A few years ago I realized that my previously thick and luxuriant hair was thinning out on top. Being over six feet tall this had escaped my attention until one day I was sitting in the barber’s chair and had to face the cold, hard truth when he held up a mirror to the back of my head after a trim.
I panicked and quickly signed up for Hims. Long story short, it worked eventually, but not without side effects. The whole time I used it my scalp was irritated and it took around 8 weeks before I saw any actual growth.
If I’d known there were more options, I’d have looked for a more customized solution sooner. So, if like me, you’re looking for alternatives to Hims, you’re not alone.
When it comes to hair loss, everyone is different. You might be looking for something a little kinder to your skin, a product that works faster, or perhaps just a solution that won’t put a huge dent in your wallet.
Some of these products I’ve used, and others I’ve examined just on the basis of their ingredients and user reviews. Stick with me as we look into the alternatives to Hims, to see if you can find one that grows on you!
My Short Answer:
If you’re one of those people who hates long waits, or you’re looking for something customized to your individual needs, I’d say Happy Head is my top pick. It uses a custom prescription-grade formula for rapid regrowth without having to visit your doctor.
Happy Head worked for me, as I’ve seen slow, steady growth. Still, no hair-loss solution is one-size-fits all. Some people just want the most budget-friendly option. Others want more natural ingredients, while others still don’t care what chemicals are pumped into the product so long as it does the job.
Before we dive into the gritty details, here’s my list of top Hims alternatives:
Best Underrated Hims Alternatives (Quick List)
Best overall: Happy Head
Best for prescription strength without a script: Keeps
Best for women’s health: Nurx
Best for affordable telehealth: Dr. B
Best for all-natural ingredients: Nutrafol
What is Hims?
As I said, there’s no one best hair loss solution for everyone. Still, even if you’ve decided Hims isn’t right for you, you need to understand what it does, so you know what to look for in an alternative product.
Hims offers convenient, direct to consumer access to popular hair loss treatments like finasteride and minoxidil (Rogaine). These can help slow hair loss and promote regrowth – for example minoxidil increases blood flow to your follicles to stimulate them.
Hims Pros:
- Convenient online access to prescription-strength treatments.
- Offers two of the most popular solutions (finasteride and minoxidil).
- Subscription-based service for easy refills.
Hims Cons:
- Treatments don’t use personalized formulas.
- Can cause side effects.
- Prescriptions are required.
If you don’t want the hassle of talking to a doctor, or just want to avoid the side effects as I did then there are better options.
What Makes for the Best Hims Alternatives?
I’ve learned the hard way that not all hair loss treatments are created equal. After trying a couple of duds and others that left my scalp bright red, I know what to choose – and what to avoid!
When making your own choice, consider these key factors:
Ingredients and Effectiveness
In other words – does the product actually work?
Personally, I prefer clinically backed treatments like:
- Finasteride
- Dutasteride
- Minoxidil
- Redensyl
Targeted Solutions
You’ve already seen from my story how simply buying a product off the shelf and splashing it on your scalp won’t necessarily stop you from thinning out on top, at least not without some side effects.
Prescription-strength formulas might work for some people. But I’ve also spoken to others who prefer natural/hormone-free products. The best hair growth solutions cater to different loss concerns, including:
- Genetic hair loss e.g. androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness)
- Stress-related thinning e.g. Telogen effluvium:
- Scalp health issue e.g. redness or dryness
The Right Price
Eggs aren’t the only things that are more expensive these days. In the last year in particular I’ve seen some hair growth treatments that are ridiculously overpriced. Naturally sometimes a product is more expensive for a reason, but you need to be sure you’re getting value for money. The best treatments:
- Are budget-friendly.
- Only cost a premium price if they’re prescription-strength.
- Offer natural/plant-based alternatives.
Easy Application
You can have the most budget-friendly and effective hair loss treatment in the world but if it’s not easy to apply, you likely won’t stick it out.
This is why the best hair loss products:
- Don’t make your hair too greasy.
- Can be applied quickly.
- Produce results in a short time.
My Top Alternative Treatments to Hims
Now that you have a better understanding of what to look for (and more importantly what to avoid) in your chosen hair loss treatment, here are my top alternative picks:
Happy Head
Type: Customized, topical solution
Price: $59 – $199 per month
- Custom, prescription formulas tailored to your scalp
- Can be stronger than Hims (includes dutasteride)
- Convenient subscription service delivered to your door
- More expensive than minoxidil alone
- Custom formulas are relatively expensive
- Requires consultation with a dermatologist (but you can do it online!)
As you learned earlier, I opted for Happy Head as I wanted something that worked faster than Hims but doesn’t irritate the scalp as much.
Happy Head does offer basic minoxidil treatments for about $22 a month. However, you’ll get the best results by signing up for a custom topical treatment that combines medications like Finasteride, Dutasteride, Spironolactone, Minoxidil, Latanoprost, Retinoic Acid, and Hydrocortisone.
This isn’t like mixing cocktails. When you sign up for Happy Head, you fill out an online questionnaire. Your answers are then reviewed by a certified dermatologist, who then creates a customized hair growth formula for you.
Your custom formula is then mailed straight to you every month.
Nutrafol
Type: Oral supplement
Price: $50 – $70 per month
- Natural ingredients are kinder to the skin
- Can treat multiple causes of hair loss
- Clinically tested
- Pricier than basic options like Rogaine
- Results can take longer
- Not suitable for vegans.
This company has focused its efforts on manufacturing bespoke ‘nutraceuticals’ (a portmanteau of ‘nutrients’ and ‘pharmaceuticals’) to combat hair loss.
This is more than marketing hype, as Nutrafol has been the subject of numerous scholarly articles to demonstrate that their products work.
The pills contain a range of ingredients designed to target hair loss, including DHT disruptors like palmetto, curcumin, and turmeric extracts. They also contain key vitamins and minerals like protein, biotin, zinc, selenium, and iodine. You should know that they also contain some fish extracts, meaning you can’t take them if you’re on a plant-based diet.
If you do sign up though, you’re committing to taking multiple pills a day which can get expensive. You can bring this down a little by buying several months’ supply at a time. While Nutrafol products are clinically-proven, they can also take a long time to kick in, especially compared to some of the prescription pharmaceuticals on this list. Most people have to wait three to six months before seeing any results.
Keeps
Type: Topical solution/Oral pills
Price: From $10 – $60 per month
- Minoxidil, ketoconazole, and finasteride are available
- Budget-friendly compared to other treatments
- No in-person doctor’s appointment required
- You can’t cancel or return orders
- Minimum 3-month subscription
- Results can take a long time
Keeps offers a range of hair loss treatments that mainly use minoxidil and finasteride. There’s also a gel that combines both ingredients that you can apply to your scalp.
If telehealth appointments are allowed in your state, you can do a free initial online consultation with a doctor to work out a treatment plan personalized to you.
The prices I’ve listed above are worked out monthly, as I wanted to give readers a fair comparison to other hair growth products out there. However, these are pro-rated as you need to buy a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription to your chosen products. Naturally, the more you buy in advance the more you save.
Once you’ve spoken with the doctor, you can then work your way through the assortment of various supplements, shampoos, and solutions then have them delivered to your door every X number of months. Clean and simple.
Keeps’ website claims that finasteride/minodixil will start working after around 3 months, which sounds about right. I couldn’t find any promised turnaround time for its ketoconazole-based shampoo but I’d use six months as a benchmark.
Nurx
Type: Solutions/Oral pills
Price: Variable
- Specializes in women’s hair loss
- Personalized plan via telehealth appointment
- Promises fast results
- Customer service concerns
- No customized treatment formulas
- Order issues
This platform’s main MSP is that it offers hair loss treatments specifically to women. As a guy, I obviously haven’t availed myself of their services. However, from reading online reviews it seems the process is quite simple.
You can submit your ID and insurance information to the main site, then have a telehealth appointment with a doctor who will prescribe one of Nurx’s treatments, like its ‘RegrowRx’ spray that contains both minoxidil and caffeine. Both topical and oral treatments are also available.
From looking at their offerings, it doesn’t seem possible to tailor products to individual scalps. Naturally the price you pay will also depend on what you’re prescribed.
Despite the promise of a fast turnaround time for hair growth results (4-6 weeks), I’ve read many online reviews of subscribers complaining about products not showing up or being sent the wrong treatment. They also reported issues getting through to customer service when there was a problem. Still, I encourage you to find out for yourself.
Dr. B
Type: Solutions/Oral pills
Price: Variable
- Specialize in men’s hair loss
- No video calls necessary
- Prescription-strength treatments
- Fee for initial consultation
- Focuses on male hair loss only
- Doesn’t submit claims to insurance companies
As Nurx focuses on women’s hair loss, in the interests of balance I have also included this platform which offers telehealth appointments and prescription hair loss treatments.
The initial consultation costs $15 but doesn’t have to take place over video. The site promises a response within 3 hours.
The downside is that Dr. B doesn’t accept insurance for consultations, though naturally you can claim on your health plan for any medications that are prescribed. Treatments for hair loss include the usual suspects like dutasteride, minoxidil, and finasteride.
Hims and Beyond
When I started experiencing hair loss, I just grabbed the first solution at hand in the form of Hims and paid the price. One very irritated scalp later, I want to reassure you that you don’t have to choose Hims if you feel it’s not right for you.
If you want powerful, fast results then choose prescription-strength products from the likes of Happy Head or Keeps. If you have specific dietary requirements, or just want a treatment that you’ll be sure is kind to your scalp, go with natural products offered by platforms like Nutrafol.
If you’re not sure which product is easiest to apply, you may prefer to speak to a licensed doctor before ordering. This is where telehealth platforms like Dr B and Nurx come in useful.
As you’ve probably worked out, my pick of the crop is Happy Head, mainly because my head was much happier once I switched to using its products. However, I’d love to hear from you about which hair growth treatments worked best.
Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
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