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After Seeing Menopausal Clients For Over 15 Years and a Decades Long Personal Struggle With Hormonal Hair Loss - Here's My Take On Available Products
By: Mariam Taraz, Hairdresser, Extension Specialist
Over 15 years experience as a hairdresser specializing in hair extensions.
Latest update: February 3, 2026
"Which product should I try for my menopausal hair loss?"
I get this question from clients every single day. And honestly, until last year, I wasn’t comfortable wholeheartedly recommending anything, as nothing on the market had trials for menopausal women.
See, I'd been dealing with my own hormonal hair loss for over 20 years.
And as a hairdresser, I had access to everything that was out there, yet nothing worked.
It got so bad that I spent thousands on a hair transplant that completely failed. My surgeon couldn't explain why - just said "sometimes grafts don't take."
But after that devastating experience, I was restless about understanding what actually works for menopausal hair loss versus what's just clever marketing.
What I Look For In Clinical Data
After my transplant failure, I learned to dig into the actual studies behind these products.
The gold standard for measuring female hair loss is something called the Ludwig Scale.
Dermatologists worldwide have relied on it since 1977. It’s also what the FDA uses.
Moving even half a grade on this scale is considered clinically significant.
And because it measures the overall pattern of hair loss across your whole scalp, you can't just cherry-pick one tiny area that looks good for evaluation results.
Most consumer products go to great lengths to avoid trials using the Ludwig Scale because it's incredibly difficult to deliver real improvement on it and very hard to cheat your way through it.
When I assess products now, I use two main filters:
Research backing
Does it have Ludwig Scale data? If not, are the studies specifically on hormonal hair loss or are they extrapolating results from completely different populations?
Real life client results
In my chair, over months and years, have I actually seen safe and sustained improvement in women using this product?
Both have to check out for me to be confident in recommending something to my clients.
I've gone through the research behind the 5 most common hair loss treatments my clients talk about, and I'm sharing what I found with you.
In order from most popular to least popular.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil has extensive research, I'll give it that, though it's largely due to it being a drug.
Multiple studies spanning decades, with the landmark study involving 381 women showing measurable hair growth improvement over a placebo.
But here's what's missing: in the primary 381 participant study, the age is capped at 49, so the results are not specifically representing menopausal hair loss.
Ludwig Scale classification is used for Minoxidil in studies, but usually just for baseline staging - so there are no concrete Ludwig‑grade change data to report, even though they have results in hair count growth.
What I See With My Clients:
Out of my clients who try minoxidil, only about a third see any improvement as menopause offsets the enzyme needed to activate minoxidil (sulfotransferase).
The clients who do respond often plateau after a couple of months and develop a dependency on it - they try to stop using it and lose whatever gains they achieved.
And the side effects can be significant - scalp irritation, unwanted facial hair growth, I've even seen increased shedding.
Bottom Line:
Minoxidil has plenty of research, and they’ve at least referenced the Ludwig scal,e which I appreciate, but there are no breakthroughs on menopausal women specifically.
Most of my clients who are over 40 don't see results, and those who do become dependent on daily use with potential side effects.
I haven’t recommended minoxidil in years.
Rosemary oil
Rosemary oil has one solid comparative study - a 6-month trial comparing rosemary oil to 2% minoxidil. Surprisingly, rosemary oil performed just as well as minoxidil for hair count increases.
There's nothing measured on the Ludwig Scale and no studies on menopausal women specifically.
What I See With My Clients:
Rosemary oil is popular because it's natural and affordable. Some clients do report improved hair texture, but growth results are very inconsistent.
Most clients get fed up with the mess and daily application routine. The few who stick with it long-term seem to maintain their existing hair better, but rarely see any regrowth.
Plus, the smell can be overwhelming for some.
Bottom Line:
Rosemary oil has promising research showing it can hold its own against minoxidil, but no Ludwig scale data and no studies on menopausal women specifically.
Rosemary oil is an OK first step for maintaining hair health, but if a client has already noticed hair loss and is looking for regrowth, I point them to other solutions.
Nutrafol
Nutrafol has one published study that focuses on menopausal women.
40 peri‑, menopausal, and postmenopausal women used their product over a period of 6 months and showed progressive increases in hair counts versus placebo.
But their study measured hair counts in small target areas and used proprietary rating scales.
So the changes were not even classified or measured on the Ludwig scale; they were taken from a small photographed area, not the entire scalp.
What I See With My Clients:
My clients love Nutrafol's branding, but the results don't match the hype.
Very few see any noticeable improvement, and even then, it's usually just less shedding rather than actual regrowth.
If they decide to try it regardless, most usually quit once the novelty wears off, as it’s hard to justify paying $80+ for basic vitamins each month when they aren't seeing any improvements.
Bottom Line:
Nutrafol has data on menopausal women, but the study measured hair counts in small areas rather than the whole scalp.
So there are no Ludwig Scale results to show.
Considering the simplicity of the ingredients, the product is quite expensive without any proper guarantee on results, so it’s unlikely that I’d ever point anyone their way.
KilgourMD
KilgourMD conducted a clinical trial where 43 menopausal women with confirmed hair loss used their serums over a 120-day period at a neutral third-party lab.
And they actually measured results on the Ludwig scale.
The study showed one full grade improvement after 120 days.
To date, not a single treatment has recorded female hair regrowth results this fast on the official measurement scale.
What I See With My Clients:
Multiple clients initially brought up KilgourMD after seeing their marketing on social media, which made me skeptical since most products with flashy campaigns have been disappointing in my experience.
But I started looking into their approach after hearing the story behind Dr. Kilgour’s mother’s hair loss, and then saw the clinical success they had on the Ludwig scale with menopausal women.
In addition, they have a 3-month results guarantee, which means my clients don’t waste any money if they don’t see results.
So far, I'm impressed with the results that I’ve seen.
Bottom Line:
KilgourMD serums are the first non-drug treatment with published data showing Ludwig grade improvement for menopausal women. I also like their results guarantee length, which lets you actually see whether it works for you or not.
This is what I suggest to nearly everyone that’s concerned about menopausal hair loss.
Divi
Divi has one small 12-week "independent study", but it's not what you'd call real clinical research.
The "study" was a user self-assessment questionnaire.
There's no peer-reviewed publication and no demographic breakdown of participants. This is essentially a customer satisfaction survey.
No Ludwig Scale data, and no research specifically on menopausal women.
What I See With My Clients:
Divi does a lot of social media marketing, and my clients frequently ask about it after seeing influencer posts. But I haven't seen growth results from anyone who's tried it.
A few women have described their hair feeling softer or looking shinier, but I think this could be attributed to any moisturizing product.
Bottom Line:
No real clinical research. No Ludwig Scale data and no studies on menopausal women despite heavy marketing to this demographic, not a fan.
Why I’m comfortable putting my credibility on the line when I recommend KilgourMD
KilgourMD serums are the first and only non-drug treatment with Ludwig scale improvement data specifically for menopausal women.
That makes it a big deal not just in the consumer product space, but in the context of hair loss history.
Under the highest grade of clinical scrutiny, the women in the trial using KilgourMD’s treatment achieved one full Ludwig grade improvement in just 120 days.
(Remember that even half a grade is considered clinically significant)
For context, drug treatments like minoxidil take 6-12 months to show similar regrowth results.
The Scalp Aging Breakthrough
What makes their approach work so well is the focus on scalp age-reversal rather than just follicle stimulation.
During menopause, your scalp ages up to 10 times faster than normal. By 50, women can have scalp tissue that functions like an 80-year-old's.
You can't grow healthy hair in tissue that's aged decades beyond your actual age. (This is why my transplant failed)
Instead of just trying to force follicles to work in this hostile environment, KilgourMD's serums address the rapid menopausal scalp aging.
Results-Backed Guarantee
What gives me confidence in recommending KilgourMD to anyone even slightly concerned about hair loss is their 90-day money-back guarantee.
The 3-month timeframe gives you enough time to comfortably see if you're responding to the treatment.
Most companies offer 30-day guarantees (or none at all), which isn't realistic for hair regrowth timelines.
KilgourMD's 90-day guarantee shows me that they're confident in their clinical results and in their understanding of what real hair regrowth means.
The Only Non-Drug Treatment With Clinical Proof on the Ludwig Scale for Menopausal Women
TRY KILGOURMD RISK-FREE
The Only Non-Drug Treatment With Clinical Proof on the Ludwig Scale for Menopausal Women
TRY KILGOURMD RISK-FREE
Studies
Minoxidil
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15034503/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32851744/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10334345/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7325226/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190962203043172
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.905140/full
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/A-randomized,-placebo-controlled-trial-of-5-and-2-Lucky-Piacquadio/83145a77c03521ce3af2409e931cc51b0d72035a
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12136553/
Rosemary Oil
Nutrafol Women’s Balance menopause RCT 2020/2021 (6‑month, randomized, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled)