Hair Loss in Women | Hers Hair Products | Biotin Gummies | Thickening Shampoo
It is a simple fact: Bad hair days happen. Of course, things like weather and humidity are unavoidable, resulting in the frizz. Diet and nutrition are another important factor that plays a key role in hair health; so do genetics.
But for many, they’d much rather have bad hair days than no hair days.
Sometimes, despite all our hair care efforts, our hair falls out. The clumps in the shower get bigger and bigger and the hair on the brush seemed more than the day before. Hair loss can be really demoralizing for some people.
However, many assume that hair loss and baldness are an issue reserved for men. It’s not. Hair loss can affect both men and women. In fact, female pattern baldness is more common than most might believe.
Thankfully, just like men, women too can find helpful allies in the fight against hair loss. Over the counter hair regrowth products and kits can help arrest hair loss while helping to promote hair regrowth.
Hers is one telemedicine company looking to provide women with a solution for hair loss. The products found in their Hers Complete Hair Kit look to do just that, from hair regrowth to hair strengthening.
But are their products effective? Do these products actually work? This review contains everything you need to know to answer these questions.
Some Common Causes of Hair Loss in Women
Our hair is pretty important. It not only gives us a source of confidence but it also has a biological role to play too: It helps to preserve heat and keep us warm. It helps protect our skin as well.
Hair consists of three basic parts: the hair shaft, the root, and the follicle. The hair shaft is what we see, what we comb and style. The root sits at the base of the hair and the follicle, a sac-like pit in the skin, is where the hair actually grows.
As new cells form at the base of the root a fibrous protein, known as keratin, interacts with cells and voilà — new hair is formed.
Here is a quick look at the phases or cycles of hair growth.
- Anagen phase – This is the growing phase of hair and it can last for years. Generally, this phase is responsible for the majority of the hair on your head.
- Catagen phase – This is known as the transition phase. During this time, the hair follicles stop growing.
- Telogen phase – The resting phase, telogen, is when old hairs are pushed towards the surface to fall out naturally (sheds) and are replaced.
There are many factors that can contribute to hair loss in women, here are some of the most common causes.
Hair Loss Due to Genetics
It is normal to experience some hair loss; in fact, losing 100 or so strands a day is considered normal. However, if you are noticing bald spots on the scalp this is an obvious sign that you’re losing more than normal.
Female pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in women. Medically, it is known as androgenetic alopecia. This condition is genetic and is marked by hair thinning and hair loss.
The process can be amplified during the hormonal changes that come with aging. For example, menopause, with its loss of estrogen, can speed up the process. However, everyone is different and the process of female pattern baldness can even begin during the young adult years.
Balding presents differently in women than in men. Typically, rather than hair loss at the front of the hairline or the crown, hair in women tends to thin across the top of the scalp first.
Typical Treatment Options
In addition to dietary changes, exercise, and sleep, there are a few common treatment options that seek to prevent and even reverse the effects of hair loss in women.
Vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, and biotin, are common allies. Topical medications such as minoxidil are another. Some herbal options, like saw palmetto, are also employed to help fight the effects.
Some of these treatment ingredients will be discussed more below.
Hair Loss Due to Medical Issues
There are certain medical conditions that can also contribute to hair loss in women. Here are a few of the more common ones.
Thyroid Problems
Both hypothyroidism (under-active) and hyperthyroidism (over-active) can contribute to hair loss in women. This has to do with the thyroid’s role in hormone production. Issues can disrupt important hormone production, causing weakened hair, dry and brittle hair, and hair loss. Medical intervention is needed to address thyroid issues.
Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency, or anemia, can also cause hair loss. Low iron levels can disrupt hormone balance, resulting in damage or loss of hair. Iron deficiencies can be caused by poor diet and nutrition. But some medical conditions can also contribute to this mineral loss.
Medications
Certain medications can also cause hair loss. Chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer is one example. There are other medications that bring hair loss as a potential side effect as well.
Hair Loss Due to Lifestyle Factors
There are certain lifestyle factors that also contribute to hair loss in women. The most common are stress, poor nutrition, and rapid weight loss.
Hair loss caused by stress is referred to as telogen effluvium. It is more common than one might believe. A stressful lifestyle can have disastrous effects on health in general, hair loss included. Typically, this type of hair thinning is temporary.
Nutrition is another key factor in overall health. Certain vitamin deficiencies can contribute to hair loss; such as vitamin B12.
It can also be a result of restrictive diets that come with rapid weight loss. However, hair loss due to restrictive and nutrient-deficient diets are often reversible.
A Closer Look at Hers Hair Products for Women
Hers is a telemedicine company with an online subscription service that features women care products. One of the most popular care lines features products for hair health.
Their Complete Hair Kit consists of product treatments that work to regrow hair and decrease shedding, restore damaged hair, and promote hair strengthening. Together, they seek to be an effective hair loss solution for women.
Three components make up their hair loss product line: Minoxidil 2%, biotin gummies, and thickening shampoo DHT.
This product line can be purchased online, without a prescription, and is also available in certain retailers.
Let’s take a look at each product a little more closely. We will spend the most time with the most popular product for hair regrowth: Minoxidil.
Medication | Product | Features | Buy Now |
---|---|---|---|
Total retail value $49 (18% savings) | Developed with JLo herself, this iconic duo is the secret to hair that you can't stop touching. They're formulated to be used on all textures and thickness levels, giving you the power to completely transform your locks at home. 01 Detox Scalp Scrub | Buy NowRead Review | |
$16/bottle | The gummy – Biotin, biotin, biotin – it’s all the rage and for good reason. Think of this gummy as your baseline necessity to help strengthen your hair. Cue hair flip. | Buy NowRead Review | |
Total retail value $73.50 (40% savings) | 01 Minoxidil 2 oz bottle All the perks – at hers, we want to provide you with choices to keep your hair healthy for longer. This complete hair treatment works to help regrow your hair, decreases shedding, and strengthens your hair.
| Buy NowRead Review | |
Regrowth made easy | Say hello to thicker, fuller hair. Minoxidil 5% Foam is FDA approved and clinically proven to promote hair regrowth for women in just 3-6 months.This airy minoxidil foam goes directly on your scalp to stimulate hair follicles and extend your hair’s natural growth cycle
2 month supply, $15/mo | Buy NowRead Review | |
Minoxidil Solution | Minoxidil 2% Topical Solution is a hair regrowth treatment that absorbs into the scalp, activating your follicles and extending your hair’s natural growth cycle. The result? Clinically-proven hair regrowth for thicker, fuller locks. 2 month supply, $15/mo | Buy NowRead Review | |
Strengthening and Moisturizing | Our signature shampoo to help control shedding is now packaged with our rich conditioner to make sure that all that hair you keep is luscious AF. More hair? ✔ Softer hair? ✔✔. Ah, the simple things. Starting at $33.00 | Buy NowRead Review |
Minoxidil 2%
Minoxidil is no slouch when it comes to hair regrowth products. In fact, it is among the most popular ingredients for hair growth worldwide. It is the only medication of its sort to have FDA approval. It is most recognized as being an active ingredient in popular hair growth products like Rogaine.
The good news is, this topical medication is available over the counter and requires no prescription.
But how does minoxidil stimulate hair growth? Simply put, this topical solution works as a vasodilator. This means it helps promote blood flow by dilating blood vessels — in this case, on the hair-thinning scalp.
It is believed that minoxidil promotes the growth phase of the hair as it interacts with a certain protein enzymes on the scalp during the resting phase of hair; shortening the telogen phase. This is thought to promote natural regrowth by jump starting the anagen phase of hair.
It is non-hormonal; meaning it doesn’t interact with hormones like other hair care products.
Does Minoxidil Actually Work?
Studies backed up the claims of minoxidil’s effectiveness; especially when it is used for three months or more — it didn’t get the FDA approval for nothing. One study examined the effectiveness of minoxidil 2% for women with female pattern baldness and found some promising results.
In short, at the end of 32 weeks, 60 percent of women reported an increase in hair growth, the rest experienced moderate to minimal improvement in hair growth.
Hers minoxidil 2% is formulated specifically for women — minoxidil for men comes in higher concentrations.
Hers recommends 1 mL of topical minoxidil twice a day on the scalp.
Of course, like most medications, it can have side effects. A few common ones are headaches, rashes on the skin, and excessive hair growth (imagine that).
Here is what one customer had to say:
“Hers Minoxidil Topical Hair Growth Solution helped my hair grow. I saw my hair growing quickly when using this product. I like how easy it is to use and apply to my head. It didn’t irritate my skin or head. I would buy this product and I would recommend it to others.”
- Melissa, 5/5 Stars on Trustpilot
Biotin Gummies
Another hair strengthening product used by Hers is biotin gummies.
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is a water-soluble nutrient and part of the B-complex family of vitamins. It is not naturally produced by the body and must be consumed through diet or supplementation. In fact, too little biotin can result in symptoms such as thinning and loss of hair.
Biotin, along with other B-complex vitamins, have been linked to hair, skin, and nail health. In biotin’s case, this has something to do with its interactions with the structural protein keratin, which is essential for hair health.
Does It Actually Work?
Well, research is limited as to the effects of biotin for actual hair growth, but some findings merit consideration.
One study evaluated the efficacy of biotin supplementation for women with thinning hair. After a three-month period, some women reported less shedding, thicker and stronger hair; some said they even experienced a faster growth rate.
This customer agrees:
“I have been taking these for several weeks and can tell they have helped my nails, skin and hair. My nails have been growing much faster and are definitely harder. My hair has been growing much quicker too.”
- Darby, 5/5 Stars on Trustpilot
Thickening Shampoo
Hers also features a thickening shampoo that is meant to reduce excess shedding as well as strengthen and moisturize the hair. According to Hers, this shampoo is formulated to wash away excess sebum, which is basically an oily, waxy substance produced by the body.
Too much sebum can affect the hair by shrinking the hair follicles, leading to shedding and loss.
One active ingredient in the shampoo is worthy of mention: saw palmetto. It has been shown to slow hair loss and promote regrowth by decreasing the levels of DHT.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an important sex hormone and is thought to be a player in pattern baldness. Too much of it can affect the hair growth cycle, leading to thinning and loss.
Does It Actually Work?
Saw palmetto has been found to lower DHT levels as it blocks certain enzyme receptors. Some studies have shown that the DHT lowering effects of saw palmetto could provide an effective way to prevent hair loss and even promote regrowth.
Here is what one customer thought of its effects:
“I’ve always had a problem with my hair shedding. After using this shampoo, I think it’s helped and is slowly improving. It smells good and left my hair feeling clean.”
- Sherry, 5/5 Stars on Trustpilot
Final Thoughts
So, are Hers hair products effective? They certainly can be.
The three products discussed have been proven to prevent hair loss and even promote regrowth — in some cases. This is especially true for minoxidil, the FDA-backed topical medication.
It is important to keep in mind that every person is different and hair loss can have many contributing factors.
But overall, Hers hair products pass the test as being an effective option for women looking to combat hair loss.
References, Studies and Sources:
The Complete Hair Growth Kit | hers
Hair Loss in Women: Causes, Treatment & Prevention | Cleveland Clinic
Female pattern hair loss: A clinical, pathophysiologic, and therapeutic review
Androgenetic alopecia in the female. Treatment with 2% topical minoxidil solution
Treatment of male androgenetic alopecia with topical products containing Serenoa repens extract
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Bridget Reed is a Tampa-based content development manager, writer, and editor at GR0; specializing in content related to varying fields including medicine, health, and small businesses. Bridget went to St. Petersburg College and majored in Management and Organizational Leadership.
Camille is an Editorial Content Manager within the Content Department at GR0. In addition to reviewing content to ensure it meets FDA regulatory compliance guidelines, Camille works to manage content pipelines along with optimizing articles for maximum ranking and outreach potential, working with one of the top digital marketing teams in the world to deliver tangible online presence. Aside from that, Camille has always been rooted in medicine and clinical research throughout her entire academic career, with her most recent academic achievement having graduated Summa Cum Laude at the M.S. Pharmacology program at The Ohio State University.
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Current Version
2024-01-04
Reviewed By
Chris Riley
2023-11-18
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2023-06-04
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