A leading mogul in the wellness space, Gwyneth Paltrow has tested numerous cleanses, skin care products and luxury beauty services over the years, reviewing them for not just her Goop-obsessed cult following but, of course, herself. And while she may have won big with some treatments such as infrared saunas and mouth taping to rid her body of toxins and improve her sleep, she hasn’t been as successful finding a method to remedy hair loss.

The 52-year-old entrepreneur has been candid about her struggles with hair loss over the years, revealing the costly lengths she’s gone to to try and help it, one of which being scalp injections. These injections, specifically PRP and steroid, encourage hair growth by calming the hair follicles, reducing inflammation and improving overall scalp health. 

As of recently, Paltrow tested a new noninvasive solution involving acoustic sound waves called TransEpidermal treatments. TED treatments utilize low-frequency sound waves and air pressure to stimulate hair restoration and deliver peptides. Together, the sound waves and the pressure work to send hair signal molecules past the skin barrier to the dermis through needles.

Paltrow is far from the only woman over the age of 50 dealing with hair loss. In fact, approximately 40 percent of women in that age group are affected by female pattern hair loss, otherwise known as androgenetic alopecia, according to the National Institutes of Health. 

“Hair loss is a multifactorial issue influenced by genetics, hormonal fluctuations (such as postpartum or menopause), nutritional deficiencies, chronic stress and inflammatory scalp conditions, and it can happen at any age,” Aga Tompkins, a board-certified trichologist and celebrity hairstylist, told WWD. 

Scalp conditions that could impact the “natural hair growth cycle” include itchy, dry and excessively oily, Tompkins said. 

Traditional hair loss treatments involve “minoxidil, oral supplements, low-level laser therapy and more invasive options like PRP [platelet-rich plasma].” Yet, many of these approaches fail to consider the necessity of holistic scalp care, which requires several products, including scalp serums and post-wash products. 

Tompkins added: “Truly effective treatments take a multipronged approach: increasing microcirculation, calming inflammation, and rebalancing the scalp’s microbiome. Success comes from both consistency and synergy between products.” 

Oppositely, Tompkins noted: “Any treatment that masks symptoms without addressing the underlying biology of the scalp is unlikely to yield lasting results. Temporary thickeners or cosmetic volumizers may provide instant gratification, but they do little to support true follicular function or hair regeneration.” 

Dr. Alan Bauman, a board-certified hair restoration physician, told WWD that there are few clinically proven techniques to improve hair loss. That said, a certified trichologist could administer FDA-approved medications to help, as well as “custom compounded prescriptions,” low-level laser therapy, platelet-rich plasma, TED treatments, follicular unit extraction and exosome therapy. 

At-home remedies include scalp massages with nutrient-rich topicals, as well as hair-specific supplements with biotin, zinc and collagen peptides. There are also certain low-level laser therapy devices that can be used outside of the doctor’s office. 

If an at-home remedy is preferred, Bauman warned not to get any “unregulated or poorly reviewed supplements that make exaggerated claims, products with harsh chemicals that may irritate the scalp or low-dose or cosmetic-only products that don’t address the underlying cause of hair loss.” 

A hair transplant is really only needed in certain instances. The appropriate candidate should have a healthy scalp with enough available “donor” hair follicles around the back of the scalp or sides of it. 

“These follicles can be redistributed into the thinning or balding area under local anesthesia where they ‘take root’ and grow hair in their new location for long-lasting results,” Bauman emphasized.