It is unfortunate that for many men and women hair loss is a fact of life – a fact that some find absolutely devastating. The American Hair Loss Association states that by the age of thirty-five 66% of American men will experience some sort of noticeable hair loss. That number increases to 85% by the age of fifty. For an unlucky 25% of men hair loss begins before the young age of twenty-one. While the focus usually is on men and hair loss, women suffer, as well. In fact, up to 40% of all hair loss is by women. You may be one of these men or women and are looking for ways to at least help maintain the hair you have left. There are some shampoos that have shown some promise in this regard. If you are suffering from hair loss, and you are interested in discovering the best shampoo for hair loss, please keep reading.
Before getting into the causes of hair loss, you might want to know right off the bat what the best shampoo for hair loss might be. To help with this the chart below shows the top shampoos that may help prevent hair loss and thinning hair. Keep reading further to learn why these shampoos may help prevent hair loss and which three shampoos I have used and recommend.
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What causes hair loss?
The main cause of hair loss in men is dihyrdotestosterone, or DHT for short. What is happening to men who suffer from androgenetic alopecia is that they’ve inherited a genetic sensitivity to DHT in their hair follicles. So, it’s not your fault. These hair follicles begin to shrink and miniaturize, which ultimately shortens the lifespan of the hair. The end result is male pattern baldness which is usually characterized with receding hairlines in the front and balding crowns in the back – areas which are typically more susceptible to the effects of DHT. Intervention is needed to suppress DHT in the scalp – something that may be accomplished when choosing the best shampoo for hair loss and thinning hair.
What does the FDA say about hair loss treatments?
One thing that needs to be made perfectly clear is that the FDA has officially given its stamp of approval to only two clinically proven treatments: finasteride and minoxidil.
The drug Finasteride goes by the brand names of Proscar and Propecia. Originally developed by Merck as a drug to reduce enlarged prostate glands, it was found during trials that a side effect of this treatment was hair growth in men. Beginning in 1997 the FDA formally approved that a 1mg dose of finasteride could be used in the treatment of men suffering from male pattern baldness. Merck marketed this drug as Propecia. Currently it is still only available by getting a prescription from your doctor and is not available for sale over the counter or online. Women should not take finasteride. I personally do not take finasteride.
The other treatment is the drug minoxidil. In pill form, minoxidil was originally used to treat high blood pressure. However, over time researchers found that for people taking it in pill form hair was starting to grow in odd areas of the body, such as cheeks, foreheads, and back of hands. They then discovered by applying it directly to the scalp in topical form it did stop and actually re-grow hair for many people.
Most people are familiar with minoxidil by the brand name Rogaine. However, minoxidil is available from other brand names, often at a cheaper price. If you’re interested in maintaining your hair you should include minoxidil in your daily regimen two times a day. Men are often better using the 5% solution, while women are recommended to only use the 2% concentration.
Can some shampoos really help prevent hair loss?
So far we have learned that DHT is the main culprit in hair loss for men and that there are only two officially approved drugs to combat hair loss by the FDA. But is there really a best shampoo for hair loss and thinning hair, too? Some evidence seems to show this as being the case and help to block or suppress DHT — or at least certain ingredients contained in these shampoos.
One ingredient is ketoconazole. Typically shampoos with this ingredient is marketed for people with dandruff or people with certain fungal infections. However, ketoconazole appears to have anti-DHT properties as it is a mild “5-alpha-reductase inhibitor”. Ketoconazole is available over the counter without a prescription in many of these shampoos at a 1% concentration. Getting it in 2% needs a prescription from your doctor.
A second ingredient is piroctone olamine. Similar to ketoconazole it fights dandruff and it seems to help battle hair loss. One study suggested piroctone olamine (as well as ketoconazole) in 1% solutions “increased the mean hair shaft thickness” and decreased hair loss.
Another ingredient are copper peptides. Copper peptides, in partial FDA trials, were shown to actually stimulate hair growth. In Phase II clinical studies, 36 men who used this treatment twice a day for 24 weeks were shown to have very positive results.
The bottom line on ketoconazole, piroctone olamine and copper peptides is that those who used products that contained those ingredients had more, stronger and thicker hair than those who did not. These are the three main ingredients you should focus in on.
Some other things you might want to look for when finding the best shampoo for hair loss are ingredients that will help improve scalp circulation, such as apple polyphenol and niacin. Salicylic acid is another ingredients to look for to really help cleanse your scalp and unblock the pores from sebum that might lead to hair loss. Other ingredients to possibly look for include biotin (nourishes hair), saw palmetto (potentially blocks DHT), and even caffeine (which may energize scalp cells for more hair growth).
One ingredient you may want to avoid, however, are shampoos containing sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS. SLS is a detergent used to help get shampoo to lather really well, which consumers have come to expect in their shampoos. However, it is possible that SLS deposits may penetrate hair follicles leading to the deterioration of the hair follicle and resulting in hair loss. It may disrupt new hair growth, as well. While SLS hasn’t been necessarily proven to cause hair loss, it may be best to avoid shampoos with this ingredient.
What shampoos do you use and recommend?
For me right now there are actually three products that I think are the best shampoo for hair loss. The first one is Regenepure DR. This one contains ketoconazole, one of the three ingredients you should look for.
The second one is Body Shop Ginger Scalp Care Shampoo
The third one is Neova Tricomin Revitalizing Shampoo along with their Tricomin Solution Follicle Therapy Spray. Both of these products contain copper peptides which in partial FDA trials copper peptides were shown to actually stimulate hair growth.
How do you use these shampoos to the maximum benefit?
I alternate every other day between these shampoos. What I do is lather it in and massage really well into the scalp for about a minute. Then I let it soak for a good five minutes to let it penetrate my scalp and get those ingredients in there. Then rinse as normal.
After I exit the shower I also make sure to put minoxidil on my scalp. I apply minoxidil at night, too.
What results have you experienced?
First, any of these shampoos make my hair look great. More importantly, however, I have noticed a definite increase in hair thickness on the top of my head since starting this shampooing regime. I haven’t noticed so much in the front on my hairline, though — even minoxidil and finasteride claim best results in the crown area. But that is fine, as I was more worried about the top of the head than anything right now. Do I attribute this hair growth to ketoconazole, piroctone olamine, copper peptides, or even minoxidil? I can’t say which one exactly is doing the most or if it is a combination. However, one thing is for sure: I am not going to stop. I just wish I’d started earlier.
How long does it take to see any results?
I first started noticing results at about the four or five month point. So, this is not an overnight miracle cure by any means. Even products with minoxidil says you may start seeing results in three to six months. You need to give this time and it needs to become part of your daily routine.
Others products to consider
Along with the best shampoo for hair loss there are other products you may want to try. The first one that I always use, two times everyday, is minoxidil. It is still the only topical solution approved by the FDA to fight hair loss. I get the 5% Kirkland brand because it is usually cheaper than Rogaine. I recently switched to the foam version as I found it easier on my scalp. But the regular version is cheaper. If you don’t get a shampoo I recommended earlier you should at least start using minoxidil.
Another one to consider is a laser comb. What makers of these combs claim is that they deliver laser photo therapy to your hair, which nourishes and energizes the hair. You need to use it three times a week for 10 to 15 minutes a session typically. They claim a general improvement to the look of your hair in the 8 to 16 week range. This a very expensive product that usually runs more than $200. But this is a one-time purchase so it may be worth it in the long-run, but I have no experience in this product.
Another option is to try vitamins and supplements that might help promote hair growth and prevent hair loss. Some of these might contain saw palmetto, beta sitosterol, B-vitamins, biotin and other natural ingredients that they argue blocks DHT and promotes hair growth. Again, the FDA hasn’t officially confirmed these claims, but they may be worth trying. I haven’t tried these personally, although I may try biotin supplements soon.
Another interesting product is what are called derma rollers (also known as micro-needle rollers). These are cylindrical barrels with small needles that are attached to a handle. What you do is roll these needles over your scalp and balding areas and the needles penetrate the top layers of skin without any bleeding or other damage. What this allows for is better penetration and absorption of scalp treatments such as minoxidil, and I would assume shampoos containing ketoconazole and piroctone olamine, as well. This is one product I am going to try soon as it isn’t expensive (usually under $15) and it looks very promising. I’ve been reading that for use on the scalp to get the 0.3mm or 0.5mm models
Final thoughts
What is the best shampoo for hair loss? I’ve given you some top options with the two I personally use on a daily basis. I am convinced these shampoos (along with minoxidil) is helping to re-grow and maintain my hair in the last year. I am definitely not going to stop now. If you are experiencing hair loss I recommend you look into these shampoos and try them for yourself. I just wish I had started earlier.
When new shampoos or other promising hair loss treatments become available I plan to update this site with new information. If you feel I missed something or need a question answered please feel free to contact me.
Thanks for reading and check out the rest of my site for more hair loss information. If you think the information I’ve provided has been helpful please considering sharing this site with friends and family on Facebook, Twitter or other sites by clicking one of the sharing buttons below.
Thanks again.
Aaron
