DHT is the most significant cause of hair loss. In the majority of cases, if you want to stop hair loss, you need to reduce scalp DHT. You can use my method to remove scalp DHT and reduce DHT production, but if you’re looking for a shampoo that claims to inhibit DHT check these out.
Since these shampoos are quite hard to find I decided to scour the net, looking through the ingredients of hair loss shampoos to find ones that contain DHT blocker ingredients. The main ingredient we’re looking for here is saw palmetto. DHT blocker shampoos use saw palmetto to inhibit DHT. Other ingredients that may block DHT include Nettle, Azelaic acid and pumpkin seed oil.
All of the following shampoos contain ingredients that may block DHT.
Scroll down to the bottom to see my verdict on which one of these is the best and if any are actually worth buying.
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Lipogaine Big 3 Premium Hair Loss Prevention shampoo for Men and Women
Around $25 for 8oz
- Contains ketoconazole, which kills the fungi that causes dandruff and other scalp conditions and is thought to promote hair growth by inhibiting DHT
- Contains saw palmetto, which may reduce DHT in the scalp
- Contains emu oil, which may help reduce DHT and has other properties that are beneficial for hair growth
- Contains niacin, which may help increase blood circulation in the scalp
- Contains biotin, which may aid in the production of cells in the scalp
- Contains vitamin B5, which may protect the hair from damage
Ingredients
Pura D’or Organic Argan Oil Anti Hair Loss Shampoo Around $28 for 16oz
- Contains a proprietary blend of DHT blocker ingredients
- Contains tea tree oil, which may help keep scalp pores clear
- Contains nettle extract, saw palmetto, pygeum extract, pumpkin seed oil and green tea extract, which are all thought to block DHT
- Contains biotin, rosemary oil, vitamin E and B-vitamin complex, which are thought to benefit hair health
- Contains he shou wu (fo-ti), which is thought to benefit hair growth
- Contains niacin, which may help increase blood circulation in the scalp
- Contains zinc, which is thought to help kill the fungus that causes dandruff
Ingredients
HairGenesis Anti DHT Shampoo Around $30 for 7.5oz
Key ingredients: Saw Palmetto, L-Carnitine, Beta-Sitosterol, R-Thioctic Acid, Borage Oil,
Evening Primrose Oil, Prunus Africana Bark Extract, Japanese Green Tea, Biotin.The good: This is the first anti-DHT shampoo I’ve seen that has decent levels of saw palmetto in it. Borage oil and Evening Primrose oil also major benefits. Green tea should contain anti-oxidants.
The bad: Contains Sodium Laureth Sulphate.
Ingredients
DS Labratories Revita Anti-DHT Hair Loss Shampoo Around $25 for 6oz
Key ingredients: Caffeine, Ketoconazole (anti-fungal), Apple Seed Extract, Rooibos Leaf, Apple Polyphenol (Procyanidin B-1), Carnitine HCl, MSM
The good: SLS free. Quality ingredients. Apple polyphenols may increase circulation. Roibios may inhibit DHT. Ketaconazole will help with dandruff.
The bad: Probably least effective against DHT. Very expensive.
Ingredients
Groganics DHT Blocker Shampoo Around $9 for 8oz
Key ingredients: Saw palmetto, Nettle Leaf, Shea Butter.
The good: Saw palmetto and nettle may inhibit DHT. Low price.
The bad: Main base ingredient is ammonium laurl sulphate.
Ingredients
Nioxin Cleanser Anti-DHT Shampoos Around $17 for 10.5oz
Key ingredients: Co-enzyme A, Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6), Cyanocobalamin, Biotin, Folic Acid, Niacin, Thiamine HC1, Ubiquinone (Co-enzyme Q10), Yarrow plant, Cammomile, Camellia sinensis, Pomelo, Horsetail, lots of other plant extracts including saw palmetto.
The good: Lots of B vitamins and lots of plant extracts that may contain beneficial chemicals.
The bad: Negligible amounts of saw palmetto — unlikely to have much (if any) impact on DHT. Contains sodium laureth sulphate.
Ingredients
Nisim Hair Loss Shampoo Around $14 for 8oz
Key ingredients: Blend of plant extracts including Ginseng. B vitamins Inositol, Panthenol and Biotin. Amino acids Cystine, Cysteine and Methionine.
The good: A good mix of B vitamins and amino acids
The bad: Contains sodium laureth sulphate, sodium laurl sulphate, preservatives and artificial colours. None of it’s ingredients are known to inhibit DHT as far as I know.
Revivogen Anti DHT Shampoo Around $24 for 12.5oz
Key ingredients: Aloe Vera, Jojoba Oil, Panthenol, Ascorbic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Zinc Sulfate, Linoleic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Saw Palmetto, Menthol.
The good: Azelaic acid and saw palmetto are probably the best natural DHT inhibitors available. Lots of beneficial ingredients in this shampoo.
The bad: Lot’s of rubbish too. Also the levels of azelaic acid and saw palmetto are probably less than 5% and so won’t do much to inhibit DHT.
Ingredients
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RegenePure Doctor Recommended Anti Hair Loss Shampoo Around $28 for 16oz
- Contains niacin, which may help increase blood circulation in the scalp
- Contains ketoconazole, which kills common scalp fungi and may also reduce scalp DHT
- Contains saw palmetto, which may reduce DHT in the scalp
- Contains linolenic acid, which may inhibit DHT locally
- Contains emu oil, which is an anti-inflammatory. DHT is thought to cause inflammation in the scalp, leading to hair loss
- Contains jojoba oil, which may increase hair growth
- Contains salicylic acid, which helps clear sebum and dead skin cells from the scalp
- Contains zinc, which helps reduce fungal infections in the scalp
Ingredients
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The Verdict
It’s debatable as to whether saw palmetto is effective at inhibiting scalp DHT topically. It’s also debatable as to whether these shampoos will carry the saw palmetto and other active ingredients into the scalp and papillas. That said, if you’re massaging a shampoo into your scalp every day, it’s worth massaging quality ingredients that may also help reduce scalp DHT levels and even feed the hair.
A lot of the shampoos I’ve looked at claim that they contain ingredients that block DHT, but the volume of active ingredients is so low they’re unlikely to do anything. It’s better to go for a shampoo with less ingredients, but higher levels of the important active ingredients. For that reason my top anti-DHT shampoo is the HairGenesis. Although it contains some less desirable ingredients it has the highest concentration of saw palmetto (of the shampoos I’ve reviewed).
Have I missed anything?
If you’ve found an anti-DHT shampoo that you’d like me to take a look at let me know in the comments. If you have any other questions or comments about DHT blocker shampoo use the comments form below.
Hi there,
I have found a line that claims to really work in clearing out DHT from scalp. Here is the link for you to inquire and if you can, please post a review or write me an email of what you think. I am tempted to try this line.
Kevis Earth shampoo
Thanks Ellena,
That is a nice addition to the list. I’ll have to look into this product further. It looks like they’re using Hyaluronic Acid to inhibit DHT in the scalp. It’s debatable as to whether that works, but it might well be worth a try. I’ll have a look into these products in more detail a post a review at a later date.
Chris
How do you know the levels of saw palmetto in each of the shampoos? The labels never indicate how much is contained in each.
Hi Jerry,
The answer is you don’t unless it is specified on the label. The only way you can get an idea of the volumes of ingredients is through the order they are listed in. If saw palmetto is the last ingredient in the list the shampoo is not likely to contain much of it.
Chris
Nisim is well known for its effectiveness, how come it doesn’t works against DHT ?
Hi user1,
Nisim contains some interesting ingredients, namely some key amino acids and some B vitamins. However I really can’t see this being particularly effective against hair loss. The reason behind including amino acids in a topical product is to directly feed the hair. However if you want to feed the hair using a topical you need a higher concentration of hair growth nutrients and you would need to leave them on the scalp to absorb. A shampoo is not likely to be very effective at delivering nutrients to the hair to feed it.
If you’re interested in feeding your hair via the scalp my 2 minute a day hair growth technique is far more effective.
Nisim is not an anti-DHT shampoo though — it does not contain any ingredients that block 5 alpha-reductase or protect the hair from DHT.
All the best,
Chris
Proanagen Shampoo, what do you know about it?
Thank you
Hi Tony,
It looks like a reasonable shampoo in terms of ingredients:
Distilled water, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate,
Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone,
Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Saw palmetto extract, Grape seed oil, Vitamin B3,
Vitamin B6, Zinc Sulfate, Tea tree oil, Allantoin, Cucumber oil, Menthol and
other extracts of: Calendula Officinalis Flower, Hydrastis Canadensis, Lawsonia
Inermis, Humulus Lupulus, Equisetum Hyemale, Chamomilla Recutita, Quillaja
Saponaria Bark, Prunus Serotina.
Although the ingredients look good it’s difficult to know whether they are high quality. They may have been extracted using heat, they may have been stored improperly, they may even have been cultivated at the wrong time. It’s very difficult to know. One of the best signs of higher quality ingredients is that they are organic. This is probably the best way to tell if a shampoo is high quality — if it’s made using organic ingredients, it’s likely that the ingredients contain higher nutrient levels and the manufacturer knows what they’re doing (hence they chose to go organic for a good reason, despite the extra costs).
Check out: 11 Organic Shampoos that Don’t Contain Sodium Laurl Sulphate for some really high quality shampoos.
All the best,
Chris
Also what you think of RegenePure Sampoo
http://www.regenepure.com/complete-list-ingredients.html/
Hi Sav,
RegenePure is a great shampoo — I’ve added it to this post:
What is the best shampoo for hair loss?
Many thanks,
Chris
Bioxsione shampoo!
Is it a good or bad shampoo ingredients wise ?
Plus is it a DHT blocker ?
Thanks in advance
Hi Harry,
I’m not sure what the full ingredients are — I’ll have to buy this shampoo and check it out. I can see in the sales literature that it contains salicylic acid and zinc — both are known to improve scalp condition. Salicylic acid can help clear the pores in the scalp and zinc can help clear up dandruff and is also thought to help reduce hair loss.
I’ll check this shampoo out and do a write up. Follow me on Twitter to get my update.
Chris
Procerin Scalp therapy Shampoo that apparently clears scalp to remove DHT, gently and naturally removes DHT while cleansing the scalp.
Is this correct ? and what ingredients are in it to reomve DHT ?
Thanks in advance.
Harry
Hi Harry,
Good question! Here are their ingredients:
Purified Water, Sodium Olefin Sufonate, Sodium Coco Sulphate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide MEA, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Olea Europaea (olive) Leaf Extract, Glycol Distearate, Citrus Tangerina (tangerine) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (orange) Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate.
NONE of these are known to inhibit 5-alpha reductase as far as I know.
All the best,
Chris
I heard the Dermenodex shampoo is amazing. DO you beleive that? Thanks!
Hi Joe,
I’ve checked it out. The ingredients are pretty awful. I wouldn’t use that shampoo.
Chris
My question in your opinion do you think hair genesis will fill in thinning areas on a persons scalp . What is your take on silica gel for thicker hair
Hi Harry,
I’ve never tried hair genesis so I can’t tell you if it’s any good. However I’m not really interested in products that mask hair loss. I think it’s better to focus your efforts on regrowing your hair using powerful methods.
Silica gel won’t do much for you. Supplements that contain silica can benefit hair though.
Cheers,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I have two questions.
1. Do organic shampoo help removing DHT and 5-alpha?
2. I have thin hair and suffer hairloss. I am thinking to use organic shampoo which would removes DHT 5-alpha as well nourishes hair. Do you know of any organic shampoo. if not what are your recommendations?
Thank you for your valuable posts and comments.
Hi Danial,
The main benefits of organic shampoos over other shampoos is they are likely to have higher quality ingredients, they are likely to be gentler on the scalp, are less likely to contain parabens and are usually more nutritious. But unless they contain ingredients that are specifically designed to block 5-alpha-reductase or remove DHT, they will not.
You can view a list of some good quality organic SLS free shampoos here:
13 Organic Shampoos that Don’t Contain Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
Cheers,
Chris
Hi, have you heard of Pura d Or?
Hi Glorymar,
Yes I think it os one of the best anti DHT shampoos. I’ve added it to the list.
Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris
Are there any organic shampoos that you know of that are also DHT blockers?
I found this one shampoo below. Let me know your thoughts..thanks!
http://www.justnaturalskincare.com/hair-loss/vinegar-rinse-cleanser-hair-loss.html?gclid=CKSvt7PUpbQCFeZDMgod-EUAIQ
Hi Anim,
Yes the Pura D’or shampoo that I added to this article today is organic and contains a blend of anti DHT ingredients — this is probably one of the best (see above).
The Vinegar Rinse shampoo you linked to looks very very good. I will try that one next and will add it to this article.
Thanks!
Chris
Hello, any rating on Nizoral shampoo? What’s the best shampoo for preventing hairless? Im almost 29. And it’s starting a little on the corners, very subtle. My wife doesn’t think im balding but the hair in front feels different …or im paranoid.
Hi Matt,
Nizoral is quite a good one because of the key ingredient ketoconazole. Ketoconazole kills the fungus that causes dandruff and is also believed to be some kind of DHT blocker. I’ve also read that it may help stop hair loss. Check out this article for more details:
http://www.nicehair.org/hair-loss-treatments/4-shampoos-that-contain-ketoconazole-which-is-the-best
All the best,
Chris
Happy new year.
I have seen 2 shampoo and they seem good shampoo’s but i haven’t tried them, just wondering do you know if they are good by looking at their ingredients ?
ARGANLIFE & PURA DOR supposed to be chemical and sls free, naturally organic.
What do you think Chris ?
Hi Harry,
I haven’t seen Argan Life. I’ll check it out. But I did add Pura D’or to the page today. It’s one of the best hair loss shampoos I’ve seen.
All the best,
Chris
Please review the shampoo below. I have used it with some benefits but would like better detailed info on the ingredients. Thanks
http://www.amazon.com/Pura-dor-Hair-Loss-Prevention/dp/B0079R6BD2/ref=lh_ni_t_mi
Ingredients:
Purified water, sodium cocoyl isethionate (derived from coconut), cocamidopropyl betaine (derived from coconut), tea tree oil, argan oil, DHT blocker (proprietary herbal blend), black seed (kanoji) oil, amla oil, nettle extract, biotin, saw palmetto, cedarwood oil, rosemary oil, sage extract, he shou wu (fo-ti), hibiscus oil, pygeum extract, pumpkin seed oil, green tea extract, zinc, soy isoflavones, beta sitosterols, aloe vera, niacin, vitamin E, B-vitamin complex, phenoxyethanol (mild preservative), grapefruit seed extract (natural preservative), lactic acid (naturally occurring in yogurt) & dead sea salt.
Hi Randy,
I’ve added Pura D’or Organic Hair Loss Prevention shampoo to the article. It’s actually one of the best anti-DHT shampoos I’ve seen and actually one of the best hair loss shampoos.
All the best,
Chris
Pura d’or Hair Loss Prevention: Premium Organic Shampoo. What is your opinion on this product? Thanks.
Hi Chris,
Pura d’or looks like a really good shampoo. I’ve added it here:
http://www.nicehair.org/hair-loss-treatments/what-is-the-best-shampoo-for-hair-loss
Cheers,
Chris
I just ordered Boost Saw Palmetto Shampoo, $12.99 plus shipping. It does not contain parabens but I have no idea how much Saw Palmetto is in it. I hope it helps. I just started to rinse my hair with organic apple cider vinegar. Has not been long enough to see if it is helping but it is easy to do and the smell goes away quickly.It surprised me as it seems to make my hair look somewhat thicker right away.Will have to wait to see if it and the shampoo help with new growth and thinning.
Thanks M. Wright. I’ll check out Boost Saw Palmetto shampoo.
All the best,
Chris
Hi,
Spelling mistake in the first shampoo – DS Labratories Revita Anti-DHT Hair Loss Shampoo, you list the ingredient as “roobios” should be rooibos, (redbush)
cheers
Hi Billy,
Thanks! I’ve amended.
All the best,
Chris
Hello!
You have stated that of all the anti-dht shampoo, the main ingredient that works is the saw palmetto. My question is, can I take the saw palmetto supplement orally instead of having it on a shampoo? Saw palmetto oral supplements are for men with prostate problems or for just maintaining the health of their prostate.
Looking forward to hear from you. Thank you!
Hi ElJohn,
Yes you can. My advice is to read this article, which lists what I consider to be the world’s best natural DHT blocker supplements.
Chris
i know a very effective hair loss treatment. you will need following oils:
mustard oil
olive oil
coconut oil
almond oil
mix all these oil and then use it for two months. your results will speak for yourslef.this is a very old method of treating hairloss when these expensive and chemically dangerous shampoos were not available and since the process of treatment is organic, there are no side effects.
Thank You
Thanks Muhammad,
I’ll look into these ingredients.
Chris
Can I open a capsule of saw palmetto,add it to the amount of shampoo on my head and massage it?
Hi Nabila,
You can do this with some supplements, but it depends on whether the contents of the supplement are soluble in oil. If they’re not they won’t penetrate your scalp skin. The best idea is to by saw palmetto oil or saw palmetto soft gels and remove the oil from the softgels.
Good thinking though!
Chris
Sadly it appears Purador has removed ketoconazole as one of its ingredients from its hair loss shampoo. I’ve seen some decent results with this shampoo using the old formula that included ketoconazole. But I’m not reticent to purchase the new formula because of this ingredient being removed. I’ve sent an email to the manufacturer asking for an explanation but haven’t heard anything back.
Pura D’or has changed the formula. It used to contain DHT blockers, now their formula says it prevents hair thinning due to hair breakage, they don’t even mention DHT. I used to love their shampoo I won’t waste my money on it any more. Go and check their website. So far in my long life span, I have found only one thing that kept my hair from falling out. It stinks but it really helped me keep my hair while going through chemo and whatever I lost I grew back as soon as I quit chemo. It’s crude oil. I put it on at night, rubbed it into my scalp. Wrapped my head in a towel and slept with the towel on. Washed my hair in the morning. For intensive treatment I did it 3 times a week. For maintenance I do it 1 or 2 times a week. Pennsylvania Crude Oil scalp treatment. As I said it stinks, but it has all the minerals amino acids and essential fatty acids which our scalp and hair need to be very healthy, it really works and I have gorgeous thick hair.