{"id":35279,"date":"2025-07-03T12:29:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T12:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/35279\/"},"modified":"2025-07-03T12:29:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T12:29:09","slug":"health-risks-what-docs-want-you-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/35279\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Risks & What Docs Want You To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the hair salon to the dermatologist\u2019s office to Facebook mom groups, it seems like everyone is talking about hair growth treatments<\/a>. Hormonal shifts (like those that come with pregnancy and perimenopause<\/a>), stress, post-COVID fallout, rapid weight loss<\/a> from GLP-1s, aging\u2014there are countless reasons women feel they\u2019re shedding more strands than usual. <\/p>\n

And they\u2019re desperate for solutions.<\/p>\n

Among the most popular options: oral hair growth supplements<\/a>\u2014blends of vitamins, minerals, and herbal ingredients touted to spur growth\u2014and topical or oral drugs, available over the counter and by prescription. The category has exploded. In fact, the global hair loss<\/a> treatment market is expected to hit $2.22 billion this year and surpass $3 billion by 2030, according to market intelligence and consulting firm Coherent Market Insights<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meet the experts<\/strong>: Chesahna Kindred<\/a>, MD, is a dermatologist in Marriottsville, Maryland, who specializes in hair loss. Melissa Piliang<\/a>, MD, is a dermatologist and hair loss specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. Karan Lal<\/a>, DO, is a dermatologist in Scottsdale, Arizona.<\/p>\n

Yet as interest in these treatments grows, so do concerns. Late last year, a case study<\/a> linking a widely used nutraceutical (a fancy word for supplement) to liver injury was published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology (AJG). And just a few months ago, the FDA issued a warning<\/a> about the topical drug finasteride, following numerous reports of men experiencing devastating side effects from spraying it on their scalps.<\/p>\n

It’s caused some alarm\u2014and confusion. For a long time now, the most common question experts would get about these therapies was, \u201cDo hair growth treatments work?\u201d Now, it’s, \u201cAre they safe?\u201d <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start where many women do\u2014with supplements. <\/p>\n

Supplements: Natural Isn\u2019t Always Better<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many women assume supplements are safer than drugs\u2014after all, they\u2019re \u201cnatural,\u201d right? But doctors push back on that assumption. \u201cWhile natural supplements can be effective, it\u2019s a common misconception that \u2018natural\u2019 means \u2018safe,\u2019\u201d says Chesahna Kindred<\/a>, MD, a dermatologist in Marriottsville, Maryland, who specializes in hair loss.<\/p>\n

In the U.S., supplements are regulated by the FDA<\/a>, but as a food category\u2014not as drugs. That means there\u2019s no rigorous pre-approval process to vet them for safety or effectiveness before they hit the shelves. The FDA oversees manufacturing, labeling, and marketing claims, but that\u2019s about it. \u201cMany supplements contain excessively high doses of ingredients, sometimes exceeding ten times the recommended daily allowance,\u201d says Dr. Kindred.<\/p>\n

Take biotin<\/a> (vitamin B7), a popular ingredient in hair supplements. In 2019, the FDA issued a warning<\/a> about high doses of biotin interfering with lab tests\u2014especially thyroid panels and cardiac enzyme tests used to diagnose heart attacks. \u201cI recommended biotin for years, but I\u2019ve stopped because of this risk,\u201d says Melissa Piliang<\/a>, MD, a dermatologist and hair loss specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. \u201cIf someone comes to the ER with chest pain, doctors look at these cardiac markers to decide if it\u2019s a heart attack. If biotin is skewing the results, you might not get the treatment you need.\u201d It’s an error that could be deadly. <\/p>\n

And the concerns don\u2019t stop there. In a 2020 paper published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, a panel of experts issued a call to action<\/a> to improve hair growth supplement safety. \u201cQuality data, including randomized controlled trials examining dietary supplementation for hair growth in well-nourished adults, are limited,\u201d the authors wrote. Among their biggest concerns: <\/p>\n