Best products to solve female hair loss: Treatments for stronger, longer locks in weeks
The events of the last 12 months have been enough to pull anyone’s hair out. But if you’ve found more strands tangled in the shower drain and fretted over your wider-than-usual parting, you’re not imagining it.
It’s normal to shed around 100 strands daily according to the NHS, but many of these go without much fanfare - you won’t notice. But, if there’s a niggling voice in the back of your head saying “this looks like a bit too much”, there may be another explanation behind your thinning crowning glory.
Stress is obviously a major culprit, but there’s also the mental and physical trauma of significant or sudden life changes - who can’t relate to that looking back over 2020/21?
Worryingly, there have also been reports of links between Covid and hair loss as a side effect, though studies are still ongoing as we learn more about the virus. Google searches for hair loss increased by 8 per cent in the last 12 months, according to the data science firm Spate.
Then there’s the fact that with salons shut we’ve quite literally had to take hair maintenance into our own hands, often with disastrous results. Trimming your hair over the sink or spending a night with a box dye is no replacement for a seasoned professional. And while we’re probably not exposing our hair to extreme heat or putting it at the mercy of the elements, our manes aren’t getting the TLC they need - and it’s starting to show.
Male pattern baldness is among the biggest issues for men, and there are plenty of targeted treatments in the grooming world. Male hair loss is measured on the Norwood Scale, while women can compare their sheddage on the Savin or Ludwig Scales.
For women in particular, the issue feels loaded, shrouded in shame. It could be because we attach so much meaning to hair; it’s an indicator of status, style, profession. Good hair is both a security blanket and a confidence boost. So, is it any wonder that it falling out can leave many falling apart?
Dani Maci, Senior Master Stylist and Salon Manager at House of Charles Worthington says there are a number of reasons why your hair could be shedding more than usual: “Came off The Pill? Got new meds? Your body will respond by adjusting and this can cause hair to fall out. It usually normalises on its own, but you can help things with Alchemy Oils Amla Hair Remedy and Kerastase Genesis Serum Anti Chute Fortifiant for weakened hair, which is prone to falling due to breakage.”
If you’re prone to twisting your locks up every day, it’s time to give your topknot a rest. Wear it down and style as you would normally to give the strands a break from constant tension: “it will give your hairline and crown a well-deserved rest, and it will make you feel fab too!” Maci smiles.
Hair loss can be down to a number of reasons in addition to the ones we’ve covered; alopecia, postpartum, general ageing, chemotherapy or just the cruel luck of genetics.
While there’s not a whole lot you can do about some of these causes, there are plenty of products on the market to address thinning and return your locks back to fighting fit.
We’ve rounded up some of the best below
Regaine For Women Regular Strength Minoxidil 2% Scalp Solution -1 Month Supply
Minoxidil is commonly found in hair loss products, usually in two and five per cent strengths. This scalp treatment is aimed at adult women under the age of 65 who suffer from thinning hair and is believed to work by helping blood flow to the cells that are responsible for growth. It works best on younger women experiencing general thinning rather than those who have suffered for years or are losing big patches. Apply a tiny amount - 1ml - using the applicator every 12 hours. There are side effects and as this is more of a medical treatment than the others on our list, always consult a doctor if you have any doubts or questions.
Find more products to stop hair thinning at Boots
Simone Thomas The Biotin Haircare Plan
Built on a belief that good, healthy hair comes from within, leading trichologist Simone Thomas offers a three-pronged approach in her Biotin Haircare Plan, which is available on subscription from £60 or a one-off fee of £75. The box is expertly curated to result in healthier, stronger and shinier hair, using ingredients with proven health benefits. Inside you'll find Biotin Brilliance tablets, Super Green capsules, and Everyday Wellness capsules, nourishing you with a winning mix of biotin, iodine, live cultures, and botanicals. Each box contains a month-long supply and is vegan-friendly.
Absolute Collagen supplements
These little packets pack a serious collagen punch, boosting not only hair renewal but also cell turnover and nail quality too. Although the company recommends drinking the collagen from the age of 25 (when your body's natural levels start to deplete), scores of older users have reported excellent changes to their hair and skin in just a few weeks. Made with 100 per cent natural ingredients, sachets are available in Original Lemon, Raspberry and Mango & Mandarin flavours at just 33cal per serving. Have it neat or mix it into drinks or yogurt.
From £26.99 | Absolute Collagen
Hairburst Strawberry & Blackcurrant Chewable Vitamins 60 Pastilles
Sweet that give your hair a boost - is this the real life, or is this just fantasy? It's real folks, and it's one of Boots' bestselling hair supplements. One bottle contains a 30 day supply, and packed in each strawberry and blackcurrant flavoured sweet is a bundle of good stuff: think biotin, selenium, zinc and (inhale), vitamins A, B5, B6, B12, C, D, E. In short, all you need to maintain healthy hair growth. Enjoy two per day and standby for results.
Ouai Haircare Thinning Hair Supplements
Locks giving up and on the retreat? Look to Australian brand Ouai's Thinning Hair Supplement to restore va va volume to your flailing strands. Take one of the pills daily for a shot of powerhouse ingredients to bring your hair back to health. There's biotin to promote natural hair growth, ashwagandha to lower stress hormone cortisol, and amino acids to ramp up keratin production. Omegas 3 and 6 are also on the rollcall, to increase radiance. Suitable for men and women, this is a worthy solution for thinning, ageing and stressed-out hair. Expect results in around 90 days of religious use.
Kérastase Specifique Stimuliste Hair Thickener 125ml
The Stimuliste range is specifically designed to address tired, falling out locks and this Thickener is among its star buys. Essentially an oil made with nourishing Arginine (an amino acid) and Aminexil to bolster strand life, there’s also vitamin PP to help scalp circulation and create the optimum conditions for healthy growth. Yes to all, thank you.
It works just as well on men as it does on women and is ideal for those looking to boost their hair density as well as anyone who wants to grow their hair to Rapunzel lengths. Spray onto dry or towel-dried hair and massage in before styling as usual.
The price tag may be hefty but the results (and customer reviews) speak for themselves.
£44.20 | LOOKFANTASTIC *On sale from £52
Scandinavian Biolabs Hair Growth Routine for Women
Available as a one-off set or on a subscription basis, this triple action haircare set - shampoo, conditioner and growth serum - offers an all-natural solution to hair loss using a unique bio-pilixin formula. Used together, the Danish company is confident that you’ll see a strengthened, healthier head of longer hair in 150 days, “guaranteed” - or your money back.
One customer wrote: “after suffering from long Covid I saw quite a lot of hair loss this product has given my hair strength and vitality”.
From £50.99 | Scandinavian BioLabs
Watermans Grow Me Hair Growth Shampoo
Kickstart new hair growth with Grow Me, a shampoo which does exactly what it says on the tin. The packaging may not be much to look at, but like a greasy spoon that’s always rammed with locals, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Watermans has packed its formulas with hardworking ingredients to restore your crowning glory: think argan oil, biotin, allantoin, rosemary and caffeine. Use it like a normal shampoo, but with one golden exception: once lathered, let it sit on your scalp for four minutes before washing clean. While it smells herby, it’s not floral, making it a top choice for men as well as women.
Combine it with Watermans’ Hair Growth Serum, a no rinse, leave-in treatment that enhances healthy blood flow to the scalp (£20).
Grow Gorgeous Hair Growth Serum Original 60ml
Deemed “magic in a bottle” by one delighted customer, you should notice results in around a month of regularly using this vegan friendly and gluten-free formula. Ingredients include caffeine and organic pea sprout extract for stimulation, hyaluronic acid for healthy hydration, and a mix of Chinese Scullcap, Soy, and Wheat Sprouts to reinforce roots and improve condition for hair swishier than a show pony.
BRIOGEO Scalp Revival Stimulating Therapy Massager
Give your hair a helping hand from the roots with this scalp massager, best used after shampoo or conditioner. The handheld tool helps to increase blood flow to the cells in charge of hair growth with its gentle rubber tips, which should help encourage strength and growth. You can just as easily use it on try hair, either alone or to work nourishing oils in.
THE HAIR LAB by Mark Hill Strengthening Growth Tonic 50ml
Enriched with proteins to strength and oils to nourish and shine, Mark Hill’s Hair Lab Strengthening rangeis like CPR for fine, thinning and delicate hair. Not only will it help bring it back from the brink, but it will strengthen and condition it too, so thinning hair is a thing of the past. Used by the celebrity hairdresser himself and staff in all his salons, the strengthening range includes a shampoo, conditioner and ‘strength and grow tonic’ which is clinically proven to stimulate hair growth by an impressive 25 per cent. We like the clean, clinical look of the bottle which will appeal to all sexes.
L’Oréal Professionnel Serié Expert Pro Longer Ends-Filling Treatment
You’ve heard of lip and face filler, but now there’s filler for hair too. Beauty expert L’Oreal has designed this 15ml capsule treatment to save those with thinning ends or a lack of volume. Less messy and time intensive than a masque, the filler is made up of a signature blend of FILLER A-100 technology (patented by L’Oréal Professionnel) which injects the fibre core to boost hair body inside the strands. Meanwhile Amino Acids strengthen the hair from the outside, leaving it gleaming and healthy looking.
It couldn’t be easier to use: skip your normal conditioner and instead apply this to towel-dried hair. Leave for five minutes before rinsing out and follow up with a leave-in conditioner.
Kérastase Genesis Serum Anti Chute Fortifiant
Maci from Charles Worthington sings the praises of Kerastase’s hair treatment. “Enriched with a potent combination of Aminexil, Edelweiss Native Cells and Ginger Root, the serum improves hair resistance to minimise hair-fall and maximise beautiful hair. It helps re-anchor hair follicle more solidly into the scalp while building the optimal environment for future growth.” *Adds to basket*
Aveda Thickening Tonic, 100ml
Fed up of hair looking limp and lifeless? Give it a plant-derived boost courtesy of Aveda. This tonic comes with a spray pump allowing for even distribution of the formula all over your locks. The results are surface level only, but pleasingly immediate, plumping strands from root to end for thicker-looking hair with more body. Vegan-friendly.
Kérastase Elixir Ultime L’huile Rose Hair Oil
Sounding like a mythical potion, this is one of the best oils around to revive listless locks. Working particularly well on coloured hair, it nourishes, soothes and shines leaving tresses feeling like silk. Apply to wet hair before styling and watch tangles melt away, causing less hair to fall from tugging, yanking and breaking - yippee!
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