Hair Supplements in Singapore: Which Formula Is Right for You?

Written by Dr Heng Jiacheng, MBBS, Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine (AAAM)Associate Member, ISHRS · Member, AAHRS. Insights from a Singapore-based hair-loss physician

Most hair supplements in Singapore contain the same long ingredient list and claim to work for everyone. In clinical practice, that approach doesn't hold up. Gradual pattern thinning, sudden diffuse shedding, and postpartum hair changes are biologically distinct processes. Treating them with the same formula is like prescribing the same medication for three different conditions because the symptoms look similar.

Roots² is a Singapore-developed, doctor-formulated supplement system built around this clinical reality. It is organised around three of the most common hair loss patterns seen in clinical practice - not because this covers every cause of hair loss, but because these three represent the majority of patients who genuinely benefit from nutritional supplementation.

This is not a diagnostic tool. Localised bald patches, scalp inflammation, scarring, or persistent unexplained shedding require proper medical assessment and should not be managed with supplements alone.

Why the Cause of Hair Loss Determines the Treatment

Hair follicles are among the most metabolically active structures in the body. Their function depends on hormonal environment, nutritional adequacy, and an intact hair growth cycle. When any of these are disrupted, hair loss follows, but the disruption is different in each case.

In clinical practice, I do see patients with severe nutritional deficiencies where correcting a single deficit for example, iron, vitamin D - produces marked improvement. But these cases are fewer than most patients expect. More commonly, supplementation plays a supporting role alongside the primary treatment, whether that is medication, hormonal correction, or simply time.

Understanding the mechanism matters because the nutrients that help one type of hair loss may be irrelevant for another. Find your protocol now

Quick Guide: Which Protocol May Suit You?

What you are noticing	Likely pattern	Roots² Supplements
Gradually widening part, reduced density, or receding hairline	Androgenetic alopecia	Hair Thinning Support
Sudden widespread shedding after illness, stress, dieting, or weight loss	Acute shedding or Telogen effluvium	Hair Shedding Support
Increased shedding several months after childbirth	Postpartum hair shedding	Postpartum Support
Localised bald patches, scalp pain, or scarring	Requires medical assessment	Do not rely on supplements alone
Persistent or unexplained shedding	May require investigation	Consider a medical consultation

** Roots² products are health supplements and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or hair-loss disorder. Individual nutritional needs may vary. Persistent, sudden, progressive or patchy hair loss should be assessed by a healthcare professional.

The Three Roots² Protocols

1. Roots² Hair Thinning Support Roots² hair thinning Support is targetted to support thining of hairs.

In Pattern hairloss, AKA Androgenetic alopecia, hair thinning is driven by DHT(dihydrotestosterone) acting on genetically susceptible follicles. What passes from generation to generation in affected families is not hair loss itself, but the sensitivity of follicles to DHT. Over time, this causes progressive follicular miniaturisation.

To be clear about the role of supplements here: for patients with significant hair loss: Norwood 5 to 7 in men, medications like finasteride, dutasteride, and oral or topical minoxidil should form the backbone of treatment. Supplements are adjunctive, not a substitute.

The formulation addresses three areas:

1. DHT Pathway Support:

   1. Saw palmetto, pumpkin seed extract, and soy isoflavones act on complementary pathways involved in DHT metabolism and androgen signalling. None of these are as potent as prescription 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, and this is stated transparently. Their value is in providing multi-pathway support without the systemic hormonal effects of pharmaceutical options.

      
      

2. Follicle Nutrition

   1. Vitamin A, C, D, biotin, folic acid, and zinc support normal follicular cell turnover, keratin synthesis, and immune regulation at the follicle level. These were selected based on the nutritional factors most commonly deficient in patients presenting with AGA in clinical assessment.

      
      

3. Structural Hair Support

   1. Marine collagen, keratin, and sulphur-containing amino acids provide substrate for keratin production and extracellular matrix integrity. supporting the structural quality of hair that is still growing.

2. Roots² Hair Shedding Support: For Stress or Illness-Related Shedding

Sudden and acute hair shedding typically described as large amounts of hairfall noticed either during shower or combing your hair or even noted on pillows is a frequent concern. Telogen effluvium occurs when a physical or emotional stressor pushes a disproportionate number of follicles from the active growth phase into the resting phase simultaneously. The shedding typically appears two to four months after the trigger, which is why patients often cannot identify a cause.

Common triggers include febrile illness, rapid weight loss, crash dieting, surgery, significant emotional stress, and thyroid dysfunction. The last point matters: if thyroid disease or autoimmune conditions are suspected, blood work and medical review should come before supplementation.

Where Roots² Hair shedding support is appropriate is in recovery: supporting the follicular environment as it re-establishes a normal growth cycle after the trigger has resolved or been addressed.

The formulation focuses on:

1. Hair Cycle Regulation:

   1. Marine proteoglycans are structural components of the follicular environment with evidence supporting their role in normalising the anagen-to-telogen ratio and extending the growth phase.

2. Stress Response Support:

   1. Ashwagandha (the clinically studied extract) is an adaptogenic botanical with the most robust evidence base among adaptogens for supporting the body's physiological stress response - a recognised upstream driver of telogen effluvium.

3. Targeted Micronutrient Support

   1. Vitamin D, biotin, folate, and zinc address the nutritional gaps that both precipitate and perpetuate prolonged shedding.

3. Roots² Postpartum Protocol: For Postpartum Hair Shedding

Postpartum hair shedding is a normal physiological event, not a pathological one. During pregnancy, elevated oestrogen prolongs the anagen phase: more hairs stay in the growth phase than usual. After delivery, oestrogen drops sharply, and those follicles enter the resting phase together. The shedding that follows, typically at three to six months postpartum, is the synchronised release of that cohort.

This is important for two reasons. First, it tends to resolve on its own as the hair cycle resets. Second, the nutritional demands of the postpartum and breastfeeding period are distinct and significant: iron, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D are commonly depleted.

The Postpartum Protocol is formulated specifically for this context. It does not contain DHT-targeting ingredients: these are inappropriate in the postpartum and breastfeeding period but instead focuses on:

1. Nutrient Replenishment:

   1. Iron, vitamin D, folate, B12, and key micronutrients to address the depletions common after pregnancy and during breastfeeding.

      
      

2. Hair Cycle and Structural Support:

   1. tocotrienols, marine collagen, and amino acids to support follicular recovery and hair fibre quality during the re-establishment of a normal cycle.

      
      

All supplements, including those described as natural, should be reviewed with a doctor before use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Suitability cannot be assumed.

A Note on What Supplements Cannot Do

I can't emphasize how important this portion is.

Pattern hair loss will continue to progress if the androgen pathway is not addressed at the pharmaceutical level. Thyroid disease, autoimmune alopecia, and scarring conditions require medical treatment that supplements cannot replicate. Iron deficiency anaemia needs iron repletion, not a hair supplement that includes a small amount of iron as one of twenty ingredients.

Roots² is designed for patients who are appropriate candidates for nutritional support. Part of using it responsibly is being clear about when it is not the right tool.

If you are unsure which pattern applies to you, or if your hair loss does not fit neatly into the categories above, a medical hair consultation is the appropriate first step.