Will Popular Hair Loss Products Help Alopecia?

If you have alopecia areata, you’re probably curious about whether hair loss products can improve the condition.

In short, it depends on the product. But before you choose any, it’s a good idea to consult a dermatologist to develop a treatment plan that’s tailored to you.

“There are many treatments for hair loss, but these are diagnosis dependent,” says Dina D. Strachan, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at New York University and the director of Aglow Dermatology in New York City. Keep reading to learn more about your options.

There are plenty of hair loss products available, whether they’re over the counter, prescription, or through a subscription service. Many of them claim to do one of a few things:

• Retain your natural hair
• Disguise thinning hair
• Implant and regrow your hair
• Provide you with hair alternatives

Not all claims are legitimate, though. “One of my biggest concerns is that, more and more, we are seeing nonmedical professional marketers create a product and promote it on social media, making a claim they can heal these conditions,” says Ken Williams, Jr., DO, founder of Orange County Hair Restoration in Irvine, California, and coauthor of Hair Transplant 360: Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), Volume 4. “But there may be no medical or scientific basis to it.”

Plus, if the product isn’t effective, you could be delaying proper treatment, which may only worsen hair loss later on. (Keep in mind that hair regrowth isn’t always possible.) “I’ve seen people go from hair loss of about one quarter in size to alopecia totalis” without proper treatment by a medical professional, says Dr. Williams.

Not only is there more than one type of alopecia, but the condition also varies in terms of its severity. And not all conditions respond equally to all treatments. Here are a few you’re likely to encounter.

“It is best to use it early to preserve the hairs growing on the scalp, [because if] hairs have miniaturized, minoxidil may help to restore some features of the hair before it was as thin and fine,” says Dr. Bordone.

When it comes to hair loss in other areas, “Minoxidil does help to improve facial hair growth when applied consistently to the beard area,” Bordon notes. “It can also help eyebrow growth, but great care would need to be taken to avoid getting minoxidil in the eye. Use along the eyelashes is strongly discouraged.”

“If facial hair becomes excessive, and this is sometimes problematic in women, the minoxidil would need to be discontinued,” she says. “If hair growth persisted beyond six months after discontinuation, then laser hair removal or other treatments to reduce hair would likely be needed.”

Both Bordone and Strachan caution against seeking implant treatments for alopecia, even though it can be tempting.

“Implanted hair that isn’t done through a transplant is not [a U.S. Food and Drug Administration]-approved treatment,” says Bordone. “Most claims made for hair regrowth are false. The only studies showing over-the-counter improvement in growth that have significant scientific support involve the use of minoxidil.”

Williams does not recommend transplants, because alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder. Even if a transplant is done after the disease has been treated, there is a risk that the transplants will not hold or that the process will reactivate the alopecia, causing more hair loss, he says.

Many popular and brand-name serums seek to address hair loss or thinning hair on other parts of the body. They claim to improve eyelash length and thickness and help regrow eyebrow hair, but Bordone advises talking to your doctor before trying them for alopecia-related hair loss.

“Physicians can also perform steroid injections when limited areas are involved,” says Bordone.

Overall, these options provide promise for people living with alopecia areata. “We have considerable success with treatment in most cases,” Bordone notes.

If over-the-counter or prescription options aren’t working for you, you may be curious about temporary solutions that can help camouflage hair loss. Some options that are safe for alopecia include:

• Wigs
• Weaves
• Toupees

“Pigmented fibers that look like hair, or even different dark makeup powders and sprays on the scalp, can give the illusion of additional hair,” says Bordone.

According to Strachan, products that don’t specifically address inflammation but stimulate and support hair growth could also be helpful as a supplemental therapy tool for autoimmune-related alopecia. One example is a red light cap, which has been cleared by the FDA for androgenetic alopecia and can be effective for pattern hair loss.

Additionally, supplements — when used in conjunction with other treatments — can sometimes support regrowth by providing a burst of nutrients, she says.

Ultimately, whether a hair regrowth product can help you largely depends on the type of alopecia you have, as well as the severity of it. It’s important to keep your physician in the loop to help you understand the risks and prioritize your overall health above cosmetic concerns.

• Whether a product can help hair regrowth largely depends on the type of alopecia, plus each person reacts uniquely to different treatments.
• Over-the-counter products may promise hair growth, but before you try one, consult a dermatologist to come up with an individualized treatment plan.
• More prescription options are becoming available, but minoxidil is one of the most common over-the-counter treatments and has been shown to be effective.