Six months ago I started experiencing postpartum hair loss after having my son which started me down the path of searching the best ingredients for hair growth. It was shocking to see all the hair that would come out after shampooing and I was eager to do something quick (as if there aren;’t enough things to deal with postpartum.)
There is a lot of information out there on social media about the different ingredients that supposedly stimulate hair growth, but when I looked into many of them I learned that there isn’t science to back up a lot of these ingredients. If I’m going to add something to my routine, I want to make sure it will work so I don’t end up wasting time or money. I don’t want you to waste yours either!
In this post I’ll cover some of the best ingredients for hair growth, all of which are backed by science, and some of the best products on the market with these ingredients.
So, what causes hair loss to begin with?
Hair loss can be caused by a number of factors including hormonal changes (like with postpartum hair loss), heredity, or medical issues.
But those with fine, thin hair may want to grow their hair longer and thicker even though they’re not experiencing hair loss. Lack of hair density, lack of volume and thinning hair are major issues that many are trying to solve for with hair growth ingredients.
These hair loss ingredients can stimulate hair growth for a number of conditions (although some medical issues will need to be treated by your doctor, of course.)
There are a lot of supposed hair growth ingredients out there, but these ones are all backed by science and can give you significant results in months to weeks. It will depend on the product (and your own mix of genetics and consistency of use) how fast you get there, but these are products that have given great results to lots of reviewers.
Also, hair growth products come in many forms: scalp serums, sprays, topical creams, supplements, consumable powders and even in traditional shampoo and conditioners. I would check out the individual products to learn more about the studies behind them to see if they will work for you.
Collagen is a protein known for improve the appearance of hair, skin, and nails. In the case of hair, it can thicken hair and slow hair loss by improving the skin elasticity of your scalp.
The Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder is great to add to smoothies, coffee or water. I love adding a scoop of this to a smoothie with other healthy-hair foods.
Horsetail Extract is actually a plant that is often used as an herbal remedy, but it is also great for the hair growth as well as strengthening of the hair. It has a high silicon content which means it can add shine to your hair and its antioxidant properties which improves the hair follicles.
This Bondi Boost product is super popular for its effectiveness and its ease of use. You just need to spray it onto your scalp once or twice a day and massage in gently. Reviewers report it makes their hair feel thicker and leaves their scalp feeling refreshed without adding oiliness.
Saw palmetto is a botanical extract that can reduce inflammation in the scalp and improve the overall health of the scalp. While most of the studies so far have focused on men, saw palmetto is found in a lot of hair growth supplements currently on the market.
Moon Juice’s SuperHair says you can see results after 4 weeks of daily use. These supplements support hair growth as well as stronger and thicker hair.
Caffeine applied to the scalp can stimulate the hair follicles and cause hair growth in low concentrations.
Vegamour’s Growth Hair Serum is a plant-based scalp serum that supports healthy follicle growth while also soothing the scalp.
SheaMoisture’s Strengthen and Restore Shampoo also has caffeine which helps to stimulate hair follicles. It also has niacinimide which many say causes hair growth as well, but the science does not yet support this.
Procapil (which is also present in the Bondi Boodt Procapil Tonic) increases blood flow to your scalp and activates inactive hair follicles. In doing so, it stimulates hair growth.
The Ordinary hair product launches have been a big hit and this Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density in particular aimed to help with hair growth has been difficult to get hold of. It aims to help with thinning hair as well as flaky and dry scalps. The procapil in particular aims to make hair appear thicker. I’ve been using this for the past couple weeks and I don’t find it makes my hair oily. I’ll update with the results I’ve seen after I’ve been using it long enough, but the product claims that with daily use you should see results within 4-6 weeks.
