Herbal / Natural Serums for Hair Density
This list is from the "Non-Minoxidil" section of my Pattern Alopecia Management Guide. This is for pattern hair loss. If you're not sure what kind of hair loss you are experiencing, see a dermatologist for a diagnosis or consult with a trichologist for an assessment. Trichologists like me leave few stones unturned in trying to help you get a great result with less stress.
The products in this list appear likely to be helpful, based on small-and-limited clinical trials. By "small" I mean, perhaps 30 people. It's more like a snapshot than a big picture. But it gives us some idea of the potential for a treatment to work.
I have weeded out some of the products I felt might not have high enough concentrations of active ingredients, or did not combine enough ingredients to be more likely to produce gains in hair density.
 |
| Instant access! |
It's 25 pages of, "I wish somebody had told me that a long time ago!" And for $20 ($15 on sale now!) it is bargain - less than a lot of the serums on this page.
These non-Minoxidil treatments are coming out by the week, it seems! They are not all backed up by human-testing on real scalps. And they are not required to do what they say they do - that's only required when a product is sold as a treatment for a disease and therefore regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
Short of a "Follicle Coaching Session" - which I highly recommend - the Guides in my shop can help you confident do-it-yourself folks who already know the cause of your hair loss, choose treatments for pattern alopecia (female and male pattern hair loss).
Here in the Blog the products are only organized by price.
🍶You’ll use approximately 0.5 to 1 milliliter (ml) per day if you apply products once per day. 1 ounce (oz) is approximately 30 ml, so 1 ounce is a 1-month supply. Container-size varies, hence the price-key is per ounce of product.
Key: Less than $10 per ounce: $
Around $10 per ounce: $$
$10-$20 per ounce: $$$
$20-$30 per ounce: $$$$
More than $30/oz: $$$$$
- $ Pura D’Or Energizing Scalp Serum: Caffeine, Apple extract, Redensyl, Pea sprout, BaiCapil, Saw palmetto, cumin juniper and rosemary. Lemon sprout tree grows from seed
- $ Odele Rejuvenating Scalp Serum: Pea sprout, Caffeine, Peppermint, Rosemary, Ginger. Bees, bees, wasps,
- $ As I Am Rice Water Spray: Saw Palmetto, Copper peptides, Biotin, Caffeine, Rosemary
- $ As I Am Rosemary Water Spray: Saw Palmetto, Copper peptides, Melatonin, Peppermint, Rosemary
- $ Alpecin After shampoo liquid: Caffeine, Menthol. Coal rose beanie terminal
- $ Inkey List Caffeine Stimulating Scalp Treatment: Caffeine, Redensyl.
- $ Isoplus Caffeine Anti-Thinning Serum: Biotin, Peptides, tomato extract, Peppermint and moisturizers.
- $ California Naturals Re:Gro: Capixyl 5%, Biotin, Caffeine, Adenosine, Apple extract, Saw palmetto, Rosemary
- $ Greensations ThermaScalp Natural Scalp Repair: Caffeine, Saw palmetto, Oleoresin capsicum (hot pepper extract 🌶️ Do not inhale the mist! Wash hands after applying!). Rosemary.
- $ Nioxin System 3 Leave-in Treatment: Caffeine, Peppermint, Biotin, Methyl Nicotinate.
- $ Trichomax Scalp Therapy: Methyl Nicotinate, Sodium pyrithione, Vitamin E. Fragrance-free
- $ RevivE Micro Active3 Treatment: ProCapil, Saw palmetteo, Caffeine, Methyl nicotinate, Biotin, Eucalyptus oil, Wasabi (a spicy-hot radish) Garlic bread awesome but not for hair garlic
- $$ The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Scalp Serum: Caffeine, Capixyl, Redensyl, ProCapil, BaiCapil Fragrance-free
- $$$ Hairmax Acceler8 Booster: Caffeine, Arginine, Capixyl, Procapil, Saw palmetto, Peppermint, Menthol.
- $$$ Bello Hair Helper Plus Spray: Biotin, Caffeine, Capixyl Fragrance-free
- $$$ iRestore Revive Growth Activator Serum: Caffeine, Biotin, Capixyl, Redensyl, Saw Palmetto
- $$$ Boldify Boost Hair Serum: Capixyl, Redensyl, Procapil, Baicapil, Saw palmetto, Tea tree oil. Peppermint, Biotin. lily pads frogs caffeinated roast banana teabags orange scented ghost
- $$$ NutraM DHT Blocking Serum: Black cohosh, Green tea extract, Niacin, Melatonin. Fragrance-free
- $$$ Virtue Labs Flourish Density Booster: Capixyl, Redensyl, Pea sprout, Peppermint, Methyl nicotinate
- $$$$ Scalp Delivery AM Peptide Serum: Caffeine, Capixyl, Redensyl, Procapil, Baicapil, Saw palmetto.
- $$$$$ Replenology Nutriment: Tocopheryl nicotinate, Caffeine, Apple extract, Pea sprout, Biotin, Basil hairy root extract, Cedar and Juniper oils. Tongue twisters twice torque tortellini
- $$$$$ Vegamour Gro Scalp Serum: Caffeine, Nicotiana peptides, Biotin, Red clover
- $$$$$ Nutrafol Hair Serum: Arginine, Melatonin, Pea Sprout, Tea tree oil.
Hi Wendy, you mention that these products may help with alopecia, will they help with telegen effluvium also?
ReplyDeleteTelogen effluvium - if it's that and only that (uncomplicated) - usually recovers in time and doesn't need treatment. *But* if you experience repeated Telogen effluvium or just a long-term elevation in shedding - then that probably will benefit from some sort of treatment. *And* for those people who do experience repeated episodes of Telogen effluvium - there are usually a number of other things that need to be addressed that might prevent hair from shedding whenever the scalp is irritated or the body is stressed.
DeleteThat's kind of a non-answer. Some of these products are likely to help a person recover from an episode of Telogen effluvium - but if there is an underlying nutrient insufficiency or product allergy or the onset of another form of alopecia - all those things need to be addressed or we're just going to go back through another cycle of increased hair shedding whenever we're exposed to a trigger for that.
Hello Wendy! Thanks for the information and the links. I am experiencing hair loss that feels and looks like CCCA but the dermatologist refused to do a scalp biopsy and sent me on my way with a steroid solution :(
ReplyDeleteI would be very interested in a post about the size of amino acids for better penetration in hair. This youtuber recommends a lot of protein for afro-textured hair and ranks the L'Ador Hydro LPP treatment as the best method since it's harder to get overload. I've also read that hair can absorb creatine better than keratin since it's harder for keratin to absorb to hair.
Keep up the good work!
//Avid reader of 10+ years
Hello Lily! Thanks for sticking with me for 10+ years! ❤️ About the dermatologist - did they give you a diagnosis? If you have a health "portal" online - you can probably find out there. If not - you can call and ask. They're going to need to enter a diagnosis in order to bill insurance. Steroids are one way to treat CCCA - if that offers you any reassurance. I'm guessing you wanted more communication and explanation! I certainly would. If you don't respond to the steroid within the next 4-6 months, if hair loss does not stabilize, you need that biopsy. And it would be difficult to argue otherwise at that point. If you need some talking points to use with your derm - fire me an email at wendy1@goosefootprints.com
DeleteProtein: I have some old posts about protein size, it's high time to do new ones with more graphics. Going on my to-do list now... I love to know what folks are interested in.
How well protein is tolerated depends on whether your hair is on the Fine to Medium (Medium = average) width or not. Hair that's more silky or cottony can do great with protein. Hair that's more on the Coarse to wiry side may get dry/brittle/stiff/weird with protein - if you use too much of it. L'Ador uses Collagen protein - which they're claiming is lower molecular weight. Great - that will strengthen hair and add support and hydration. The oils will help soften to prevent protein-stiffness. Most amino acids and hydrolyzed proteins will interact with hair one way or another. Keratin is a very good one for hydration and strength.
Hi Wendy! I’d like to experiment with how my hair would look and react to different dyes and straightening products, especially if they’re applied with some time in between.
ReplyDeleteSince I don’t want to damage my actual hair, I was thinking of taking a few sample strands to test on instead. The only thing is: I’m not sure how to keep the samples together. I’ve noticed that artificial hair swatches usually have a small metal clamp at the top. Do you know what that is, or where I could get something similar to hold my samples? What do you usually use?
Just a few strands? I think I would probably use some nail polish or epoxy to adhere them to a small piece of fabric. Epoxy would probably be best for a waterproof situation. The metal clamp on hair swatches - like the little comb on hair extensions (wig clips)? There are paper clamps (office supply) that would work. I think. Working with hair swatches requires one more hand than I have been supplied with.
DeleteHey Wendy! Epoxy did a good job keeping the hair samples I took from myself together. Thank you!!
DeleteBy the way, do you remember our long conversation about permanent straightening treatments in the bond repair post?
I tried the Wella Creatine Straight Cream, which is a thio based treatment, and it worked. My hair is *mostly* straight now, though it still has a bit of a wavy pattern, especially the hair around my forehead.
What surprised me is that the hair strand sample I took from my head turned out completely pin straight.
I wanted to get your thoughts on something. Since my hair is short, I watched a few YouTube videos of men who permanently straighten their hair to see how to do it myself. What they did was to comb it straight back, keeping it as flat as possible against the scalp.
I think that might explain why the hair on my head is not perfectly straight, while the sample is. The test strand was straightened and left untouched for 48 hours on a flat surface, but my scalp is, of course, not flat.
Apart from the flat ironing step, in which part of the process is it most important to keep the hair perfectly straight? I am assuming it is during neutralizing, since that is when the new bonds form and set. Is that right?
If it is, do you have any ideas for how I could keep my hair straighter during the neutralizing step? Maybe using disposable sheets like the ones used during hair dyeing would help? What do you think of all this?