Over-The-Counter Hair Loss Treatments: Help Or Hype?

    December 2018 in “ PubMed ”
    Glynis Ablon, Evan A. Rieder
    Image of study
    TLDR Most over-the-counter hair loss treatments lack strong evidence of effectiveness and are not FDA-approved.
    The study "Over-the-Counter Hair Loss Treatments: Help or Hype?" from 2018 analyzed 42 of the top 50 over-the-counter hair loss products sold on Amazon.com. The products were categorized as orals (21.4%), topicals (35.7%), or shampoos/conditioners (42.9%). Common active ingredients included minoxidil, nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins), and plant-based botanicals. Only 23.8% of these products were FDA-approved treatments for androgenetic alopecia. The study concluded that while some over-the-counter treatments may be effective, more rigorous study is required. The evidence for non-approved treatments was limited to small studies without generalizability. The authors recommended that dermatologists should be prepared to discuss the efficacy, risks, and benefits of these therapies with their patients.
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