Watermans

It depends on how much of the week you want the routine to cover. The shampoo only acts during the wash, so the elixir exists to keep working between washes. Start with the shampoo if you want one change, and add the elixir if you wash less often or have specific thinner areas.

Work a small amount into wet hair, massage the scalp, then leave it on for three to four minutes before rinsing. Watermans recommends four to five washes a week. This is the step most people skip, and it matters: if you rinse straight away, the ingredients barely reach the scalp. If washing that often does not suit your hair, the brand suggests using the Grow More Elixir on the days you do not wash.

Hair grows in cycles, so give it eight to twelve weeks of consistent use before you judge it. Changes in how the hair feels, more body and less breakage, usually show up first. Users often describe hair that feels thicker before they see any length. One month is rarely enough to tell anything. If nothing has changed after three consistent months, the routine is probably not the right answer for your situation.

The formulas contain caffeine and rosemary, and both can give a mild tingling or warming feeling on the scalp. The brand describes this as normal and temporary while the product absorbs. It is not a measure of how well the product works, so a stronger tingle does not mean a better result. If you get real irritation, itching or a rash, stop using it and rinse the scalp with clean water.

They work in different places. Watermans acts on the outside: the hair fibre and the scalp surface. A supplement works from the inside, which matters if your diet is short on something. NHS information notes that a lack of certain nutrients, iron in particular, can contribute to hair loss, so a blood test is more useful than guesswork. If you want that route, look at our supplements for hair growth.

Watermans says the products have not been tested on eyebrows or beards, so the brand does not recommend it, even though some customers do use it that way. The elixir is designed as a leave-on scalp product. If you do try it elsewhere, keep it well away from the eyes and rinse immediately with clean water if any gets in. We would rather tell you that than pretend it is a tested use.

No. Watermans is a cosmetic range and the brand states it does not treat alopecia or other medical conditions. According to the NHS, finasteride and minoxidil are the main treatments for male pattern baldness, minoxidil can also be used for female pattern baldness, and women should not use finasteride. The NHS also notes that no treatment is fully effective. See your GP for sudden, patchy or rapid loss, and use a cosmetic routine alongside, not instead.