I Tested Nutrafol's Upgraded Hair-Growth Supplement—My Results After 5 Months

Let's get this out of the way: I don't exactly struggle with hair loss. I haven't experienced a widening part or increased fallout (*knocks on wood*), and I've received enough scalp analyses to know that I have multiple hairs per follicle, a sign of solid density. Now, would I like my strands to be even thicker? Absolutely. Have I noticed some sparser areas near my temples with every passing year? Sure have. Have I ever prayed to a higher power that my hair would magically grow faster? Of course—regularly.

Yes, I am a worthy candidate to test Nutrafol's hair-growth supplements. In fact, I'd say my current hair status makes me even more difficult to impress when it comes to noticeable, trackable results. Five months into taking the Women's Vegan Capsules, I have plenty of details to point out. For the record, I don't follow a vegan diet. But a Nutrafol team member told me that the plant-based formula had even more compelling clinicals than the OG Women's Nutraceutical. Who doesn't want better, stronger results?

It's a good thing I went vegan, so to speak, because Nutrafol has officially started phasing out the original Women's formula and replacing it with the vegan capsules. In short, Nutrafol Women's Vegan has become the new Nutrafol Women. Considering I've already been taking the advanced supplement for months, I'd say I'm the perfect person to share my two cents. Ahead, find my full review.

About the Formula: What's Changed?

Now, allow me to clarify. It isn't totally fair to simply deem the vegan formula better than the original. Each formula had its own robust clinical study, and the two never specifically went head to head. "They involved different study populations and study designs, so we can't conclude from the results that one formula is more effective than the other," board-certified dermatologist Heather Woolery-Lloyd, MD, FAAD, Nutrafol's chief medical advisor, tells me.

That said, it is worth comparing their individual results. After taking the original Women's formula for six months, 90% of women saw an overall improvement in their hair, and 84% saw less shedding. With the vegan formula, 100% of women saw their baby hairs grow out and more scalp coverage in that same time frame. It involved a different group of women with a different study design, but still, that 100% finding is quite impressive.

So what makes it stronger? Well, the vegan formula rolled out much later than the original capsules (2023 versus the 2016 Nutraceutical debut), which means that it matches more modern data. "It builds on the same proven foundation of addressing the key root causes of hair thinning while incorporating the latest scientific advancements in hair biology and nutrition that weren't available when the original Nutrafol Women's formula was developed over 10 years ago," Woolery-Lloyd further explains.

See, Nutrafol didn't just take the non-vegan ingredients out of the original formula and call it a day. The brand identified other science-backed, nutrient-rich extracts shown to enhance hair health—ashwagandha to target stress-related shedding; vitamin E and curcumin to fend off oxidative stress; saw palmetto to block DHT, a hormone that shrinks follicles; bamboo-derived silica to strengthen keratin bonds; and Moldavian dragonhead to support collagen production. The formula also contains a probiotic called bacillus subtilis DE111 to balance the gut microbiome, which has intimate ties to hair health. Woolery-Lloyd shares, "Healthy hair depends on the body's ability to absorb and utilize nutrients effectively."

What you won't find in the new formula is biotin, keratin, and collagen peptides, all of which stem from non-vegan sources, but according to Woolery-Lloyd, you likely won't miss these players. "Biotin has become almost synonymous with hair health over the years, even though the science is much more nuanced," she explains. (Plus, some people report the buzzy B vitamin has contributed to acne. That's partly why I opted for the vegan Nutrafol formula!) "For most people experiencing hair thinning, simply adding more biotin doesn't address what's actually driving the problem. Hair thinning is typically multifactorial. It can be influenced by stress, hormones, nutrition, metabolism, aging, and other internal factors." The vegan formula targets shedding from all of these angles and has the clinical data to prove it. As someone who has taken it for several months, I can confirm those plant-based ingredients do put in the work.

My Experience and Results

Again, I don't struggle with significant hair loss, but I have noticed some natural thinning around my temples, likely due to hormonal fluctuations and stress. It's not severe, but it has reached a point where I avoid slicked-back styles that show off those gaps. Coincidentally, I decided to chop my hair into a lob around the same time I started my Nutrafol experiment (I swear this wasn't planned), which made it much easier for me to track length and density.

I won't lie. Committing to four pills a day, every single day, was difficult for me. I'm notoriously bad at taking supplements unless I can trick myself into thinking it's candy, so I had to set a reminder on my phone to make sure I got my daily dose. Every day at 11 a.m. (after I've had my coffee and breakfast), my notification would ping, and I'd toss four capsules down the hatch. If four pills sounds like a lot, well, it kind of is. But they're not huge! The vegan capsules are actually smaller than the old Women's formula, which is a plus if you struggle swallowing pills.

By the time I finished my second bottle, my baby hairs started growing like crazy. The photo below, which was taken at month five, doesn't even do it justice. My temples are significantly less sparse, and I've even noticed fine hairs sprouting along my hairline. I didn't think I was lacking fullness there! The effects became even more obvious the longer I kept up the daily routine, and my strands grew at record speed. My hair is almost the same length as it was before my major cut, which, in five months, is very impressive.

But it's not just about the extra inches. Overall, my hair just looks good. Before, I was dealing with dry, brittle strands that felt straw-like (precisely why I decided to chop it off and start anew), and I really do think the supplement changed the quality of my hair shaft. Fine, it's still prone to frizz and has a gnarly cowlick in the back. I can't expect Nutrafol to magically erase all my woes, but I can't ignore how much thicker and glossier it looks in general. Nutrafol's new Hair Wellness Boosters are also likely responsible—namely the +Strength Collagen Nutraceutical, which I've been adding to my morning smoothies for the past month.

The Verdict

This probably goes without saying, but you can't expect to take Nutrafol supplements for a week and notice significant growth—hence why I waited five months to make my official call. I started to see significant changes by month two and noted peak results as I neared the six-month mark. That said, I will 100% continue to make Nutrafol Women a daily commitment. The only time I accidentally took a break was when I forgot to bring my bottle on my two-week honeymoon. I did freak out once I realized I left it at home, but don't worry. I didn't lose my progress. When you stop Nutrafol, your hair will slowly return to its baseline over three to six months, so a quick two-week blip was A-OK. I still have the "take Nutrafol" reminder on my phone to help with the daily habit. Those denser, healthier results are well worth the four pills and extra few seconds.

In terms of what I think about the new-and-improved formula, well, I transparently don't have much to compare it to, considering I was already taking the vegan capsules before the brand officially made them the main character. But I do know that Nutrafol does not take the easy way out when it comes to clinical results (it's NSF Certified for Sport, meaning it's of the highest standard in terms of safety and is free of 290 substances banned by major sports organizations), so if it altered the main Women's formula, trust that it did so for the better. "This isn't about changing something for the sake of change," adds Woolery-Lloyd. "To me, this reflects a philosophy of continuous improvement, building on an already-strong scientific foundation and ensuring more women have access to Nutrafol's most advanced formulation." Scroll ahead to officially shop yours.

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