FDA-Approved Hair Growth Products

Maybe you’re seeing some signs of thinning hair, or perhaps you’re just trying to head off what you saw happen to Dad’s head around your age. The point is, almost every guy has reason to learn how to make hair grow faster — and how to keep it growing as they age.

Most men will eventually look to one source for hair loss treatment: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

But there are actually far fewer FDA-approved hair growth products than you might think. Just two FDA-approved treatments currently exist for androgenetic alopecia (the clinical term for male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss).

The overlap between FDA-approved products and dermatologist-recommended hair growth products is just as small — and doesn’t include treatment options like supplements.

Here’s what you need to know about them.

Only two products are currently approved by the FDA to increase hair growth and treat different types of hair loss: finasteride (which you may know as Propecia®) and minoxidil (which you may know as Rogaine®).

Finasteride

Finasteride slows down hair loss, specifically by preventing your body from killing your own hair follicles.

Finasteride reduces your body’s levels of the hormone DHT (short for dihydrotestosterone), which is responsible for androgenic alopecia (sometimes called androgenetic alopecia), the type of hair loss that causes male pattern baldness.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil can give you thicker hair and reduce noticeable hair loss.

A topical solution of minoxidil increases blood flow to the areas where it’s applied. So when applied to your scalp, it can boost blood flow to those precious hair follicles, encouraging them to restart the growth (anagen) phase.

A couple of other medications are used in certain cases to treat rare forms of alopecia:

• Ritlecitnib. Litfulo™ (ritlecitinib) is prescribed in rare cases to treat severe alopecia areata — which is already a rare condition where the immune system attacks hair follicles.

• JAK inhibitors. These may also indirectly treat hair loss by blocking the Janus kinase enzyme from causing hair damage as part of dermatitis symptoms.

Hair regrowth treatments like low-level laser therapy (LLLT), hair transplant surgery, and hairline tattooing all might be recommended by some specialists. However, dermatology experts will typically point to minoxidil and finasteride first.

Why? Because they work.

Both medications have been thoroughly tested for side effects, gone through rigorous placebo-controlled studies, and are still prescribed or offered over the counter with enthusiastic support.

Minoxidil and finasteride have been tested in clinical trials numerous times over decades, and both have shown to treat hair loss and thinning in relatively safe and effective ways.

Research on Finasteride and Minoxidil for Hair Growth

The oral medication finasteride can reduce DHT levels in your body by up to 70 percent, which is a significant decrease — significant enough to protect your remaining hair follicles and give the ones struggling some space to recover. 

Minoxidil encourages increased blood flow to follicles. Studies have shown this can boost hair density, volume, and thickness of the hair shaft.

Over a 48 week period, one study showed that oral minoxidil increased the hair follicle count of some men between 12 and 18 percent.

Oral minoxidil isn’t FDA-approved to treat hair loss — yet. But topical minoxidil formulations are FDA-approved and sold over the counter without a prescription.

While surgeries and supplement formulations may claim to help manage male pattern hair loss, they aren’t FDA-approved. And in many cases, they’re only recommended by healthcare professionals when primary treatments fail.

Some of these have anecdotal evidence of success from scientific studies.

Saw Palmetto

For instance, we’ve seen evidence to suggest that saw palmetto can help your body regulate DHT levels.

This herbal extract is a common shampoo ingredient — if you want to know more, read our guide to what to look for in a men’s hair loss shampoo.

Laser Treatments and Tools

There are also mechanical instruments and tools like laser treatment combs, electric scalp massagers, and red-light helmets.

Topical Treatments and Supplements

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and essential oils may help some men grow new hair or stop the recession of scalp hair. But for most people, they won’t solve hair loss problems by themselves.

Biotin may offer some substantial benefits for hair health — we’ve written about this before, so check out our guide to biotin for hair growth if you’re curious.

Natural ingredients make up a lot of this list of unapproved treatments. From rosemary and olive oil to pumpkin seed oil and other things from your pantry, natural extracts and ingredients have shown somewhat promising results in clinical studies. But most of these studies haven’t been replicated or followed up on adequately.

These might be part of the FDA’s recommended solutions one day, but for now, their limited study support is inadequate for the FDA.

When you start seeing hair loss symptoms, it’s a smart, responsible, and safe choice to go with treatments that have FDA approval. You know what else is smart, safe, and responsible? Talking to a healthcare provider about hair loss.

• Only two treatments — minoxidil and finasteride — are approved by the FDA to treat hair loss due to androgenic alopecia.

• Many men struggle with hair loss and male pattern baldness. But for every guy with hair loss problems, there might be another guy whose hair loss is triggered by a more serious problem.

• Men and women can experience hair loss for a number of reasons, including autoimmune diseases or other health issues. Only a healthcare professional can help you rule out those causes. 

Our guide to DHT and male hair loss is a great next read if you’ve already been diagnosed with male pattern baldness. You can also explore hair-thickening products for men if you’re looking for a fuller head of hair.

If you haven’t been diagnosed yet, consider doing a quick hair loss assessment. The worst-case scenario is a confirmation of what you already know. The best-case scenario is that you identify a problem and still have time to treat it.