “genuine difference” it made in smoothness and shine.
Our tester with 3a/3b curly hair was impressed that her hair not only looked longer and healthier after using this nutrient-enriched hair mask once a week but also had fewer split ends. “I expected it to just provide length and hair growth improvements, but it also acted as a good deep conditioner treatment for hydration and repair.” While it didn’t help with frizz, her hair looked “thicker, fuller, and more voluminous.”
Although it’s thick, the formula “spread so smoothly and melted into the hair” without leaving behind an oily residue. It also gave “a good amount of shape” to her curls without any additional curl-enhancing products.
For four weeks, our tester used this scalp massager in the shower in conjunction with a leave-in hair mask, and she definitely saw a difference in the way it helped her scalp absorb product. It also created a “really nice lather” with shampoo and conditioner and helped her penetrate the scalp more easily, too. “It’s like a little spa moment in the shower and an easy step to add to your routine,” she said.
She appreciated the size, firmness, and spacing of the bristles and noted that the brush is both easy to hold and doesn’t tangle hair. “I feel like I’m getting a massage at the hair salon.”
How We Tested
To find the best hair growth products, we researched hundreds of formulas across multiple categories, including shampoos, conditioners, serums, hair masks, hair tools, and oils, and narrowed it down to dozens to test. From there, our testers incorporated the hair loss treatments into their regular hair care routines over a six-week period to get a full idea of how well each product held up to their claims.
Goes Well With
Looking to overhaul your beauty routine? We’ve rounded up other PEOPLE tested products that are winners in their categories. From an eyelash serum for under $10 to a dark spot corrector with two powerhouse ingredients, these are just a few of our favorites to get you started.
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