One Vogue writer credits K18’s latest innovative launch for helping slow down her hair shedding—and it’s all thanks to a blend of bionemetic peptides and antioxidants.One Vogue writer credits K18’s latest innovative launch for helping slow down her hair shedding—and it’s all thanks to a blend of bionemetic peptides and antioxidants.
Take a scroll on the hair-care side of TikTok and you’ll see countless videos dedicated to hair shedding. Millennials and Gen Zers with normally dense lengths are coming together on the internet to ask, “What happened to my hair?” Why is there a sudden burst of unexplained yet aggressive thinning?
“Both internal and external stressors drive the root causes of shedding, early graying, and scalp aging,” explains Rita El-khouri, SVP of research and innovation at K18. Those stressors can be anything from UV exposure and pollution to hormonal shifts, heat styling, chemical processing, diet changes, and lack of sleep. Plus, the rise in accessible GLP-1 use has been amping up hair fall due to rapid weight loss. No matter the reasons, all of these can come together for a cocktail of disaster to the hair ecosystem. “These commonly lead to elevated oxidative burden and inflammatory stress in the scalp and follicle, driving changes years before visible signs like graying or thinning appear,” El-khouri adds.
That’s where K18 FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum comes in—yes, it’s a mouthful, but a worthwhile one. The aim of the brand’s new launch is to halt premature scalp aging. “Scalp aging starts much earlier than when someone first notices gray hairs or increased shedding,” notes El-khouri. “It’s driven by cumulative oxidative stress, inflammation, and environmental exposure that weaken the scalp’s natural resilience over time.”
In short, the serum helps to anchor hair at the root, prevent major shedding, and much more. Read on to discover my experience testing the launch over the past three months. (Spoiler alert! I love it.)
K18 FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum
Since then, I’ve been remarkably consistent, applying the serum to my scalp every evening. I’ve missed the occasional night—maybe five applications over the course of three months—but otherwise it has become second nature. What struck me immediately was how quickly it disappears into my scalp. I tend to be heavy-handed with hair products, yet by the time I finished applying one section, the previous one had already dried down. I simply part my hair with a comb, apply the serum from front to back along each section, and then massage it in. Aside from the occasional drip down my forehead if I’m moving too quickly, the application couldn’t be easier. Best of all, it never leaves my roots greasy or coated with product buildup.
Three months in, the biggest difference isn’t dramatic regrowth—it’s everything that has quietly changed along the way. Hair shedding rarely stops overnight, and tracking progress requires a healthy dose of patience. Thankfully, brushing and washing my hair no longer fills me with the same sense of dread. My most reliable measure of success has become the amount of hair left behind in the shower drain each week. It may not be the most glamorous metric, but seeing noticeably fewer strands during my weekly cleanse has been incredibly reassuring.
As for graying, it hasn’t been a major concern; I’ve only spotted two or three silver strands so far. Lately, though, I’ve had a much harder time finding them. I’ll admit, my commitment to returning my hair to its full health has been militant and ritualistic; yet there’s no doubt in my mind that K18 is currently leading the charge of the recovery journey. So much so that outside the world of beauty testing and PR sampling, I’d gladly repurchase this serum, even at its spendy price point.
How to Use the K18 FutureIQ Hair Longevity Serum
It’s best to use this formula as a crucial part of your evening wind-down routine. “It is designed for nightly scalp application and works while the body goes into rest and recovery mode overnight to help support healthier-looking, fuller, stronger, and more resilient hair over time,” says El-khouri. The serum can be applied post-wash to damp or completely dry hair (I prefer the latter). The brand advises sectioning your scalp into four sections, using a full dropper for each part, and finishing by gently massaging it into the scalp.
That said, it’s important to consider this serum as part of an overall wellness regimen, rather than the sole solution to hair concerns. “Thinning hair could be androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, traction, or scarring alopecia,” Divya Shokeen, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, previously explained. “These are different diseases requiring different treatments.” With that in mind, a much-needed visit to your doctor is essential to get a sense of any potential nutritional deficiencies or hormonal imbalances and adjust your routine accordingly. The good news is that if you’re like me and telogen effluvium is at work, board-certified dermatologist Jenna Queller, MD, assures me that some forms of hair loss can totally be reversible once the trigger is addressed.
Shop More of Vogue’s Favorite K18 Products
Everything You Need to Know
How We Tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—from board-certified dermatologists to celebrity hairstylists—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to hair and scalp serums, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, texture, application technique, and the hair-care concerns they address. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet the Experts
- Rita El-khouri is SVP of research and Innovation at K18.
- Divya Shokeen, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Southern California and the founder of OSVI Dermatology.
- Jenna Queller, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Boca Raton, Florida, and the founder of DermWorks.
