Does Nutrafol Help Hair Grow Faster? Our Study Shows Up to 36.7% Faster Hair Growth Rate

If you’ve noticed your hair isn’t growing as fast as it used to, that instinct is worth trusting. Maybe you can point to why—a stressful stretch, a new phase of life—or maybe it's just a quiet sense that things have slowed down. The good news is there's an actual, measurable reason behind it, and now there's real data on what can change it.

A new clinical study found that women taking Nutrafol Hair Growth Nutraceuticals experienced statistically significant increases in hair growth rate (essentially, how fast their hair grows every day). In the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Dermatology and Therapy, women experienced 18.6%-36.7% faster hair growth than their own baseline, depending on which formula they used.¹ Here's what the study measured, what it found, and what it means for your own hair, whatever chapter you're in right now.

There’s a technical term to describe how fast hair grows: linear hair growth rate, or LHGR. It is measured by the number of millimeters a hair grows in 24 hours. On a healthy scalp, that's typically somewhere around 0.3 to 0.4 millimeters a day, or about 5-6 inches a year. On a scalp dealing with thinning, it can slow down significantly and become more inconsistent.

LHGR matters because it's tied to more than just length. Research shows that thinner hair strands tend to grow more slowly than thicker ones, so a slowing growth rate can be both a sign of, and directly related to, hair that feels finer overall. Hair growth rate also naturally declines with age as follicles change over time.

The catch is that LHGR is hard to measure accurately. It requires shaving hair at a precise location, then using specialized AI-driven hair analysis technology to track growth over time, which is part of why it's evaluated so rarely in hair research. Traditionally, studies have used more imprecise measurements, like cutting and weighing hair or visually measuring hair over time. That's exactly why this new study stands out: It's one of the few to quantify speed of growth directly, not just how much hair is present.

The study enrolled 180 women ages 18 to 70, all experiencing self-perceived hair thinning confirmed by a dermatologist. Each participant took one of four Nutrafol Hair Growth Nutraceutical formulations over 6 months. Researchers measured hair growth at day 0, day 90, and day 180 using the Canfield HairMetrix(R) system, an objective imaging tool with AI software, rather than relying on estimates or memory.

By day 180, every group showed a statistically significant increase in hair growth rate compared with baseline (p<0.0001), with gains appearing as early as day 90. Across the four formulas, hair growth rate increased by 18.6% to 36.7%, translating to an absolute gain of roughly 0.04 to 0.06 millimeters per day. Participants also saw significant increases in anagen hairs (the ones actively in their growth phase), total hair count, and overall scalp coverage.

A total of 150 women completed the study per protocol, and the research underwent full peer review before publication, on top of having already been presented as a scientific poster at the World Congress for Hair Research, one of the field's most prestigious global meetings.

One reason this study is so notable is that every woman was given a hair growth formula tailored to a specific life stage or lifestyle—meaning, the approach wasn’t one-size-fits-all—and all groups still saw significantly faster hair growth. Researchers evaluated four Nutrafol Hair Growth Nutraceuticals, each formulated for a different life stage and each showing its own meaningful results.

Across these distinct formulas, the study demonstrated an 18.6% to 36.7% increase in hair growth rate. The results reflect the targeted support built into each unique formulation

One methodological note worth being transparent about: Because a true postpartum baseline is difficult to establish given how quickly hair changes in that first year, researchers evaluated the Postpartum formula in non-postpartum women ages 18 to 44 to allow for consistent measurement over time. The Postpartum formula has separately been studied in real postpartum women in previous Nutrafol research, with reported improvements in hair volume, appearance, strength, and shedding. This is the first study to show objectively measured changes in hair using this formula, confirming previous subjective evaluations. 

The reason this life-stage tailoring matters is that hair thinning doesn't have one single cause. Nutrafol Women's Balance, for example, contains a higher level of Saw Palmetto to help address the greater role hormonal shifts play in hair thinning during menopause. Nutrafol Postpartum leaves out Saw Palmetto entirely and instead includes Shatavari and DHA Omega-3s, ingredients suited to the physical demands of postpartum recovery. Nutrafol Women's Vegan swaps marine-derived ingredients for Moldavian Dragonshead and standardized bamboo to support hair strength with vegan ingredients. Despite those differences, all four formulas are built to address several key root causes of hair thinning, including stress, hormones, and nutrition, which is likely why all four produced significant results.

If you've tried hair growth products before and come away unconvinced, that skepticism is fair, and this study was designed with exactly that kind of scrutiny in mind. A few things separate it from typical marketing claims.

First, the results weren't self-reported. Researchers used the Canfield HairMetrix(R) system, an AI-driven hair analysis system, to measure actual hair growth at three separate points over 6 months. Second, the study went through full peer review before publication in Dermatology and Therapy, a process that requires independent experts to ensure scientific work is accurate, credible, and ready to contribute to the field. Third, this is one study within a much larger body of evidence: Nutrafol has now completed 26 clinical studies, including three randomized, placebo-controlled trials.

That level of clinical investment is also a meaningful consideration if you’re wondering if Nutrafol hair growth supplements are worth it. Standardized imaging, peer review, and a 6-month study design take real time and resources, and they exist specifically so results can be verified rather than taken on faith.

Faster growth wasn't the only finding in this new study. Across all four formulas, researchers also measured significant increases in anagen hair count (the hairs actively in their growth phase), total and terminal hair count (terminal hairs being the thicker, fully mature hairs, as opposed to fine, baby-like hairs), and total scalp coverage by day 180. Participants also reported improvements consistent with the clinical findings: across groups, 89% to 97% of women agreed with the statement "my hair is growing faster," and 92% to 98% agreed their hair was growing longer.

These findings build on Nutrafol's existing body of research. Individual studies on Nutrafol Women, Nutrafol Women's Balance, Nutrafol Women's Vegan, and Nutrafol Postpartum have previously shown improvements in hair count, hair thickness, hair quality, and shedding.^2,3,4,5 This new study adds hair growth rate, a harder endpoint to measure, to that evidence base.

Hair growth speed is one of the first things people notice about their own hair, yet it remains one of the hardest metrics to measure in research. This new study is among a rare few to directly quantify this rate, finding that women using any of the Nutrafol Hair Growth Nutraceuticals saw their hair growth rate increase by 18.6% to 36.7% over 6 months. These findings are backed by objective imaging, peer review, and a growing body of 26 completed clinical studies.

If you've been waiting for proof that's specific to your own chapter, whether that's your twenties, a plant-based lifestyle, postpartum recovery, or perimenopause and beyond, this is exactly that. Not sure where to start? Take the Hair Wellness Quiz to get a personalized plan.

What is linear hair growth rate (LHGR)? 

LHGR measures how many millimeters a hair grows in 24 hours. It's a direct measure of growth speed, distinct from hair count or density, and it's rarely studied because it requires specialized imaging technology to measure accurately.

How much faster did hair grow in the study? 

Across four Nutrafol Hair Growth Nutraceuticals, hair growth rate increased by 18.6% to 36.7% compared with baseline over 6 months.

How long does it take to see hair growth results? 

Results vary by person, but the study saw statistically significant improvements as early as day 90, with continued gains through day 180. Generally, most women start to see visible improvements within 3 to 6 months of consistent use.

Is this study peer-reviewed? 

Yes. The study was published in Dermatology and Therapy, a peer-reviewed medical journal, after first being presented as a scientific poster at the 2026 World Congress for Hair Research.

Which Nutrafol formula is right for my life stage? 

Nutrafol Women is formulated for women ages 18 to 44, Nutrafol Women's Balance for women ages 45+ navigating perimenopause through postmenopause, and Nutrafol Postpartum for whole-body recovery after childbirth.

Do hair growth supplements actually help hair grow faster? 

This study specifically measured that question using objective imaging rather than self-report, and found statistically significant increases in hair growth rate across all four formulas tested, alongside gains in hair count and scalp coverage.