‘Nothing was working’: Woman loses clumps of hair during weight-loss journey. Then she tries this serum
Is Divi Scalp Serum the much-looked-for cure for thinning hair? One influencer is saying that it changed her life. But the science may not add up the way she thinks.
Social media maven Myriam Estrella (@myriamestrella8) regularly posts about her health journey, as well as a variety of viral hacks and trends. In one of her recent posts, she's opening up about the hair loss she suffered after losing weight.
She's also claiming to have found a cure: Divi Scalp Serum.
Her viral post, which she added to her TikTok account on Sunday, now has over 940,000 views and seems well on its way to hitting one million.
Divi Scalp Serum 'changed her life'
Estrella begins her video by discussing her year-long health journey. She claims that while she lost weight, she also lost hair. "I lost literally half my hair," she tells her viewers.
"I went to the dermatologist. They gave me all this expensive [expletive]. Nothing was working. I was literally balding," she exclaims. Estrella then displayed a photo of herself, while stating, "clumps [of hair] were falling out every night.
Estrella says she discovered the Divi Scalp Serum via another woman's online testimony. She says she tried it out of desperation.
She says that since she began using it over a year ago, her hair has grown.
"It's been a year and I have had to get a haircut every three months because my hair has been growing so much!" she says.
"I feel so much better about myself," she tells her viewers. "I just wanted to tell you about it."
Divi testimonies
Estrella is not alone. Divi Scalp Serum has many other similar testimonials on TikTok and other social media platforms.
On Instagram, blogger Amanda Rains (@sweetstyleofmineblog) posted about the serum, writing, "holy moly it has worked wonders for me."
She says the serum assisted her in regaining her hair after giving birth.
"Instead of losing hair for 3-4 months like last time + having permanent bald spots for 5 months, I only lost hair for a little over a month and my bald spots immediately started filling in. I don’t even notice them at all now at 5 months postpartum," she says.
However, despite many glowing online testimonials, the serum does not appear to be scientifically proven to restore hair in any peer-reviewed study.
In 2023, Truth in Advertising.org looked into claims that the product could restore hair loss after receiving a complaint. It found "no evidence" that the product could stimulate hair growth.
"Pursuant to the FDA, claims that a product can stimulate hair growth and prevent, reduce or treat hair loss are drug claims requiring FDA approval. The FDA has only approved two products to increase hair growth and treat hair loss, finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil (Rogaine)."
According to Divi's website, the serum's "water-based formula has been shown to improve the look of hair fullness and density in as little as 6 weeks."
The Daily Dot reached out to Divi via email for a statement.
Can losing weight make you lose your hair?
There may be another explanation for Estrella's new hair growth.
Loss of hair after stress or a drastic change to the body, such as weight loss, is common. It even has a name—telogen effluvium.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, "Rapid weight loss can trigger telogen effluvium. Restrictive diets can lead to nutritional deficiencies that can cause telogen effluvium," leading to hair loss.
However, "if you have telogen effluvium, the outlook is good. It usually goes away three to six months after you start noticing your hair loss."
@myriamestrella8 This genuinely changed my life and I have my confidence and hair back!!! ????????????????
♬ original sound - myriam gets healthy ????
Viewers want to believe
Whether the serum is effective or not, many of Estrella's viewers had hope that it could help them.
"Menopause has my hair a mess. This would be awesome!" Shawna Schilling (@shawnaschilling27) wrote.
Another viewer wrote, "I’m anemic and on a weight loss journey and my hair has thinned so much. I just bought this to try it fingers crossed it works as well for me as it did for you."
One viewer sympathized with Estrella's similar journey writing, "I'm on a weight loss journey, 30 out of 50lbs gone. I've been losing so much hair since December that I've lost over half the volume! Is this CAUSED BY GETTING THINNER??!?"
The Daily Dot reached out to Estrella via TikTok direct message and email for further comment.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
The post ‘Nothing was working’: Woman loses clumps of hair during weight-loss journey. Then she tries this serum appeared first on The Daily Dot.