Category Archives: Body Optimization

How to make the body you were meant to have

The adult brain can repair itself better than scientists thought

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The adult brain may have a greater ability to repair itself after injury or certain autoimmune diseases than scientists previously believed. In experiments with mice, researchers at the University of Zurich found that specialized support cells can repopulate damaged parts of the brain in an unusual way. Rather than moving entire new cells into the affected area at first, they send newly formed cell nuclei there.

Glial cells play essential supporting and nourishing roles in the brain. One type, known as astrocytes because of their star-shaped appearance, is especially important for healthy neuron function. Astrocytes provide nerve cells with nutrients, help control blood flow, and support the overall health of brain tissue.

Scientists had long thought that once astrocytes were destroyed, the adult brain could not fully replace them. This loss can occur after brain injuries and in autoimmune diseases such as the rare neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, in which the body’s own antibodies attack and destroy astrocytes.

Specialized Astrocytes Rebuild Damaged Brain Tissue

A study led by co-lead authors Marina Herwerth and Matthias Wyss of the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Zurich (UZH) challenges that long-standing view. The research team, headed by Bruno Weber, identified a specialized population of “regenerative” astrocytes in the brains of living mice.

These cells gather around the edges of damaged brain regions and help rebuild the lost astrocyte network. “The findings of our study reveal a previously unknown ability of the adult brain to repair itself. They point toward new ways of supporting recovery from ailments involving the loss of astrocytes,” Weber says.

New Cell Nuclei Travel Into Damaged Areas

To follow the repair process, the researchers used two-photon microscopy to observe the brains of living mice in real time for several weeks. They also tracked which genes became active in different regions of the brain. Together, these methods allowed the team to identify the astrocytes responsible for restoring injured tissue.

The regenerative cells do more than simply divide. They also carry out an unusual process in which newly created nuclei from daughter cells travel considerable distances through the astrocytes toward the damaged region. As Weber explains, “they send the newly formed nuclei of their daughter cells gliding across long distances to repopulate the damaged area of the brain and knit the astrocyte network back together.”

New Targets for Brain Regeneration

The finding that cell nuclei can move through the long extensions of adult astrocytes into injured tissue adds a new dimension to scientists’ understanding of how the brain organizes its own repair after certain types of damage.

If researchers eventually learn how to selectively activate these repair mechanisms, they may be able to promote more effective restoration of damaged brain tissue, rebuild astrocyte networks, and improve recovery from certain brain disorders.

The team also identified many genes and signaling pathways that become temporarily active while the repair process is underway. These biological signals may provide potential targets for future efforts to influence regeneration after disease or injury.

“We were able to identify numerous genes and signaling pathways that are temporarily activated during repair. They could serve as starting points in the future for influencing post-disease and -injury regeneration processes,” Weber stresses.

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Scientists turn sheep’s wool into a material that helps regrow bone

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Scientists have found that wool could provide an effective and sustainable new option for repairing damaged bone.

The research focused on keratin, a natural structural protein that can be extracted from wool. When tested in a living animal, the material supported bone regeneration and produced new tissue that more closely resembled healthy, natural bone than tissue formed using the current gold standard material.

Researchers at King’s College London tested the wool-based keratin in animal models and found that it could help direct new bone growth across damaged areas.

“We are really excited to show for the first time how a wool-based material has been successfully tested in a living animal to repair bones,” said Dr. Sherif Elsharkawy at King’s Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences.

Wool Offers a Sustainable Source for Bone Repair

Beyond its potential medical benefits, wool could offer an important sustainability advantage. It is a naturally derived material and is often discarded as waste by the farming industry, giving it potential as both a renewable and scalable resource.

For decades, collagen has served as the gold standard scaffold in many regenerative medical and dental applications. These scaffolds act as protective barriers during healing, keeping soft tissue from interfering with the damaged area while giving new bone space to grow.

Collagen, however, has several drawbacks. The material is relatively weak and may degrade too quickly, which can limit its usefulness when repairing bones that need to bear weight or withstand force. Extracting collagen can also be complicated and costly.

“From a research perspective this is a major milestone. It positions keratin as a potential new class of regenerative biomaterial that could challenge the long-standing reliance on collagen,” said Dr. Sherif Elsharkawy.

Testing Wool Keratin as a Bone Scaffold

To investigate whether keratin could overcome some of these limitations, the researchers created membranes from keratin extracted from wool. They chemically treated the material to produce scaffolds designed to remain stable and durable.

The membranes were first tested with human bone cells in the laboratory. The cells grew well on the material and showed clear signs associated with healthy bone formation.

Researchers then moved to animal testing. They implanted the keratin membranes into rats with skull defects that were large enough that they would not normally heal on their own. Over the following weeks, the team tracked how effectively the membranes supported new bone growth across the damaged regions.

Keratin Produced More Naturally Organized Bone

The results revealed an important difference between keratin and collagen. Collagen membranes generated a greater amount of bone overall, but the bone formed with the keratin scaffolds was more organized and structurally secure. Its fibers were also better aligned, giving the new tissue a closer resemblance to natural, healthy bone.

The keratin membranes also remained stable during the healing process and integrated smoothly with the surrounding tissue. Both characteristics are important if the material is eventually to be considered for practical medical applications.

“We’ve effectively demonstrated the technology in an animal model, which makes this much more than an early materials concept. It shows that keratin can support bone regeneration in a living biological system, bringing the technology significantly closer to use in real patients,” concludes Dr. Elsharkawy.

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James Webb captures a cosmic lion sculpted by a dying star

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The James Webb Space Telescope has captured new images of NGC 2392, a planetary nebula commonly known as the Lion Nebula, revealing the cosmic object in striking infrared detail.

The Hubble Space Telescope previously observed the nebula in 2000, imaging the lion face-shaped target in visible light. Those observations highlighted its distinctive appearance, including a “mane” made up of hazy structures resembling comet tails. Webb’s high-resolution instruments now provide an even sharper look at the same object.

Webb Reveals Hidden Details in the Lion Nebula

In broad terms, the Lion Nebula looks similar in Webb’s infrared observations to the structure seen earlier by Hubble. Webb observed it with both NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid Infrared Instrument). Its infrared capabilities, however, bring out features that are harder to see in visible light, including dense concentrations of dust and hazy regions of ionized gas.

The gas and dust now forming the nebula have been evolving for several thousand years. Even today, those materials continue to shift and change.

At the center of this activity are the remains of a dying star. In the lion-shaped appearance of the nebula, this stellar remnant resembles a small button nose. Despite its modest appearance, the star’s radiation and energy are responsible for driving many of the complex structures surrounding it.

How a Dying Star Created the Cosmic Lion

Very massive stars can end their lives in supernova explosions, but such events are relatively uncommon. Most stars in the Universe have lower masses, including the star that created NGC 2392.

When a lower-mass star reaches the point where nuclear reactions in its core can no longer support it, the star becomes unstable and begins to pulsate. As this happens, it sheds its outer layers into space. Those expelled layers form expanding shells of gas and dust known as a planetary nebula (stars at this life stage are responsible for producing much of the Universe’s observable dust).

Radiation from the exposed stellar core pushes the discarded material outward. What remains at the center is an extremely hot stellar core called a white dwarf.

In the Lion Nebula, the oxygen-rich central star has died and left behind a white dwarf that is effectively “cooking” the nebula from within. Its intense radiation is creating a bubble of ionized gas that makes up the lion’s recognizable face.

As this bubble grows, it sweeps outward and destroys dust in its path. Astronomers are still working to understand why this swept-up gas forms such complicated arrangements of rings and shells, structures that are commonly seen in planetary nebulae.

A Glowing Mane of Dust and Gas

The lion’s mane corresponds to the inner region of a dust shell illuminated by the white dwarf at the center. Within it are structures that resemble tufts of hair or comet-like tails.

These features are actually compact clumps of dust that have managed to withstand radiation from the stellar core. By blocking some of that radiation, the dense clumps also shield material located behind them.

Webb’s observations effectively “freezes” the planetary nebula at one moment in its long evolution, but the consequences of the star’s death are continuing. Gas and dust will keep traveling away from the central stellar remnant, gradually changing the nebula’s appearance.

Astronomers estimate that the Lion Nebula will eventually disperse in approximately 10,000 years. On astronomical timescales, that is a relatively brief period.

More information

Webb is the largest and most powerful telescope ever launched into space. Under an international collaboration agreement, ESA supplied the telescope’s launch service using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle.

Working with its partners, ESA was responsible for developing and qualifying the Ariane 5 adaptations needed for the Webb mission and for procuring the launch service from Arianespace. ESA also contributed the workhorse spectrograph NIRSpec and 50% of the mid-infrared instrument MIRI, which was designed and built by a consortium of nationally funded European Institutes (The MIRI European Consortium) in partnership with JPL and the University of Arizona.

Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

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A strange crystal made of electrons just revealed its hidden motion

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Researchers at the University of Basel and the Technical University of Munich have found a new way to examine how electrons move together inside one of the most elusive forms of matter, the Wigner crystal. By using light to probe this delicate quantum state, the physicists uncovered properties that had previously been extremely difficult to observe.

When electrons are restricted to a two-dimensional plane and interact strongly enough, they can begin behaving very differently from ordinary electrons. Instead of moving independently, they arrange themselves into a repeating pattern similar to the orderly structure of atoms in a conventional crystal.

This unusual arrangement is called a Wigner crystal. Scientists have studied it for decades because the crystal structure is created by interactions between the electrons themselves rather than by the underlying structure of the material containing them.

While researchers have already detected Wigner crystals in a variety of physical systems, understanding what happens inside them has been much harder. Scientists have struggled to directly investigate how their electrons move collectively, interact with one another, and react to outside disturbances.

Using Light to Probe a Wigner Crystal

In a study published in Nature Physics, experimental researchers led by Professor Tomasz Smoleński at the University of Basel examined a single atomic layer of tungsten diselenide that had been cooled to only a few degrees above absolute zero.

The team illuminated the material and carefully analyzed the light reflected from it. Those measurements revealed previously unseen optical features that contain information about the collective behavior of electrons inside the Wigner crystal.

The signals emerge from interactions between the ordered electrons and excitations created in the material by light, known as excitons. Together, these components form hybrid quasiparticles called Wigner crystal polarons. These quasiparticles serve as highly sensitive optical probes that can reveal both the crystal itself and the collective motion occurring within it.

“Our measurements show that light can do more than simply detect the presence of this exotic state — it can reveal how the state behaves internally,” says first author Dr. Lujun Wang from the University of Basel, who carried out the experiments together with Ferdinand Menzel, a PhD student in Smoleński’s group.

“This gives us a powerful new tool for studying collective excitations of electronic crystals that would otherwise be extremely difficult to access,” adds Smoleński.

Electron Interactions Shape the Optical Signals

The researchers also discovered that the strength of the interactions between electrons influences the optical signatures they observed. That connection could make the signals especially useful for investigating strongly correlated systems, where the behavior of the material emerges from interactions among many particles rather than from individual particles acting on their own.

To account for the experimental findings, a theoretical team led by Professor Michael Knap at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) developed a model describing the formation of Wigner crystal polarons. Their work explains how these quasiparticles arise through the coupling of optically generated excitons with the collective movement of electrons in the crystal.

A New View of Strongly Correlated Quantum Matter

“What is particularly exciting is that these signals carry information not only about how the electrons are arranged, but also about their quantum dynamics,” explains Fabian Pichler, a PhD student at TUM. “This allows us to connect the experimental observations directly to the underlying many-body physics.”

The findings suggest that atomically thin materials could provide an especially useful platform for observing how electrons move collectively within ordered quantum states. By making these hidden dynamics easier to study, the approach could help scientists develop a deeper understanding of strongly correlated matter and the complex behavior that emerges when many particles interact.

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Ordinary WiFi can now identify you with near-perfect accuracy

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WiFi signals could potentially be used to identify people and map their surroundings without relying on cameras or requiring the person being observed to carry a connected device.

“By observing the propagation of radio waves, we can create an image of the surroundings and of persons who are present,” says Professor Thorsten Strufe from KASTEL, KIT’s Institute of Information Security and Dependability. “This works similar to a normal camera, the difference being that in our case, radio waves instead of light waves are used for the recognition,” explains the cybersecurity expert.

Because the technique analyzes radio waves moving through a space, a person does not need to have a phone, smartwatch, or other WiFi enabled device with them. “Thus, it does not matter whether you carry a WiFi device on you or not.”

Even turning off your own device would not necessarily prevent the system from working. “It’s sufficient that other WiFi devices in your surroundings are active.”

Ordinary WiFi Routers Could Become Surveillance Tools

The researchers say the findings reveal a potentially serious privacy risk because WiFi networks are already widespread in homes, offices, restaurants, and public spaces.

“This technology turns every router into a potential means for surveillance,” warns Julian Todt from KASTEL. “If you regularly pass by a café that operates a WiFi network, you could be identified there without noticing it and be recognized later — for example by public authorities or companies.”

There are currently simpler ways for intelligence agencies or cybercriminals to monitor people, Felix Morsbach notes. Those methods can include gaining access to existing CCTV systems or connected video doorbells.

“However, the omnipresent wireless networks might become a nearly comprehensive surveillance infrastructure with one concerning property: they are invisible and raise no suspicion.”

That possibility makes WiFi based monitoring especially notable. Unlike a visible security camera, a wireless network normally gives people no obvious indication that its radio signals could potentially be used to recognize who is nearby.

No Special Surveillance Hardware Is Needed

Earlier approaches to sensing people through wireless signals have often relied on specialized equipment or more complex measurements. Some techniques, for example, use LIDAR sensors, which measure distances by sending out light and analyzing the reflected signal.

Other WiFi based approaches use channel state information (CSI). This refers to measurements showing how a wireless radio signal changes as it travels through an environment and reflects from walls, furniture, people, and other objects.

The new technique does not require that kind of specialized hardware. According to the researchers, a standard WiFi device is enough.

The method takes advantage of normal communications produced by legitimate users connected to a WLAN. WLAN is another term for a wireless local area network, essentially the WiFi network operating within a home, office, café, or similar location.

Connected devices routinely send information back to the router to help optimize wireless communication. These signals, known as beamforming feedback information (BFI), are transmitted without encryption, meaning that anyone within range can potentially read them.

By analyzing that information, the system can generate images of people from multiple viewpoints. Those images can then be used to determine a person’s identity.

Once the machine learning model has already been trained to recognize individuals, the identification process takes only a few seconds.

Researchers Achieved Almost 100% Identification Accuracy

The team tested the technique in a study involving 197 participants. Their system was able to infer people’s identities with almost 100% accuracy, regardless of the viewing perspective or the way a person walked.

“The technology is powerful, but at the same time entails risks to our fundamental rights, especially to privacy,” emphasizes Strufe.

The researchers are particularly concerned about how such technology could be used in authoritarian countries. They warn that WiFi based identification could potentially be applied to monitor protesters or other groups without the obvious surveillance infrastructure associated with conventional cameras.

Because wireless networks are already so common, the researchers argue that privacy protections should be built into future WiFi technology before these capabilities become easier to exploit at scale.

They are therefore calling for protective measures and privacy safeguards to be incorporated into the forthcoming IEEE 802.11bf WiFi standard.

Funding and Publication

The project was funded under the Helmholtz “Engineering Secure Systems” topic.

The researchers presented their results at the “ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security” (CCS) in Taipei.

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Children as young as nine hurt in growing number of e-scooter crashes

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Three trauma centres – Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield – say they have treated nearly 500 casualties under the age of 16.

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I’ve Now Officially Outlived My Mother. That’s Why I Won’t Fight Aging.

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The bottle of Oil of Olay lotion sat on my dresser for months. My mom had given it to me when I was just 8 years old, saying it was a free sample she didn’t want. From a young age, I got used to my mom gifting me belongings she no longer needed or never cared for in the first place — free makeup samples, old costume jewelry, time-worn purses.

I usually loved playing dress-up with these hand-me-downs, but I was afraid of the lotion.

The label on the back of the bottle advised me to “smooth it on twice each day,” with the promise of making my skin “soft, smooth, and younger looking.” I wanted to look older, like a big kid, and feared I’d look even younger if I followed the bottle’s directions. At the time, I couldn’t understand why youth was desirable.

That changed in the years that followed. Not long after my mother gave me the lotion, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It later spread to her liver, bone marrow and brain, aging my mother to the point where I barely recognized her. I secretly wished I could give her back the lotion. Maybe if she smoothed it on her own face, I thought, she would look more like her old self. I longed for the way things used to be.

After three years of sickness, my mother died. She was 40, and I was 11. The more time that passed, the more I found myself wanting to stay young. If growing up meant living without my mother, then I wanted to stay little forever.

The author's mother, Robin Jo Tenore, when she was in her 20s.
The author’s mother, Robin Jo Tenore, when she was in her 20s.

Courtesy of Mallary Tenore Tarpley

Just a few weeks after her passing, I took the Oil of Olay bottle off my dresser and applied the lotion all over my face. I used every last drop of it over the coming week, hoping it would work.

But the lotion broke its promise.

In search of other efforts to stay little, I started restricting my food intake — first slowly, then drastically. By age 12, I developed anorexia nervosa, a life-threatening disorder that led to numerous hospitalizations. The sicker I got, the more I believed I needed to be skinny in order to be lovable and worthy of care.

I fell for diet culture, and looking back, I can see the many ways in which it fueled my eating disorder. Now, as a woman in ongoing recovery, I’m trying to protect myself from falling for another harmful norm: anti-aging culture.

It’s challenging, though, when I see people my age turning to Botox, fillers, serums, wands and red-light masks. Advertisements for anti-aging cosmetic interventions flood my social media feeds. Nearly every day, I’m lured into buying “dermatologist-approved,” “science-backed” products that will remove my fine lines, diminish my wrinkles, and reduce my inflammation.

One ad, which I’ve now seen multiple times, shows a woman wearing a red-light mask that renders her faceless and resembles Kylo Ren (if he were deeply committed to boosting his collagen production).

The messaging in these ads is rooted in removal — it suggests that women need to erase parts of themselves if they want to even come close to achieving society’s unrealistic beauty standards, which prize youth and the thin ideal.

For years, cosmetic intervention ads have illustrated what scholar Laura Hurd Clarke calls “the moral imperative to modify the aging face.” They’ve conditioned women into believing that any wrinkle is a degradation, any flab a disgrace. They encourage women to fight for the attainment of beauty rather than acknowledge the beauty they already behold.

A classic example is a 1980s Oil of Olay commercial for the same anti-aging lotion my mother gave me. In the ad, a flawless actor lathers the lotion onto her face, then declares in a velvety voice, “I don’t intend to grow old gracefully. I’m fighting it every step of the way.”

The ad reminds me of something my mother told me after she accidentally burned my scalp with a curling iron.

“It hurts to be beautiful,” she said while styling my hair for school picture day. “Beauty is pain.”

As a child, I didn’t understand what she meant, but I never forgot what she said.

The author and her mother in the mid-1990s.
The author and her mother in the mid-1990s.

Courtesy of Mallary Tenore Tarpley

Beauty shouldn’t be painful, but the pursuit of it often is; when products don’t work as intended or wear off too quickly, feelings of inadequacy surface. This sense of inadequacy is so prevalent it has a name: “normative discontent.”

The term, which emerged in 1984, stems from research showing that most women in the U.S. have some level of discontent with their body to the point where it’s more the norm than the exception. More recent research suggests this discontent is pervasive among men, too.

Ruth Striegel Weissman, the scholar who coined the term normative discontent, told me, “There are all these industries that profit from the discontent. In other businesses, if the product doesn’t work, we blame the product. But in the beauty business, if you don’t become beautiful, we blame you. It’s not the cream or the diet or the exercise equipment; it’s you. We internalize this so readily rather than pushing back.”

It’s hard to push back when cosmetic intervention and surgical procedures are becoming increasingly normalized. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ latest annual report, over 10 million Americans opted for Botox-like injections in 2024, while over 5.3 million turned to fillers.

I don’t disparage anyone for undergoing anti-aging cosmetic interventions. Everyone must make the choice that feels right for them. I know some people consider them a form of self-care or even self-preservation. Such interventions have become so revered that women who opt out of them can feel even more susceptible to criticism.

Providence College professor Abigail Brooks speaks to this in her book “The Ways Women Age,” in which she writes: “As more women practice age avoidance by taking advantage of an ever-growing stockpile of new cosmetic anti-aging products and procedures, women who are aging naturally are increasingly penalized for looking old and for failing to do anything about it.”

I’m sure some may read this and pity me for not recognizing the value in anti-aging interventions. Some may say I’m too young to understand. I know the older I get, the more pronounced my wrinkles will be and the more they may perturb me.

The author and her two children, Madelyn and Tucker.
The author and her two children, Madelyn and Tucker.

Courtesy of Mallary Tenore Tarpley

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care about looking youthful and attractive, and I’m not above buying beauty products. I wear makeup almost every day, and, in recent years, I’ve transitioned to face moisturizers that contain hyaluronic acid and retinol. This may seem hypocritical for me to admit as someone who purports to resist anti-aging culture, but it shows how hard it is to avoid it completely.

I limit myself to makeup and moisturizers because I know that anything more could undermine the body-acceptance work I’ve done in eating disorder recovery. For me, acceptance isn’t about loving the way my body looks; it’s about accepting it as is, wrinkles and all, and recognizing that my looks don’t determine my worth.

I was reminded of this recently when talking to Deb Benfield, a registered dietitian nutritionist who wrote the book “Unapologetic Aging.” Aging, she told me, is “a collision point with a culture that profits from our fear of becoming less visible, less valued and never ‘enough.’”

“You don’t have to opt out of every beauty practice to resist that culture; what matters is staying rooted in a relationship with your body that isn’t contingent on fixing it,” she continued.

She encourages women to ask, “Is this choice expanding my life or narrowing it? Is it allowing me to grow and evolve, or keeping me attached to a body from my past?”

As I enter the early stages of midlife, I want to expand my life in honor of my mother. I just turned 41, and I’ve now officially outlived her. Entering this next phase of life that she never got to experience has forced me to grapple with the kinds of questions that arise when you start thinking about how the past has shaped your aging self.

"I bought this bottle of Oil of Olay on eBay," the author writes. "It's from the same time period as the one my mother gave me when I was a child."
“I bought this bottle of Oil of Olay on eBay,” the author writes. “It’s from the same time period as the one my mother gave me when I was a child.”

Courtesy of Mallary Tenore Tarpley

Lately I’ve wondered, Why was my mother so quick to give me that Oil of Olay? And why didn’t she want to keep it for herself?

I like to think that, as someone who didn’t follow any fad diets, she similarly didn’t feel the need to engage in anti-aging trends. It’s possible my mom instinctively knew what I’m now learning: Aging into midlife is a privilege not afforded to everyone. If we’re lucky enough to experience it, maybe we should stop trying to prevent it.

Mallary Tenore Tarpley is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the memoir “SLIP: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery,” which offers a groundbreaking framework for understanding eating disorder recovery and interweaves poignant personal stories, immersive reporting, and cutting-edge science. “SLIP” won the Association of American Publishers’ 2026 PROSE Award for Excellence in Biological and Life Sciences. Her writing has appeared in major publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Time magazine. She maintains a weekly newsletter featuring writing-related tips, and she can be found on Instagram at @mallarytenoretarpley. Check out her new book project here.

Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com.

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England set to eliminate hepatitis C

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England is on track to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, a dangerous virus that attacks the liver, figures show.

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‘As A 53-Year-Old Menopausal, GLP-1-Using Woman, I Was Losing Hair By The Handful’ — Until This $22 Buy

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It’s no secret that hair changes with age, be it in color, texture, thickness or sheer amount. Recent HuffPost reporting shared another factor that could contribute to losing or thinning hair: GLP-1 medications. Whether you’re dealing with hair loss as a GLP-1 side effect, menopause, general aging or even all of the above, we spotted a $22 shampoo and conditioner set reviewers finally say makes them “not afraid” to wash or brush their hair anymore. Reviewers say the set gives that “just stepped out of the salon” type hair, boosting their confidence with every use. For under $23? Sounds like a solid deal to us.

While the sets come in dozens of versions, fans call out the onion, keratin, rosemary mint and biotin options for helping their hair grow “fuller, thicker, soft and looking healthy again.”

According to UCLA Health, hair changes are primarily related to things like hormones, genetics, lifestyle habits and general evolution, as over time, human hair follicles naturally produce less melanin (color pigment) and sebum (protective oil). In recent HuffPost GLP-1 reporting, experts told HuffPost that rapid weight loss and potential under-eating put extra stress on the body, which can also lead to increased hair fall-out.

Though it’s hardly a magic potion for Rapunzel locks (and with serious hair loss, we recommend seeing your doctor), reviewers going through menopause, aging, health challenges or taking GLP-1 meds credit this affordable duo for keeping their strands strong and smooth. With ingredients ranging from biotin and keratin to argan and jojoba oils, aloe vera, glycerin, citric acid and vitamin E, this set is designed to repair and nourish your strands and stimulate the scalp to replenish and revitalize your hair.

“As a 53-year-old menopausal, GLP-using woman, I was losing hair by the handful…Seriously, I was panicking that I would go bald before 55,” a fan of the onion set wrote. “After hearing how the sulfur in onions can help with hair loss, I picked up this duo. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week, so I’m about 1/3 of the way through the bottles. Unreal!! The amount of hair I’m losing every day is back to normal shedding amount!… If you’re losing a ton of hair, I’d highly recommend this duo!”

“I’m a 63-year-old person who is suffering from hormonal changes, and wow!! A big difference in my dry, thin hair,” another wrote of the onion set. “I spent over $200 on the Amika brand, and no difference in my hair! Buying others from this company!! For sure.”

Another shopper writes that the biotin set “worked wonders,” after medical treatments had their hair “coming out by the handfuls.”

“I’m not afraid to wash my hair or run my hands through it anymore,” they said. “It also smells amazing!” Other shoppers who were initially skeptical say the biotin set has made them a believer.

“I was so surprised after I started using this product. My hair felt thicker and seemed to be filling in the balding spots,” a reviewer “over 50” wrote. “I have continued to reorder and [am] very satisfied with this shampoo and conditioner. It also smells nice and left my hair light, not heavy.”

Experts have previously told HuffPost that rosemary oil has been studied to “potentially accelerate hair growth by improving blood circulation in the scalp” to stimulate hair follicles. Shopper Peggzz writes that the rosemary mint set “works great on grey thinning hair” —so much, they have this on a recurring delivery schedule. “After using this shampoo and conditioner for a couple months, I have noticed a big change,” they said. “I have more hair and the condition of my grey hair looks so much healthier…I don’t want to run out of this stuff!”

And of course, reviewers say the keratin set feels “just like a salon treatment,” helping tame frizz and breakage from the first wash.

“After using this product just once, I noticed a significant difference,” one wrote. “…I woke up with zero morning frizz, which is rare for me. I also deal with very hard water, and this set truly helped my hair.”

“I have gray hair, and it is becoming more coarse with age,” another said. “I thought I would give this a try and within a week I could tell the difference. I think this is going to be my new shampoo and conditioner.”

Reviewers love this shampoo and conditioner set for helping “tame the changes” of their hair. Read more 5-star reviews and grab a set for yourself.

“I was not paid for this review, and I did not receive this product for free. As a 53 year old menopausal, GLP using woman, I was losing hair by the handful…seriously, I was panicking that I would go bald before 55! After hearing how the sulfur in onions can help with hair loss, I picked up this duo. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week, so I’m about 1/3 of the way through the bottles. Unreal!! The amount of hair I’m losing every day is back to normal shedding amount! The shampoo doesn’t lather as well as I would like so I use a little more than other shampoos (10 pumps for me, mid back length hair) but the conditioner smooths it out (also 10 pumps) and makes it nice and soft. Styles the same, no changes there! If you’re losing a ton of hair, I’d highly recommend this duo!” — Amazon customer

“This is incredible!! I’m a 63-year-old person who is suffering from hormonal changes, and wow!! A big difference in my dry, thin hair! I spent over 200 $on the Amika brand, and no difference in my hair! buying others from this company!! for sure” — ablasor

“I had thinning hair do to aging and menopause. I noticed it most in the front of the hair at the part. After using this shampoo and conditioner for a couple months, I have noticed a big change. I have more hair and the condition of my grey hair looks so much healthier. I subscribed and glad I did, I don’t want to run out of this stuff!” — Peggzz

“Initially had some doubts if this would actually assist in my problem of hair loss. I am over 50 and started losing my hair to to stress I suppose or menopause. I was so surprised after I started using this product My hair felt thicker and seemed to be filling in in the balding spots. I have continued to reorder and very satisfied with this shampoo and conditioner. It also smells nice and left my hair light not heavy.” — Darla

“This has worked wonders in my hair! I got really sick last fall and after treatment I started noticing my hair coming out by the handfuls. It was so bad that it got to the point that I was afraid to wash, brush or even run my hands through my hair. My floor, sink and bath rug had to be cleaned daily. Even worse was how visible it was that my hair was thinning out and at such a rapid pace I had bald spots. It kept me stressed out and crying. After reading reviews on this product I decided to try it. It has been great! My hair is growing back and it is getting fuller, thicker, soft and looking healthy again. I’m not afraid to wash my hair or run my hands through it anymore. It also smells amazing! I will continue to keep using this product. I also used their hair serum. The only issue I have had is they put the pumps on so tight that you almost can’t open then, they actually broke on the round but it didn’t affect my using it, just how I used it. I would highly recommend this product!!” — Laura McGough

Looking for more OTC products to combat thinning hair? Check out these dermatologist recommendations, courtesy of HuffPost Shopping.

Amazon

A rosemary hair strengthening oil

Dr. Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist with MDCS Dermatology in New York City, said that rosemary oil not only conditions and strengthens hair, but also helps reduce damage and breakage, thereby contributing to a stronger hair appearance. “Research has also indicated that rosemary oil can potentially accelerate hair growth by improving blood circulation in the scalp, which stimulates hair follicles,” Garshick added.

With this in mind, we selected the viral Mielle oil, a rosemary mint scalp and hair strengthening treatment that has become TikTok-famous for its anecdotal claims surrounding improved hair health and growth. The biotin-infused formula contains nutrient oils including jojoba, grape seed and evening primrose, all of which can address dryness and brittle-feeling hair along with other scalp health factors that can affect hair retention.

Soultanicals

A natural hair oil with a variety of herbal infusions

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brendan Camp also mentioned that the inclusion of rosemary oil in your hair care routine may prove to be beneficial for managing excessive shedding. This is because “rosemary oil is a source of carnosic acid that is thought to help reduce inflammation and stimulate hair growth,” Camp said.

He suggested this natural and herbal-infused treatment featuring a nourishing blend of several oils from olive to rosemary to castor. It uses green tea, an ingredient containing the antioxidant EGCG which some research suggests can enhance hair growth and follicle elongation.

Amazon

A classic minoxidil treatment

Both Camp and Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose had Rogaine at the tops of their lists of goods with hair-growing potential.

“Minoxidil is the active ingredient in Rogaine and it is thought that minoxidil helps hair remain in the growing phase of its growth cycle,” Camp explained of this well-known treatment, available in formulas for both men and women.

It features a 5% concentration of this active ingredient along with a variety of botanical extracts and humectants which can draw moisture into the hair. The once-a-day treatment is also in the form of a foam, an important requirement according to Camp so the product won’t drip down to other areas of the face, thus risking unwanted hair growth.

Minoxidil belongs to a class of drugs known as vasodilators, so be sure to read the list of side effects and speak to your doctor before using.

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)

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This SPF 50 Sunscreen ‘Smooths Wrinkles’ And Leaves A ‘Beautiful Matte Finish’

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Skin experts have told HuffPost before: the “best” facial sunscreen is the one you’re happy to put on. While you want to meet the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) requirements — broad spectrum, SPF 30+ and water-resistance — you also want something you enjoy wearing. Per the CDC, you should be wearing it every damn day. Lucky for you, Supergoop’s SPF 50, “Unseen Sunscreen” and makeup primer checks all of these boxes, especially for mature skin. Reviewers call it “sorcery in a bottle” that “works great as a primer for wrinkles and gives great sun protection.” It’s currently 20% off at Amazon — if you’re fast enough to grab it.

Clear, scentless, oil-free & non-sticky, reviewers say it “smooths out my wrinkles” and “minimizes the appearance of pores” — while fighting off harmful UV rays.

Say goodbye to white casts, burning eyes, weird smells and tacky residue. With no added colors or scents, this “weightless” sunscreen offers broad-spectrum protection, SPF 50 and up to 40 minutes of water resistance — meaning it hits the AAD requirements, without turning you into a sticky ghost.

“It glides on exactly like a makeup primer with a silky, weightless feel that smooths my skin without feeling greasy,” Tiffany wrote. “…Even better, it doesn’t run into my eyes or feel messy when I sweat, making it great for everyday wear and outdoor activities.”

Aptly named the “Unseen Sunscreen,” this baby is designed to look invisible and feel like nothing on your face — while still making a huge impact. “It made my skin look so much smoother than my usual primer,” shopper Jb wrote. “Not just pores either, it smoothed out my wrinkles.”

“It goes on totally smooth with a beautiful matte finish,” another wrote, noting “everything else makes me look greasy and shiny.”

Whether worn under makeup or alone, reviewers call it “just what I was looking for,” and the exact thing to buy “if you hate wearing sunscreen.”

The brand says the formula was made with sensitive and acne-prone skin in mind, crafted to be non-irritating, non-greasy and not heavy or pore-clogging. Plus, fans say it helps your makeup go on smoothly and look great all day long. “Excellent alone or as a sunscreen and primer combo before makeup-exactly what I was looking for! FINALLY,” a 51-year-old reviewer said.

A reviewer with “extremely dry, sensitive skin due to Hashimoto’s” calls the gel the “most critical step in my skin routine,” saying it “provides solid sun protection, doesn’t irritate my skin, and still looks perfect under makeup or without.” “My skin literally gobbles it up, they wrote. “Dries in seconds and provides this beautiful matte finish. Is it pricey? Yes! But for what it is the I feel it’s worth the $!”

“This stuff is magic,” shopper Emily wrote. “It looks and feels like a makeup primer, has zero smell, and basically disappears when you put it on. It leaves my skin feeling slightly softer and I don’t feel like there’s anything on my face. Definitely try this if you hate sunscreen.”

A reviewer with “mature skin with crow’s feet” credits the gel for providing a “healthy-looking blur” that withstands heat *far* better than cheaper alternatives.

These days, there’s no shortage of facial sunscreens on the market. Yet, fans say once you’ve tried Supergoop! it’s hard to go back to anything else. One shopper with “mature skin with crow’s feet” tested the gel against e.l.f.’s Suntouchable Invisible in “the heat of August in Arizona. […]The Supergoop Unseen held up much better – no melting, no sliding, and my crow’s feet didn’t intensify,” they wrote. “The E.l.f. is really good, but the Unseen is amazing. You’ll have to pry your makeup out of the Unseen’s cold dead hand, if you will! :)”

“I’ve tried the Trader Joe duper. I did not repurchase,” another wrote. “It sat heavier on my skin and burned my eyes,” calling Supergoop! “my go-to sunscreen for everyday wear.”

Reviewers love Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen for offering them sun protection and a smooth finish. Read more 5-star reviews and grab some for yourself for 20% off.

“I have extremely dry, sensitive skin due to Hashimoto’s. And at almost 40 I also have sun damage, fine lines and wrinkles that I’m wishing away with Tretinoin and Hydroquinone. So to that I was in desperate need of an awesome sunscreen that really provides solid sun protection, doesn’t irritate my skin, and still looks perfect under makeup or without. I’ve tried a lot, I mean a butt load of sunscreens. And this is my new #1! This is it. My new sorcery in a bottle. My skin literally gobbles it up. Dries in seconds and provides this beautiful matte finish. Is it pricey yes! But for what is the most critical step in my skin routine I feel it’s worth the $!” — Lala

“I love this super goop for under makeup. Works great as a primer for wrinkles and gives great sun protection. Sometimes can make skin look a bit more oily so only use it for daytime wear.” — MLH

“Wow! I love this sunscreen/primer. It made my skin look so much smoother than my usual primer. Not just pores either it smoothed out my wrinkles. Lightweight and moisturizing. Goes on smooth and doesn’t interact with my serum or moisturizer. Can reapply over makeup too. I will be buying again. I wish it was a little less expensive but its a good, clean product and its not tested on animals. And a little does go a long way.” — Jb

“I have mature skin with crow’s feet, and own both the E.l.f. and the Supergoop Unseen. I expected the E.l.f. to be best as my makeup primer. I hoped! Both feel good and give you a healthy-looking blur. In the heat of August in Arizona, the E.l.f. kind of softened and melted with my powder foundation on top, settling into my crow’s feet. A lot of my makeup disappeared – not much left on my towel. But the Supergoop Unseen held up much better – no melting, no sliding, and my crow’s feet didn’t intensify. The E.l.f. is really good, but the Unseen is amazing. You’ll have to pry your makeup out of the Unseen’s cold dead hand, if you will! :)” — Amazon customer

“This is my favorite sunscreen. I have mature skin and I’m very fair. I also have oily skin. When I put it on my face, it makes it feel so much softer and it dries to a matte finish. It also does not burn my eyes.” — Esmeralda Veik

Looking for more beloved SPFs? Check out these dermatologist-recommended favs, courtesy of HuffPost Shopping.

Dermstore

EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46

Dr. Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, MD, board-certified dermatologist, echoed the saying that “the best SPF for daily use is one that you’ll actually wear — lightweight, invisible and comfortable under makeup.” She recommends a mineral SPF with low irritation potential, like this cult-fave SPF that is beloved by both HuffPost readers and editors alike. It’s formulated with hyaluronic acid to deeply moisturize skin while the inclusion of lactic acid lightly exfoliates skin and can help to reduce hyperpigmentation and shine. It’s a great option for people like me with sensitive and acne-prone skin. I turn to it anytime I’m going to be spending a lot of time in the sun, or when I’m post-procedure and want to protect my skin without irritating it.

Amazon

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30

According to Dr. Alexander Witkowski, MD, PhD, board-certified dermatologist and Melanoma Research Alliance Dermatology Advisor,, this CeraVe lotion with SPF 30 is “an excellent, affordable and widely accessible option for a daily morning routine.” It provides sun protection while doubling as a moisturizer, and is formulated with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to support skin barrier health and hydration while also soothing irritation. He also pointed out that it’s non-comedogenic and fragrance-free, making it appropriate for sensitive and acne-prone skin.

Ulta

Blue Lizard Sensitive mineral sunscreen SPF 50+

Another Badreshia-Bansal recommendation for days spent outdoors, this reef-safe mineral sunscreen from Australia contains no active chemicals and is suitable for use on sensitive skin. It’s also sweat- and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes so you can enjoy all types of outdoor activities without worry.

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)

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