More than 65,000 illegal hair-loss products seized since 2021

Officials have seized more than 65,000 doses of illegal hair-loss products over the last five years, new Freedom of Information (FOI) data from the UK medicines watchdog shows.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) figures show that 65,194 individual doses of hair-loss products were seized between 2021 and 2026, reaching a peak of 27,091 in 2025.

The MHRA told The Pharmacist that most of the hair loss products seized had been intercepted at the border and did not reach consumers.

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These products were classified as ‘unauthorised’, meaning they did not have a valid licence to be sold in the UK.

Seizures are typically made where importers lack the appropriate licence or where quantities exceed those permitted for personal use under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.

The agency also stressed that the 65,000 doses seized over five years represented a ‘very small’ proportion of the total number of illicit medicines seized by the MHRA and its partners during the same period.

Many hair loss treatments available in the UK are prescription-only and should only be supplied after a proper assessment by a qualified healthcare professional, it added.

The FOI was carried out by beauty, wellness, and rehabilitation equipment supplier Vip Italia, which asked for details of seizures made since 2021 for medicines generally used to manage hair loss, including eflornithine, finasteride and minoxidil.

The company said that the increase in doses seized highlighted growing concerns around the sale of hair-loss treatments, particularly through websites and social media platforms where medicines can be purchased quickly and cheaply.

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Aesthetics product expert and chief marketing officer at Vip Italia, Anastasia Lesnikova, added: ‘For many people, hair loss can be pretty distressing, affecting how you feel about yourself every day. When you are struggling with something like that, it is completely understandable to look for solutions wherever you can find them.

‘But this increase in demand is creating an environment where illegal suppliers can thrive. While tens of thousands of illegal doses of hair-loss drugs are being intercepted before they reach the public, it is worrying to think that there may be many more circulating that have not yet been seized.’

She advised patients who are worried about hair loss to seek advice from a qualified medical professional and to use licensed pharmacies.

The MHRA also urged healthcare professionals and patients to report suspected falsified medicines and adverse drug reactions via the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme.

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The new figures come as the MHRA announced the seizure of millions of illicit medicines with an estimated value of £4.6 million.

MHRA officers also recently seized more than 130,000 doses of steroids and unauthorised medicines that were being sold by mail order, including products such as tamoxifen, finasteride and modafinil.