I Tried Harklinikken, the Scandinavian Hair-Growth Secret People Swear By

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I've pretty much tried everything in attempt to slow down my hair loss and thinning. Hair supplements, hair-growth shampoos, castor oil treatments—you name it, I've swallowed/lathered/massaged it all over my head. Unfortunately nothing really gave me noticable results...until I tried Harklinikken, a Scandinavian hair growth system that utilizes a mix of botanicals to help improve scalp and hair health in an effort to boost growth. Keep reading for a full rundown of Harklinikken, plus my experience with the system and how it worked for my thinning hair.

What is Harklinikken?

Harklinikken is a Danish hair and scalp brand that launched back in 1992 by founder Lars Skjøth when he was looking for a holistic treatment for his own hair loss. ("Harklinikken" actually translates to "hair clinic" in Danish—the more you know!) Their hero product, the Hair Gain Extract, is formulated for an individual's specific hair concerns/issues after receiving a personalized consultation with the brand. Originally, the brand only offered in-person consultations at their scalp clinics (which are located all over the world, from NYC to Beverly Hills to Dubai to Copenhagen), but they now also offer online appointments so people can meet with Harklinikken hair specialists from the comfort of your own couch.

The entire ethos of the brand is about building a regimen that's completely tailored to you. The Harklinikken Method, as it's dubbed, refers to a system of applying the extract twice daily at night (more on this below), cleansing with a specific shampoo for your hair type, and using styling products that won't dry out or weigh down your hair. Fun fact: The extract is actually adjusted throughout the protocol, so the bottle you use month one to month three might be slightly different depending on how your scalp responds to the ingredients. Plus, all of the products are free of parabens, silicones, sodium lauryl sulfates, sodium laureth sulfates, dyes, fragrances, mineral oils, or essential oils—all of which can potentially irritate sensitive scalps.

How Harklinikken works:

As I mentioned before, Harklinikken works as a system, with the main component of that system being a custom extract that's tailored to your specific hair type and needs. This extract is filled with various botanicals to help do things like balance excess oil production, moisturize dry patches, or soothe inflammation—it really all depends on what your hair and scalp needs at any given time. But how exactly does this grow hair? Well, it doesn't. Not on its own, at least (more on this below). But the common ingredients in Harklinikken formulas do improve your hair's health, which is key for potentially stimulating hair growth without the use of a treatment like minoxidil (the active ingredient in Rogaine, which is the only FDA-approved topical for hair growth).

Let me break down a few of the most common ingredients found in the extract. Burdock root has long been used in herbal medicine to promote health, and many anecdotal accounts suggest it can potentially help with hair growth, says trichologist Isfahan Chambers-Harris, but more research is needed. Another common addition to the Harklinikken formula is marigold, which Dr. Chambers-Harris explains is often incorporated because it's thought to be anti-inflammatory and soothing. The most notable addition to the formula, however, is cow's milk, which is filled with protein, biotin, and vitamin D that's great for your hair and scalp, says Dr. Chambers-Harris.

One thing to note, though? Most of these botanicals aren't heavily studied in western medicine, so scientific research is limited on definitive answers on whether or not they'll grow hair.

My Harklinikken results and experience

When I arrived for my appointment, the first thing I discussed with my Harklinikken expert was how often I was washing my hair. Even though my scalp is extremely oily, I try to only wash every other day. Immediately upon looking at my scalp under the microscope, my specialist noticed that there was a little inflammation and quite a bit of oil on my scalp, even though I had washed my hair a mere five or six hours earlier. She made note to incorporate a few botanicals in my extract to help balance my oil production, then gave me a thorough demo on how I should be shampooing my hair every single day. She reminded me to start thinking of my scalp as I do my face—you wash your face every day to get rid of the gunk and buildup, so why not your scalp too?

My protocol:

We took a whole slew of before-and-after shots, then she mixed up my custom formula and gave me a quick how-to on applying it at home. My regimen involved washing daily with the Balancing Shampoo, with a tiny bit of the Daily Conditioner just on my ends. Luckily, I was allowed (and encouraged) to continue using my beloved protein treatments on my ends to help strengthen my bleached hair. But she warned me to try to stay away from other products on my scalp as much as possible so as to not interfere with the botanicals in the extract.

Then, every single night, I was to apply the extract to the crown of my head and hairline, massage for 30 seconds, wait an hour while it dries, then repeat. According to my specialist, the twice-daily application doubles the efficacy of the extract and can make you see results quicker. The extract comes with a plastic syringe applicator, which helps you measure out the perfect 4 mL dose to apply in straight, horizontal lines starting just above your ear to the back of your head on both sides. I also always put a lil extra around my hairline where I was noticing the most thinning.

My results:

Three months later, my hair is growing at the speed of light, TBH. First of all, I absolutely love the Balancing Shampoo to help give my hair some volume. It is filled with sulfates that can be potentially drying for some hair types, but worked wonders for my oily scalp. It helps de-grease my scalp, giving me lots of bounce and lift without any product or oils weighing my hair down. This alone made my hair look quite a bit thicker.

But as I've continued using the extract, I've started noticing major hair growth. My bangs need a trim nearly once a week; so much so, that I begged my stylist to teach me how to trim them myself so I could do it at home instead of going in every other week. And my roots are growing in so quickly that I had to bump up an appointment with my colorist after 10 weeks, considering I usually only see her twice a year.

At my two-month check-up with my Harklinikken specialist, we noticed quite a bit of itsy-bitsy baby hair growth throughout the crown of my head. But my hair was definitely still rapidly producing oils, which led to a slightly adjusted extract to help bring that down a bit. In general, though, three and a half months in, I feel like my hair and scalp just feel healthier. And sure, that could be holistic; I eat a lot of protein, I don't use a lot of heat on my hair, and my ultra-oily scalp makes for very moisturized hair. But my usual flaky, irritated hairline covered in scalp acne seems to have majorly calmed down since I started this regimen.

The hardest part was def remembering to do two applications per night. I generally always do one, but keeping up with the second posed a bit of a challenge for the first month or so. But once I started seeing results, I had a lil more motivation to follow the routine as recommended.

Do topical hair-growth products work?

"Topical hair growth products are designed to address hair loss or promote hair growth when applied directly to the scalp," says Dr. Chambers-Harris. But the efficacy varies significantly. Minoxidil is the most commonly recommended over-the-counter hair-growth treatment prescribed by dermatologists, because it's actually the only one that's FDA-approved. "Its exact mechanism is not fully understood, but it is believed to widen blood vessels, increase blood flow to the hair follicles, and stimulate hair growth," Dr. Chambers-Harris adds.

Another topical ingredient Dr. Chambers-Harris is a fan of is caffeine. "It's thought to stimulate hair growth by promoting blood circulation to the hair follicles and extending the growth phase of the hair cycle," she explains. (FWIW, I'm a big fan of caffeine shampoos to help lift my roots a bit.) Copper peptides are also a great ingredient to look for, as they are anti-inflammatory and help strengthen your hair to prevent breakage, says Dr. Chambers-Harris.

Botanicals, like those included in the Harklinikken extract, simply don't have the scientific backing just yet to say if they will be beneficial for growing your hair. However, a healthy scalp is the first step to hair growth and reducing hair loss, which can be achieved by anti-inflammatory ingredients that calm down irritation, as well as antioxidant-rich ingredients, moisturizers, and strengtheners.

Women's Minoxidil Topical

Flourish Minoxidil Foam

How much does Harkinikken cost?

Harklinikken costs can vary depending on your consultation and how many products are in your regimen. An in-person consultation runs $15o, while a virtual consult is $50. As for the products, expect to pay $88 for a month's supply of the Hair Gain Extract, plus $43 for your shampoo and between $44 and $59 for your recommended conditioner. A set with the shampoo, conditioner, and two month's worth of Hair Gain Extract goes for $229, though, which helps bring the cost down a bit. But overall, it's definitely pretty pricey for only a few month's worth of use, along with your consult and subsequent check-ups.

How long does it take to see results from Harklinikken?

It can take a few weeks to notice shinier, healthier hair, or three to four months to start noticing hair growth with Harklinikken, according to Skjøth. I immediately noticed how bouncy and voluminous my hair felt after a few washes with the Balancing Shampoo, but I began noticing growth about two months in when my mom pointed out how much my roots had grown since my last hair color appointment in October. Now, three and a half months in, I see little tiny baby hairs coming in around my hairline, but I expect to notice the most growth at six months.

Final thoughts:

Harklinikken can be a pricey and time-consuming treatment for hair loss and growth, but if you've got the budget and time to spend, it can possibly work for you. My hair started growing at rapid speed a few months in, likely for a multitude of reasons, but I definitely think my extract formula has made my scalp less inflamed and irritated overall, which could have an impact on my hair growth. As always, though, if you're struggling with hair loss or thinning, see a dermatologist as a first line of defense, as they can prescribe medications and topicals that are proven to treat hair loss. But as a secondary to get your scalp and hair healthy AF? I'm officially a Harklinikken stan.

Meet the experts:

• Isfahan Chambers-Harris is a certified trichologist, P.h.D. scientist, and founder of Alodia Haircare. She’s a presidential STEM Fellow at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
  

• Lars Skjøth is the founder of Harklinikken and the head of research and development for the brand. He launched Harklinikken in 1992 after struggling with hair loss himself.

Why trust Cosmopolitan?

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with five years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair stories that range from hair-growth devices to shampoos for thinning hair. She had a consultation at Harklinikken in New York, NY before testing the system on her short, fine hair for two months, then used these findings to write this review.

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