5 Best Hair Growth Products for Men in 2024

Hair grows roughly half an inch every month. And if you’re waiting to grow out a haircut that didn’t quite work or are noticing thinning hair, a month can feel like an eternity. Fortunately, the best hair growth products for men can not only help slow hair loss and thinning but also potentially accelerate growth.

Below, we’ll explore products that promote healthy hair growth, including two science-backed hair loss medications approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration).

If your medicine cabinet is already packed with hair growth products but you still need a little boost, we’ll offer lifestyle tips to improve your hair health.

The best hair growth products for men are:

• Minoxidil

• Finasteride

• Minoxidil and finasteride together

• Saw palmetto shampoo

• Biotin supplements

If you’ve taken even a quick stroll through your favorite drugstore recently, you already know there are tons of hair care products on the market, many claiming to promote growth.

Leave-in treatments, hair serums, keratin shampoo, and nourishing hair oils abound — and that’s before you get to the hair growth supplement aisle.

It can be hard to know what to trust. What medicine makes hair grow faster, really? The FDA has approved two medications — minoxidil and finasteride — as treatments for hair loss.

If you’re losing hair, these medications may help slow down or prevent hair loss. For some people, they might also stimulate new hair growth.

Read on to learn more about each of these medications for hair loss, plus additional hair growth products you can add to your arsenal.

1. Minoxidil

Minoxidil (you may know it as Rogaine®) is a topical, over-the-counter hair loss medication. And it’s among the best hair growth products for men.

Minoxidil prevents hair loss and promotes hair growth by shortening the telogen (resting) phase of the hair growth cycle and encouraging strands to prematurely enter the anagen (growth) phase. It also extends the anagen phase, allowing your hair to grow for a longer period.

Research shows that besides stimulating growth, minoxidil may increase the diameter and length of your hair. This is because it’s a vasodilator (a drug that expands blood vessels) that can actually enlarge the size of a hair follicle. The bigger the follicle, the plumper each individual hair.

Topical minoxidil is FDA-approved specifically for treating male pattern baldness (aka androgenetic alopecia or AGA). But oral minoxidil, which has FDA approval only for the treatment of high blood pressure, is also sometimes prescribed off-label for AGA.

FYI: Off-label use means a drug is prescribed for something other than what it’s FDA-approved for.

Topical Minoxidil Foam vs. Liquid

Topical minoxidil is easy to use. It’s designed for twice-daily application — once in the morning and once in the evening — and generally produces noticeable results after three to six months of regular use.

We offer topical minoxidil online in two formulations — minoxidil foam and minoxidil topical solution (more of a liquid scalp serum). Both are 5% strength, which seems to be the sweet spot for hair growth.

If you have longer hair, you might prefer the liquid scalp treatment since it has a tincture dropper that can get through to your scalp.

The foam is nice because it doesn’t drip and is mess-free to apply. And if you’re on the fence about minoxidil because it irritated your scalp in the past, some researchers think this (rare and mild) reaction could be caused by an alcohol known as propylene glycol.  The foam doesn’t contain this ingredient, so it’s a good choice for sensitive skin.

Our how-to-apply minoxidil guide has tips for using this medication to prevent and reverse androgenetic alopecia hair loss. And our guide to minoxidil foam versus liquid solution can help you choose a formula.

2. Finasteride

Finasteride is an oral and topical medication for hair loss. The oral (tablet) version requires a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider.

Unlike minoxidil, finasteride doesn’t stimulate blood flow to the scalp. Instead, it treats hair loss by blocking your body from converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone responsible for male pattern baldness.

This stops DHT from damaging hair follicles, helping prevent further hair loss while allowing hair to grow to its full length.

In a long-term study, more than 99 percent of men with male pattern baldness who used finasteride for 10 years experienced no further hair loss. What’s more, 91.5 percent of participants treated with finasteride saw improvements in hair growth.

We offer finasteride tablets online, following a consultation with a licensed healthcare provider who can determine if a prescription is appropriate.

3. Minoxidil and Finasteride Together

Although minoxidil and finasteride are both effective when used alone, research suggests they work even better when used together.

For example, a study compared the effectiveness of minoxidil and finasteride both separately and when used simultaneously. After a year, 59 percent of the men who used minoxidil alone experienced improvements in hair growth. Of those who used finasteride, 80.5 percent showed improvements.

In comparison, 94.1 percent of men who used both medications throughout the 12-month period saw improvements.

Our topical finasteride & minoxidil spray contains both ingredients in one easy-to-use product.

4. Thickening Shampoo With Saw Palmetto

Shampoos containing saw palmetto might help prevent hair loss and stimulate the growth of healthy hair. Our thickening shampoo features this plant extract to promote volume and moisture while reducing buildup on the scalp.

Research shows that saw palmetto can partially block DHT, sort of like a natural version of finasteride. A 2020 meta-analysis found that 83 percent of people saw increased hair density when using saw palmetto for hair loss, and it was well tolerated among alopecia patients.

You might also want to avoid sulfates in shampoo. Sulfates themselves don’t cause hair loss — they’re added to create a sudsy lather and give hair a squeaky-clean feeling. But they can actually have too much of a cleansing effect, stripping the scalp of natural oils, hydration, and even its own naturally occurring proteins.

This can cause brittle, weak, or excessively dry hair, which may be more prone to breakage — and hair that keeps breaking will struggle to grow.

If you’re wondering, all our hair products are sulfate-free and suitable for all hair types.

5. Biotin Gummies

Several vitamins, including vitamins A, B12, C, and biotin (B7), are crucial for the hair growth process — a topic we’ve discussed in more detail in our guide to essential vitamins for hair growth.

Hims biotin gummies contain (yes) biotin, but that’s not all. They also have other essential nutrients for hair health, like folic acid and vitamin C. Plus, they’re wild cherry-flavored and shaped like little bears.

Beyond medication and supplements, you can keep your hair healthy and growing steadily by practicing good habits.

Here are a few things that might help.

Eat a Healthy, Balanced Diet

Minerals like zinc and iron play major roles in your body’s hair growth process. In fact, iron and zinc deficiency are both associated with hair shedding.

Supplements can help you get enough of these essential minerals, but food sources are best.

Try to eat a balanced diet built around mineral-rich foods like fresh fruit, leafy vegetables, whole grains, and lean, healthy sources of protein.

If You Smoke, Quit

Although smoking cigarettes doesn’t cause male pattern baldness, research has linked smoking to hair loss. Experts suspect this might be because the chemicals in cigarette smoke damage hair’s DNA.

If you smoke, make an effort to nix the habit. Not only is quitting good for your hair, but it also offers numerous benefits for your overall health, well-being, and longevity — not exactly breaking news but worth mentioning.

Avoid Hair Breakage

Even if your hair is growing at a normal rate, if your ends keep breaking off, it’ll create the appearance of slow (or no) growth.

Small tweaks can make a big difference when it comes to repairing damaged hair. Try:

• Using a low setting on your heat styling tools

• Hydrating once or twice a week with a conditioning hair mask

• Avoiding overprocessing with dye or chemical treatments

• Wearing a swim cap in chlorinated water

• Avoiding overly tight hairstyles (which can cause a type of hair loss known as traction alopecia)

Less damage and breakage means your hair can grow longer quicker.

Try Natural Ingredients

While research is limited, some ingredients like rosemary oil, castor oil, or pumpkin seed oil show promise for hair health. One older study suggested that a mix of plant-based oils (including essential oils like lavender and rosemary oil) was effective at treating a form of hair loss called alopecia areata.

Another study showed caffeine as a potential stimulator for human hair growth, though more research is needed there. Our volumizing shampoo contains caffeine, which lifts the root, giving the appearance of fuller, thicker hair.

Take Care of Your Scalp

Healthier hair starts with a healthy scalp. Certain skin conditions — like eczema, psoriasis, tinea capitis (scalp ringworm), and even dandruff — can compromise scalp health and inflame hair follicles.

This doesn’t directly cause hair loss, but scalp sensitivity and intense scratching are sometimes associated with excess shedding.

Ultimately, the best hair growth product is one you’ll use regularly, as consistency is key to treating hair loss.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the best hair growth products for men:

• Minoxidil and finasteride are FDA-approved treatments for hair loss. There’s no cure for male pattern baldness, but these treatment options can slow hair fall and regrow hair for some people. Results are best when they’re used together.

• Everyday hair care products can also help. Look for shampoos and conditioners with ingredients like saw palmetto or rosemary oil to support healthy hair growth, thickness, and volume.

• A professional can help. When you’re unsure where to start or feel overwhelmed with options, a dermatologist or another healthcare professional can help you find the right hair regrowth treatment for your needs.

Need expert guidance on the best hair loss treatment or hair growth product? We can connect you with a medical professional online. They can go over your options and offer personalized suggestions based on your needs.