Joel Santorini
Hair loss is a common problem for both men and women. Luckily, there are a lot of safe, natural and easy to use shampoos to stop the loss and promote new growth.
Tips for choosing the best hair loss shampoo for your needs
There are a lot of hair loss shampoos out there, but understanding your needs is a great step in finding the best one for you. Keep the following things in mind while on your search:
- If you know the direct cause of your hair loss (as diagnosed by a doctor or through some other credible means), go for a hair loss shampoo that targets that issue.
- If you have male pattern baldness (aka androgenic/androgenetic alopecia), opt for a hair loss shampoo with proven DHT blockers among its ingredient list.
- If you have hair loss related to inflammation from an autoimmune disorder, choose a hair loss shampoo with anti-inflammatory benefits.
- If your hair loss is caused by poor nutrition, look for a hair loss shampoo that puts nutrients back into your hair and boosts circulation, so those nutrients make it to the follicle. (Also, ask your doctor about the best way to get more nutrients from your diet.)
- If you’re unsure of the cause of your hair loss, consider a hair loss shampoo that takes a comprehensive approach, tackling the causes of hair loss from many different angles.
- Remember that certified organic, vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free formulas are available.
- Those with allergies may wish to consider hypoallergenic formulas; alternatively, check the full ingredient list against your known allergies, and ask a pharmacist for help if needed.
Best Shampoo for hair loss 2018
Hair Restoration Laboratories’ DHT Blocking Hair Loss Shampoo
A few months ago I started using Hair Restoration Laboratories’ DHT Blocking Hair Loss Shampoo daily and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. I had noticed thinning along the part of my hair and felt helpless to the effects of aging. But after 4 months of using this shampoo I can see significant growth along my part. It looks fuller and healthier and feels stronger, too. I don’t see clumps of hair when I brush my hair anymore and I actually like the way my hair looks. I highly recommend this shampoo to anyone who is experiencing hair loss. It is specially formulated with over twenty ingredients that are known to block DHT, the chemical behind most forms of hair loss. My hair feels better than it has in years, and it’s all thanks to this shampoo.
Ultrax Labs Hair Surge
Ultrax Labs Hair Surge is a hair growth stimulating shampoo that also works to prevent further hair loss. The 2016 Top Rated Shampoo for Hair Regrowth Stimulation, Hair Surge uses what Ultrax Labs refers to as “Micro Blend Caffeine” technology, which is able to stop hair loss while promoting new hair growth.
The reason it’s so effective is because the technology blocks testosterone’s effect on your skin. Hair does, after all, grow out of your skin’s hair follicles. Hair loss and growth are both affected by the way your genetics signal your body to react to testosterone. Therefore, by blocking testosterone’s effects at the skin—literally and metaphorically the root of the problem—Hair Surge is an effective treatment for both Male Pattern Baldness and Female Pattern Baldness, two conditions which feature hair loss that is primarily related to the genetics of testosterone susceptibility. By controlling testosterone’s effects, dormant, shrunken hair follicles common in both Male Pattern Baldness and Female Pattern Baldness revitalize and start producing hair again, which is a novel approach in terms of treatment for these conditions.
Safe to use on a daily basis, Ultrax Labs Hair Surge can safely replace your regular shampoo, or be used as an addon. Additionally, it contains 2% ketoconazole, which is an antifungal that can treat dandruff and itchiness, and get rid of seborrheic dermatitis, which is a dermatological condition, which can also make it hard to grow healthy hair.
The pros
- Uses caffeine, a substance known to be safe both orally and topically, as a primary active ingredient
- Blocks testosterone at the skin and follicle level, preventing both Male and Female Pattern Baldness
- Contains 2% ketoconazole to reduce itchiness and treat underlying dermatological conditions which may be inhibiting hair growth, like seborrheic dermatitis
- Safe to use on a daily basis
- Can be used in tandem with regular shampoo
- Safe to use as a replacement for your standard shampoo
- Contains Saw Palmetto for extra hair growth benefits
- The best shampoo for hair loss on the market
- Safe for both men and women; great for couples
- Easy to use
- Made in the USA
The cons
The biggest con with Ultrax Labs Hair Surge is the 2% ketoconazole component. While it is safe for most people, some people are allergic to antifungal medications in that “drug family”. (Which means prescription drugs chemically related to ketoconazole.) If you are allergic to any antifungals, ask a pharmacist if ketoconazole is something you should avoid; they will know if it’s in the antifungal family you can’t tolerate.
PhytoWorx Hair Recovery Shampoo Organic Hair Loss Shampoo
PhytoWorx Hair Recovery Shampoo combines a mixture of savvy and environmentally-friendly science and organic ingredients to tackle the hair loss problem, and help users achieve new hair regrowth.
PhytoWorx uses the stem cells of a plant called Malus Domestica which is from Switzerland, a region of the world renowned for its botanicals. What a lot of people don’t know is that plants, just like humans, have stem cells. And their stem cells work much like ours with the ability to rejuvenate and reinvigorate.
Secondary ingredients focus on hair-friendly, organic, plant-based extracts which work to promote scalp health as well as new hair growth. Aloe Vera is soothing and reduces inflammation—a common cause of unexplained hair loss, while Green Tea Extract, also soothing, contains caffeine, a known promotor of hair growth when applied topically. Licorice Extract is another top secondary ingredient, which works to reverse chemical damage caused by dies. All of the other organic, natural plant extracts involved help to tackle these three issues while the plant stem cells are busy working on their end of the problem. The good news is that PhytoWorx is extremely effective at stopping hair loss and promoting new hair growth—the downside to this really good thing is that some have noticed that if they get it on their face, hair grows there. It should be noted that people say when they avoid getting it on their face, this isn’t a problem. So, as long as you keep it on your scalp only, you should be good. Another time this downside may be an upside is if you’re a guy looking to grow a thicker beard. But unless you fall into that category, remember this stuff is strong. Pura d’Or Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo features a bevy of 17 key ingredients to tackle hair loss and promote hair growth from a variety of angles. For instance, Red Korean Seaweed fights hair breakage, as well as Aloe Vera. Meanwhile, ingredients like nettle, biotin and pumpkin seed spark new hair growth. Other natural ingredients keep your follicles fierce and healthy.
Pura d’Or is cruelty-free, gluten-free and hypo-allergenic. While the 17 key ingredient list is impressive, it could be argued that some of the listed ingredients are overkill, and may be an issue for allergy sufferers who require limited ingredient products. Re:Line’s Biotin shampoo is ideal for both men and women and uses biotin and caffeine as its key hair-growing ingredients. But it also goes beyond simple hair growth, while waiting for hair to literally become thicker, fuller and longer, Re:Line’s shampoo volumizes and maximizes the thin hair you already have to look better while you wait for results.
Some people say it works, but they just don’t like the texture it leaves their hair with—mainly fizziness. This can be counteracted with products like argan oil, however. REKZE 63, like most shampoo for hair loss, promotes hair growth. However, it does so by taking hair heath into consideration, such as ingredients to get rid of excess sebum, which can build up and make it hard for new sprouting hair to push through. It also contains anti-breakage ingredients so hair not only grows thicker, but longer as well. Biotin is a big heavy hitter in this ingredient list, promoting new hair growth.
Unfortunately, this is not a vegetarian shampoo, because it contains Emu Oil. Emus are a type of animal, and are killed in the process to get the oil, as you might expect. That said, this may not matter if you aren’t a vegetarian or vegan. Pronexa is a certified organic hair regrowth shampoo from HairGenics which uses scientifically optimized levels of biotin to promote hair quality and hair regrowth for fuller and thicker hair. Because biotin increases hair elasticity, it also reduces the chance of existing hair breaking, which means you can start to see results pretty quickly when every day there is less and less hair stuck in the bottom of the bathtub drain. Saw palmetto extract is one of the major ingredients. As a DHT-blocker, it effectively fights androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness), which is one of the most difficult forms of hair loss to tackle, since it’s so deeply tied to genetics. Aloe vera extract works to sooth a sensitive scalp and reduces inflammation caused by illness, injury and infection. It’s also highly moisturizing, allowing hair to look healthier right away. Hydrolyzed collagen plumps hair up and boosts its thickness factor while hydrolyzed silk protein strengthens tired, protein-drained hair.
Pronexa is made in the USA in facilities that are FDA and GMP-certified, and is a USDA Biobased Certified Product. The cons The major con with Pronexa is it that it isn’t a vegan formula, due mainly to its silk protein, which is an animal product. However, those who aren’t vegans will likely enjoy the silk protein’s benefits, so this isn’t a universal con. In this roundup of the best hair loss shampoo, Hair Surge by Ultrax Labs was an easy pick for our winner. It’s cruelty-free and made of safe, proven hair-growing ingredients that tackle Male Pattern Baldness and Female Pattern Baldness at the source, as well as addressing hair thinning related to other issues, making it not only effective, but comprehensive. The biggest benefit to buying hair loss shampoo is that everything is topical. That means that you aren’t directly ingesting any ingredients, which is great for those concerned about adding herbal supplements to their diets. Moreover, topical hair loss treatments are also some of the most effective, so you can get that benefit as well. Shampoo is also super easy to use. Just about everyone has used shampoo at some point in their lives, so it’s something you can get to using right away without any special instructions or background information needed. And on that note, because hair loss shampoo is used just like any other shampoo, you get the basic cleaning benefits on top of the hair loss treatment benefits, so it’s a two-birds-with-one stone type deal. Another huge benefit to using a hair loss treatment in the form of shampoo is that it’s something you know you will be using regularly. Hair loss treatments simply aren’t effective if you only use them once in a while. The key is consistency. If you, like many of us, have a bad memory, using hair loss shampoo to treat your thinning hair is the best way to remember to ensure you’re treating your hair loss on a regular basis, because shampooing is something all of us do many times a week, sometimes every day, without even thinking about it. Variety is something you get with hair loss shampoo that you don’t get with many other hair loss treatment products. The reason for this is the infinite variations in formula. Some ingredients just work better for some people than they do others. With such a wide variety of formulations, you’re eventually going to find the one that works best for you and your hair loss. Most hair loss shampoos are also vegan and cruelty-free, which is a big deal for those who care about those things, since not all hair loss remedies conform to those standards. Additionally, gluten-free formulas and hypoallergenic formulas also exist to meet varying consumer needs, which harkens back to the whole variety in formula thing—there truly is a hair loss shampoo formula/brand out there for everyone; the key is simply finding the right one for you. When talking about hair loss shampoo, one ingredient subset that deserves special mention is oil. Plant-based oils have a lot of healthful benefits for hair, particularly when it comes to preventing hair loss and regrowing new hair naturally. Think of plant-based oils as topical hair loss vitamins and supplements. Some block DHT, others fight inflammation, and others nourish the scalp—some do all of the above. They’re worthy of special mention because they are the heavy hitters—also, they’re something that’s easy to remember when you’re shopping for the best hair loss shampoo for your needs. The best anti-hair loss oils you need to know: The biggest factor to consider before buying the best shampoo for hair loss is the type of hair loss you have. For most men, that’s going to be androgenic alopecia (also known as male pattern baldness— female pattern baldness also falls under this category). This type of hair loss results from a combination of age, genetics and hormones, and is generally caused by the way your body interacts with the hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone). This type of hair loss is best fought with hair loss shampoos that contain ingredients that block your hair follicles from interacting with DHT. (Saw palmetto is an example of one such ingredient.) Hair loss can be caused by other factors too, such as poor nutrition and resulting vitamin deficiencies. This is best tackled with addressing dietary concerns while using a shampoo that pumps nutrients back into your hair and scalp. Sometimes when the cause of hair loss is unknown, it can be a side effect of medication or inflammation related to an autoimmune disorder, such as lupus. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that specifically causes hair loss by creating inflammation issues in the scalp. If your hair loss is caused by any inflammatory or autoimmune issue, you’re going to want to look for a hair loss shampoo that contains anti-inflammatory ingredients, like coconut or olive oil. (This is also great if your hair loss is caused by external scalp injuries like chemical burns, which are harder to fix, due to scaring, but anti-inflammatory ingredients can help in that arena too.) Another big thing to consider is whether or not you need your hair loss shampoo to be vegetarian/vegan. Most hair loss shampoos do not contain animal products, but if this is a particular concern, keep an eye out for vegan formulas. It’s a myth that stem cells only come from animals; for instance, plants also have them, so even if you’re strictly vegan, it’s important to know your options aren’t as limited as you may think, even if it takes a little more digging to find the best hair loss shampoo for you. Obviously, you’re going to want to avoid any allergies you may have, which is good practice in general anyway, but especially when it’s a shampoo you’ll be applying to your scalp daily. Most reputable shampoos will have their full ingredients listed. If you have a lot of allergies, consider going with a hypoallergenic formula, which will avoid most major allergens while still addressing hair loss issues.
The pros
The cons
PURA D’OR Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo
The pros
The cons
Re:Line Biotin Hair Loss Shampoo
The pros
The cons
REKZE 63 Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo
The pros
The cons
HairGenics Pronexa Clinical Strength Hair Regrowth Therapy Shampoo
The pros
Top Recommendation
The benefits of buying the best shampoo for hair loss
The most potent oils that fight hair loss commonly found in hair loss shampoos
Factors to consider before buying the best hair loss shampoo
