What Happens When You Stop Taking Nutrafol
When you stop taking Nutrafol, the hair growth benefits will gradually reverse, and you will likely return to your baseline hair thinning state within several months, as the supplement does not alter the underlying disease process of hair loss.
Expected Timeline After Discontinuation
Hair regrowth reversal occurs progressively after stopping Nutrafol, similar to other hair growth treatments that do not modify the underlying pathophysiology of hair loss 1.
The terminal hairs gained during treatment will likely transition back to vellus hairs or be lost within 3-6 months of discontinuation, as the body returns to its pre-treatment state 2.
Shedding rates will increase back to baseline levels after stopping the supplement, reversing the 32% reduction in shedding observed during active treatment 3.
Why Hair Loss Returns
Nutrafol does not alter the underlying disease course of androgenetic alopecia or other forms of hair thinning—it only promotes hair growth while actively taken 1.
The multi-factorial causes of hair loss (inflammation, oxidative stress, hormonal factors) are only addressed while the supplement is being consumed 4.
Clinical trials demonstrate efficacy only during active treatment periods (90-180 days), with no data suggesting persistent benefits after discontinuation 3, 5, 4.
Comparison to Other Hair Treatments
This pattern mirrors all non-curative hair treatments, including minoxidil and finasteride, where discontinuation leads to loss of treatment gains 6.
Nutrafol showed continuous linear regrowth without resistance effects during the 24-week treatment period, unlike some pharmaceutical options that plateau or lose efficacy 6.
The supplement demonstrated terminal hair increases of 7.32 hairs/cm² in women at 24 weeks, which would be expected to reverse after stopping 6.
Clinical Considerations
Patients should be counseled that Nutrafol requires ongoing use to maintain hair growth benefits, similar to other hair loss treatments 3, 4.
No adverse withdrawal effects are expected when discontinuing Nutrafol, as it contains botanical ingredients without dependency-inducing properties 3, 5, 4.
Hair will regrow at approximately 1 cm per month after the shedding phase that follows discontinuation, returning to the pre-treatment appearance 2.