Key TakeawaysOral hair growth supplements can help with hair growth, retention, and density.The supplements can affect your body hair and the hair on your head.Though you may notice a slight change in body hair after taking the supplements, they shouldn’t cause any significant changes to hair growth anywhere on the body, dermatologists said.

Key Takeaways

Oral hair growth supplements can help with hair growth, retention, and density.The supplements can affect your body hair and the hair on your head.Though you may notice a slight change in body hair after taking the supplements, they shouldn’t cause any significant changes to hair growth anywhere on the body, dermatologists said.

Hair growth supplements have recently received considerable attention on TikTok, with more than 50 million videos on the topic garnering thousands of views. But before you try oral hair growth supplements, you should know that they can affect your body hair, too.

“Since [these] supplements are taken orally, the ingredients are absorbed throughout the entire body and act on all hair follicles,”Michele Green, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist based in New York, told Verywell.

That said, these products shouldn’t cause a significant increase in body hair. “In my experience, oral hair growth supplements have minimal effect on body hair,”Michael Cameron, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York and assistant clinical professor at the Mount Sinai Health System, told Verywell.

If oral hair growth supplements aren’t a good option for you since they may affect body hair, there are many other alternatives to choose from, Green added.

How Do Hair Growth Supplements Affect Body Hair?

Generally speaking, vitamins and minerals can sometimes promote hair growth, especially if they’re used alongside other treatments.“Overall, vitamins are typically not effective enough to grow and retain hair on its own fully,” Green said. “Still, they can be helpful in conjunction with other medications and procedures to promote hair growth.”

A 2023 review found evidence to suggest that the following name-brand supplements could “potentially benefit” people with hair loss:

Other supplements that contain the following ingredients may also be helpful:

Hair growth supplements may affect your body hair in multiple ways, and it’s important to note that these supplements—along with all other supplements—are not tested for safety and efficacy the way other medications are.

Hair growth supplements’ effects on the diameter of your individual strands of hair are “negligible,” Cameron added.

Whether or not you notice increased body hair when taking hair growth supplements may depend on which kind you are taking, experts said.

“Certainly supplements containing vitamins like biotin can increase the rate of body hair growth and nail growth, [and] some trimming may be needed a little more often,” Cameron explained. But some products will yield different results. “There is some evidence that saw palmetto can actually potentially decrease body hair growth via its antagonist effects on dihydrotestosterone,” he added.

How to Grow Your Hair as Fast as Possible

Hair Growth Treatments Outside of Supplements

For some, more body hair is a welcome change, but others may want to avoid this side effect of hair growth supplements. If that’s true for you, there are alternatives to these supplements that can help with hair growth on your head but nowhere else.

“Dermatologists often employ topical medications such as minoxidil to decrease hair follicle miniaturization and increase hair growth,” Green said. “Topicalminoxidilis an FDA-approved medication that reduces the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, a hormone that increases hair follicle miniaturization.” This treatment can be applied directly to the scalp to encourage hair growth there, and it can be bought over the counter as Rogaine, she added.

Another treatment known asplatelet-rich plasma(PRP) injections, which are injected into the scalp, can also help people looking for help with hair loss. “PRP injections are a highly effective, innovative treatment for hair restoration,” Green said. “PRP is drawn from the patient’s blood and contains proteins and growth factors that are necessary for promoting tissue regeneration and healing hair follicles.”

Other options include finasteride and red light therapy, Cameron said. In some cases, hair transplantation performed in a dermatologist’s office may be the best option for people fighting hair loss, he added.

If you want to ensure that your hair growth treatment option does not alter your body hair, speak with a dermatologist before trying anything new. “Prescriptionoral minoxidilwill likely increase hair growth not only on the scalp but also on the body,” Cameron said.

Any dramatic change in hair growth—whether it affects your body hair or not—should prompt you to speak with a healthcare professional, experts said. Several health conditions can affect your hair growth, and a healthcare provider can help you determine what’s causing the change and whether you should follow a treatment plan to correct it.

What This Means For YouBecause they’re taken orally, hair growth supplements may affect hair growth, retention, and density in your body hair and the hair on your head. If you’re experiencing hair loss and you’re looking for a treatment that will promote hair on your head but nowhere else, there are alternatives to hair growth supplements that may work better for you, dermatologists said.

What This Means For You

Because they’re taken orally, hair growth supplements may affect hair growth, retention, and density in your body hair and the hair on your head. If you’re experiencing hair loss and you’re looking for a treatment that will promote hair on your head but nowhere else, there are alternatives to hair growth supplements that may work better for you, dermatologists said.

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Almohanna HM, Ahmed AA, Tsatalis JP, Tosti A.The role of vitamins and minerals in hair loss: a review.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2019;9(1):51-70. doi:10.1007/s13555-018-0278-6.Drake L, Reyes-Hadsall S, Martinez J, Heinrich C, Huang K, Mostaghimi A.Evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of nutritional supplements for treating hair loss: a systematic review.JAMA Dermatol. 2023;159(1):79-86. doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.4867Food and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Almohanna HM, Ahmed AA, Tsatalis JP, Tosti A.The role of vitamins and minerals in hair loss: a review.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2019;9(1):51-70. doi:10.1007/s13555-018-0278-6.Drake L, Reyes-Hadsall S, Martinez J, Heinrich C, Huang K, Mostaghimi A.Evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of nutritional supplements for treating hair loss: a systematic review.JAMA Dermatol. 2023;159(1):79-86. doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.4867Food and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Almohanna HM, Ahmed AA, Tsatalis JP, Tosti A.The role of vitamins and minerals in hair loss: a review.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2019;9(1):51-70. doi:10.1007/s13555-018-0278-6.Drake L, Reyes-Hadsall S, Martinez J, Heinrich C, Huang K, Mostaghimi A.Evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of nutritional supplements for treating hair loss: a systematic review.JAMA Dermatol. 2023;159(1):79-86. doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.4867Food and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.

Almohanna HM, Ahmed AA, Tsatalis JP, Tosti A.The role of vitamins and minerals in hair loss: a review.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2019;9(1):51-70. doi:10.1007/s13555-018-0278-6.

Drake L, Reyes-Hadsall S, Martinez J, Heinrich C, Huang K, Mostaghimi A.Evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of nutritional supplements for treating hair loss: a systematic review.JAMA Dermatol. 2023;159(1):79-86. doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.4867

Food and Drug Administration.Facts about dietary supplements.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?