No mushroom has been shown to grow hair in people. When a team of US dermatologists reviewed every dietary and supplement study on hair loss up to late 2021, they included 30 studies. Not one tested a mushroom. The closest evidence is reishi, which blocked an enzyme linked to male-pattern hair loss in the lab and helped stressed hair follicle cells in a dish. That's interesting science, but it isn't a hair treatment. And some "hair" supplements carry risks that matter more than any benefit.
There's no human evidence that any mushroom improves hair growth. Reishi had the strongest 5-alpha-reductase inhibition of 19 mushrooms tested in 2005, and in 2024 it protected human hair follicle cells from a stress hormone in the lab. Neither was a human trial. A 2023 systematic review of hair-loss supplements found no mushroom studies at all. If your hair is thinning, see a doctor first: thyroid problems, iron deficiency and hormones are common, treatable causes.
This is an evidence check, so it starts with what isn't known. If you came here from our best mushrooms for skin article, you'll find the hair evidence is thinner still.
Can Any Mushroom Make Hair Grow?
Not on current evidence. Drake and colleagues published a systematic review of nutritional supplements for hair loss in JAMA Dermatology in 2023. They screened over 6,300 citations and included 30 studies: 17 randomised trials, 11 other clinical studies and 2 case series. Products with the best evidence included Viviscal, Nutrafol, pumpkin seed oil, zinc and tocotrienol. No mushroom appeared anywhere in the review.
That absence matters. It doesn't mean mushrooms are useless for hair. It means nobody has run a decent trial. Any product promising thicker hair from reishi, shiitake or lion's mane is making a claim that hasn't been tested in people.
Why do mushrooms keep turning up in hair marketing, then? Mostly because of one lab finding about reishi and a hormone enzyme, and because "adaptogen" sounds like it should help stress-related shedding. Let's look at both.
What Is the Reishi and DHT Story?
It starts with an enzyme. 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which drives male-pattern hair loss in people who are genetically sensitive to it. Finasteride, a standard hair-loss drug, works by blocking this enzyme.
In 2005, Fujita and colleagues at Kyushu University tested extracts of 19 edible and medicinal mushrooms against 5-alpha-reductase. Reishi showed the strongest inhibition of the 19. Reishi fruiting body or extract also reduced testosterone-driven prostate growth in castrated rats. The authors suggested it as a possible ingredient for benign prostate enlargement, not for hair.
A 2016 Chinese study screened nine traditional herbs for 5-alpha-reductase activity and hair regrowth in testosterone-treated mice. Reishi extract was among those that sped up hair regrowth on the shaved backs of the mice. The study then focused on a different plant, so the reishi result is a side finding.
So there's a plausible mechanism and some animal data. What's missing is any human study showing reishi taken by mouth changes DHT in the scalp, or hair count, or anything a person would notice in the mirror.
Does Reishi Help Stress-Related Hair Loss?
There's one lab study suggesting it might, at the cellular level. Stress can push hair follicles out of their growth phase early. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), released during stress, is one of the signals involved.
In 2024, researchers at Seoul National University Hospital exposed human hair follicle cells to CRH in the lab. The cells showed signs of ageing and oxidative stress. Adding reishi extract reduced those signs, restored a marker of follicle activity and reversed CRH's suppression of follicle growth in a lab model. The authors suggested reishi extract could be studied for stress-induced hair loss.
That's a promising lead, but it's cells in a dish, exposed directly to the extract. Whether swallowing reishi gets enough active compound to the scalp to matter is unknown. Our mushrooms for stress guide covers what's known about reishi and stress in people, which is also modest.
What about topical reishi?
Applying an extract to the scalp would be closer to the lab conditions. But we're not aware of any human trial of a reishi scalp product either. Shampoos containing mushroom extracts are cosmetics, and they don't need to prove any effect on hair growth to be sold.
How Do Mushrooms Compare for Hair?
Here's what exists for the mushrooms most often linked to hair. Read the evidence column before the marketing.
| Mushroom | Claimed hair benefit | Best evidence | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reishi | Blocks DHT; reduces stress shedding | Lab enzyme study; mouse regrowth; human follicle cells in a dish | Plausible, untested in people |
| Snow mushroom (tremella) | Hydrates scalp and hair | Cosmetic moisturising studies, not hair growth | No hair-growth data |
| Shiitake | Nutrients for hair | Food source of B vitamins and minerals | Fine as food; no hair data |
| Lion's mane | "Nerve growth" for follicles | None for hair | No evidence |
| Cordyceps militaris | Circulation to the scalp | None for hair | No evidence |
| Chaga | Antioxidants; folk use in hair rinses | None for hair | No evidence |
Snow mushroom deserves a note. It's a genuine moisturising ingredient in skincare, as our snow mushroom anti-ageing guide describes. But hydration and hair growth are different things. A moisturised scalp isn't a scalp growing more hair.
What Hair Risks Hide in Supplements?
Two are worth knowing about, and neither is mushroom-specific. The first is selenium. Some mushrooms concentrate it: Falandysz's 2008 review found up to 370 micrograms per gram of dry weight in one wild species. Most cultivated mushrooms are low in selenium, but selenium-enriched mushroom products exist.
Too much selenium causes hair loss. In a 2008 US outbreak, a liquid supplement contained 200 times its labelled selenium. Of 201 people affected, 72% lost hair, and for 29% the hair loss lasted 90 days or more. That's a reminder that a supplement for hair can cause the problem it claims to fix. Our heavy metals guide covers mineral contamination more broadly.
The second is biotin, a staple of hair formulas. High-dose biotin can distort blood tests. In a 2017 JAMA study, 10 mg a day for a week caused interference in 9 of 23 biotin-based lab assays, with thyroid tests among them. Since thyroid problems are a common cause of hair loss, that's a real trap. Our mushrooms and thyroid article explains why to mention every supplement before a blood test.
What Actually Helps Thinning Hair?
Finding the cause. Hair loss has many triggers, and several are treatable once identified. These are the usual suspects a doctor will check:
- Thyroid problems. Both underactive and overactive thyroid can cause shedding.
- Iron deficiency. Common in women with heavy periods and in vegetarians.
- Hormonal changes. After childbirth, around menopause, or with conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome. See our reishi and hormones article for the menopause angle.
- Male- or female-pattern hair loss. Licensed treatments such as minoxidil and finasteride have trial evidence that no supplement matches.
- Stress or illness. A shock, fever or major illness can trigger shedding a few months later, which usually recovers.
- Low vitamin D. The 2023 review found low-quality evidence for vitamin D3. UV-exposed mushrooms are one food source, as our vitamin D guide explains.
If you still want to try reishi for its other uses, such as sleep or stress, our reishi capsules are a fruiting-body product. Just treat any change in your hair as a bonus rather than the goal, and keep using whatever your doctor recommends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best mushroom for hair growth?
None has human evidence. Reishi has the most relevant lab data: it was the strongest 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor among 19 mushrooms tested in 2005 and protected human hair follicle cells from a stress hormone in a 2024 lab study. A 2023 review of 30 hair-loss supplement studies included no mushrooms.
Does reishi block DHT?
It inhibited 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme that makes DHT, in a lab test, and reduced testosterone-driven prostate growth in rats. Nobody has shown that oral reishi lowers DHT in the human scalp or improves hair. It isn't a substitute for finasteride or other licensed treatments.
Can mushrooms cause hair loss?
Ordinary mushrooms don't. But excess selenium does, and some mushroom products are selenium-enriched. In a 2008 US outbreak caused by a mislabelled supplement, 72% of 201 people lost hair. Check labels for added selenium and avoid stacking several selenium-containing products.
Is lion's mane good for hair?
There's no evidence either way. Lion's mane is studied for nerve growth factor in the brain, and that research doesn't extend to hair follicles. No human or animal study we found has tested lion's mane for hair growth.
Should I take biotin with mushroom supplements for hair?
Only if a doctor finds you need it. Biotin deficiency is rare, and high doses can distort blood tests: 10 mg a day for a week interfered with 9 of 23 biotin-based assays in a 2017 study. Stop it a few days before blood tests, especially thyroid tests, and tell your doctor.
Related Articles
- Best Mushrooms for Skin
- Reishi Useful Properties
- Reishi Side Effects and Interactions
- Best Mushrooms for Women
- Best Mushrooms for Men
- Mushrooms and Thyroid Health
Sources
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- Fujita R, Liu J, Shimizu K, et al. Anti-androgenic activities of Ganoderma lucidum. J Ethnopharmacol. 2005;102(1):107-112. PubMed 16029938
- Zhang B, Zhang RW, Yin XQ, et al. Inhibitory activities of some traditional Chinese herbs against testosterone 5α-reductase and effects of Cacumen platycladi on hair re-growth in testosterone-treated mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016;177:1-9. PubMed 26571086
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