Two New HR23+ Hair Serums Are Coming: Meet CPS and the Successor to KGF

An announcement from HR23+® | September 2026

We have exciting news for anyone who has been asking what is next for HR23+.

Two scalp serums are expected to join our range by the end of 2026. One has already had a popular trial run with customers. The other is the result of a year spent rethinking a previous product and building a new formula around what we learned.

They are different serums with different purposes, and we cannot wait to introduce them properly.

CPS Serum: You Asked for Copper Peptides

Interest in copper peptide serums has been growing rapidly across hair and scalp care. We heard that interest directly from our customers, too. Many wanted to know whether HR23+ would develop a copper peptide serum they could use alongside the hair supplement.

So we did—but we wanted the formula to have a clear identity of its own. HR23+ CPS Serum pairs Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) with saw palmetto, bringing both ingredients together in a lightweight, scalp-focused product. It also includes conditioning ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and squalane.

We introduced CPS Serum on a trial basis in 2026. The response was encouraging, and its popularity convinced us it deserved a permanent place in the HR23+ range. We are now preparing for its official launch.

We are particularly pleased with how CPS fits alongside the HR23+ hair supplement. The supplement provides daily nutritional hair support, while CPS gives customers a topical option they can apply directly to the scalp. Each can be used on its own, but together they offer a broader routine for people concerned about thinning and shedding.

Discover more about CPS Serum

Why We Went Back to the Drawing Board With KGF

Some customers will remember our original KGF Serum. The feedback was mixed: some people liked it, but the response was not consistent enough for us to feel we had got the formula completely right.

We could have carried on with it. Instead, we listened.

Throughout 2026, we have been redeveloping the serum and moving away from keratinocyte growth factor. The new formula brings together AnaGain™, keratin and biotin. AnaGain, an ingredient derived from pea sprouts, was especially appealing to us because it has been studied for its role in supporting the hair growth cycle.

We are particularly excited about this serum. Early tests have been encouraging, and we believe the new direction is much closer to the product our customers have been asking us to make. We will share the final formula and full product details before launch.

Two Serums, Two Different Roles

The aim is to give customers a genuine choice.

The redeveloped serum is designed with hair growth support in mind. CPS Serum has a different emphasis, offering scalp care for customers concerned about the appearance of thinning and shedding. They can be used separately or together as part of a wider HR23+ routine.

We will publish clear instructions on how to use each serum, including how to combine them, when the final products are ready. As with any hair-care product, individual results will vary.

Why We Are So Particular About What Carries the HR23+ Name

Since HR23+ reached the wider market in 2015, we have continued to refine our hair supplement rather than treat the original formula as finished. Customer feedback has helped guide multiple rounds of development. Our goal has always been to keep improving the product people know us for.

We have taken the same approach to the wider range. We tried products including our Scalp Therapy Topical Cream and shampoo. They had their merits, but we did not feel they were strong enough to keep in the line-up. When customer feedback tells us a product needs more work, we would rather make that decision than keep selling it simply to have a bigger range.

That is also why we reworked KGF Serum and why CPS had a trial run before its official launch. A product has to earn its place alongside HR23+. We want customers to associate the name with formulas we have put thought, time and care into getting right.

Coming by the End of 2026

CPS Serum is moving from a successful trial run to an official launch. Our newly developed serum is nearing completion after a year of redevelopment.

Both are expected to be ready by the end of 2026. We will announce confirmed availability, final ingredients and full usage details as soon as we can.

It has taken a lot of work to get to this point. We are excited to show you what comes next.

Visit the official store: www.hairrestore23.com

HR23+ Hair Supplement: Over Ten Years On, Is It Still Worth Trying?

An updated look at the formula, its place in a crowded market, and what a hair supplement can realistically do.

When we reviewed HR23+ in 2022, the supplement had already been around for eight years. That felt unusual in a market where new hair products appear constantly and many disappear just as quickly.

Now, more than a decade after its original launch, it is time to revisit the question: is HR23+ still worth considering for thinning hair?

A note on this review: Hair Loss Review Centre has a commercial connection to HR23+. This article looks back at the product’s development and assesses where it may fit into a hair-care routine. It should not be read as an independent clinical assessment.

What has changed since the last review?

HR23+ began with a 23-ingredient approach to hair support. Rather than relying on biotin alone, its formula combines botanical extracts with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

The formula has not stood still. Changes over the years have included the addition of pumpkin seed and horsetail extracts, alongside adjustments to existing ingredients. Today, a bottle contains 120 capsules, taken as four capsules daily for a 30-day supply.

The range has grown, too. HR23+ now offers topical serums as well as the supplement, giving customers the option of a broader hair-care routine. The supplement remains the centre of the range.

Does ten years on the market prove it works?

No. Longevity tells us that HR23+ has found a continuing customer base. It does not, by itself, prove that the formula will produce results for everyone.

Hair loss has many causes. Pattern hair loss, illness, stress, nutritional deficiencies and hormonal changes can look similar at first, yet call for different approaches. A supplement may be a reasonable part of someone’s routine, but it cannot diagnose the cause of shedding or replace appropriate medical advice.

That distinction matters when reading customer reviews. Some users report less shedding or fuller-looking hair; others may see little change. Their experiences are useful, but they are individual experiences rather than a guarantee.

Who might consider HR23+?

HR23+ is best understood as a daily, non-prescription supplement for men and women who want nutritional support for their hair. Someone noticing early thinning, or looking to maintain the condition of their hair, may find that approach appealing.

It is less sensible to buy any supplement expecting it to reverse advanced baldness or produce dramatic growth within a few weeks. Hair changes are slow, and the first step with sudden, severe or unexplained shedding should be to investigate what is causing it.

If you have a medical condition, take medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, check with an appropriate healthcare professional before starting a new supplement.

The question of value

HR23+ is a specialist product, and the cost of using it consistently deserves consideration. A one-month trial is unlikely to tell every customer much about a slow-changing concern such as hair thinning. Equally, no one should feel obliged to keep buying a product if they are seeing no worthwhile benefit.

A practical approach is to decide in advance what you hope to improve, take clear photographs in consistent lighting, and review your progress over time. That makes it easier to judge your own experience without relying on day-to-day impressions.

Our view, over ten years on

HR23+ has changed since its early years, but its basic proposition remains familiar: a multi-ingredient supplement designed to support hair health as part of a consistent routine.

It may be worth considering if that is what you are looking for and you understand its limits. It is not a cure for baldness, and its history on the market should not be confused with proof that it works for every type of hair loss.

The most useful question is not whether HR23+ has lasted more than a decade. It is whether its approach suits your particular concern, your budget and the results you can reasonably expect.

I’ve Tried Everything for Hair Loss — What Should I Do Next?

There comes a point with hair loss when you can feel as though you’ve tried everything.

You’ve changed shampoo. Taken biotin. Bought hair vitamins. Tried scalp oils. Perhaps you’ve used minoxidil, finasteride or microneedling. You’ve spent more money on serums than you’d care to admit. You’ve taken photographs of your hairline, stared at your crown under bathroom lights and convinced yourself that it looks better one week and worse the next.

And yet your hair is still thinning.

So what are you supposed to do when nothing seems to work?

Oddly enough, the answer may not be to try something else. Before adding another product to the bathroom shelf, it’s worth going back over what you’ve already done and asking a more useful question: why hasn’t it worked?

Sometimes the treatment really wasn't effective. Sometimes it wasn't used for long enough. Sometimes expectations were unrealistic. And sometimes people spend years treating a type of hair loss they don't actually have.

First, do you know why you’re losing your hair?

This sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to skip.

Hair loss isn't one condition. Male pattern baldness, female pattern hair loss, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes and hair breakage can all result in hair looking thinner, but they don't necessarily respond to the same things.

Even the way you lose hair can provide clues. A man gradually receding at the temples and thinning at the crown is experiencing something quite different from somebody suddenly shedding hair all over the scalp following an illness or a period of severe stress.

And you don't necessarily have to see lots of hair falling out to be losing density. Individual hairs can gradually become finer through follicular miniaturisation, making the scalp increasingly visible without an alarming amount of hair appearing in the shower.

We've looked at this phenomenon in more detail in My Hair Isn't Falling Out, So Why Is It Getting Thinner?.

If your hair loss is sudden, severe, patchy, accompanied by scalp inflammation or simply doesn't fit an obvious pattern, it's worth speaking to your GP or a dermatologist. Continuing to experiment with products when you don't know what you're treating can become an expensive way of getting nowhere.

Have you actually given anything long enough?

Hair moves at an infuriatingly slow pace.

That's particularly difficult when you're worried about losing it. Three weeks can feel like an eternity when you're checking your hairline every morning, and it's very easy to decide something isn't working before you've really given it a chance.

Then you see another treatment. The reviews sound promising, so you switch.

Two months later, you switch again.

By the end of the year, you've technically tried five different hair-loss products, but you may not have properly tested any of them.

Many approaches to hair loss need to be judged over months rather than weeks. Hair grows in cycles and visible changes in density don't happen overnight. Constantly changing your routine also makes it almost impossible to work out which part, if any, is helping.

This is particularly relevant if your thinning has been going on for several years. As we discussed in My Hair Has Been Thinning for 3 Years – Is It Too Late to Do Anything About It?, the length of time you've been losing hair matters, but it doesn't automatically mean you've missed your chance to do anything about it.

What matters more is understanding what's happening and being realistic about what can still be achieved.

Maybe you’re measuring success the wrong way

This is something that doesn't get discussed enough.

Ask someone whether their hair-loss treatment is working and they'll often immediately look for new hairs. If they haven't regrown their old hairline, they assume it has failed.

But regrowth isn't the only useful outcome.

If your hair was rapidly deteriorating and that deterioration slows considerably, that's meaningful. If excessive shedding settles down, that's meaningful too. Existing hairs becoming stronger or thicker-looking can improve overall density even without hundreds of new follicles suddenly appearing.

And with progressive pattern hair loss, simply maintaining substantially more hair than you might otherwise have lost can be a worthwhile result.

This doesn't mean lowering the bar until every treatment can be declared a success. It means deciding what you're actually trying to achieve before judging whether you've achieved it.

If the expectation was to recreate the hair you had at 18, almost everything is going to look disappointing.

Have you been relying on something that was never likely to solve the problem?

The hair-loss industry doesn't make this particularly easy.

Shampoos can make hair feel thicker. Conditioners can reduce breakage. Hair fibres can disguise visible scalp. Supplements can provide nutritional support. Minoxidil is a medicine used to treat certain forms of hair loss.

These things don't all do the same job.

Biotin is a good example. It has become so closely associated with hair growth that it's often one of the first things people buy when their hair starts thinning. Yet genuine biotin deficiency is uncommon, and taking enormous doses doesn't mean somebody with pattern hair loss is suddenly going to reverse it.

We recently took a detailed look at this in Does Biotin Actually Help Hair Loss — Or Are We Wasting Our Money?. The evidence for high-dose biotin in otherwise healthy people with hair loss is considerably less impressive than its reputation might suggest.

That doesn't make biotin useless. It's an essential nutrient and has a legitimate place in hair health. The problem comes when one ingredient is expected to fix a complicated problem involving genetics, hormones, age or illness.

The same logic applies elsewhere. If you've spent three years switching between shampoos, oils and cosmetic treatments while experiencing progressive androgenetic alopecia, it doesn't necessarily mean you're unusually resistant to hair-loss treatments.

You may simply have been asking the wrong products to do the wrong job.

What if you’ve tried minoxidil and it didn’t work?

Minoxidil is one of the established treatments for pattern hair loss, but established doesn't mean guaranteed.

Some people respond better than others, and results can vary considerably. Consistency also matters, as does using it for an appropriate period and continuing treatment if you want to maintain its benefits.

If you've genuinely given minoxidil a fair trial and seen little benefit, don't automatically assume the answer is the next miracle serum advertised to you on social media.

This is where it may be worth revisiting the diagnosis and discussing other appropriate options with a doctor, pharmacist or dermatologist.

For men with androgenetic alopecia, finasteride is another established medical option, although its mechanism, benefits and potential adverse effects need to be considered separately.

The important point is that “this treatment didn't work well for me” and “nothing can be done about my hair” are not the same conclusion.

For women, it can be particularly complicated

Female hair loss can be frustrating because several things may be happening at once.

Genetics can play a role, but so can iron deficiency, thyroid problems, stress, illness, pregnancy, ageing and hormonal changes. Perimenopause and menopause can also coincide with noticeable changes in density, shedding and the width of the centre parting.

We've covered the hormonal side of this in Menopause Hair Loss: Why Your Hair Is Thinning (And What You Can Do About It).

For a woman who has been buying different shampoos, vitamins and serums for years without knowing why her hair is thinning, another product may not be the most sensible next purchase. A proper assessment could be considerably more useful.

Sometimes the breakthrough isn't discovering a new treatment. It's finally discovering what you're treating.

Have you gone too far in the other direction?

There's another version of “I've tried everything”.

You really are using everything.

Minoxidil. A supplement. Extra vitamins. Ketoconazole shampoo. Microneedling. Rosemary oil. A peptide serum. Scalp massage. Another topical somebody recommended online. Perhaps several of them applied within hours of each other.

Before long, your bathroom resembles a small hair-loss laboratory.

Apart from the cost and inconvenience, there's an obvious problem: if your hair improves, how do you know what helped? And if your scalp becomes irritated or your shedding changes, how do you know what caused it?

A sensible hair routine doesn't need to contain every treatment ever associated with hair growth. It needs to contain things that make sense for you, each with a clear purpose.

More isn't automatically better.

Where do hair supplements fit into all of this?

Hair supplements occupy an awkward position because they're often expected to do things they were never designed to do.

A supplement isn't a substitute for an established medical treatment for pattern hair loss. Nor can taking a supplement correct every hormonal, genetic or medical cause of thinning.

That doesn't make nutritional support irrelevant.

Hair follicles require nutrients to function normally, and deficiencies in certain nutrients can affect the hair. The more sensible way to view a specialist hair supplement is therefore as one possible component of a wider hair-health routine, rather than a miracle treatment for baldness.

There's also a substantial difference between a basic high-dose biotin tablet and a specialist multi-ingredient hair formula.

If you're considering supplementation, we've looked at that question separately in What Is a Good Hair Supplement to Try for Thinning Hair? [LINK TO YOUR NEW ARTICLE]. That guide explains what to look for and compares some of the better-known specialist approaches.

And this is where a product such as HR23+ can fit.

HR23+ takes the broader approach, combining vitamins, minerals, amino acids and botanical extracts rather than relying on one headline ingredient. But it should still be viewed for what it is: a specialist hair supplement designed to provide nutritional and botanical hair support, not a guaranteed cure for every type of hair loss.

That's an important distinction, particularly for somebody who already feels they've “tried everything”.

The answer isn't to pretend one more supplement is going to magically solve the problem.

It's to decide whether supplementation actually has a sensible place in your routine.

Readers who want to examine the background to HR23+ rather than simply take marketing claims at face value can use the HR23+ Hair Loss Research & Evidence Centre, which brings together ingredient research, documented case studies, historical customer outcomes and the brand's approach to evidence and transparency. The site also explicitly states that these customer experiences aren't clinical proof and that HR23+ itself has not yet been evaluated in a published independent clinical trial.

Try doing something surprisingly simple: write it all down

If you've been tackling hair loss for years, try making a list.

Write down what you've used, roughly when you started it, how long you continued, how consistently you used it and what happened while you were using it.

Then look at the list.

You may discover something interesting.

Perhaps you've tried an enormous number of products, but very few coherent strategies.

Maybe you've used minoxidil three separate times but never for more than eight weeks. Perhaps you've taken five different supplements but constantly changed between them. Maybe you've spent hundreds of pounds on shampoos despite having obvious pattern hair loss. Or perhaps you've been judging everything solely by whether your hairline moved forwards.

Photographs can help here too, provided they're actually comparable. Try to use the same room, lighting, angle, hairstyle and approximate hair length. Memory is surprisingly unreliable when you're looking at your own hair every day.

The aim isn't to obsess over tiny changes.

It's to get a clearer picture of what has actually happened.

And know when to stop experimenting

There comes a point when another Google search, TikTok video or hair-loss article isn't what you need.

If your hair loss is sudden, severe, patchy or unexplained, or you have scalp pain, inflammation, scaling or other symptoms, seek medical advice. The same applies if you're concerned there may be an underlying health or nutritional issue.

A GP or dermatologist may be able to identify something that another bottle of shampoo never will.

And even with straightforward pattern hair loss, professional advice can be useful when you've spent years trying different approaches without understanding why you're getting nowhere.

So, what should you actually do next?

If you feel you've tried everything for hair loss, don't immediately try something else.

Go backwards first.

Work out the most likely reason you're losing hair. Look objectively at what you've already tried. Ask whether each treatment was appropriate, whether you used it consistently and whether you gave it enough time. Decide what a realistic result would actually look like.

Then simplify.

You may end up keeping some things in your routine and dropping others. You may decide that nutritional support has a place alongside another treatment. You may realise that something you dismissed after six weeks never really had a fair chance. Or you may conclude that you've reached the point where professional advice makes more sense than another experiment.

Hair loss is complicated, which is precisely why throwing everything at it can make the situation even more confusing.

Sometimes the best next move isn't finding the newest treatment.

It's finally making sense of everything you've already tried.

What Is a Good Hair Supplement to Try for Thinning Hair?

If your hair is starting to look thinner, taking a hair supplement can seem like an obvious place to start. The difficult part is choosing one.

There are now hundreds of hair supplements available, ranging from inexpensive biotin tablets to premium formulas costing well over £70 a month. Most promise stronger, thicker or healthier-looking hair, but the formulas — and the thinking behind them — can be very different.

So, what is actually a good hair supplement to try for thinning hair?

For someone looking for a non-prescription option, a good starting point is a multi-ingredient hair supplement designed specifically for thinning and shedding rather than a basic multivitamin with “hair” written on the label. HR23+, Viviscal, Nutrafol and TRX2 are among the more established specialist options, although which one makes most sense will depend on what you want from it, your budget and the type of hair loss you are experiencing.

First, work out why your hair is thinning

Before buying any supplement, it is worth remembering that thinning hair is not a condition in itself. It is a symptom, and there are many possible causes.

Male and female pattern hair loss are extremely common, but increased shedding can also occur following illness, major stress, rapid weight loss, hormonal changes, pregnancy, certain medications or nutritional deficiencies.

This matters because no hair supplement can fix every cause of hair loss.

If your hair loss is sudden, severe, patchy or accompanied by scalp symptoms, or you simply cannot explain why it is happening, speak to your GP or a dermatologist rather than relying on supplements alone.

For gradual thinning or increased shedding, however, some people choose a specialist hair supplement as part of their wider hair-care routine.

What should you look for in a hair supplement?

One of the easiest mistakes is assuming that a larger dose of one famous “hair vitamin” automatically means a better product.

Biotin is the obvious example.

Biotin plays a role in normal hair health, but biotin deficiency is relatively uncommon. Taking enormous doses of it does not automatically make hair grow faster, particularly if you already get enough through your diet.

A more comprehensive hair supplement will usually take a broader approach.

Depending on the formula, this can include vitamins and minerals alongside botanical extracts, amino acids or other ingredients selected specifically with hair in mind.

It is also worth looking beyond the front of the bottle. Check the full ingredient list, recommended daily dose, monthly cost and how long the manufacturer suggests using the product.

Hair changes slowly. A supplement promising dramatic regrowth in a fortnight should immediately raise an eyebrow.

So, which hair supplements are worth considering?

There isn't one supplement that will be the best choice for everybody. Four of the better-known specialist options are HR23+, Viviscal, Nutrafol and TRX2.

HR23+ — a comprehensive non-prescription option

HR23+ Hair Growth Supplement is a UK-developed multi-ingredient supplement that has been available since 2015 and is aimed at both men and women experiencing thinning hair and increased shedding.

Rather than centring the formula around biotin alone, HR23+ combines a wider range of hair-supporting nutrients and botanical ingredients, including saw palmetto, nettle leaf, horsetail and pumpkin seed extract.

That makes HR23+ particularly interesting for somebody who wants a broad, non-prescription hair supplement rather than a simple vitamin tablet.

It is taken daily and is generally positioned as a longer-term addition to a hair-loss routine rather than a quick fix.

Best suited to: Men and women looking for comprehensive daily hair support from a multi-ingredient, non-prescription formula.

Viviscal — a long-established hair supplement

Viviscal is one of the best-known names in the category and has been around for decades.

Its approach differs from HR23+. One of the defining features of Viviscal is its proprietary marine complex, alongside additional nutrients used to support healthy hair.

Its long history and widespread availability are obvious advantages, although anyone avoiding marine-derived ingredients will need to take that into consideration.

Best suited to: People who want a well-established supplement with a marine-based formulation.

Nutrafol — a premium wellness-led approach

Nutrafol has become one of the most recognisable premium hair supplement brands, particularly in the United States.

Its formulas take a broader wellness-based approach, with different products targeted towards particular groups and life stages. The brand places considerable emphasis on factors such as stress, hormones and ageing alongside nutritional hair support.

The obvious drawback is price. Nutrafol sits at the expensive end of the hair supplement market, so the ongoing monthly cost should be considered before starting.

Best suited to: People who want a premium, wellness-focused formula and are comfortable with the higher ongoing cost.

TRX2 — a more focused alternative

TRX2 is another established supplement specifically marketed towards people experiencing thinning hair.

Its formulation is comparatively focused and takes a different approach from the larger multi-ingredient formulas offered by brands such as HR23+ and Nutrafol.

That may appeal to someone who doesn't necessarily want an extensive botanical formula.

Best suited to: People looking for a specialist hair supplement with a relatively focused formulation.

What is a good hair supplement for men?

For men experiencing gradual thinning around the temples, hairline or crown, it is important to understand that this pattern often indicates androgenetic alopecia — male pattern hair loss.

Supplements are not equivalent to established medical treatments for male pattern hair loss.

However, men who specifically want a non-prescription supplement may prefer a formula containing more than basic vitamins and minerals. HR23+ is one option to consider because its multi-ingredient formulation includes botanical extracts such as saw palmetto, nettle and pumpkin seed alongside its nutritional ingredients.

Viviscal, Nutrafol and TRX2 offer alternative approaches.

The right choice ultimately depends on whether you want supplementation alone or intend to combine it with other approaches to hair loss.

What is a good hair supplement for women?

Hair thinning in women can be particularly difficult to self-diagnose because there are so many potential triggers.

Gradual widening of the parting can occur with female pattern hair loss, while diffuse shedding may be associated with stress, hormonal changes, illness, low iron levels or other factors.

That makes identifying the possible cause especially important.

For women who still want a general non-prescription supplement, HR23+ and Viviscal are two established options designed for use by women as well as men, while Nutrafol offers formulas targeted specifically towards different female life stages.

Women experiencing unexplained or substantial shedding should consider discussing it with their GP, particularly before assuming that a supplement is all they need.

Is biotin enough for thinning hair?

Usually, there is little reason to assume that taking more biotin alone will solve unexplained hair thinning.

Biotin is important for normal health, and a genuine deficiency can affect the hair. But deficiency is relatively rare.

This is one reason specialist formulas tend to contain multiple ingredients rather than simply supplying an extremely large dose of biotin.

If you are comparing products, the quality and relevance of the overall formula matter more than the number printed next to biotin on the label.

How long should you try a hair supplement?

Hair supplements need to be judged over months rather than days.

Hair grows in cycles, so even when somebody responds well to a particular routine, changes are unlikely to happen overnight. Reduced shedding may be noticed before an obvious cosmetic difference in density.

As a practical rule, around three months is a much more sensible initial assessment period than a few weeks, unless the product's directions or a healthcare professional advise otherwise.

Taking photographs under the same lighting, from the same position and with the same hairstyle can also give you a far better indication of change than repeatedly checking the mirror.

Can you use a hair supplement with minoxidil?

Many people use nutritional supplements as one part of a broader hair-loss routine.

A supplement and topical minoxidil work in fundamentally different ways, so using a hair supplement does not automatically mean that other approaches have to be excluded.

The important distinction is that a supplement should not be presented as a replacement for a medicine with evidence for treating pattern hair loss.

Anyone taking medication, managing a medical condition, pregnant or breastfeeding should check the suitability of a supplement with an appropriate healthcare professional before starting it.

Which hair supplement should I choose?

If you simply want a straightforward answer, there are several credible approaches.

HR23+ is a strong option for someone looking for a comprehensive, non-prescription multi-ingredient hair supplement. Viviscal makes sense for people attracted to its established marine-complex approach, while Nutrafol offers a broader premium wellness proposition. TRX2 provides another specialist alternative with a more focused formula.

But don't choose purely on marketing.

Look at what is actually inside the product, how much it costs per month, whether the recommended routine is realistic for you, and whether the supplement is appropriate for the kind of thinning you are experiencing.

Most importantly, give any sensible hair-loss routine enough time to judge it properly.

Thinning hair rarely changes overnight — in either direction.

Quick Answers

What is a good supplement to try for thinning hair?

For people looking specifically for a non-prescription hair supplement, established options include HR23+, Viviscal, Nutrafol and TRX2. HR23+ may particularly appeal to people looking for a broad multi-ingredient formula rather than a basic biotin supplement.

Do hair supplements regrow lost hair?

Hair supplements should not be assumed to regrow hair in every person. Results will depend heavily on the cause of the thinning, and supplements are not substitutes for clinically established treatments for conditions such as androgenetic alopecia.

Are hair supplements only for women?

No. Some specialist hair supplements, including HR23+, are formulated for both men and women, although the underlying causes and patterns of hair loss can differ between the sexes.

How quickly do hair supplements work?

Hair changes slowly. It is generally more realistic to assess a hair supplement over several months rather than expecting visible changes after a few days or weeks.

Is an expensive hair supplement necessarily better?

No. Price alone tells you very little about whether a supplement is suitable. Compare the formula, recommended dose, monthly cost and the purpose of the product rather than assuming that the most expensive option must be the most effective. 

Does Biotin Actually Help Hair Loss — Or Are We Wasting Our Money?

Reader Question:

“Every hair supplement seems to contain biotin and I keep seeing high-strength biotin tablets advertised for hair growth. Does taking more biotin actually make your hair grow faster? And can you take too much?”

Our Answer

Biotin might be the most famous “hair vitamin” in the world.

It might also be one of the most misunderstood.

Walk into almost any health-food shop and you'll find bottles containing enormous doses of biotin promising stronger, thicker or healthier-looking hair. Search online for hair-growth supplements and you'll see the same ingredient appearing again and again.

So you'd be forgiven for assuming there must be very strong evidence behind it.

There isn't.

What Is Biotin?

Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is a water-soluble B vitamin involved in several metabolic processes within the body.

And there is a genuine connection between biotin and hair.

Biotin deficiency can cause thinning hair and hair loss.

That's important, because it's probably one of the reasons biotin acquired its reputation as the hair-growth vitamin.

But true biotin deficiency is uncommon. The US National Institutes of Health notes that biotin deficiency is rare and that severe deficiency has not been reported in healthy people eating an ordinary mixed diet.

Somewhere along the way, the hair industry appears to have made a rather large leap:

Biotin deficiency can cause hair loss → therefore taking lots of extra biotin must grow more hair.

Those aren't the same thing.

Does Biotin Actually Grow Hair?

This is where things get surprisingly thin.

A 2024 review looked specifically at the scientific evidence for oral biotin supplementation and hair growth.

Despite biotin being one of the world's most popular hair supplements, the researchers found just three studies that met their criteria.

The highest-quality study was double-blind and placebo-controlled. It involved women with diffuse alopecia taking 10mg of biotin daily — and found no significant difference in hair growth between the biotin and placebo groups. The other two studies involved very specific patient populations and did not provide convincing evidence for biotin either.

The researchers concluded that there's a considerable gap between the public perception of biotin as a hair-growth supplement and the quality of evidence actually supporting it.

That's rather remarkable when you consider how heavily biotin is marketed for hair.

But Haven't Studies Shown That Biotin Helps Hair?

There are reports of people experiencing improvements after taking biotin.

But there's an important catch.

An earlier review examined published cases involving biotin and improvements in hair or nails. In every case identified by the researchers, the person had an underlying condition associated with poor hair or nail growth.

The authors concluded that biotin may be beneficial where there is an acquired or inherited deficiency or certain specific conditions, but there wasn't sufficient evidence to recommend supplementation for otherwise healthy individuals.

And this distinction matters.

If somebody is deficient in biotin, replacing what their body is missing makes perfect sense.

But that doesn't mean somebody with perfectly adequate biotin levels will grow twice as much hair by taking ten, twenty or fifty times more.

So Why Is Biotin In Nearly Every Hair Supplement?

Because biotin does matter to hair.

That's where we think the argument sometimes swings too far in the opposite direction.

Finding that high-dose biotin isn't a miracle treatment doesn't suddenly make vitamin B7 useless.

Biotin is an essential nutrient. Deficiency can affect the hair.

The problem is the idea that biotin should be treated as a standalone treatment for hair loss.

Hair follicles are considerably more complicated than that.

Genetics, hormones, age, illness, stress, nutritional status and the normal hair-growth cycle can all influence what happens on your scalp.

Someone experiencing androgenetic alopecia isn't going to overcome their genetic susceptibility to hair loss simply by swallowing an enormous biotin tablet every morning.

Likewise, somebody experiencing telogen effluvium following illness or severe stress hasn't necessarily developed a biotin deficiency.

Can Taking Too Much Biotin Cause Hair Loss?

This is another claim that has started circulating online.

At present, there isn't good evidence that taking high doses of biotin directly causes hair loss.

So if you've read that “too much biotin makes your hair fall out”, we'd be cautious about accepting that as fact.

Interestingly, the NIH hasn't established an upper intake limit for biotin because evidence of direct toxicity from high intakes in humans is lacking.

That doesn't mean taking enormous quantities is necessarily a good idea, though.

Because there is one potentially serious problem with high-dose biotin that has nothing to do with your hair.

The Problem With High-Dose Biotin

Biotin can interfere with certain laboratory tests.

And this isn't an internet theory.

The FDA has specifically warned that high levels of supplemental biotin can interfere with some laboratory tests and potentially produce falsely high or falsely low results.

Tests involving certain hormones and cardiac markers can be affected, depending on the testing method being used. The NIH also notes that even a single 10mg dose has been shown to interfere with some thyroid-function tests when testing took place within 24 hours.

That's worth knowing because high-strength hair supplements can contain amounts of biotin vastly greater than normal dietary requirements.

So while we wouldn't worry that a large dose of biotin is secretly making you bald, we also don't see much sense in megadosing a nutrient simply because the word HAIR is printed on the bottle.

More Isn't Automatically Better

This is probably the most important point.

Nutrition doesn't always work on a more = better basis.

If your body is deficient in something required for healthy hair growth, correcting that deficiency can be extremely important.

But once your body has enough of that nutrient, taking dramatically more doesn't necessarily produce dramatically more hair.

Think of it as a missing component.

If the component isn't there, the machine can't function properly.

Once it's there, throwing another hundred identical components into the machine doesn't make it work a hundred times better.

And that's essentially our problem with the obsession surrounding biotin.

It takes one genuine relationship — biotin deficiency can affect hair — and turns it into a much bigger marketing claim:

Biotin grows hair.

The evidence simply isn't that straightforward.

Should A Good Hair Supplement Still Contain Biotin?

We think so.

We just wouldn't choose a hair supplement because it contains a massive dose of biotin.

There's an important difference.

We'd rather see biotin used as one component of a broader formulation containing relevant vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other ingredients than see somebody rely entirely on a high-strength biotin tablet as their hair-loss strategy.

It's one reason we've previously rated multi-ingredient hair supplements such as HR23+ more highly than simple standalone biotin products.

Biotin has a place in a hair-support formula.

It just shouldn't be expected to do all the heavy lifting.

The Verdict

So, does biotin help hair loss?

If you're deficient in biotin, correcting that deficiency could absolutely matter to your hair.

If you're already getting enough biotin, however, there is currently little convincing evidence that taking huge additional doses will suddenly make your hair grow faster, reverse pattern baldness or transform thinning hair.

And despite another popular internet claim, there isn't good evidence that high-dose biotin itself directly causes hair loss either.

Perhaps biotin doesn't need to be thrown out of the hair-growth conversation.

It just needs to be put back in its proper place.

Useful nutrient? Yes.

Important if you're deficient? Absolutely.

Miracle hair-growth treatment? No.

Can Pumpkin Seed Oil and Saw Palmetto Help with Extreme Hair Loss?

Reader question:
“Has anyone tried pumpkin seed and palmetto to help with extreme hair loss?”

Yes, both pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto are commonly used in hair supplements, and there is some evidence suggesting they may help — particularly when hair loss has an androgenetic (pattern hair loss) component.

However, if you're experiencing extreme or sudden shedding, it's important to understand what is causing it first.

Pumpkin Seed Oil for Hair Loss

Pumpkin seed oil is one of the more interesting natural ingredients for hair loss.

A placebo-controlled study in men with androgenetic alopecia found that those taking pumpkin seed oil for 24 weeks experienced significantly greater improvements in hair count than the placebo group.

There has also been research specifically involving women. A small clinical trial in women with female pattern hair loss found improvements after three months of topical pumpkin seed oil treatment, although more research is needed.

What About Saw Palmetto?

Saw palmetto is another popular ingredient, largely because of its potential anti-androgenic activity.

A systematic review found encouraging results from several studies involving oral and topical saw palmetto products for androgenetic alopecia and other forms of thinning, although the researchers stressed that the evidence isn't yet strong enough to put it in the same category as established hair-loss treatments.

So, can pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto be taken together?

They frequently appear together in hair supplements and can make a sensible combination, particularly as part of a broader hair-support routine.

But I wouldn't rely on these two ingredients alone for extreme hair loss.

Heavy shedding can have many triggers, including stress, rapid weight loss, illness, hormonal changes, low iron/ferritin, thyroid problems, nutritional deficiencies and certain medications. If one of these is driving the shedding, addressing that trigger is likely to be far more important than simply adding another supplement.

Our View

Pumpkin seed oil: 👍 Promising
Saw palmetto: 👍 Worth considering
Using both: 👍 A sensible combination

There's enough evidence behind both ingredients to make them worth considering, and a recent review of clinical trials into supplements for androgenetic alopecia also found encouraging results for pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto. However, larger and better-quality studies are still needed.

For significant hair loss, we'd generally favour a comprehensive hair supplement containing these ingredients alongside other useful vitamins, minerals and botanical extracts, rather than taking pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto in isolation.

And remember: hair treatments are slow. Whatever approach you choose, think in terms of months rather than weeks before judging whether it's helping.