Male hair loss is a common problem. By the age of 70, 80% of men will have moderate to extensive hair loss [1-2]. This can have a serious impact on your confidence and self-image.
While there’s no cure for baldness, there are several hair loss treatments for men that are proven to slow hair shedding and even reverse the process, helping your hair grow back.
If you’re serious about tackling hair loss, your first line of defence should be non-surgical treatment. As a last resort, hair transplant surgery is a proven and effective solution. The Wimpole Clinic has treated thousands of men suffering from hair loss for nearly 50 years, picking up the best hair transplant clinic award three years running, from 2020 to 2023.In this article, we share our experience with every male hair loss treatment that works. We’ll explore the effectiveness, safety, and side effects of each treatment type, and give you tips on how to choose the best male hair loss treatment for you. For a free consultation, our patient advisors are on-hand. Book an in-person or video consultation to get started.
Male hair loss is a common condition that affects most men at some point in their lives. Most hair loss affects the scalp, but some men will also see beard hair loss and alopecia on other parts of the body.
While hair loss isn’t usually a cause for concern, it can impact your confidence and self-esteem. So if your hair loss is getting you down, it’s a good idea to find a treatment sooner rather than later. This can preserve your existing hair and minimise the need for more invasive treatments further down the line.
Each male hair loss treatment is formulated to tackle a specific type of hair loss. So before you find a treatment, you need to establish the cause.
Male pattern baldness is by far the biggest cause of hair loss in men [3]. It’s driven by a combination of genetics, hormones, and age. Some men are affected as early as adolescence, while others won’t see hair loss until their 50s or 60s.
Male pattern baldness is measured using the Norwood Scale. This helps you understand how much hair loss you’ve lost, and how many hair grafts you might need.
Other less common causes of male hair loss include:
In this article, we’ll focus primarily on hair loss treatments for male pattern baldness, as this is the most widespread cause of male hair loss.
These non-surgical treatment options have been used effectively by the Wimpole Clinic for many years. Each of them is proven to prevent hair loss and regrow hair for men.
Finasteride is the most commonly used non-surgical treatment for male pattern baldness [4]. It works by blocking DHT production, so less of this hormone can bind to receptors in your follicles and cause them to shrink.
One study found that Finasteride stopped hair loss in 70% of men with temple hair loss, and 83% of men with crown hair loss. Over 5 years, 90% maintained or improved their hair growth by taking Finasteride every day [5].
Finasteride is generally safe to use. However, a small proportion of Finasteride users experience side effects including erectile dysfunction and decreased sex drive.
Minoxidil is a versatile hair loss treatment for men. It’s been shown to stimulate hair growth in male patients with several hair loss conditions, including androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness), alopecia areata, and telogen effluvium, as well as some scarring alopecias [6].
Minoxidil doesn’t have many serious side effects. Itchiness, dry skin, and headaches are among the most common side effects reported by patients [6].
Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is an alternative hair loss treatment that uses light lasers to stimulate cellular activity and increase blood flow to the hair follicles. Red light therapy for hair growth is a common type of LLLT.
It’s effective for most forms of non-scarring hair loss, including male pattern baldness. Combining laser regrowth therapy with Finasteride or Minoxidil can improve results even further [8].
LLLT may cause mild skin irritation, but it hasn’t been linked with any long-term side effects.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy involves extracting and concentrating platelets in a small amount of your blood. These platelets are then injected into the site of your hair loss, helping to stimulate hair growth.
PRP hair treatments have shown promising results for lots of male hair loss conditions, including beard alopecia and male pattern baldness [9-10]. Find out more about the success rates of PRP hair treatments.
Some patients feel mild discomfort at the injection site, as well as swelling and a sore scalp.
Hair transplants are the most effective way to permanently restore hair lost to male pattern baldness. With a 97-100% success rate at the Wimpole Clinic, this popular procedure is one of the best hair loss treatments for men.
But hair transplants should also be a last resort. While surgery can permanently restore transplanted hair, you can still lose native hair if you’re not taking steps to reduce hair loss.
Continuing hair loss can ultimately lead to you needing a second hair transplant down the road, which might not be possible if you don’t have enough hair left in your donor area. So it’s important to use a combination of non-surgical and surgical male hair loss treatments.
A male pattern baldness patient before and after a hair transplant at the Wimpole Clinic.
Hair transplants are more affordable than you might think. On average, a UK hair transplant costs £4,820. So while it’s the most expensive hair loss treatment for men, it’s also the most permanent solution — and you don’t need to pay tens of thousands to get a great result.
Speak to the Wimpole Clinic team to discover if a hair transplant is the best male hair loss treatment for you. We can diagnose your hair loss and create a bespoke treatment plan that incorporates both non-surgical and surgical procedures to kickstart your hair regrowth.
If your hair loss is still very mild, you might want to try a natural or home hair loss remedy. Some natural hair loss remedies do work, although they might not be the ones you expect.
Taking vitamins for hair growth probably won’t work. The supplements industry is largely unregulated, which means there are a lot of bold but unsubstantiated claims about their effectiveness. Our exclusive research review found that most vitamin supplements only help hair growth if you have a clinical deficiency.
So which natural hair loss treatments for men do work? Here are a few hair growth essential oils that have been scientifically proven to reduce hair loss in men:
Essential oils are highly concentrated, so they shouldn’t be directly applied to your skin.
Instead, mix your chosen essential oil with a carrier oil like jojoba, almond, or olive oil.
Essential oils can irritate your scalp, so perform a patch test and wait 24 hours to see if you have any side effects before applying more.
If essential oils aren’t your thing, there are other home hair loss treatments you can try. Each of these treatments and lifestyle changes help to promote hair growth if your hair is mild and not progressing rapidly.
Topical caffeine solutions and caffeine shampoos can stimulate hair growth in patients with male pattern baldness, as well as other groups [16-17]. So switching to a caffeine shampoo may help reduce excessive hair shedding.
Leave caffeine shampoo on your scalp for at least two minutes before rinsing.
If you are interested in other shampoos that will aid in hair growth, check out our list of the best hair loss shampoos that work for men.
If you’re worried about hair loss, you may be able to make some lifestyle changes to preserve your hair. These should always be considered, even if you decide to opt for non-surgical and/or surgical hair loss treatments.
A 2020 study found 85% of smokers had symptoms of male pattern baldness, compared with just 40% of non-smokers [18]. So smoking can more than double your risk of hair loss.
Quitting smoking can increase blood flow to the scalp and reduce oxidative stress, improving your hair health.
Heat styling practices like straightening and curling your hair can lead to hair damage and breakage. This won’t cause hair loss directly, but it will compromise the hair you do have, making it look thinner and less healthy.
Hair transplants are the best permanent hair loss treatment for men. But they shouldn’t always be the first port of call. For men with early-stage hair loss, it’s best to maintain your existing hair using a non-surgical treatment, at least at first.
If you meet any of the following criteria, a hair transplant is worth considering:
To find out more about getting a hair transplant in London, book a free consultation with the Wimpole Clinic.
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