How to Fight Hair Thinning Naturally

This article was produced in partnership with Nutrafol

Many men accept hair thinning as a fact of life, but maybe it doesn’t have to be.

Men have a genetic predisposition to hair thinning, but by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and keeping the body’s balances in check, they can take control of their hair health.

“Hair thinning is multifactorial,” says Dr. Shino Bay Aguilera of Shino Bay Cosmetic Dermatology in Fort Lauderdale, FL. “It’s primarily caused by hormones, stress, lifestyle, metabolism, aging, and poor nutrition. These imbalances in the body can activate one’s genetic predispositions to hair thinning.”

With this in mind, it’s important to know that the solution for thinning hair doesn’t always have to be prescribed by a doctor. Many affected men are hesitant to take topical and oral solutions for hair thinning since a small percentage of users can experience stifling sexual side effects. Luckily, there are natural ways to keep the body nourished and balanced, directly impacting (and even targeting) hair fortification. So, even if you do use doctor-prescribed options, you can always supplement the efforts with natural means.

Here’s a look at hair thinning and how to counter it naturally.

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How Hair Thinning Happens

Almost every male will experience hair thinning in his lifetime, Bay notes. How rapidly it happens will vary from one man to the next. Some guys are nearly bald by 25, while others spot their first bald patch at 75. Regardless, age comes for us all, since cellular regeneration slows over time.

Secondly, there’s the proliferation of DHT, or dihydrotestosterone. This byproduct of testosterone is what is responsible for the thinning or shrinkage of hair follicles, and the eventual inability for the follicle to generate new hairs. This is what is targeted with many prescription drugs—and what can sometimes cause sexual side effects. Alternative and natural approaches instead seek to fortify the follicle directly, rather than suppress the body’s hormonal processes.

Thirdly, all kinds of stress can expedite hair shedding and stifle hair growth, Bay emphasizes—whether it’s from a bad day at work, a lack of rest, or even poor nutrition. Stress keeps hair in a resting state, and sometimes prevents growth altogether. If you’re already predisposed to genetic hair thinning (or currently experiencing it), it’s imperative to mitigate all types of stress in your life if you want to preserve your pelt.

What to Do When You Start Losing Hair

No optimal approach to thinning hair is identical from one person to the next. That’s because we all experience hair thinning differently—from general shedding, or individual shaft thinning, to spot baldness or hairline recession. The best answer for each person must also consider his dedication to the remedy, since it’s a daily effort, as well as possible risks he’s willing to take with some prescription medicines.

Bottom line: When you start to experience hair thinning, your best first step is to visit a board-certified dermatologist to discuss the right path forward for you. Bay says this is the only way to get tailored advice and to ensure a safely supervised process moving forward.

The Best Supplements for Hair Thinning

Just as you might take whey protein after a workout, or a multivitamin for overall wellness, you can take a hair-targeted supplement that helps anchor and strengthen the hair (while in turn growing stronger, thicker hair). Many supplements will tell you that a simple, singular ingredient (commonly biotin) is the answer. But while a vitamin like biotin is believed to help fortify and expedite hair growth, it doesn’t address the root causes that contribute to hair thinning. This is why it’s important to choose a truly comprehensive supplement: one that looks at hair thinning from a full 360-degree spectrum.

And since your dermatologist is the person you can trust with a hair health plan, you can also trust the No.1 dermatologist-recommended hair growth supplement to fight hair thinning: Nutrafol.

“Nutrafol is 100 percent drug-free, natural, and doesn’t have ingredients that compromise sexual health,” says Bay. “Of course, a healthy lifestyle, balanced diet, and balanced mind are key as well.”

Even men with advanced hair thinning (those who receive plasma injections or laser therapy) can fortify their hair with a well-rounded supplement. And again, you can also supplement a doc-prescribed plan. Many people do not experience any side effects with prescription hair products, but still seek the natural benefits of hair fortification from Nutrafol.

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Why Dermatologists Trust Nutrafol

Scan the web and you’ll find a long list of unregulated, poorly sourced, nebulous “hair-saving” pills. One reason Bay trusts Nutrafol is because the brand studies and clinically validates its formulations and products to a high level of scientific rigor. “The supplement industry is not subject to regulations,” he says. “Despite that, Nutrafol works with an array of healthcare practitioners to better understand hair thinning in order to address hair health from within and topically.”

The brand also offers a Growth Activator Hair Serum, powered by Ashwagandha exosomes, in addition to its Nutrafol Men daily supplements that address the multiple root causes of hair thinning including hormones, stress and nutrition.

“To create Nutrafol products, we adhere to rigorous scientific standards to ensure each ingredient is proven to be effective,” says Nutrafol founder Giorgos Tsetis. A large part of why Tsetis founded the company is because he wanted a natural, effective alternative to the other common options on the market. “The side effects I experienced from prescription drugs permanently changed my perspective on modern health and wellness,” he says. “I didn’t want to sacrifice my overall health just to keep my hair. I knew there had to be a better way.”

The Best Ingredients in Hair Health Supplements

What should you look for in a comprehensive hair-health supplement? Here’s a hint: It’s much more than just biotin. Below are four key ingredients in Nutrafol’s daily hair growth supplements for men.

• Saw Palmetto: Helps lower the impact of DHT and promotes hair growth. While medical options (like finasteride) block all DHT, saw palmetto in a medical-grade volume contains multiple plant actives that have more of a balancing effect, and in multiple studies was not found it impacted circulating DHT levels or negatively influenced sexual performance.
• Ashwagandha: This adaptogen balances stress hormones in the body by building stress resilience to help promote a healthy hair growth cycle.
• Vitamin E: Boosts hair density by countering the negative impacts of environmental stress (like pollution).
• Collagen: Hydrates and conditions the scalp while also providing amino acids that are known to support keratin formation.

These ingredients are present in medical-grade quantities. Add to that roster the likes of biotin, kelp extract, keratin, antioxidant-rich resveratrol, zinc, selenium, hyaluronic acid, and vitamins A, C, and D.

Additionally, Nutrafol’s ingredients are obtained from the most reputable, high-quality sources. The result is a clinically effective, 100% drug free approach to thinning hair.

When to Expect Results

Hair growth doesn’t happen overnight, supplemental success can typically be noticed within 3 to 6 months of use, Bay says. This is because the hair growth cycle is quite long and there are intervals in which hair sheds. Once the natural ingredients have balanced root causes that shorten the growth cycle, the nutrients can build strong hair. It’s recommended that users continue taking these supplements in order to maintain results. This is the case for all hair-health plans. Measures must be maintained or else hair will revert to what it was prior to any counter efforts.

In other words, any means toward reviving and maintaining your hair is a long-term investment—but one that millions of men deem well worth it.

“You have to treat your hair like your crown,” says Bay. “It has a big impact on self-esteem. And because hair is part of overall wellness, don’t shy away from investing in supporting hormones, managing stress, and addressing other root causes of hair thinning, too.”

For more information, go to Nutrafol.com and follow @NutrafolMen.

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