With hair loss and hair thinning (whether menopause, stress, diet or underlying ailment-related) rampant, it’s no wonder the market is awash with capsules, pills, gummies and powdered supplements full of potent vitamins and other nutrients, all promising a natural and hassle-free route to restoring growth and volume.

We know a balanced diet is essential to support optimal hair growth and prevent hair shedding, so it makes sense that topping it up with the most crucial nutrients in the shape of supplements should lead to less hair loss – right? “There is a definite place for some supplements as part of a hair loss treatment regimen,” agrees hair transplant surgeon Dr Bessam Farjo of the Farjo Hair Institute. “As long as you appreciate it is more of a support role.”

Trichologists, dermatologists and hair doctors are unanimous: the right diet, not supplementation, is your baseline treatment when it comes to supporting or restoring healthy hair growth. “A vitamin and mineral-rich diet that’s good for you generally is good for your hair,” says Dr Farjo.

But without a medically determined need for them or as a standalone ‘growth booster’, nutritional supplements “are an area of the market where unfortunately you see a lot of overpromising and even mis-selling,” says Farjo.” Some can be a very good option if the hair loss is at a very early stage, or the objective is to improve the quality of the existing hairs. But when tackling serious hair loss, they can only be relied on as part of a long-term multi-pronged treatment plan.” This might encompass hormone treatment, medicinal scalp drops, or even scalp PRP, micrografting or hair transplants.

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