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The 7 Best Hair Loss Treatments for Men in 2026, Approved by Doctors
Dermatologists overwhelmingly recommended Rogaine's Minoxidil Foam.
I'M NOT HERE to scare you, but if you’re reading this, you’re probably going to experience hair loss at some point in your life. Maybe you already have. When you do, remember that it’s not just you–hair loss is extremely common. In fact, by the age of 35, around two-thirds of men notice some form of hair loss, and that number climbs to 85 percent by age 50. So yeah, it’s definitely not just you.
Best Hair Loss Treatments for Men
- Best Overall Hair Loss Treatment: Rogaine 5% Minoxidil Foam
- Best Hair Loss Spray: Patricks RD1 Spray
- Best Serum for Hair Loss: Act+Acre Cold-Processed Stem Cell Scalp Serum
- Best Hair Thickening Shampoo: DS Laboratories Revita Hair Density Shampoo
- Best Scalp Treatment: Nutrafol Hair Mask
When it happens, the question isn’t why is this happening to me, it’s what am I going to do about it? Truthfully, there is no right answer. Dealing with hair thinning issues is a personal decision. There’s no shame in cutting to the chase and choosing to shave your head. There’s also no shame in trying to minimize or curb the loss using hair loss treatments. Which leads to another question: which product do you try? The world of hair loss treatments for men—which includes hair growth serums, thickening shampoos, and hair growth devices—can be vast and confusing, with a healthy dose of snake oil salesmen that are going to try to dupe you into wasting your money on stuff that doesn’t work.
At the most basic level, the best hair loss treatments need to be backed by proven science and must feature proven technologies that have been clinically tested to restore hair. The good news is that there are plenty of treatments out there that meet this criteria and are proven to work.
What to Consider
Since hair growth products come in such a wide range, the biggest thing to consider when choosing what to use is compliance. If you can’t stick with it for at least six months (and more likely a year), you are unlikely to see the results you want. Additionally, there are a few other factors to consider.
Key Ingredients
You’ll notice that hair growth products use a variety of ingredients to help promote hair growth. Dermatologist Dr. Natalie Kash, MD, recommends looking for ingredients that have proven scientific backing for their effect on hair growth. Chief among these are minoxidil and finasteride, which are the only FDA-approved drugs for hair growth (and are both available over the counter). That being said, finasteride is much more common in pill form, and for this story, we focused on over-the-counter topical treatments, so you won’t find it here.
There are some other common ingredients, like saw palmetto and rosemary extract, that have some positive clinical studies, and then there is also LED therapy, which has also been well-studied in the hair growth arena. HIMS dermatologist, Dr. Knox Beasley, MD, says that men noticing early thinning should prioritize proven treatments like minoxidil to stimulate growth and finasteride to block DHT, tackling both regrowth and follicle protection.
These are still the go-to for more advanced cases; however, adding in thickening shampoos and low-level light therapy (LLLT) devices will boost results. When in doubt, look up ingredients that you haven’t heard of to see if they’ve been proven to work for hair growth. If they haven’t, they’re just filler.
Delivery System
The delivery system of a product refers to what it uses to deliver the active ingredients to your scalp, where they can get to work stimulating hair growth. These come in a wide variety, from serums, sprays, foams, pills, and even helmets. For this story, again, we’re focusing on topical treatments, so you won’t see any pills here.
When choosing a product, the delivery system is essential because you want one that is easy to use and fits into your lifestyle. It goes back to compliance—if you can’t use it every day (or as often as the product requires), it’s not going to work.
Supply
Hair regrowth is slow, and you likely won’t see results for at least three months, with full results showing up in about six months to a year. When choosing a product, you not only want to make sure you have enough product to last a while, but you also want to make sure you can afford to purchase it as often as required for you to see results. For instance, if a product has a one-month supply, you should expect to repurchase it at least six times and, if it works for you, indefinitely.
How We Selected
Since launching our grooming coverage at Men’s Health in 2018, we've rigorously tested countless over-the-counter (OTC) hair loss products to find what truly works. For this story, we not only put these products to the test ourselves—evaluating everything from ease of use to noticeable results—but also consulted with three board-certified dermatologists. We asked them which OTC hair growth treatments they regularly recommend to patients and what key ingredients and delivery formats to look for.
Each expert weighed in on the clinical efficacy of the ingredients, product formulations, and how well these solutions have performed in real-world use with their patients. Following this research, we landed on these seven products as the best hair loss treatments for men in 2026.
What Causes Hair Loss in Men?
Before you can treat hair loss, you have to know what’s causing it. Overwhelmingly, the most common type of hair loss in men is androgenetic alopecia, also known as Male Pattern Hair Loss (MPHL), and is primarily driven by genetics and hormones, says Dr. Kash. MPHL happens when a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) causes the life cycle of your hair to shorten, leading to increased shedding and loss.
There is also increasing evidence that factors like inflammation and oxidative stress can contribute to MPHL, according to Dr. Kash. Identifying MPHL is relatively simple—hair loss is typically concentrated in certain parts of the scalp, like the hairline, top of the head, and the crown, she says, whereas hair on the lower part of the scalp and around your ears is usually less affected.
There are other forms of hair loss to complicate things, of course. Telogen effluvium is hair loss caused by high stress, surgeries, or other internal issues like thyroid problems or vitamin D deficiency. There’s also alopecia areata, which results from the immune system mistakenly attacking the hair follicles, causing smooth circles of hair loss on the scalp and sometimes beard, says dermatologist Dr. Barry Goldman, MD.
These and other types of hair loss are harder to treat, and if you aren’t sure what’s causing your thinning, it’s best to consult a dermatologist who can help identify it and formulate the best treatment plan with you. This will involve determining the type of hair loss you're actually experiencing. These are the most common:
- Telogen Effluvium: This hair loss type is triggered by illness, drugs, hormonal changes, or stress, and speeds up the shedding phase of the hair-growth cycle, which can cause the appearance of hair thinning on your scalp.
- Androgenetic Alopecia: AKA male-pattern hair loss, it's the most common form of hair loss and is usually genetically inherited. This appears as a receding hairline and thinning on the crown.
- Alopecia Areata: This type of hair loss happens when your immune system attacks hair follicles, and usually shows up as circular hair loss on your head and hair loss around beards and eyebrows.
- Anagen Effluvium: The experts we spoke with say this is a rapid form of hair loss caused by bodily stressors, medications, and chemotherapy.
Do Hair Loss Products Work?
That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? The fact of the matter is, not all of them do. All our experts recommend focusing on tried and true, FDA-approved ingredients minoxidil and finasteride, both of which have been shown through years of study to help control MPHL. That’s not to say that other treatments, like supplements, natural remedies, and gadgets, won’t work at all; it’s just that the science supporting them isn’t as robust.
Consider Your Hair Type and Texture
The good news is that there isn’t a difference in efficacy between patients with fine or textured hair, says Dr. Goldman, adding the caveat that more research needs to be done. And while medications like minoxidil will work on all hair types, how you use it may differ. The biggest rule of thumb, according to Dr. Kash, is to make sure you apply the products to the scalp where the hair follicles are and not only on the hair shaft itself.
Additionally, if you have fine hair, apply the product at night, let it dry overnight, and then brush it through, she says. Applying it in the morning may weigh down fine hair and make it look greasy. On the flip side, if you have textured hair, make sure to really massage it into your scalp, since some products like minoxidil can leave textured hair dry.
Follow the Directions
It should go without saying, but if you’re going to use a product, make sure you’re using it correctly. Before applying anything to your head, make sure you know how much to put on, how and when to apply it (and how often), and how long to leave it on your hair or if you need to wash it out. It’s safe to say you definitely won’t see any difference if you’re not using a product correctly, no matter what it is.
Stick With the Process
The biggest thing to keep in mind when using hair loss treatments is to be patient. You can have increased shedding for up to six weeks after starting minoxidil, says Dr. Kash. That shedding is temporary. If it doesn’t stop, see a dermatologist. Additionally, it often takes three months to start to see an improvement and six months for significant change, she says. If you give up before then, you likely won’t see any improvement at all. The one exception: if you notice any redness, itching, swelling, or irritation, stop using it and head to your dermatologist.
Meet The Experts
- Dr. Natalie Kash, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained hair restoration surgeon and co-founder of Root Hair Institute in Bellevue, WA.
- Dr. Barry Goldman, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and a clinical assistant professor at New York University Medical Center.
- Dr. Knox Beasley, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist with HIMS.
More of Our Favorite Hair Growth Treatments
Hair Thickening Shampoos | Hair Growth Products for Men | Rosemary Oil for Hair Growth | Hair Growth Shampoos | Vitamins for Hair Growth | Hair Growth Serums | Clarifying Shampoos | Shampoos for Chlorine Removal | Shampoo Bars | Dry Shampoos | Shampoos for Itchy Scalps | Shampoos for Men | Shampoos for Thinning Hair

Sean Zucker is the Grooming and Reviews Editor at Men's Health. He brings over half a decade of experience covering health, wellness, and lifestyle. When Sean's not writing about hair products, you can find him running for exercise, or toward the nearest food truck.
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