If you’re trying to fight male pattern baldness, then you’re in good company. Hair loss affects millions of men and women, and it’s big business in both healthcare and the men’s grooming industry. While there are extreme solutions such as hair loss surgery, most men waging war against their hairline will start with hair loss shampoos.
Sure, men like Bruce Willis and Terry Crews might look great with a shaved head, but most men want to keep their hair as long as possible. In fact, the most popular men’s hairstyles require medium and long hair. Fortunately, there are hair loss products that actually work. The best hair loss shampoos fight the causes of hair loss, strengthen existing hair and promote the growth of new hair.
So, what exactly should you be looking for in the best hair loss shampoos or topical treatments? Depending on what’s contributing to your hair loss, you’ll want a shampoo with specific ingredients such as DHT blockers, finasteride or minoxidil, all of which have been shown to be effective.
In this post, we’ll break down all of the common treatments used to fight hair loss, so you know what to look for when buying hair loss shampoo. Then, we’ll share the best hair loss shampoos for sale right now.
What Ingredients Should You Look For in Hair Loss Shampoo?
The FDA approves a few medications to fight hair loss and many natural botanicals that support overall scalp and hair health. But for guys who want to see fast results, we recommend looking for the FDA-approved medications Finasteride and Minoxidil, although only the latter is used in topical hair products. DHT blockers are also worth considering. When shopping for hair loss shampoos for thinning hair, it’s essential to understand which ingredients will most affect your hair loss.
DHT and DHT Blockers: When shopping for hair loss shampoos, it’s super important to understand the importance of DHT. Dihydrotestosterone is a hormone derived from testosterone and naturally produced by the body. DHT is closely associated with hair loss by affecting the development and growth of your hair follicles. When your body over-produces DHT, the hormone can travel through your bloodstream and bind to hair follicles in your scalp, causing them to shrink. This shuts down the hair growth process. Shampoos with DHT blockers interrupt this effect. While the scientific evidence is inconclusive, many people believe natural ingredients like pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto will disrupt DHT formation.
Finasteride: A medication commonly prescribed as Propecia inhibits 5α-reductases, the enzymes that catalyze testosterone into DHT. It is one of the few options approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat hair loss in men and has been scientifically proven to fight hair loss. However, you will not find this medicine in shampoos.
Minoxidil: Minoxidil is a topical medication that widens blood vessels in your scalp, which helps increase circulation and brings more blood to your hair follicles. This helps promote the regrowth cycle of hair and can overcome hair loss over time by simply growing more hair than you lose. It’s one of the other hair loss treatments approved by the FDA to treat baldness in men.
Biotin: Biotin, a B vitamin commonly known as vitamin H for its benefits to hair, has been shown to strengthen existing hair and stop hair loss in cases of biotin deficiency and is a common treatment prescribed by dermatologists. While more research is necessary, one small double-blind study, the most authoritative kind of research, demonstrated the efficacy of biotin in lessening hair loss and promoting new hair growth.
Ketoconazole: Ketoconazole is an antifungal ingredient that’s clinically proven to fight dandruff and promote scalp health. Some evidence also suggests ketoconazole promotes hair follicle growth at a level comparable to minoxidil and disrupts DHT formation.
Caffeine: In a small study, caffeine, the same stimulant in your coffee and tea (and, increasingly, in your skincare products), was shown to lengthen hair, increase the amount of time that hair grows and support the development of keratin in hair. However, it’s not clear caffeine actively fights hair loss, especially loss due to DHT or other factors.
Essential Oils: Many new hair loss shampoos use natural ingredients to restore your hair and scalp health. Popular botanicals used in the best hair loss shampoo for men include rosemary oil, pumpkin seed oil, evening primrose oil, peppermint and pygeum bark (African cherry tree). Tea tree oil is another popular choice, as it has well-known restorative and antifungal properties. Most of the evidence supporting these ingredients is anecdotal, but we generally prefer natural ingredients like peppermint and tea tree oil to harsh chemicals and sulfates.
As you can tell, there are tons of ingredients, including many we didn’t touch on here, that reportedly fight hair loss and promote new hair growth. On the other hand, medications like finasteride and minoxidil are the real deal. If you’re looking for the best hair loss products, you’ll want to be on the lookout for ingredients that work.
The Best Hair Loss Shampoo for Men
First, it’s important to remember that hair loss is a natural part of aging. Thus, it’s always a good idea to talk about hair loss concerns with your doctor, in addition to doing your own research before trying new hair loss products.
To help you out, we’ve done quite a bit of research ourselves. Below, you’ll find the best hair loss shampoos to help fight hair loss and promote the growth of new hair. Most of the options do some of both and contain one or more of the products outlined above.
So, hold onto your hair and grab some of the best hair loss shampoos and products. Start tackling your hair loss today because the sooner you start, the better your results will be.
1. Klorane Strengthening Shampoo
BEST OVERALL
Trying to cope with the fact that your hair is starting to thin can be difficult, but you can reverse the problem right away by incorporating Klorane’s shampoo into your wash routine. It’s formulated with two powerful ingredients that help restore and thicken your hair — Quinine and Vitamin B. Quinine is an ingredient that is well known for strengthening your once lifeless hair. Vitamin B provides nutrients needed to both your hair and scalp to keep them nourished and healthy. Other active ingredients found in the shampoo are Edelweiss and caffeine. Did we mention this shampoo is 100% plant-based?
This natural shampoo is highly rated for its hair strengthening capabilities and ability to soothe dry and itchy scalps. It’s formulated with several all-natural and organic ingredients including, aloe vera, pro-vitamin B-5, vitamin E, tea tree oil, and peppermint. These key ingredients come together to help stimulate the scalp while promoting healthy hair growth and preventing dandruff buildup. We promise you once you switch out your old hair product for this one, you will notice instant results.
Every man is aware that as we start to age, so does our hair, and with that comes thinning and some cases, hair loss. But what if we told you there is a hair product that can prevent those awful things from happening? Luckily, there is a product that many men abide by to keep their locks of hair healthy and fuller. Nioxin System 2 Cleanser Shampoo is designed to deeply cleanse your scalp, ridding it of dirt and oil. This prepares your hair for a thickening treatment that boosts hair strands and promotes root resilience.
4. Pura d’Or Original Gold Label Anti-Hair Thinning Shampoo
BEST VALUE
This shampoo has about every ingredient purported to fight hair loss and promote new hair growth, including biotin, niacin, saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, rosemary oil, and pygeum bark, not to mention SPY favorites such as tea tree, aloe vera, and argan oil. All the oils will help hydrate and repair your remaining hair, so you’re not only blocking DHT, you’re going to be keeping more of the hair you’ve still got.
5. Rogaine 5% Minoxidil Foam for Hair Loss and Hair Regrowth
BEST MINOXIDIL TREATMENT
Over-the-counter hair medications can be a great next-level solution if you find that traditional hair loss shampoos aren’t enough for you. The best option is minoxidil, the active ingredient in Men’s Rogaine Minoxidil Foam. Rogaine Foam is a minoxidil solution that you apply to the balding areas on your head twice a day. Like everything on this list, Rogaine works best while you’ve still got some hair (because that means hair follicles can still grow), but even if you’re late to try to stop hair loss, Rogaine is a great tool to have in your dopp kit to start fighting hair loss.
hims is a new men’s health brand offering effective, no-frills products and prescriptions for gentlemen of all ages. One of their best products is this DHT-blocking shampoo, which adds volume by reducing oiliness. Like all hims products, you can set up a delivery subscription which eliminates the hassle of re-stocking on your own and ensures that you always have a bottle ready to go in the shower. This new hims shampoo should be used consistently, and it should be left in your hair for one minute before rinsing.
7. ProBliva DHT Blocker Hair Loss & Hair Re-Growth Shampoo
BEST DHT BLOCKER
The ProBliva DHT Blocker Hair Loss & Hair Re-Growth Shampoo is right up there with the top pick in terms of ingredients. Formulated in this shampoo are jojoba, keratin, and collagen amino acids, all necessities needed for healthy and moisturized hair. It also contains several DHT-blocking ingredients like zinc PCA and green tea extract. These ingredients are vital because they promote hair growth. Some users reported hair loss results reasonably quickly, and many reviewers noticed thicker and fuller hair, making this a great option.
This Keranique shampoo is considered one of the best for instantly hydrating hair while promoting its growth. It contains biotin, avocado oil, keratin, and saw palmetto extract, all ingredients that fight hair loss. Keratin is one of the main active ingredients formulated in this shampoo because it thickens and strengthens those thinning hairs. Not to mention, this product is top-rated thanks to its control of frizz and deep cleansing properties.
Are you in need of a shampoo that provides hair growth and resilience? Well, it’s best to wash your hair with this shampoo from Evolis. The plant-based shampoo was designed to help cleanse your scalp while depositing powerful antioxidants like mangosteen, green tea, and rosemary to restore your hair to its healthy ways while preventing future hair loss. You are sure to see results as soon as 90 days.
When you start to see the first signs of hair loss, the time has come to invest in the best hair loss shampoo for men. Lumin Keratin Recovery Shampoo uses natural ingredients like tea tree oil to strengthen your scalp and hair. This shampoo contains a potent mix of tea tree leaf oil, preventing oil buildup on the scalp and has natural antifungal properties. Ceramide strengthens your hair follicles, while peppermint oil boosts circulation to the scalp and provides a soothing, cooling effect.
