Spirulina
Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis)
Generic dietary protein/micronutrient with no AGA evidence.
How Spirulina works — and how well we know it
No documented hair-growth mechanism. Marketed as a nutrient-dense superfood; the connection to hair is generic ('protein and vitamins support hair').
oral
1–3 g/day in general supplementation.
Dietary supplement marketed as a protein and micronutrient source.
Nothing AGA-specific.
Evidence distribution across 1 claims
Why the grade is F. No AGA evidence at any level.
Every claim, traced back to its source
We took every major claim made about Spirulina and matched it to the specific experimental model behind it. Click a claim to see the model, the finding, and our assessment of how much weight it deserves.
1 claims · evidence-by-evidence breakdown
1Open-LabelWeight: LowNo AGA-specific evidenceNo evidence.
Absence of evidence in indexed databases.
No AGA RCT or observational study supports spirulina.
Filler ingredient.
What's still missing from the science
- Any.
Our verdict on Spirulina
Not in our formulary yet
We don't carry this ingredient. We only formulate around actives where the evidence — and the safety profile — is strong enough to recommend with confidence. As the data matures, we may revisit.
Related treatments
How does Spirulina stack up against its closest peers?
A genuine cause of reversible hair shedding in iron-deficient patients — but useless and potentially harmful if your iron stores are normal.
Read the breakdown →A botanical 5-alpha reductase inhibitor whose only high-quality trials (in BPH) showed no benefit over placebo; the positive AGA data are small and low-quality.
Read the breakdown →One small Malaysian RCT showed a hair-count increase. Never replicated. Used by Nutrafol to justify its tocotrienol content.
Read the breakdown →