In the pre-internet era, finding the right hair loss treatment for you almost always involved a trip to the dermatologist—provided you could get an appointment fast enough. Because when hair loss is top of mind, you probably want a speedy fix. That all changed with the advent of at-home options, which promise to bring the doctor to you, digitally. (And typically spare you a steep co-pay, no less.)
With most of these digital dermatologist routes, you can speak with a doctor about the plan that’s right for you, and monitor progress or side effects along the way. In addition to the prescription-only finasteride and over-the-counter minoxidil, the best hair loss treatments in the mail include other products that can round out your hair regrowth efforts, and help fill in that crown.
What, you might be wondering, even is minoxidil, or finasteride, and which one is for me? The docs will cover that, but do yourself a favor and read up on all the best ways to prevent hair loss (and in many cases, reverse it). You’ve got to familiarize yourself with things like those two drugs (not to mention, the off-label version of minoxidil and the potential sexual side effects of finasteride), and how both medicines work in unique ways to fortify hairs and thwart follicular deterioration. You can learn about other remedies too, like plasma injections or laser treatments, the latter of which is becoming more widely available for at-home usage. It is also important to set your expectations properly, since guys who wait too long won’t have the same success as those who act fast or proactively.
Side note: You should also learn why hair transplants are so great these days, if you’ve otherwise tried all the other solutions. And while you’re at it, familiarize yourself with the best products for thinning hair, in order to maximize what you’ve got as you wait for the dormant hairs to grow back in. (Once you start with minoxidil and/or finasteride, it’s going to be about six months before you really notice improvements.)
So with all that said, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of direct-to-your-doorstep solutions for hair loss and hair retention. Here are the best ones you should know about, all of which can get you started ASAP—which is kind of the whole ethos around hair retention in the first place.
The Best Hair Loss Treatment You Can Get By Mail
Editor’s Note: The prices listed here reflect the lowest possible monthly subscription (typically that of standalone minoxidil solution or of a brand’s hero product, like hair supplements). The cost to each user will increase from there, and vary from one person to the next.
hims
Hims is a one-stop shop for all kinds of grooming and self-care needs, offering heavy-duty skin care and hair care, sexual wellness solutions, health supplements, anti-anxiety and depression meds, all sent to your door. They even offer a telehealth primary care appointment if you’d rather not visit the doctor’s office. They launched their men’s care empire, however, with a hair-loss range, which includes generic options for finasteride and minoxidil, and their latest offerings: first, multiple topical solutions (sprays or serums) that combine both medicines and are proven to have fewer sexual side effects than oral finasteride. Secondly, multiple compound tablets that combine oral minoxidil with either finasteride or follicle-boosting supplements.
Keeps
Keeps was one of the first brands in this generic prescription hair loss game, and its offering has stayed focused on that: After signing up and speaking with a board-certified dermatologist, you can get subscriptions for finasteride and minoxidil (the latter in serum or foam form), as well as their tandem topical gel that delivers both ingredients simultaneously. They also have a hair-thickening pomade that doubles as a styler and follicle fuel, thanks to the inclusion of saw palmetto (which helps clear DHT from the follicles) plus circulation-boosting caffeine.
Ro / Roman
Roman’s hair-loss prescriptions and enrollment are in the same vein of Keeps’ and Hims’, but they feel more like an digital pharmacy for a host of wellness matters (for men and women), as opposed to a men’s grooming suite. They provide consultations, prescriptions, or supplements for sexual health, weight loss, skin clarity, fertility and more. As for hair loss, ‘Ro’ of course offers finasteride and minoxidil—including the wildly effective and well tolerated oral minoxidil, plus a new 3-in-1 spray that combines finasteride, minoxidil, and anti-aging favorite tretinoin (which can boost cellular turnover) for a full-court press against thinning and loss.
Happy Head
Happy Head offers the largest variety of options to customers, given that they have so many combinations of compound products. (This also might explain why you don’t hear about them as much, since in the US you aren’t allowed to advertise compound medicines like this—but the selling of them is totally fine). They’ve got oral minoxidil, topical finasteride, marriages of the two (orally or topically), and even the rarer dutasteride, which has proven to be more effective than finasteride (since it targets the two ways that DHT is produced) without any increased risk of side effects. With Happy Head, it’s best to go in with no expectations around what you’ll be prescribed, because their solutions are much less black-and-white than other brands. Their experts will know which ones are best suited to your specific hair loss or retention needs.
XYON
Think of XYON as the most luxe option of the lot, with a carefully engineered delivery system (called SiloxysSystem) that control releases the active finasteride or dutasteride which you topically apply. Their vessels are larger than others on this list, but there’s assurance with those temperature-controlled shells. The topical dutasteride targets DHT more effectively than finasteride minus any increase in potential side effects, so it’s worth considering that option. (Though the other key option, a hybrid of minoxidil and finasteride, is nice for its two-pronged approach to follicle stimulation and fortification.) You can also get oral finasteride if you fancy it.
Amazon Pharmacy
Yes, it’s true. You can get a lot of your hair loss needs from Amazon Pharmacy these days, without paying for any branding. And while this might involve an initial visit to the doctor to activate a prescription, that’s probably the first and last time you’ll need to do so, assuming the doc will then automate from there. Sure, Amazon has had its own OTC topical minoxidil for a while (for just $6 a bottle). But with a prescription from your doctor, as well as a Prime subscription, you could spend as little as $4 per month on oral minoxidil with insurance or $18 without insurance. They’ve also got oral finasteride ($10/month with insurance) and oral dutasteride ($7/month with insurance).
BosleyRx
Bosley has always been the name synonymous with hair restoration, and now they’ve gotten in the digital prescription game, too. They’ve got the standard-fare finasteride pills and minoxidil foam (as well as thoughtful shampoo and scalp serum), but most exciting is the brand’s HiGrowth Hair Formula solution, which combines finasteride and minoxidil with low doses of retinol and hydrocortisone for a daily-dose and full-court press against hair loss. They’ve even got an oral minoxidil prescription. With those previous two products, Bosley remains a big player in the at-home hair restoration field.
MDhair
MDhair doesn’t have digital dermatologists since they don’t sell finasteride or oral minoxidil, but they were founded by renowned dermatologist Yoram Harth and his wizkid son. Together, they’ve built a brand that helps customers retain hair density, preserve scalp harmony, and thwart follicle-damning DHT. Among their current offerings, you can get a monthly minoxidil supply, a well-rounded oral supplement, and a regrowth serum powered by saw palmetto (known foe of DHT).
Nutrafol
While it may not be “prescription-grade,” Nutrafol carries top-shelf, drug-free products, and their hair growth supplement is the highest regarded on the market. This nutraceutical supplement harnesses the powers of stress adaptogens (like ashwagandha), super antioxidants, and hydrolyzed collagen, as well as hormone-supporting herbs (namely saw palmetto), all to strengthen and preserve the health of your hair and follicles. A subscription gives you access to Nutrafol’s on-staff doctors for individual consultations, plus the added benefit of lowered stress, fortified hair, better sleep, and clearer skin—all happy effects of these super-packed pills. You can also subscribe to a pro-scalp hair serum and DHT-inhibiting supplement, the latter of which is rich in saw palmetto to help prevent the formation of testosterone into DHT.
Blink Health
Blink partners with pharmacies in all 50 states—such as Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, and Publix—to give customers easier and cheaper access to generic drugs like finasteride. As Blink’s customer base grows, their prices get lower, too, since they work by negotiating rates with drug companies. (A month of finasteride will only run you $10 at present.) You simply need a prescription from a doctor (so it may require an initial visit), then you can file it with your pharmacy or enroll in an at-home delivery service.
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