Hair Care for Men: 19 Tips for Mastering Your Mane

Hair is one of the first things we notice about each other, so it makes sense that you want to feel confident about what’s on your head. 

Fortunately, hair care for men has come a long way over the years. Whether you’re dealing with a flaky scalp or thinning, receding, or flat hair, you can do plenty of things to help support a healthy mane at any age. 

We dug into the research on the best hair care habits for men so you can make informed decisions about what’s best for your mane.

There are countless hair care products, but many men are uncertain which products are right for their specific needs. For instance, you might have issues like dandruff, oily scalp, thinning or receding hair patches, or hair loss and all need to be treated differently. `

It can also be frustrating if your hair care requires significant time and effort, especially if you have a busy lifestyle. Like many men, you probably want something effective but simple that you can easily add to your daily hair care routine. 

Incorporate the men’s hair tips, techniques, and habits below to support healthy hair growth, avoid hair loss, prevent damage, minimize issues like scalp irritation, and improve your hair's appearance.

Hair-washing advice runs the gamut — you might have heard that you should lather up daily, wash twice a week, stop shampooing altogether, or go “no-poo” (cleansing without shampoo).

Here’s the thing: The best wash routine for you depends on your hair type. Oily scalps, thin hair, thick hair, dry hair, or curly hair prone to frizz may all need different wash frequencies.

For instance, if you have naturally oily hair, you may need to wash it more often to keep it looking, feeling, and smelling fresh. 

Tailoring your hair care schedule to your hair type can help you avoid over-washing, which can strip away naturally-occurring hair oils that condition your strands.

Our guide to finding your hair type explains how to identify the type of hair you have and adjust your shampoo schedule and hair product selection accordingly.

Sebum — a natural oil produced by your sebaceous glands (the oil glands in each hair follicle) — is essential for maintaining your skin’s barrier function. 

However, when too much sebum builds up on your scalp, it can make you break out or leave your hair feeling and smelling unclean.

Shampoo is meant to remove scalp and hair buildup, including sebum. Since sebum is secreted from the scalp, focusing on your scalp when washing helps clear away excess oil and other buildup that may affect your hair’s appearance, scent and texture. It also helps you avoid dryness-related issues like dandruff and itchy skin.

Another scalp tip? Use lukewarm water instead of hot water when cleansing your hair to prevent moisture loss.

Some shampoos contain harsh chemicals like parabens, which can strip away moisture and irritate skin.

But some claims about shampoo ingredients aren’t totally accurate. For instance, there’s no evidence that sulfates in shampoo cause cancer. However, some research shows that certain sulfates may cause contact dermatitis — a type of rash or allergic reaction — and hair protein damage (when too much protein makes your strands dry or brittle).

If you have sensitive skin, a gentle formula might help prevent irritation. Sulfate-free shampoos, which usually don’t lather as much as those with sulfates, can be a good option, especially if you have a dry scalp or reactive skin.

Your hair craves moisture, which means you should always use conditioner. The best conditioners for men’s hair enhance hair strength, protect against sun damage, and limit static electricity.

All these benefits increase your hair’s resilience, which helps you maintain a healthier mane and avoid bad hair days due to brittle or weakened strands.

A good-quality hair conditioner containing natural ingredients like coconut oil, tea tree oil, avocado oil, and other essential oils can make your hair feel smoother, increase its shine, and make it look thicker.

Apply a hydrating conditioner to the ends of wet hair after thoroughly rinsing your shampoo for best results. You might also dry a hair mask, a deep conditioning treatment you leave on for a few minutes before rinsing.

If your hair is color-treated, you’ll need additional care to protect the color and health of your strands, starting with the products you use. Finding a shampoo and conditioner specifically designed for color-treated hair is a good step.

Chemically treated hair is often prone to dryness. Products formulated for color-treated hair can prevent brittle strands, fading, and dullness and help maintain your hair’s texture and strength.

Drying your hair with a towel is quick and convenient, but it can irritate your scalp and pull on your hair. Using a blow dryer can also expose your hair to excess heat that can weaken and damage strands, especially if you’re one to blast it on the highest heat setting.

A better hair-drying habit is to let your hair dry naturally. You can speed things along by gently patting your hair dry with a towel.

We know that sometimes heat drying is the most convenient option. If you blow dry, use the lowest heat setting and hold the hair dryer as far from your scalp as possible to limit damage and maintain a healthy scalp, hair follicles, and hair shafts. You should also apply heat-protectant hair care products before drying.

Does anything feel better than getting your scalp massaged? Maybe, but in our book, it’s still up there as one of the best ways to fall asleep. 

In addition to promoting relaxation and relieving tension, scalp massages stimulate blood circulation. This boosts the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your hair follicles, promoting hair growth and strength. 

Massaging the scalp can also help distribute its natural oils, prevent dryness, and increase hair thickness.

While it feels 100 times better when someone else massages your scalp, you can totally do it yourself. Plenty of inexpensive gadgets can do the trick if you don't want to use your fingers and nails. 

Although male pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss in men, other conditions can cause excess shedding.

Chronic stress, nutritional deficiencies, injuries, illnesses, and medications like retinoids and beta-blockers can lead to a type of temporary hair loss known as telogen effluvium. 

Unlike male pattern baldness, telogen effluvium hair loss typically isn’t permanent. However, it can make your hair look thinner for several months before things turn around.

If you’re experiencing sudden hair shedding, let a healthcare professional know. They can do a hair-pull test to see if you have telogen effluvium or another form of hair loss.

Like the rest of your body, your hair follicles need a consistent supply of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12, biotin, zinc and iron.

You can usually get these nutrients by eating a diet full of fiber-rich fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and other lean proteins and healthy fat sources.

If you think you might not be getting enough vitamins to support optimal hair health, our biotin gummies make it easy to hit the recommended daily intake by providing nutrients that help hair grow all in one supplement.

While pulling your hair back tightly might not seem like a big deal, your favorite man-bun hairstyle might contribute to a form of hair loss known as traction alopecia.

Traction alopecia results from continuous pulling on hair roots. This can happen from tight hairstyles and extreme-hold styling products, like hair gel, wax, pomade, and hairspray.

Read more about this form of hair loss and the steps you can take to prevent it in our guide to traction alopecia treatment.

In addition to your at-home grooming habits, going to the barber regularly can help keep your hair healthy. 

Whether it’s haircuts three times a year or monthly trims, snipping off dead ends can make your hair look and feel fuller while supporting growth. Plus, they can give great scalp massages!

Find a barber who is within your budget and does work you like so you can easily schedule recurring appointments if that makes it easier to keep up the habit.

Excess sunlight exposure can cause color changes and hair protein degradation. Over a long summer or sunny vacation, your hair may become dry, brittle, or frizzy.

You can protect your hair from the sun in a few ways:

• Wear a hat on sunny days.

• Avoid spending too much time outside during the sunniest hours, between late morning and late afternoon.

• Consider using a leave-in conditioner with zinc oxide, a common sunscreen ingredient that provides UV protection.

Many swimming pools contain chlorine and other ingredients that can be harsh on your hair. You can protect your hair from pool chemicals by:

• Wearing a swim cap.

• Rinsing and washing your hair right after swimming.

• Using a swimmer’s shampoo to remove chlorine buildup.

• Applying conditioner to keep your hair soft, hydrated, and healthy.

We also rounded up helpful tips to prevent hair loss.

Research suggests that brushing may cause damage that can increase breakage and lead to split ends.

One study even found a link between hair brushing and hair loss. It concluded that reducing brushing frequency might help prevent shedding.

Brushing isn’t all bad, though — as long as you’re gentle. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests brushing gently using a wide-toothed comb to remove tangles.

High-heat styling tools are super effective for getting your hair to do what you want. Unfortunately, they can also be really good at causing damage over time.

Excessive heat from tools like hair dryers, straighteners, and curling irons can damage your hair shaft, leading to dryness, brittleness, and breakage. They can also weaken hair’s protein structure, making it more prone to dullness. 

High-heat styling can strip away the natural moisture and oils from your scalp and hair, resulting in dry and frizzy strands. This might leave you with more split ends and even increase hair loss. 

Opt for gentler styling methods most days or use a heat protectant when reaching for the high-heat tools to help protect your hair’s shine and strength.

In the moment, your body’s stress response is meant to help you survive. But when stress is an ongoing low hum of annoyance, it can be problematic for many reasons, including how it impacts your hair. 

High levels of stress can disrupt your normal hair growth cycle, leading to an increased amount of shedding, thinning, and even hair loss. This happens because stress triggers hormonal changes like increased cortisol, which can affect hair follicles. 

Stress can also constrict blood flow to your scalp, reducing the amount of nutrition and oxygen that reach your hair follicles and stunting their growth. 

If you have stress-related habits like pulling or twisting your hair when you’re upset, this can cause further physical damage. 

A leave-in treatment can provide ongoing nourishment and protection for your hair throughout the day, which regular wash-out conditioners may not offer. 

They may even contribute additional vitamins and antioxidants that help strengthen and protect your hair and boost its elasticity. 

If you deal with frizz, cowlicks, or other hard-to-manage traits, a leave-in treatment may also help tame these. 

While you sleep, friction between your hair and the pillowcase can cause breakage, frizz, tangles, and split ends, especially if you move around a lot or have longer hair.

Protecting your hair while you sleep can help minimize the damage done overnight. 

For instance, try replacing cotton pillowcases with satin or silk ones to help reduce friction. Tying long hair back with a gentle elastic or using a soft hair cap can also offer protection. 

Few things can affect the appearance of your hair more than a noticeable receding hairline or bald patch.

If you’re experiencing excess shedding, you’re not alone. According to research published in Dermatologic Surgery, more than half of men will have moderate to extensive hair loss by their late 40s.

Consider talking to a healthcare provider about FDA-approved, research-backed medications like finasteride and minoxidil.

• Finasteride. Finasteride is a prescription oral medication for male pattern baldness. It prevents your body from converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that can damage hair follicles and cause thinning.

• Minoxidil. Minoxidil is a topical medication available as a liquid or foam. It stimulates growth by moving hair follicles into the anagen (growth) phase of the hair growth cycle and boosting blood flow to the scalp.

Research suggests minoxidil and finasteride are particularly effective when used together. In one study, more than 94 percent of balding men who used both medications for 12 months showed improvements in hair thinning.

Meanwhile, 59 percent of men who only used minoxidil and 80.5 percent who used finasteride alone saw hair health improvements.

We offer finasteride online, following a consultation with a licensed healthcare provider who can determine if a prescription is appropriate. Hims also has minoxidil liquid solution and minoxidil foam (no prescription needed), and finasteride and minoxidil available together in our Hair Power Pack.

Taking care of your hair is like taking care of any other aspect of your health — in the long term, good habits produce good results.

These are the most critical components of men’s hair care:

• A few simple habits can have a big impact on the strength, feel, and appearance of your hair.

• Good hair habits include choosing the right shampoo for your hair type, using conditioner, loosening overly tight hairstyles, and protecting your hair from the sun.

• Hair loss treatments such as finasteride and minoxidil can protect your follicles against genetic hair loss and support regrowth.

Hims offers thoughtfully formulated hair care products for men, including volumizing shampoo and conditioner, thickening shampoo with saw palmetto (a DHT blocker), and dandruff shampoo for a flake-free scalp.

We also offer hair loss treatments online to cut down on hair shedding, thicken up thin patches, and improve scalp coverage, density, and overall appearance.

 To explore the options, start by scheduling an online hair loss consultation.