#The best pandemic hair-loss treatments for women

With 1.6 million Instagram posts and counting, the #HairLoss hashtag is one of the few things that has genuinely thrived in the last 18 months.

Whether you’re a COVID-19 survivor or merely reeling from the stress of the pandemic,
finding strands of hair all over your WFH office is textbook 2021.

To the rescue: a raft of hair-loss prevention pills, powders, supplements and serums chock-full of targeted vitamins, minerals and collagen — the superstar beauty ingredient du jour.

While most are ingestible, others, such as the celebbeloved Vegamour Gro Hair Serum and Kérastase Initialiste Advanced Scalp and Hair Concentrate, are slathered right on the roots of the problem.

Sales of Nutrafol have been booming largely due to COVID, says Giorgos Tsetis, co-founder and CEO of the dietary supplement brand, which is sold on its website and through medical practices. “Our network of physicians has been reporting higher-than-ever numbers of telogen effluvium, the temporary kind of hair loss due to stress or shock to the system.”

Beverly Hills-based hair transplant surgeon and restoration expert Craig Ziering has been slammed by so much demand on both coasts that he recently added a Greenwich, Conn., location alongside his Upper East Side practice.

“Hair loss is devastating,” he says. “But there are at-home solutions people can use to disrupt the telogen effluvium and slow down the shedding — everything from supplements to prescription-grade topicals and laser caps, as well as in-office nonsurgical therapies like our Amnio-Z protein injections.”

While the desire to gobble every hot new hair vitamin is understandable, Ziering cautions anyone experiencing hair loss to pick just one high-end “combination” formula containing biotin, vitamins B and D, magnesium, folate, iron, omega-3 fatty acids and niacin.

Viviscal Professional and Nutrafol, which he stocks in his office, are two good over-the-counter bets, he says.

Founded in 2019 by New Zealand naturopath and nutritionist Libby Matthews, the powdered collagen brand Dose & Co. caught the eye of Khloé Kardashian, who signed on as global spokesperson and partner in 2020, just as the line was launching in the US.

With a mission of making premium collagen more accessible, the range includes both flavored and unflavored options, as well as creamers that can make getting your daily hit of collagen — thought to be beneficial for skin, hair and nails — as easy as sipping
your morning joe.

Another celebrated skin-care ingredient, vitamin C, has found its way into a two-step topical hair-loss product.

First launched in Japan, Vitabrid C12 Hair Tonic Professional Set includes a vial of vitamin C powder that’s mixed into the accompanying tonic and applied directly to the scalp.

Together, they target a deficiency of a specific type of naturally occurring collagen (17A1) that can result in undernourished hair follicles.

So, how quickly can diligent daily use of any of these high-tech hair brews yield visible results?

Even with Nutrafol, a leader in the category, it can take up to six months, says Tsetis, although “secondary side benefits” such as stronger nails and a “boosted mood” could happen earlier.

While you’re waiting, simple lifestyle upgrades may speed up the return to lusher locks.

“Diet is so significant,” says Ziering. “Protein, leafy vegetables, salmon, avocado, berries, nuts — all that supports healthy hair growth. Other lifestyle changes, like staying hydrated, exercising, meditation, yoga and getting into a good sleep routine also help.”

In other words, nail your self-care and manage your stress while you’re popping those pills, and great hair will follow.