We ranked 9 things women try for thinning hair, worst to best.
Oils, shampoos, biotin, collagen, the foam, the pricey capsules, the salon needles and just waiting it out. Each one scored on what women wrote after they tried it.
Sponsored by WEEM · Updated October 2026 · 4 min read
The drain after a shower. The brush before your first coffee. The part that looks wider in photos than it did last year.
So you tried something, then something else, and the hair kept coming out. Women wrote that same story over and over.
That was never your fault. Most of what you were sold works on the outside of your hair, or on one nutrient, or only for as long as you keep paying.
How we scored
We went through 92,372 real comments, posts, reviews and searches about thinning hair, from YouTube, Reddit, hair-loss forums and product reviews. Then we scored every fix 0 to 10 on the four things women kept bringing up.
Results ×2Did the shedding slow and the hair come back? This one counts double.
SpeedHow soon did she see a first sign?
DownsidesWhat did she complain about? 10 means little to complain about.
Cost & effortMoney and time, every month. 10 means cheap and easy.
Score = (Results × 2 + Speed + Downsides + Cost & effort) ÷ 5. The scores are WEEM’s call, made from what women wrote. Every quote is real, trimmed only where you see “…”. Costs are what women said they paid.
#9
Waiting it out
The advice you get from everyone, sometimes even your doctor: it will grow back on its own, give it time.
2.8/10
Results ×2
2
Speed
0
Downsides
1
Cost & effort
9
Verdict. Free, and sometimes a shed does settle on its own. But you lose hair the whole time you wait, and nobody can tell you how long that is.
Cost a month$0
Daily effortNothing. Just checking the drain every morning.
What women say
“I know hair loss is a common side effect of weight loss and many on here have said to wait it out and that it gets better after a few months, but mine just seems to be getting worse and worse.”
Reddit, weight-loss group
“…my hair may come back in 2 years… I don’t want to just wait 2 years and hope for the best.”
Reddit, r/FemaleHairLoss
#8
Salon and clinic treatments
PRP injections into the scalp, laser caps and red-light helmets. Booked, paid for and done in sessions.
3.0/10
Results ×2
5
Speed
3
Downsides
2
Cost & effort
0
Verdict. Some women do see growth. Plenty paid hundreds a session, sat through the needles and saw nothing. It is the most money on this list for a coin flip.
Cost a month$595 to $1,600 a PRP session. Laser caps from $750.
Daily effortAppointments, needles and 3 or more sessions.
What women say
“In desperation I did two rounds of PRP at $1,600 a pop… I saw absolutely zero results… (also it hurts like hell!)”
YouTube comment
“Spent $750 on red light therapy cap and got zero results… still, zero results”
YouTube comment
#7
Hair oils
Rosemary, castor and pumpkin seed oil. Massaged into the scalp, left on for hours or overnight, then washed out.
3.4/10
Results ×2
2
Speed
1
Downsides
5
Cost & effort
7
Verdict. Cheap, and it smells nice. Yet the women who stuck with it talk about 8 months of greasy nights before they saw anything, and many never did.
Cost a monthAbout $15 a bottle
Daily effortMassage in, leave on, wash out the grease. Most nights.
What women say
“boiled rosemary to spritz, used rosemary essential oil, took vitamins, tried pumpkin seed oil... nothing has worked and I only lose more hair.”
Reddit, r/FemaleHairLoss
“I started with hair oiling (stopped after 8 months of no results)…”
Reddit, r/FemaleHairLoss
#6
Thickening shampoos
Volumizing, anti-thinning and “hair regrowth” shampoos and conditioners.
3.6/10
Results ×2
1
Speed
2
Downsides
7
Cost & effort
7
Verdict. Easy, and your hair feels fuller until the next wash. But a shampoo sits on your scalp for a minute and rinses down the same drain your hair does.
Cost a month$20 to $80 a set
Daily effortNone extra. You wash anyway.
What women say
“I have tried “hair regrowth” shampoos. Expensive top brands I can’t keep buying that are supposed to add volume.”
Reddit, r/FemaleHairLoss
“I’ve tried different shampoos and styling different ways but nothing is working.”
Reddit, r/Perimenopause
Seen enough? #1 scored 9.2. 2 gummies a day, $0.85 a day, free $45 Starter Bundle.
Collagen peptides stirred into coffee or a shake every morning. Made from cows or fish.
3.8/10
Results ×2
3
Speed
2
Downsides
6
Cost & effort
5
Verdict. Good for skin, and plenty of women like it in their coffee. For the hair in the drain, the reports are thin. It is not vegan either.
Cost a month$10 to $30 a month
Daily effortA scoop a day, mixed in, every single day.
What women say
“I have been taking powder collagen for 5+ years, I eat a very clean diet with losts of protein. Drives me crazy.”
Reddit, r/Menopause
“I started taking collagen powder a few months ago and have had results with my skin but not my hair.”
YouTube comment
#4
Biotin by itself
Plain drugstore biotin. One nutrient, one pill a day.
4.2/10
Results ×2
3
Speed
3
Downsides
3
Cost & effort
9
Verdict. Cheap and easy. But biotin on its own is one part of what your hair runs on, and women who took it for years say the shedding never changed.
Cost a month$6 to $10 a month
Daily effort1 pill a day.
What women say
“I had the worst breakout of my life after taking biotin and its so scary to know that it clouds test results. All that and it doesn’t even work for your hair.”
YouTube comment
“…I stopped taking biotin because I felt it did nothing.”
YouTube comment
The top 3 are next. Only one of them is 2 gummies a day with no prescription.
A foam or drops on your scalp every day, or a daily prescription pill.
4.8/10
Results ×2
8
Speed
2
Downsides
2
Cost & effort
4
Verdict. It works for plenty of women. The catch is everything else: the shed that often comes first, side effects some women can’t live with, and a foam or pill you stay on to keep the hair.
Cost a month$3 to $35 a month, plus the doctor
Daily effortEvery day, for as long as you want to keep the hair.
What women say
“Was thinking of trying minoxidil but scared as you have to take for life.”
Reddit, r/Menopause
“…since starting minoxidil (it’s been about 3 weeks), it seems like all of my hair is falling out.”
Reddit, r/FemaleHairLoss
#2
Premium hair capsules
The premium hair-growth capsules from every ad you have scrolled past. 4 capsules a day.
5.4/10
Results ×2
8
Speed
4
Downsides
5
Cost & effort
2
Verdict. Women say it works, which is why it sits at #2. But it is 4 capsules and close to $90 every month, and the women paying it want out. #1 fixes exactly that.
Cost a month$80 to $100 a month
Daily effort4 capsules a day.
What women say
“It definitely lessened the hair loss but it’s kind of pricey and I hated taking 4 pills a day. Does anyone have any cheaper recommendations?”
Reddit
“I keep thinking about stopping it. It is expensive and a pain to take 4 pills and honestly I hardly ever take all 4.”
YouTube comment
#1 · The winner
WEEM Hair Skin Nails gummies
2 raspberry gummies a day. 5,000 mcg biotin plus folate, B12, zinc, B5, B6 and vitamins A, C and E. Vegan, gelatin-free, no prescription.
★★★★★4.74 · 38,619 reviews
Why it won, in her words
“I have tried everything for my hair loss and Weem is the winner 100%”
Jodi★★★★★Verified buyer · Jan 2025
9.2/10
Results ×2
10
Speed
8
Downsides
8
Cost & effort
10
Cost a month$25.50 on Subscribe & Save. $0.85 a day.
Daily effort2 gummies. Raspberry. Done.
Why the others fall short
Oils and shampoos work on the outside of your hair. Biotin alone is one part. The drugs ask you to stay on them for good. The premium capsules ask for close to $90 a month.
Your hair is built from keratin, from the inside, every single day. So it needs the whole daily set, every day, in something you will actually keep taking.
Your hair is missing its daily part. 2 gummies a day put it back.
Real hair. Real customers.
“To the point my family was complaining of my hair in their clothes after I’d done laundry… I’m on my 3rd bottle and the rate my hair is falling out is less than half what it was.”
Tina C.★★★★★Verified buyer · Feb 2026
Her timeline, in her words
Week 2“After first 2 weeks noticed less hair in the shower.”
Day 30 to 60“30-60 days noticed less scalp showing.”
Day 90“90 days my hair looks and feels fuller.”
Lilia V.★★★★★Verified buyer · Feb 2026
The person who noticed first
“After being on the product for three months when I went to my hairdresser, she asked me what I was using, and told me that my hair felt much thicker and healthier.”
Krisi M.★★★★★Verified buyer · Apr 2026
“After about 4-5 weeks I’m amazed that there is little or no hair on my floor anymore. My shower drain used to be covered with my hair and no more.”
Susan M.★★★★★Verified buyer · Jun 2026
Where it dropped points
Speed, 8. It is not overnight. Women report stronger nails around week 2, less hair in the shower by week 3 and baby hairs in thin spots around day 30. Fuller hair builds over months 2 and 3.
Downsides, 8. It is sweet, with 3 g of sugar per serving. And like any biotin, tell your doctor you take it before a blood test.
