Nioxin vs. Rogaine: Which is Better for Hair Loss?

Finding the right hair growth treatment can be a challenge. In particular, researching Nioxin^® and Rogaine^® may lead to confusion — what do these products do, and how can you use them? Is Nioxin good for thinning hair in the same way as Rogaine?

You may not always get the most reliable answers from the internet, but you can always rely on us for the truth.

Below, we’ll answer your questions about Nioxin versus Rogaine and go over the differences in detail so you can confidently choose the best product for treating hair loss.

Rogaine is a brand-name product containing the active ingredient minoxidil. The brand is owned and produced by Johnson & Johnson.

Rogaine may have been the first minoxidil product on the market for treating hair loss, but since its patent expired, other companies are now able to sell generic minoxidil. According to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), genetic drugs are equal to brand-name alternatives in terms of effectiveness and strength, but they’re often sold at a lower price point.

Nioxin is a haircare company that sells a wide range of products. It used to offer products containing minoxidil, but this line has been discontinued. Now, the brand primarily sells kits that can promise to help you regrow hair or support hair health.

According to Nioxin’s website, it sells four kits for promoting hair regrowth for different hair types. However, all four systems contain the same featured ingredients, so it’s unclear how they actually differ. The ingredients are:

• Niacinamide

• Wild mint oil

• Peppermint oil

• Caffeine

So, does Nioxin work? There’s not much evidence to support the claim that these ingredients have any meaningful effect on hair growth in humans.

For example, according to a 2025 narrative review examining caffeine: 

“The results of clinical studies published so far seem promising; however, the majority of the studies of caffeine-based hair loss products offer a very low level of evidence due to considerable flaws in study designs.”

In Nioxin’s “Real Results” section of the Nioxin system kits, it says that 85 percent of people noticed thickening in their hair. However, there’s no link to the methodology or information on how this survey was conducted.

Is Nioxin Good for Hair Loss or Thinning Hair?

Nioxin makes products like shampoos, conditioners, deep conditioners, and hair thinning system kits. It doesn’t currently sell minoxidil or finasteride, the only two products FDA-approved for hair loss.

The evidence to support that Nioxin’s current product lines will increase hair growth or reduce hair shedding is lacking. Some products contain ingredients that may support your hair’s overall health, such as oils to help keep it moisturized or caffeine to stimulate blood flow to the scalp.

Minoxidil is an active ingredient that was shown to be effective in treating hair loss way back in the ‘80s. Initially, it was approved by the FDA for androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) as a 2% liquid solution. Over time, 5% solution options became available as well.

Now, minoxidil is used to treat various types of hair loss, including:

• Androgenic alopecia (male pattern hair loss, a form of genetic hair loss)

• Alopecia areata (sudden hair loss)

• Baldness induced by chemotherapy

• Scarring alopecia

• Monilethrix (a rare genetic disorder that causes short, brittle hairs)

There’s a catch, though. Although minoxidil has been shown in numerous clinical studies to combat several types of hair loss, it’s only FDA-approved for one type: male pattern baldness.

While minoxidil’s exact mechanism of action isn’t yet known, researchers believe it works by increasing blood flow to the scalp, encouraging hair follicles to activate and stimulating hair growth.

This also changes the hair growth cycle, extending the growth phase (anagen) and shortening the resting phase (telogen).

Numerous clinical trials have shown that minoxidil, including brand-name Rogaine, can be effective in improving male pattern baldness.

For example, a 2004 clinical trial studied minoxidil treatment in almost 1,000 men. Researchers found that minoxidil made the balding area smaller for most participants.

Another important finding is that different concentrations of minoxidil have different levels of effectiveness. For instance, researchers in one study found that a minoxidil 5% solution performed better in men with androgenetic alopecia than the 2% solution and led to quicker results.

That said, how effective minoxidil is varies on a case-by-case basis. For example, minoxidil efficacy for pattern hair loss may differ depending on how severe your thinning is, when you started losing hair, and how you process certain enzymes, namely sulfotransferase.

Probably not much — both are minoxidil topical treatments that can contain comparable amounts of the active ingredient.

The most common Rogaine side effects are skin irritations, including itchy scalp or scaliness. Minoxidil allergies can occur, but they’re much less common. In this case, you should discontinue any minoxidil hair loss treatment and look for a different solution for hair loss.

Some people may develop other minoxidil side effects, including sexual side effects, but these tend to be rare.

If you have side effects with 5% minoxidil, you may want to consider using a lower dosage of minoxidil, like 2%, as it can still be effective but may cause less scalp irritation.

Potential Nioxin side effects are less clear — the company doesn’t provide a list of possible adverse effects for its products.

The ingredients found in Nioxin hair growth kits are unlikely to cause serious side effects, but it’s plausible that they could cause issues like dandruff or skin irritation for some people.

Although minoxidil is proven effective, other hair loss remedy options like finasteride are also effective.

Herbal supplements and hair products like shampoo may also be popular, but most don’t have research to back their claims like minoxidil and finasteride do.

Here are other types of hair loss products you might want to consider.

Finasteride

The FDA has approved finasteride (generic for Propecia^®) for male pattern baldness. Finasteride is an oral medication that may significantly increase scalp coverage and male hair counts.

Finasteride works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to another hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) — and DHT has a big role in causing genetic hair loss.

However, finasteride is only available with a prescription, whereas Rogaine and minoxidil products are over-the-counter hair loss products. You can also get finasteride and minoxidil together (with a Hims prescription, if eligible) for double the power to fight hair loss.

Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto is an herbal remedy some people use to promote healthy hair to help prevent hair loss. It’s often sold in shampoos and hair serums.

Saw palmetto can help with a medical condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (an enlarged prostate) without impacting testosterone, which may have made some people think it can also help with hair loss.

There are limited studies showing saw palmetto may be beneficial because it might partially block DHT. While these studies look promising, more research is needed.

Biotin

Biotin is another popular substance used to help stimulate hair growth, as well as nail and skin health.

This B vitamin is found in many foods, like eggs, organ meats, nuts, bananas, soybeans, and other legumes. It can also be taken in supplement form.

However, biotin has only proven effective in helping with hair loss in studies with patients experiencing a biotin deficiency, which is a rare condition in the U.S.

Rogaine contains minoxidil, a generally effective option for treating hair loss, including male pattern baldness. But the exact results vary from individual to individual.

Here’s what to keep in mind when considering Nioxin versus Rogaine:

• For thinning hair, a receding hairline, and other signs of androgenic alopecia, topical minoxidil is an effective treatment for regrowing healthy, fuller hair.

• Minoxidil scalp treatments promote new hair growth, a healthy scalp, and the thickening of fine hair. They can also improve hair health and resistance to breakage.

• Minoxidil solution and topical foam are made by several brands, including Rogaine and Hims.

• Minoxidil hair care products, like the common topical solutions, can include different formulations of the medication, so not all minoxidil products are necessarily comparable to Rogaine products.

• Current Nioxin products need more research to back their ability to increase hair growth.

If you have a specific medical condition causing hair loss, you may want to consider other options or speak with a medical professional, such as a dermatologist.

Looking for thicker hair, better scalp health, and a win in the fight against hair loss? Think about adding minoxidil to your hair care routine with best-selling hair treatments from Hims.