Over the last week alone, I’ve microneedled my hairline, caught up on emails while wearing a four-pound red-light helmet, and stippled my scalp with mahogany makeup. All to grow—or look like I’ve grown—more hair. I’m not alone. The hair restoration market (including oral medications, laser treatments, and hair-growth shampoos) reached a staggering $8.77 billion globally in 2023, according to market research company Grand View Research.
As a beauty journalist, I can dispense recommendations for the best mascaras without skipping a beat. Struggling with melasma? I’ve got you. Not sure how to handle sudden breakouts? Come sit by me. But when it comes to thinning-hair advice, I’m just as mystified as the next person. I, too, am seduced by the before-and-after ads all over my Instagram feed. I’ve taken all the supplements and used the $100 shampoos. Rinse and repeat.
This personal expenditure of time and money was prompted by an image that’s now seared in my …