How I Made My Hair Grow Back After Brain Surgery
When I was twenty-one, I noticed that the texture of my hair had changed. At the time, I thought it was a new shampoo I was using. When I stopped using the shampoo, I thought it was the Adderall I had been taking. Through trial and error, it wasn’t until I was thirty years old that I finally figured out the root cause: a 3” congenital brain tumor.
After brain surgery (2017) and Gamma Knife radiosurgery (2020), my hair started to grow back, but slowly—until 2022, when I finally sought help from Omer Ibrahim, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist in Chicago. The before-and-after pictures speak for themselves.
But the truth is, it wasn’t just one pill or product that made my hair start growing back; it was treating the problem as a full-body issue. Here’s the list of all of the products, treatments, and tests that (finally) helped my hair grow back:
SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER:
Prose: With Prose, you get custom-made products for your hair type, goals, and lifestyle with natural ingredients. All products are free of sulfates, parabens, alcohol, and GMOs, and may include calming ingredients like CBD.
Vegamor: I usually alternate between Prose and Vegamor because you can buy Vegamor on Amazon, and with Prose (even though I have a subscription), you have to plan a bit more. Even though Vegamor isn’t custom, it still uses similar ingredients (100% vegan; free of sulfates, parabens, gluten, artificial fragrance, etc.).
Pantene Pro V: For a less expensive option, Abbey Yung, a Certified Trichologist, recommended this, and I’ve been really happy with it.
AFTER-SHOWER HAIR CARE:
Philip Kingsley: The bristles are a little bit wider and don’t pull out my hair as much. He also has a flagship location in Manhattan for hair treatments. I didn’t notice a difference, but some of my editor friends swear by him.
Sofmild: I’ve also found cheaper options (thank you, Amazon) like this one.
BRUSHES
Nutrafol Growth Activator Hair Serum: We often lose our hair due to stress. Nutrafol’s Growth Activator Hair Serum uses Ashwagandha, a plant and stress adaptogen that boosts cell renewal and protects the scalp from stress. The serum also uses pea sprouts to minimize breakage and promote visible thickness; sea buckthorn and moringa to nourish and hydrate hair and scalp, and green tea to support stronger-feeling hair.
VEGAMOUR GRO Hair Serum: Proven to increase hair density up to 50%, VEGAMOUR GRO Hair Serum uses a vegan formula with powerful plant actives like mung bean (think: zinc, selenium, silica, iron, biotin, and vitamins A, B, C, and K), curcumin (derived from turmeric and rich in antioxidants), and red clover (contains hair-boosting isoflavones that exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties).
MIELLE Rice Water: I started with the split-end therapy, and my hair hasn’t been this shiny in years. I first heard about the merits of rice water from Lilly van Brooklyn, but making it sounded like a hassle to do regularly. These products are the perfect happy medium for me.
Heat spray: If you use a hair dryer, you should use a heat spray. Any will do. I like this one because it’s free of sulfates, parabens, and dyes, and it includes ingredients I like (e.g., castor oil).
HAIR DRYER:
Dyson Airwrap: Yeah, it’s worth it.
Shark: HOWEVER, then I found the Shark, which is basically the exact same thing for a fraction of the price.
MORNING PILLS: Consult your doctor
BRAINMD Dr. Amen NeuroVite Plus: I truly believe with every fiber of my being that the first step to healthy hair is a healthy brain. This supplement kind of has it all, from nutrient-rich superfoods like blueberries, acai, spinach, broccoli, and carrots to antioxidants like vitamins C and E.
Spironolactone (prescription): While known as a blood pressure medication, Spironolactone slows androgen production (think: male sex hormones like testosterone). Reduced androgen production can slow the progression of hair loss caused by androgenetic alopecia, resulting in hair growth.
Minoxidil (prescription): Also known as a blood pressure medication, Minoxidil works by relaxing blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more easily. About one-third of patients notice reduced shedding, and a third notice improved growth within six months.
Nutrafol: It’s pricey, but the bottle comes filled to the brim and is clinically proven (90% of women saw improved hair overall; 86% saw better hair growth, and 84% saw less shedding after 6 months in a clinical study).
Viviscal: A less expensive alternative to Nutrafol. Backed by over 25 years of research and development, Viviscal contains powerful ingredients, including Biotin, Zinc, Vitamin C, Iron, and Niacin.
EVENING PILLS: Consult your doctor. Pick one from this section.
BRAINMD Dr. Amen Everyday Stress Relief: Another winner from BRAINMD and Dr. Daniel Amen. This Formula promotes a sense of calm for a tranquil mind and body. It includes magnesium, holy basil (tulsi), taurine, L-theanine, magnolia, and Amur cork tree bark, powerful ingredients that work together to support healthy adrenal and cortisol hormone levels.
Tart Cherry Concentrate: Research shows that tart cherry increases sleep time and sleep efficiency for people with insomnia. This may be because tart cherry juice increases the bioavailability of tryptophan and increases your body’s production of melatonin.
Life Extension Neuro-Mag: With patented ingredients designed for enhanced memory and cognitive function, Neuro-Mag has been shown to improve short-and long-term memory by almost 100% and to help maintain effective function and quantity of synaptic connections between brain cells.
Pure Cortisol Calm: This pill is designed to maintain healthy cortisol levels to support relaxation, restful sleep, and a positive outlook.
TOPICAL SLEEP PRODUCTS:
Hemp Cream: I love this CBD cream. If I want a restful Friday night-type sleep, this is my go-to self-care item.
Each & Every Natural Aluminum-Free Deodorant, Lavender & Lemon: I have no idea if this works, but I find the smell very calming.
EXTENSIONS:
Invisible Bead Extensions: I didn’t get extensions for years because I was afraid they would pull my hair out, but they really helped with my confidence as my hair grew back. The type of extensions Beth Bayman uses (Invisible Bead Extensions) didn’t pull out my hair at all. In fact, it helped it grow back more because I didn’t have to wash my hair quite as often. They also made me happier and more confident, like my old self.
EXERCISE:
Blood Flow: Plants need water to grow. Your hair needs blood flow to grow. In addition to increasing blood flow, exercise has been proven to relieve symptoms from many of the hormonal imbalances women face, from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hirsutism to diabetes and improper sugar balances. Exercise can even improve symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause. Some of my favorite exercise classes include CorePower Yoga, Modo Yoga, SLT, solidcore, and Studio Three.
DIET:
Mediterranean Diet: For a long time, I ate what I considered an anti-inflammatory diet. I later discovered I was eating too much fruit sugar, which can decrease blood vessel elasticity and cause them to narrow, restricting blood flow. Now I eataMediterranean Diet, which heavily emphasizes whole foods like fish, vegetables, Greek salad, eggs, yogurt, avocado (healthy fats), and whole grains (like Ezekiel sprouted bread), with chicken consumed in moderation. I’ve stopped being afraid of fats and proteins. Mostly because your brain is fat (!!!), and your hair is protein (!!!).
Eating Regularly: Eating the second you wake up jumpstarts your metabolism, but more importantly, eating every few hours tells your body everything is okay. Not to get survivalist about it, but eating regularly tells your body that you don’t have to look for food—that there’s enough—regulating your cortisol levels.
TESTING:
Blood Test: Check that your hair loss isn’t an easy fix. Here are a few blood tests to discuss with your doctor:
Complete Blood Count (CBC): This test provides your doctor with an overview of your blood cell activity, including inflammation associated with follicular attacks due to infection or autoimmune reactions.
C-Reactive Protein (CRP): CRP is a marker for autoimmune inflammation and can be used to measure the inflammation levels associated with alopecia.
Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA): If ANA is present in your blood, it could indicate an autoimmune disorder, such as alopecia.
Thyroid: Sudden hair loss is linked to long-term thyroid diseases such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Specifically, ask for T3, T4, TSH, and FT4 tests.
Iron and Ferritin: Ferritin is the blood protein that contains iron, and studies have shown a direct link between iron deficiency and hair loss.
Sex Hormones: The primary hormone responsible for alopecia and pattern hair loss is dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an androgen that derives from testosterone and can shrink hair follicles.
Testosterone: Since elevated DHT levels are often the main culprit behind pattern hair loss, it makes sense that higher testosterone levels influence alopecia.
Prolactin: This is the hormone responsible for producing breast growth and milk production. However, excessive levels can promote hair loss, leading to many cases of postpartum hair loss for many pregnant and lactating women.
Estrogen and Progesterone: Low levels of these hormones can also be linked to hair loss in women. Check these hormones anywhere from day 19 - 21 of your menstrual cycle.
Brain MRI: And while uncommon, hair loss can be caused by a brain tumor (Macias et al., 2013), like mine. If I had read that sentence when this paper was published in 2013—right when my hair started to fall out—that sentence would have changed my life. If I had read that sentence earlier, I would have gotten a neurologist to write a prescription for an MRI and had brain surgery at—what? Twenty-two? Twenty-three? If I had read that sentence, I would have had my twenties back; the outcomes of my relationships might have been different; my insecurities at work might have vanished, but instead I waited until it was almost too late. Don’t wait until it’s almost too late. Find the root cause, so you can live the life you were born to lead.
What’s helped you with hair growth? Share what’s worked in the comments below!
