Hair loss and thinning: what works, what doesn't
Most hair loss in clinic is pattern hair loss, which is progressive and responds to treatments that are continued, not courses that end. The second commonest is shedding after illness, childbirth or stress, which usually recovers on its own. Telling them apart comes before any device.
About 400 searches a month in Singapore for “hair loss treatment singapore” (Ahrefs, October 2026). 11 treatments reviewed for this concern.
What works for hair loss and thinning?
The evidence-based core for pattern hair loss is prescription medicine (topical and oral options a doctor can discuss), with low-level laser therapy and platelet-rich plasma as adjuncts supported by randomised trials of modest size. Hair transplantation moves hair; it does not stop loss elsewhere. Scalp microneedling adds to topical therapy in trials. Exosome and most supplement claims rest on small or sponsored studies, and biotin helps only true deficiency.
- Established
- Hair transplant · Finasteride and dutasteride for hair loss · Minoxidil · Eyebrow transplant · Scalp microneedling for hair
- Promising
- Hair thinning
- Trend
- Castor oil for skin, lashes and hair · Biotin and hair gummies · Red light and LED masks · Rosemary oil for hair
- Caution
- Exosomes
- Reviewed
- 1 October 2026 by Aesthetics International. Verdicts are editorial and unpaid.
By the numbers
- systematic review
Across 45 articles hair transplantation was generally safe, with donor-site pain and swelling the commonest complications, recipient-site scarring the main late problem and rare donor arteriovenous fistulas linked to FUE punches.
From the Hair transplant: FUE and DHI review — Complications Following Hair Transplantation: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis., Aesthetic Plast Surg, 2025. PMID 40913181.
- network meta-analysis
Both drugs increased hair count versus placebo; dutasteride 0.5 mg ranked above finasteride 1 mg for efficacy, with no significant difference in adverse events in the pooled trials.
From the Finasteride and dutasteride for hair loss review — The efficacy and safety of 5α-reductase inhibitors in androgenetic alopecia: a network meta-analysis and benefit-risk assessment of finasteride and dutasteride., J Dermatolog Treat, 2014. PMID 23768246.
- systematic review
Across 67 articles and 354 patients, follicular unit transplantation was the commonest technique for eyebrow restoration, with low complication rates and generally satisfactory outcomes.
From the Eyebrow transplant review — Eyebrow and Eyelash Hair Transplantation: A Systematic Review., J Clin Aesthet Dermatol, 2018. PMID 29942421.
Three figures from the studies cited across this concern's reviews, chosen for study quality rather than for agreement with the verdicts.
“The evidence-based core for pattern hair loss is prescription medicine (topical and oral options a doctor can discuss), with low-level laser therapy and platelet-rich plasma as adjuncts supported by randomised trials of modest size.”
Every treatment reviewed for hair loss and thinning
Ordered by verdict, then by how often people search for each. Open any review for the studies, what people are saying and who it suits.
- Hair transplant: FUE and DHIThe question to ask any clinic is who holds the punch, because the donor area is the one thing you cannot grow back.Established
- Finasteride and dutasteride for hair lossThe side-effect debate is loud and the trial numbers are small; the right conversation is a frank one with a doctor, not a thread.Established
- Minoxidil: topical and low-dose oralIt works while you take it and only then; the tablet is more convenient than the foam, not more magical.Established
- Eyebrow transplantEstablished and not reversible, which is exactly why the shape should be chosen for your face and not for this year's brow.Established
- Scalp microneedling for hairThe needles make the medicine work better; they do not replace the diagnosis or the medicine.Established
- Hair thinning: PRP, exosomes and laserDr Sin Yong's H2LT and Luminescence protocols treat the follicular environment — a third route, separate from circulation and the androgen pathway.Promising
- Castor oil for skin, lashes and hairA trend with a shine to it, literally. It conditions what is already there and changes nothing underneath — pleasant, cheap, and not a treatment.Trend
- Biotin and hair gummiesA trend that treats a deficiency most people do not have. Hair loss is a diagnosis before it is a shopping list.Trend
- Red light and LED masksA harmless, pleasant adjunct with small, slow benefits. Skin maintenance is a rhythm, not a rescue — this is rhythm, not rescue.Trend
- Rosemary oil for hairA trend built on one small study and a lot of hope. If your hair is thinning, get the diagnosis; the oil can keep the ritual.Trend
- ExosomesExplained without the hype: a promising biology, an unregulated market. Wait for standardised products and independent trials.Caution
Vetted protocols for hair loss and thinning
Protocols that pass the Aesthetics International standard and address this concern. A protocol is a plane, a sequence and a set of endpoints — not a device.
Questions
What is the most effective hair loss treatment?
Does PRP work for hair loss?
Does rosemary oil regrow hair?
Is a hair transplant permanent?
Have a question about hair loss and thinning?
Ask us — or ask to be matched with a practitioner in Singapore who follows evidence-based treatment. What suits you is decided at an in-person assessment, not by a page.
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