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As a beauty writer who lives in New York City, my hair really takes a beating. Just stepping outside leaves my hair instantly coated with pollution and filled with the mysterious smells of city life (second-hand cigarette smoke, car fumes, Chinese food, etc.). Plus, since my life is so fast-paced, I tend to layer on dry shampoo as a quick fix to mask odor and soak up oil rather than giving my hair the solid wash-and-condition treatment it actually needs. Excessive product buildup can cause congested hair follicles, disrupting our natural hair growth cycle (just as pores on our face can get clogged). This—along with stress—has ultimately led to damage and, eventually, thinning hair.
While I noticed the thinning gradually during the last few years, it became pretty visible to me over the last year. Clumps of hair were coming out when I shampooed my hair, and my hair felt much more fragile than ever before. It seemed like merely running a brush through my strands would result in losing a sizable amount of hair, let alone heat styling or coloring.
I had been aware of Nutrafol’s hair growth supplement for years—plenty of fellow beauty editors in my circle had waxed poetic about their superpowers for combatting hair thinning without going the prescription route. Finally, I decided it was time to give Nutrafol’s hair health system a shot. Based on my friends’ reviews, I was definitely expecting Nutrafol’s lineup to work—at least to some extent—but I wasn’t expecting the hair growth to be so significant after just a month and a half of consistent use.
The Nutrafol hair system comes in three parts: a shampoo and conditioner set, a hair serum, and supplements formulated to help heal stressed-out strands and clear the way for healthy, optimal growth. A three-step system might sound like a lot of unnecessary steps, but if you think about it, you’re already washing and conditioning your hair anyway, so that’s an easy swap, and you’re likely using some sort of pre-blow-dry scalp and hair prep before drying your hair. So really, you’re just adding supplements to the mix if you haven’t already.
Here’s the breakdown of each product and how they work together for hair growth.
Hair Growth Nutraceutical Supplements
Hair thinning can be caused by one or a mix of six key causes: hormones, stress, lifestyle, metabolism, nutrition, and natural aging. You can’t help things like your natural age and hormones, which are dependent on a variety of factors like genes, toxins, stress, etc., but you can supplement with key vitamins and minerals to help course-correct and address nutritional deficiencies that may be contributing to a waning mane.
Nutrafol Core Hair Growth Supplement for WomenNutrafol’s physician-formulated supplements are powered by clinically-proven hair-boosting ingredients, including marine collagen peptides, saw palmetto, and vitamin E. The best part? When you purchase a 30-day supply, you also get access to wellness coaching with a naturopathic doctor and a Headspace app membership to further help reduce stress levels from lifestyle factors.
In my experience, the most annoying part of taking the supplements is that the daily dose is four capsules—and they’re not small. In my case, this made them more prone to getting skipped because I didn’t want to deal with taking four at a time (though, to be fair, I hate swallowing pills). I tried my best to stay on track and only skipped about three days out of the month. I still saw results after a month and a half: most notably with hair shedding. At the end of a month and a half, I saw visible growth in areas I once just accepted as patchy forever.
Scalp Serum
One of my favorite things about Nutrafol’s scalp serum is how lightweight and fast-absorbing it is on the scalp. I never felt it weighed my hair down or made it greasy when I applied it, which is key for someone prone to oily tresses (hence the dry shampoo addiction).
Nutrafol Hair SerumYou’re supposed to use it daily while you’re taking the supplements, but I only used it when I washed my hair before blow-drying (mostly because I’d forget to apply it nightly, to be honest!). Still, even though I didn’t use it daily, I saw new growth.
The non-greasy scalp serum is formulated with natural ingredients such as maca, sea buckthorn, and pea sprout extracts to nourish, strengthen, and reduce scalp stress. The serum also gently helps keep follicles clear, allowing new growth to push through. I’ve used more abrasive scalp serums in the past, and this one didn’t leave me irritated or flaky.
Shampoo & Conditioner
I wasn’t expecting a brand best known for its supplements to have such a stellar shampoo and conditioner, but I was wrong. I could actually feel the difference in my strands before and after just one use. Now it’s my go-to.
Nutrafol Shampoo and Conditioner SetThis moisturizing yet lightweight shampoo and conditioner duo is formulated to fortify the scalp, boost circulation, and prevent further breakage and shedding with a cocktail of physician-approved ingredients. In addition to supporting hair growth, these formulas have also been shown to reduce dandruff, scalp irritation, and flaking in as little as two weeks.
Hairstylists typically recommend double-washing with all shampoos: once to remove dirt, sweat, and grime, and a second time to let the shampoo’s ingredients penetrate the scalp. I used this “double-cleansing” method and will never go back to a single-shampoo routine after the amount of shine I’ve seen with it. After a month and a half of use, washing my hair every three days or so, I still have so much left over, so this is definitely a solid investment.
Final Verdict
When it comes to hair loss and shedding, there are many culprits out of our control (genetics, toxins, stress, etc.), but there are plenty of over-the-counter modalities that can help. Now, I fully understand the Nutrafol hype—it’s a gold standard in at-home hair thinning care because the research-backed formulas really do work. While the complete system offers a full-body approach to addressing hair loss (and the best protocol for maximum results), if I had to choose one treatment in its lineup, it would be the Core Hair Supplements for Women. Nutrafol also offers targeted supplement formulas for men, women over 45, and postpartum women, so there’s something for everyone at any stage of life experiencing hair loss.
The growth I saw after a month and a half definitely makes the price worth it to me. I also noticed way less hair shedding—the massive clumps of hair in the shower are officially a thing of the past. After the system, I lost just one-third of the amount of hair I was losing before starting. Remember, some hair shedding is normal, but if you are noticing more than one clump of hair per shower, this could be a great option for you.
Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of growth I saw in usually patchy areas—especially near my temples. I got about an inch of growth in just a month and a half, but what was even more impressive was the fact that it was growing out of a patch that typically never saw any action.
Overall, I highly recommend this holistic hair growth system (or even just the supplements, if you must choose) to anyone dealing with abnormal shedding or just anyone who wants to see improved growth in patchy areas. While I saw results in as little as a month (and more at three months), Nutrafol says the full benefits become visible at the three- to six-month mark. I can’t wait to see what the next few months bring.
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The post Scouted: I Tried Nutrafol’s Three-Step Hair Growth System for Three Months—Here’s What Happened appeared first on The Daily Beast.
