Nutritional Supplements Show Potential Benefits for Select Patients With Hair Loss

Nutritional and dietary supplements showed potential benefits with little adverse effects for patients with hair loss, according to a recent systematic review.

The researchers conducted a systematic review to determine the safety and efficacy of common nutritional interventions including Viviscal and Nutrafol, among others. The safety and efficacy of available treatments were unclear prior to the study’s completion.

Researchers gathered data using the MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL databases. In total, 30 studies were analyzed for the study, which included 17 randomized clinical trials, 11 clinical trials, and two case series studies. Outcomes of interest in each study were disease courses measured objectively and subjectively.

After their analysis, the researchers found, based on the highest quality of evidence, that a total of 12 treatments showed potential benefits. Further, adverse events were rare and mild for all the treatments that were evaluated. 

The authors identified limitations in their review including the potential bias as many studies were funded by manufacturers. Nonstandarized inclusion criteria, hair loss definitions, and outcome assessments across the studies limited their comparison and generalizability to all patients with hair loss.

“Physicians should engage in shared decision-making by covering the potential risks and benefits of these treatments with patients experiencing hair loss,” the authors concluded. “Future research should focus on larger [randomized clinical trials] with active comparators.”

Reference:

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. JAMA Dermatol. Published online November 30, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.4867