Do Hair Growth Supplements Increase Body Hair?

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.

Oral hair growth supplements won’t cause hair growth in new areas. “Facial and body hair growth is caused by fluctuating hormones in the body,” Green explained. “Hair growth supplements do not contain hormones and will not encourage facial or body hair growth that is nonexistent.”

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:

• Viviscal
• Nourkrin
• Nutrafol
• Lamdapil
• Pantogar

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

• Capsaicin and isoflavone
• Omegas 3 and 6 with antioxidants
• Apple nutraceutical
• Total glucosides of paeony and compound glycyrrhizin tablets
• Zinc
• Tocotrienol
• Pumpkin seed oil

Though hair growth supplements aren’t always effective, experts don’t consider them dangerous: Adverse events caused by the supplements are rarely reported, and even then, they’re usually mild.

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 can help promote hair growth, retention, and density by improving overall hair health,” Green said. The same is true for hair growth supplements’ effect on body hair. “However, there are no clinical studies to date proving that hair supplements can work to increase hair growth and density.”

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.

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. “Topical minoxidil is 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 as platelet-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. “Prescription oral minoxidil will 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.