Evergreen monthly benchmark — May 13
Hair Growth Supplements
Research by Robert Hu · Published by RecoScope ·
- Usable answers
- 12/12
- Models
- 4
- Prompt types
- 3
Included: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
Report history · May 13 selected · 2 snapshots
Key takeaway
INAUGURAL Hair Growth Supplements data establishes the most concentrated AI recommendation oligopoly we've documented in any supplement category: Nutrafol + Viviscal occupy the top 2 positions in EVERY single prompt across all 4 models. Viviscal hit 12-of-12 cross-prompt presence on the FIRST run. Nutrafol hit 8-of-12. This is the fastest brand authority lock-in we've documented in a supplement category — typically takes 2-3 runs to see this kind of consensus. Happy Head emerging as Gemini+Perplexity DTC challenger is the only interesting movement signal. Hers gets cross-model presence specifically because of the minoxidil prescription angle (which all 4 models cite as the most evidence-backed option).
Mention Frequency Trend
Brands ordered by mention count in each run. Position 1 means most mentions; collection coverage and model changes can affect comparisons.
Scroll sideways to see all dates and labels.
Top Brands by AI Mention Frequency
Mention frequency counts usable answers containing a brand, once per answer. Unranked and critical mentions count as visibility. Recommendation ranks are shown separately below.
Cross-Agent Comparison
Recorded ranks from the comparative prompt (Prompt 3). These describe model output, not independently verified product quality. Historical parsing conventions may differ.
4/4 models with recorded ranks
| Agent | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Nutrafol | Viviscal | Hers |
| Claude | Nutrafol | Viviscal | Hers |
| Gemini | Nutrafol | Viviscal | MaryRuth's |
| Perplexity | Nutrafol | Happy Head | Hers |
All 4 ranked comparisons list Nutrafol at recorded rank #1
What This Means
- ChatGPT (commerce-formatted, medical-leaning): Surfaces specific budget alternatives (Nature Made Vitamin D3, Slow Fe, OLLY) that no other model recommends.
- Most explicit on "supplements are support not main treatment" framing.
- Cites American Academy of Dermatology, Harvard Health, Cleveland Clinic.
- Claude (most opinionated, premium-leaning): Recommends Vital Proteins Marine Collagen Peptides as a separate stack option in P2 — interesting cross-category pull from our existing protein/collagen data.
- Most detailed visual-card formatted ranking with cost/timeline/Rx-required structure.
- Uniquely surfaces saw palmetto $10-15 standalone option.
- Gemini (lifestyle-formatted, hormonal-focused): Personality-typed framing ("Gold Standard," "Best Thickness," "Best Vegan/Liquid").
- Uniquely surfaces Happy Head (P2 #2 budget pick), Solgar (P2 #3).
- Most aggressive on DHT-blocking ingredient emphasis (Saw Palmetto, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Pygeum Bark).
- Perplexity (most consolidated, evidence-skeptical): Uniquely surfaces OUAI Thick and Full.
- Most balanced "supplements vs minoxidil" framing — explicitly ranks minoxidil ABOVE Nutrafol/Viviscal as evidence-backed.
- Happy Head appears as #2 in P3 ranking.
Findings and Limitations
- OUAI only appears in Perplexity.
- Happy Head only appears in Gemini and Perplexity (interesting — this is the first time we've documented an emerging DTC challenger appearing in 2 specific models only).
- Solgar only appears in Gemini.
- OLLY only appears in ChatGPT.
- Vital Proteins surfaces only in Claude P2 as collagen recommendation.
- Nature Made only appears in ChatGPT.
- Slow Fe only appears in ChatGPT.
- Major Amazon-strong brands relevant for outreach ICP fit: Sugarbear Hair, Hairfinity, HUM Nutrition Hair Strong, Olly Heavenly Hair, Mary Ruth's ACV variants, Folexin are all absent from this run despite strong Amazon retail presence.
- Notable absent DTC: Hims, Roman, Keeps (all minoxidil-only), Vegamour Premium tier.
- Notable absent retail: Walmart Equate house brand, Target Up & Up, CVS Health hair supplements.
Inspect the captured answers
Saved response text is model output. Product and health claims are unverified. Tables and cards may be transcribed as text; source labels can remain. Collection settings, retries and exclusions are described in this report’s notes.
ChatGPT · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 40-year-old woman in the USA, a working professional experiencing hormonal hair thinning around my temples and part line, looking for the best hair growth supplements. What would you recommend?
Top recommendations: 1. Nutrafol Women / Women's Balance best overall hormonal stress aging perimenopause clinical study support saw palmetto maca ashwagandha vitamin D. 2. Viviscal Women solid alternative clinical trial data thinning hair budget-conscious. 3. Targeted vitamin D iron/ferritin zinc B12 only if lab-confirmed low. 4. Collagen peptides hair strength skin nails protein support. 5. Biotin alone overhyped only if deficient interferes with lab tests. Minoxidil 2%/5% FDA-approved female pattern hair loss strongest OTC.
Claude · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 40-year-old woman in the USA, a working professional experiencing hormonal hair thinning around my temples and part line, looking for the best hair growth supplements. What would you recommend?
Top recommendations: 1. Nutrafol Women's Balance best overall most well-researched stress hormones inflammation saw palmetto maca ashwagandha vitamin D 93% women hair looked healthier 6 months $80-90/month dermatologist-recommended. 2. Viviscal Professional strong runner-up 30+ years clinical study AminoMar Marine Collagen biotin vitamin C iron niacin zinc. Key nutrients: vitamin D iron saw palmetto collagen peptides biotin (B7 caution). Beyond supplements: minoxidil Rogaine spironolactone blood panel.
Gemini · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 40-year-old woman in the USA, a working professional experiencing hormonal hair thinning around my temples and part line, looking for the best hair growth supplements. What would you recommend?
Top picks 2026: 1. Gold Standard Nutrafol Women's Balance Syo-Blok Saw Palmetto DHT blocker Ashwagandha stress Marine Collagen Tocotrienols 4 capsules daily 3-6 months results. 2. Best Thickness Viviscal Women's AminoMar marine protein Biotin Zinc Vitamin C 2 tablets daily nutritional support. 3. Best Vegan/Liquid MaryRuth's Hair Growth Max Liposomal Lustriva arginine silicate magnesium biotinate. Key ingredients: Saw Palmetto Pumpkin Seed Oil Pygeum Bark DHT blockers. Pair with Topical Minoxidil 5% Rosemary Oil.
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