I’ve researched the ingredients of nearly 100 topical hair loss treatments. You can see my write-ups here. The products listed on this page are the best in the world in my opinion. Read to the bottom for my explanation.
DS Labs Spectral DNC N
Around $35 for 2oz
- Gingseng extract may promote blood circulation in the scalp
- “Nanoxidil” (a new form of Minoxidil, developed by DS Labs) increases blood circulation in the scalp and is thought to penetrate the scalp skin better than normal Minoxidil
- Aminexil is thought to improve blood circulation in the scalp and may help reduce perifollicular fibrosis
- Arginine may help improve blood circulation in the scalp
- Uses nanosomes to improve delivery of ingredients
- Contains copper peptides, which may help reduce inflammation
- Contains Adenosine, which has been shown to be effective in reducing hair loss in several major hair loss studies
- Contains polyphenols, which are thought to help improve blood circulation in the scalp and according to DS Labs help regrowth along the hair line
- Citrulline is a precursor to arginine, which helps improve blood circulation
- Contains natural plant stem cells, which may help increase cell growth in the scalp
- Contains Biotin, which supports healthy hair
- Contains oleanolic acid, which may increase growth factors in the scalp, increasing hair growth
- Retinol is an antioxidant, which is thought by some to reduce hair loss
Wick & Strom Apex Crown
Around $20 for 4oz
This is the only topical I’ve seen that contains ketoconazole, which makes it stand out. It contains a huge array of proven effective ingredients. And it’s super cheap! Amazon are also selling it at 15% off when you buy three bottles. This is a world class topical.
- Contains oleanolic acid, which increases growth factors VEGF and IGF-1
- Castor oil contains high levels of Ricinoleic acid, which studies show, reverses hair loss in some cases. It also increases scalp PGE2, which recent research has shown is key for reversing hair loss.
- Contains biotin, which the body uses to create amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of hair keratin
- Contains saw palmetto, a natural DHT blocker with comparable results as Propecia in fighting hair loss
- Contains rosemary, which studies show is beneficial for hair health
- Jojoba oil has been shown to have beneficial effects on hair and skin health
- Panax gingseng may help improve blood circulation in the scalp — studies have shown it has comparable effects to minoxidil
- Arginine is used by the body to produce nitric oxide, which improves blood circulation — this is vital for supplying nutrients to the hair via the bloodstream
- Horsetail is a source of silica. Silica is a mineral required for proper hair growth
- Green tea has been shown to have beneficial effects against hair loss. It’s though to be a good natural topical DHT blocker. It’s also a source of antioxidants, which may help reduce scalp inflammation (key to reducing male pattern baldness)
- Retinol has been shown to increase blood circulation in the scalp. It’s also a powerful antioxidant
- Lysine has been shown in studies to make hair grow faster when taken orally. It may have benefits when used topically
- Contains ketoconazole! This is the only topical hair loss treatment I’ve seen that contains ketoconazole — a key ingredient for killing scalp fungi and fighting DHT
Ingredients
Pura D’Or Scalp Serum
Around $20 for 4oz
- Contains Redensyl: a mixture shown to reduce inflammation, improve scalp blood circulation. Redensyl has received a lot of press attention because one study found that it’s more effective than minoxidil.
- Arginine may help increase nitric oxide, which may dilate blood vessels, further improving blood circulation
- Green tea contains EGCG, which binds with scalp androgen receptors, helping to reduce the amount of DHT that binds to receptors — reducing male pattern baldness
- Pygeum, saw palmetto, beta sitosterol, pumpkin seed oil and nettle are all though to prevent the production of DHT by inhibitting 5 alpha reductase
- Rosemary has been shown in studies to promote hair growth in some cases
- Niacin and cayenne may help improve blood circulation in the scalp
-
Follinox 5
Around $100 for 1oz
- Emu oil is a good natural carrier oil with anti DHT, anti inflammatory and bactosteriatic properties
- Contains 2% Minoxidil, which increases blood circulation in the scalp
- Contains a vitamin complex, which may be high in antioxidants (which scavenge free-radicals) and may also help improve absorption of other ingredients
- Retinol is an antioxidant, which is thought by some to reduce hair loss
- Capsicum extract may help increase blood circulation in the scalp
- Linoleic/alpha linonianic acid
- Nettle and pygeum are natural DHT blockers
- He shu wu is known in China for its hair growth promoting properties
- Biotin is thought to help with hair health but it is not known if this works when applied topically
- Zinc is known to help kill the common scalp fungi that causes dandruff and may also reduce hair loss
- Kelp contains iodine, which is helpful in regulating healthy thyroid function (over active thyroid is a cause of hair loss) — however it is unlikely that this will have any benefit when used topically
- Folic acid helps the body produce keratin
- Arginine may help increase blood circulation in the scalp
- Borage oil is rich in GLA, which may inhibit DHT
Ingredients
-
Read next
Whats the best shampoo for hair loss? Revivogen
Around $100 for 1oz
- Contains linoleic and oleic acid, which prevent the conversion of testosterone into DHT
- Contains saw palmetto, which may also prevent DHT production in the scalp
- Studies suggest Beta Sitosterol also prevents conversion of testosterone to DHT by inhibiting the enzyme 5-alpha reductase
- Caffeine may stimulate hair growth, though this is not proven
- Procyanidin B2 (from apple polyphenols) is believed to stimulate blood circulation in the scalp
- Zinc fights against common scalp fungi, helping to promote a healthy scalp environment
Ingredients
-
Lipogaine
Around $25 for 2oz
- Contains 5% Minoxidil, which is clinically proven to increase blood circulation in the scalp and reduce hair loss in some individuals
- Contains azelaic acid, which is also thought to promote blood circulation in the scalp
- Contains retinol (vitamin A), an antioxidant which is thought to help reduce hair loss
- Contains saw palmetto, which reduces the production of DHT (the most significant cause of hair loss in men)
-
DS Labs Spectral RS
Around $30 for 2oz
- Contains nanosomes, which improve the absorption of the ingredients
- Capsicum may help improve blood circulation in the scalp
- Procyanidins may help improve blood circulation in the scalp
- Adenosine may increase the hair’s growth phase, thus reducing hair loss
- Aminexil may help improve blood circulation in the scalp
- Retinol is an antioxidant and is thought to promote hair growth in some cases
- Copper peptides benefit hair growth by reducing inflammation and possibly increasing blood circulation.
Ingredients
-
Crinagen
Around $25 for 2oz
- Azelaic acid is thought to increase blood circulation in the scalp
- Zinc is known to reduce dandruff and in some case has been shown to reduce hair loss
- Niacin may increase blood circulation in the scalp
Ingredients
-
GowEasy Minoxidil and DHT Inhibitor
Around $27 for 2oz
- Contains linoleic and oleic acid, which prevent the conversion of testosterone into DHT
- Contains 5% minoxidil (highest commercially available strength) to increase blood flow to the hair
- Contains 15% azelaic acid, which may reduce DHT in the scalp
- Caffeine may stimulate hair growth, though this is not proven
Ingredients
-
Just Natural Organic Hair Growth Spray
Around $45 for 4oz
- Pumpkin seed and flaxseed contain GLAs that prevent production of DHT
- Saw palmetto, nettle and pygeum are three of the most well known natural DHT blockers
- Green tea is a source of antioxidants and may help reduce DHT production
- Grapeseed and ginkgo biloba may help improve blood circulation
- High in nutritious organic ingredients and no “artificial” chemicals
Ingredients
-
Murad Hair Growth and Scalp Serum
Around $27 for 1.7oz
- Contains salicylic acid, which helps break down sebum, built-up cosmetics and pollutants in the scalp, helping to improve scalp health
- Contain Biotin, which may benefit hair and scalp health — see What Role Does Biotin Play in Hair Growth?
- Contains capsicum frutescens fruit extract (chilli pepper), which may help bring blood to the hair follicles
- Contains pomegranate and other fruits that are high in antioxidants
- Contains bitter orange, which may help increase PGE2 in the scalp
Ingredients
-
Revellus Human Stem Cell Hair Growth Serum
Around $99 for 1.6oz
This is an interesting product. It contains proteins derived from human stem cells! I posted an article on stem cells for hair growth a while back and it looks as though there’s a lot of potential. However, we don’t know for sure how the company has extracted the proteins and what exactly they are. Update coming soon!
- Uses stem cells to promote hair growth. Could be beneficial but there is very little evidence to confirm the stem cell extracts in this product will increase hair growth.
- Aloe vera is a natural plant extract, which has shown a lot of promise in improving skin health and some research suggests it may benefit hair health
- Bamboo is a source of silica, which is why you often see it in hair products. Silica helps repair connective tissue, which is key for hair growth and skin health
- Contains grapefruit — a source of citrulline (a precursor to arginine), which may help improve blood circulation by increasing NO2
- Contains saw palmetto, which studies show helps reduce DHT, the primary cause of adrogenic alopecia
- Contains “hydrolized keratin”. This is interesting but also lacks evidence to suggest it may benefit hair growth. Hair is made of keratin but we have no evidence to suggest that applying keratin to the scalp will increase hair growth, since keratin is made in the follicle base via a process of keratinization, where amino acids are turned into keratin. Whether adding keratin to the scalp would increase hair growth is debatable — I would say it’s unlikely but interesting nonetheless.
Ingredients
What to look for in a topical hair loss treatment
The key ingredients for maximizing hair growth are as follows:
Minoxidil
Minoxidil increases blood circulation in the scalp by increasing the growth factor VEGF. VEGF is required for the formation of new blood vessels. When a hair is connected to a blood vessel it grows. When it dosconnects from the blood vessel it stops growing. By increasing VEGF we can prolong the length of time a hair remains connected to the blood vessel and therefore keep the hair in the ‘growth stage’ for longer.
How to Trigger Rapid Hair Growth
To learn about the method I used to provoke new hair growth and significantly increase hair density, use the link below:
For more information I recommend reading How to Increase Scalp VEGF.
Ketoconazole
Ketoconazole is believed to reduce scalp DHT. Men lose their hair more than women because men have more testosterone (an androgen hormone). Testosterone is converted into DHT in various parts of the body, including the scalp. DHT is what causes most hair loss. Ketoconazole supposedly prevents testosterone from being converted into DHT — and studies seem to support this assertion.
Aminexil
Aminexil reduces fibrosis in the scalp. It’s believed by many hair loss researchers that fibrosis is ultimately what causes at least some male pattern hair loss. It’s likely that DHT or perhaps stress hormones, such as cortisol (or perhaps a combination of the both) lead to increased scalp inflammation, which causes fibrosis in the hair follicles. Fibrosis seems to irreversably destroy the hair follicles. Reducing scalp fibrosis seems to be a sensible step to reducing hair loss. However, if you want to reverse damage caused by fibrosis you will need to use a method of wound-induced hair follicle neogenesis, in order to generate completewly new hair follicles.
Anti-inflammatory ingredients
As I just mentioned, inflammation seems to play a key role in hair loss. I’ve seen amazing hair regrowth results achieved with topical application of anti-inflammatories. Take a look at the results of one patient who used the anti-inflammatory cream Voltarol for an example.
I’ve also seen great results from peppermint oil (another anti-inflammatory).
Ingredients that increase growth factors VEGF, FGF7, EGF and IGF-1
Several growth factors have been shown to increase hair growth in the scalp. Certain chemicals are known to increase those growth factors in the scalp. For example, Minoxidil increases VEGF. We can increase IGF-1 by applying the growth factor directly to the scalp. Oleanolic acid has been shown to increase VEGF and IGF-1. To learn more about growth factors, read the below articles:
- How to increase scalp VEGF
- How to increase scalp IGF1
- How to increase scalp EGF
- How to increase scalp FGF7
- How to increase scalp PGF2alpha
I recommend also reading: How to Increase Hair Density Using ‘Growth Factors’.
The only product I know that contains ingredients that significantly increase scalp growth factors is the Hair Follicle Neogenesis Growth Factor Treatment.
Ingredients that increase PGE2
PGE2 seems to play an important role in hair growth. I published an article demonstrating results of increasing PGE2 on hair growth.
It’s very rare to find a hair loss treatment that increases PGE2. One ingredient that does (and it also decreases inflammation) is Sulfasalazine. You could also try using Bimatoprost, which has shown amazing results. However it will cost you about $2000 for a gram!
What’s the best topical for women
For women, inflammation is perhaps the most important thing to combat. That and increasing growth factors. Minoxidil will also help because it will increase blood circulation and prolong the growth phase of the hair follicles. In many cases the same products that work for men will also be beneficial for women. Women don’t tend to need DHT blocking ingredients, since women usually have far less testosterone than men. However, there are of course exceptions to that rule and it might be elevated DHT (often associated with PCOS) that’s the cause of the hair loss.
For women I’d recommend starting out with a treatment that increase growth factors, increases blood circulation and reduces inflammation. A product like the Hair Follicle Neogenesis Growth Factors Treatment for Women is probably the best.
If you’re a woman and you have PCOS, use a treatment that also reduces androgen receptor availability and blocks DHT. That would include products that contain ketoconazole, minoxidil, EGCG and RU58841.
