Best Hair Loss Treatments for Men & Women: 2018 Reviews & Guide

Updated 5 years ago

Hair loss happens. Age, illness, genetics, and other factors have a negative effect on hair follicles. And then hair grows in ever thinner and finer or stops growing altogether. But there’s more than one way to reverse the process before it’s too late.

Top hair loss treatments of 2018

Depending on the reason behind your hair loss, there are a number of products that treat it. From topical medications to serums, vitamins, and shampoos, you have lots of options. Let’s explore the best hair loss treatments for men and women to see which ones fit your need.

Men's Rogaine Hair Loss & Hair Thinning Treatment Minoxidil Foam

Rogaine is available for men and women, and it comes in a special formulation for each gender. But the main ingredient in each one is a 5% solution of Minoxidil. If your hair has only begun to thin recently, Rogaine may be the most trustworthy answer to the problem.

Unlike many other hair loss treatments on the market, the main ingredient Minoxidil has been clinically proven to regrow hair. It works by reactivating shrunken hair follicles and stimulating new growth. But it takes time to see results, up to two to four months or longer. And you’ll need to continue to use Rogaine for as long as you wish to maintain a full head of hair.

This particular foam formula of Rogaine contains Tricho-prime Technology. That’s their term for a combination of botanical extracts, emollients, and alpha-hydroxy acids. All these other ingredients perform gentle exfoliation to keep follicles open, and they soothe and care for the scalp.

Finally, Rogaine offers a satisfaction guarantee. If you use their product as directed for 120 days and aren’t happy with the results, they will refund the purchase price.

Women's Rogaine Hair Loss and Thinning Treatment with Minoxidil

Rogaine for Women contains the same essential ingredient, Minoxidil, as the formula for men. It’s a once-a-day topical treatment. And it’s been clinically proven to regrow hair. If you don’t see positive results after using it for 120 days, the manufacturer will refund the purchase price.

Rogaine warns that hair loss may continue for two weeks after you begin applying the foam to your scalp. This is normal since thin hairs will naturally fall out while the follicles regenerate. And some women may not see significant regrowth for six months. On the bright side, Rogaine’s treatment for women won a Best of Beauty award from Allure. And it’s an FDA-approved treatment for female pattern baldness.

But be aware that Minoxidil is only good at treating hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia. This condition is when hair follicles decrease in size and the hair that grows from them is thin and fine. Eventually, those follicles stop working. Minoxidil reverses the effect, stimulating the follicles to function normally again and grow thicker hair.  It’s not a one-time cure, but a process that continues as long as you use it.

Wild Growth Hair Oil

It’s true that some of us prefer to try natural solutions first before we resort to medication. If that describes you, try Wild Growth Hair Oil. It’s packed with hair-restoring ingredients straight from Mother Nature. And take note, if you have thin, fine hair apply this at night before bed as it can make your hair quite oily. But it’s very good at conditioning and strengthening your locks, curing dry skin, and stimulating new hair growth.

The principal ingredients are oils of coconut, jojoba, and olive, along with cocoa butter, acerola, pomegranate, and other botanical extracts. But it also has essential oils shown to be especially good at combating hair loss, like lavender, frankincense, clary sage, eucalyptus, geranium, and grapefruit.

USDA Organic Cold-Pressed, 100% Pure, Hexane-Free Castor Oil

Women who struggled to grow thicker eyelashes probably know about castor oil. It’s a time-tested remedy for hair loss. It not only regrows lashes and eyebrows, but it can also treat your scalp and hair.

Sometimes hair loss is due to a skin infection, and castor oil can help with that. It’s antibacterial and antifungal. And it’s also full of Vitamin E, proteins, and minerals that enhance your skin and hair. Beauty experts recommend applying castor oil at night to problem areas. It may take a few weeks to see a difference, but it’s an all-natural way to solve the problem.

Propidren by HairGenics DHT Blocker with Saw Palmetto

Hair loss is caused by a lot of things, but DHT may be one of the most prominent culprits. DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, derives from the hormone testosterone. And yes, it affects women too, especially as they age and their hormone levels change.

DHT then attacks hair follicles, causing them to shrink and produce weaker hair, then stop working altogether. Many hair loss treatments contain DHT-blocking ingredients like Saw Palmetto. Saw Palmetto halts the action of 5-alpha-reductase. That’s an enzyme that changes testosterone into DHT. That way DHT can’t even arrive on the scene to cause problems on your scalp.

Besides Saw Palmetto, the HairGenics Propidren oral supplement contains other ingredients for healthy hair growth. For example, it has the B Vitamin Biotin to produce the keratin you need to strengthen your hair. And it has nettle extract, horsetail, and green tea, too.

Propidren might take up to three months to make significant improvements to your hair, but you only need to take two tablets a day. Plus, the manufacturer offers a money-back satisfaction guarantee.

Art Naturals Organic Argan Oil Hair Loss Shampoo for Hair Regrowth

If you prefer a topical approach to eliminating DHT from your scalp, try the Art Naturals Organic Argan Hair Loss Shampoo. It contains a variety of DHT-blocking components as well as ingredients that take good care of your hair. And the formula is vegan and not tested on animals.

Take a look at this list of natural DHT-blockers and hair growth enhancers: Argan oil, aloe vera, white willow bark, burdock root, rosemary, and thyme. For example, Argan oil is full of Vitamin E and fatty acids that heal your scalp. Then aloe vera is soothing and moisturizing to the skin. And white willow bark reduces inflammation so follicles can work normally again. There’s even a bit of caffeine in the bottle because it stimulates faster growth of strands.

Pronexa Hairgenics Clinical Strength Hair Growth & Regrowth Therapy Shampoo with Biotin

Pronexa Hairgenics Shampoo is a part of the entire Pronexa Hair Care System that includes an oral supplement, hair serum, and more. The shampoo contains the DHT-blocker Saw Palmetto, as well as other certified organic ingredients like MSM, aloe vera, Biotin, and seaweed extract. And its purpose is to encourage new strong hair to grow.

The Pronexa shampoo is appropriate for both women and men. It may take up to six months to see a significant difference. But the company offers a 100% money-back guarantee. And their products are FDA-certified and cruelty-free.

Theradome Hair Growth Helmet

Can light regrow hair? Yes, it’s possible. Science has shown that the right wavelength of light can stimulate hair follicles. And although the Theradome Hair Growth Helmet and other products like it can be a pricey investment, they are much safer and gentler than hair restoration surgery.

Theradome stands out from the competition because it’s recommended by places like the HairClub and also FDA-cleared for safety. It uses 678nm laser light, not LEDs, to reach deep enough into your scalp to work on hair follicles. It tells them to enter the anagen, or growth phase. And each treatment only takes twenty minutes, with just two times a week making a difference.

Clinical studies done with red light demonstrate that it creates noticeable regrowth of hair in males suffering from androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness.

How much hair loss is too much?

You might have noticed that your hair might fall out more when the seasons change, when you’ve been ill or stressed for a while, when you’re pregnant, or even if you move from a dry climate to a humid one. It’s normal to lose fifty to one hundred strands each day.

How much does hair normally grow?

Hair tends to grow about six inches each year, but some parts of your hair stop growing every once in a while. Up to ten percent of your locks might be in hibernation at any one time. Here are the phases of normal hair growth:

  • Anagen phase, or the time when hair grows
  • Exogen phase, or when hair falls out
  • Catagen phase, or when most of a hair follicle shrinks and stops working
  • Telogen phase, or the resting period while a follicle waits to begin working again

Sometimes follicles start working in a briefer anagen phase where they make shorter, finer hairs. Or they get stuck in the telogen phase and stop working at all. Hormones can affect the follicles and cause the growth phases to go awry. That’s when products like Minoxidil and DHT-blockers step in to fix the problem.

What is the best treatment for hair loss?

Before you begin any treatment to reverse hair loss, it’s smart to see a doctor to determine the cause of the problem. There are many reasons why you could be losing hair. Obviously, if male pattern baldness runs in your family, that could be the easy answer. But if you’re mystified as to why your luscious locks are falling out all of a sudden, go get expert advice. It could be the sign of an underlying health problem.

Once you know what’s causing your hair to thin and recede, you might try one or more of the treatments in this article. For example, some people take an oral supplement while they apply a topical cream or foam, and they might even use low-level light therapy, too. Usually, a person can try all of these solutions at once without causing a conflict. But again, check with your doctor first.

Next, it certainly can’t hurt to wash your hair with a DHT-blocking shampoo, especially if you suspect you have androgenetic alopecia. And serums and oils can be beneficial to your skin and the hair you still have, too.

One last component of hair health that few people contemplate is nutrition. While you can rely on a supplement to make up the difference, why not tweak the menu for better overall results? Try adding foods rich in protein and Vitamin B like eggs, fish, pork, and chicken. Vegetarians can add spinach, broccoli, almonds, and cashews. And be sure to hydrate with enough water.

Conclusion

Men and women both struggle with losing their hair, especially as they age. But there are many ways to reverse hair loss and encourage new growth. We hope you discovered the solution here that will help you have healthy new hair as soon as possible.