Encyclopedia · supplement
Hair supplement blends (Nutrafol, Viviscal and similar)
Branded multi-ingredient hair vitamins that beat placebo in small, mostly company-linked trials.
What it is
Multi-ingredient capsules, tablets or gummies sold for thinning or shedding. Products with published trials include marine protein complexes (marine protein supplements), botanical-adaptogen complexes such as Nutrafol, omega-3/6 with antioxidants (omega-3), amino-acid and mineral blends, spermidine and keratin (keratin supplements). They are sold as food supplements in the US, EU and UK, so no proof of efficacy is needed before sale.
How it works
It depends on the blend: topping up nutrients, plus claimed anti-inflammatory or stress-lowering plant extracts. For most blends the mechanism is a hypothesis.
What the studies show
- A systematic review of 30 studies in people without known deficiency found the best-quality evidence of benefit for Viviscal, Nourkrin, Nutrafol, Lamdapil, Pantogar, a capsaicin-isoflavone product, omega 3/6 with antioxidants, zinc, tocotrienol and pumpkin seed oil. Side effects were rare and mild, and larger trials with active comparators are needed. Drake 2023
- A meta-analysis of 14 commercial supplement studies (967 people) found gains in anagen density, less telogen and more hairs on a pull test versus placebo. Total hair count was not significant (p=0.06). Alanazi 2026
- A network meta-analysis of pattern-hair-loss RCTs found supplements improved hair density, terminal hair density and blinded doctor ratings, with no difference in terminal-to-vellus ratio. Zhou 2026
- Nutrafol Women's, 40 women over 6 months: more terminal and vellus hairs at days 90 and 180 (P<0.009). Small, and the product was developed by the company. Ablon 2018
- Spermidine, 100 people over 90 days: more anagen V-VI follicles, and the pull test turned negative at 6 months in all treated versus 68% still positive with placebo. These are surrogate endpoints. Rinaldi 2017
- A blend added to drug treatment in 83 people scored 1.67 versus 0.66 on global assessment at 12 weeks. Milani 2023
Caveats: samples are tens of people, durations are 3-6 months, hair counts cover small areas, and most trials are funded by the maker. Pooling positive industry trials can overstate benefit.
How it's used in studies
Trials ran 90 days to 6 months, mostly in women with self-perceived thinning. Doses differ by product.
Side effects and safety
Check the label:
- Biotin is dosed at 2,500-10,000 micrograms in many gummies. It can distort blood tests (thyroid, troponin) and has no proven hair benefit without deficiency. See biotin.
- Vitamin A, selenium, zinc and iron from several products can add up past safe limits. See vitamin A, selenium, zinc and iron.
- Proprietary blends hide per-ingredient doses, so you cannot compare with trial doses.
- Ashwagandha-containing blends carry rare liver injury reports (ashwagandha).
- In pregnancy, many botanicals and high-dose vitamin A are unsuitable.
Bottom line
A reasonable optional add-on to a proven treatment, ideally after fixing any measured deficiency (iron, vitamin D, B12, thyroid). Expect modest density changes over 3-6 months. No blend has been tested head-to-head against minoxidil or finasteride, so do not use one instead of them for pattern loss. A cheaper start is eating enough protein and iron-rich food (diet and hair). Discuss with a doctor.
Fun facts
- A pooled analysis found total hair count unchanged overall while density measures improved, a reminder that which metric you pick can change the headline. Alanazi 2026
Studies 6
Drake L et al. Nutritional supplements for hair loss: a systematic review. JAMA Dermatol. 2023
Tested: oral supplements including apple nutraceutical and capsaicin-isoflavone
Result: Apple nutraceutical and capsaicin-isoflavone were among the supplements with higher-quality evidence; adverse effects were rare and mild.
Read the study ↗Alanazi R et al. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Commercial Oral Supplements for Hair Growth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2026
Tested: oral hair supplements vs placebo
Result: Gains in anagen density, less telogen and more hairs on pull test; total hair count not significant (p=0.06).
Read the study ↗Zhou L et al. Dietary supplements in androgenetic alopecia: systematic review and network meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2026
Tested: dietary supplements vs placebo or conventional treatments
Result: Saw palmetto extract scored better than placebo or conventional treatments on blinded doctor assessment and pumpkin seed oil improved density vs placebo; low-certainty, heterogeneous.
Read the study ↗Ablon G et al. A Six-Month, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of a Nutraceutical Supplement for Promoting Hair Growth in Women With Self-Perceived Thinning Hair. 2018
Tested: Nutrafol Women's (botanical-adaptogen blend) vs placebo
Result: More terminal and vellus hairs at days 90 and 180 (P<0.009) and better investigator ratings; small, company-developed product.
Read the study ↗Rinaldi F et al. A spermidine-based nutritional supplement prolongs the anagen phase of hair follicles in humans: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. 2017
Tested: spermidine supplement vs placebo
Result: More anagen V-VI follicles; pull test negative at 6 months in all treated vs 68% positive with placebo; surrogate endpoints.
Read the study ↗Milani M et al. Efficacy and tolerability of an oral supplement containing amino acids, iron, selenium, and marine hydrolyzed collagen in subjects with hair loss (androgenetic alopecia, AGA or FAGA or telogen effluvium). A prospective, randomized, 3-month, controlled, assessor-blinded study. 2023
Tested: tablet with marine collagen, amino acids, iron and selenium added to drugs vs drugs alone
Result: Global assessment 1.67 vs 0.66; assessor-blinded; contribution of individual ingredients cannot be separated.
Read the study ↗Related
- BiotinA B vitamin that restores hair only in the rare people who are deficient, and that can scramble thyroid and heart blood tests at the doses sold for hair.
- ZincTrue zinc deficiency causes hair loss that zinc fixes, but zinc has not been shown to regrow hair in people who are not deficient, and too much causes copper deficiency.
- Iron and ferritinLow iron stores are common in people who shed hair, but no trial has shown that iron pills regrow hair, and nobody agrees on a hair-specific ferritin target.
- Vitamin DHair loss goes with low vitamin D and the receptor is needed for the hair cycle, but no good trial shows supplements regrow hair if you are not deficient.
- Marine protein supplements (Viviscal, Nourkrin)Branded fish- and shellfish-extract pills with positive but small, manufacturer-linked trials.
- Collagen peptidesA protein powder with modest skin evidence and very little for hair.
- Silicon (orthosilicic acid)A silicon supplement that improved strength and thickness of fine hair in one supplier-run trial.
- SeleniumAn essential mineral with no proof that supplements regrow hair, and a well-known cause of hair loss in excess.
- Vitamin AToo much preformed vitamin A can make hair fall out, so extra vitamin A in a hair supplement is more likely to harm than help.
- AshwagandhaA herbal root that lowers measured stress in short trials, with one small hair study and rare reports of serious liver injury.
- Oral keratin supplementsKeratin capsules with one small company-linked trial and no sign that swallowed keratin reaches your hair.
- Omega-3 fatty acidsFish-oil fats whose only hair evidence is a branded omega-3/6 plus antioxidant product tested in women.
- Diet and hairCrash diets and rapid weight loss cause shedding, ordinary diets rarely do, and testing beats guessing before you buy supplements.