Best Picks: Every Buyer's Guide

10 picks ranked

Best Hair Growth Products

From FDA-approved minoxidil to laser helmets, supplements and instant cover-ups: the single product worth buying in each category, which ones actually grow hair, and how to combine them into a routine that fits your cause of thinning.

7 picks ranked

Best Minoxidil for Men

Every product here contains 5% minoxidil, the only topical hair regrowth drug the FDA has approved for men. What separates them is the vehicle, the irritation risk, and what you pay per month for the next decade.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Growth Products for Men

Male pattern hair loss has two treatments with strong evidence and a long tail of add-ons with weaker support. We picked the best product in each category and ranked them in the order you should actually spend your money.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Growth Products for Women

Female hair thinning has more possible causes than male pattern loss, and only one over-the-counter drug approved to treat it. We picked the best product in each category and ranked them by what the evidence says they can do.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Growth Vitamins

Hair growth vitamins are one of the most heavily marketed products in beauty, and one of the least understood. The ones worth buying either correct a measured deficiency or have at least some placebo-controlled evidence behind them.

6 picks ranked

Best Saw Palmetto for Hair Loss

Saw palmetto has more real evidence for hair than almost anything else in the supplement aisle. It is also clearly weaker than finasteride. Buying the right extract at the right dose is the difference between giving it a fair trial and wasting six months.

7 picks ranked

Best Postpartum Hair Loss Products

Postpartum hair loss looks alarming but is almost always temporary. The right products will not speed up the calendar, but they can make thinning less obvious, cut breakage and keep you away from treatments that are not suitable while breastfeeding.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Growth Serum

Drug-free scalp serums can make hair look fuller and support a healthier scalp, but none of them is an FDA-approved regrowth treatment. Here is which ones are worth the money, and when you should be buying minoxidil instead.

6 picks ranked

Best Hair Growth Oil

Oils are excellent at protecting hair from breakage and pleasant for scalp massage, but the evidence that any oil regrows hair is thin. Here is how to pick one that suits your hair, and what to expect from it.

6 picks ranked

Best Rosemary Oil for Hair Growth

Rosemary oil's reputation rests on one small trial against 2% minoxidil. It is a promising, low-cost experiment, not a proven treatment. Here is how to choose a pure oil or a ready-made blend, and how to use it safely.

7 picks ranked

Best Laser Cap for Hair Growth

Low-level light therapy has real, if modest, clinical support for pattern hair loss, and several home devices are FDA-cleared. But they cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, so the right choice depends on your hair loss, your routine and how you will actually use it.

6 picks ranked

Best Derma Roller for Hair Growth

Scalp microneedling has some of the most encouraging add-on evidence in hair loss, mainly when combined with minoxidil. The tool matters less than the needle length, the hygiene and the timing. Here is what to buy and how to do it right.

7 picks ranked

Best Minoxidil for Women

Minoxidil is the only topical drug the FDA has approved to regrow hair in women. It comes in two women's forms, a 2% solution used twice a day and a 5% foam used once, and the choice between them matters more than the brand on the box.

7 picks ranked

Best Ketoconazole Shampoo

Ketoconazole is a proven dandruff fighter with a small but intriguing body of evidence for hair loss. Over the counter, one brand dominates, so the smarter questions are which size to buy, how to use it, and what to rotate it with.

6 picks ranked

Best DHT Blocker Shampoo

Plenty of shampoos promise to block DHT, the hormone behind pattern hair loss. Only one common shampoo ingredient has meaningful human evidence for hair loss, and it is not the one most labels advertise.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Growth Shampoo

A shampoo cannot regrow hair by itself, but the right one keeps your scalp healthy, reduces breakage and fits around treatments that do work. Here is how the best-selling growth shampoos compare.

6 picks ranked

Best Collagen for Hair Growth

Collagen is a convenient source of protein, and protein matters for hair. But the evidence that collagen supplements grow hair is thin. Here is how to choose a good one, and how to set honest expectations.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Topper for Thinning Hair

A well-chosen topper covers a thinning crown or widening part in minutes and lets you keep your own hair everywhere else. The right one depends on the size of the area, the base it is built on, and how gently it attaches to hair that is already fragile.

7 picks ranked

Best Iron Supplement for Hair Loss

Low iron stores are one of the most common treatable contributors to shedding in women. The right supplement can help when a blood test confirms a deficiency, and it can do harm when it does not.

6 picks ranked

Best Biotin for Hair Growth

Biotin is the most heavily marketed hair supplement and one of the least proven. If you still want one, here is how to choose a sensible dose, avoid lab-test problems and not overpay for a vitamin most people already get enough of.

6 picks ranked

Best Batana Oil

Batana oil went viral as a hair growth miracle. The truth is more modest: it is a thick, traditional Honduran oil that can soften dry hair and reduce breakage, with no clinical trials behind the growth claims and real questions about what is in many bottles.

7 picks ranked

Best Castor Oil for Hair Growth

Castor oil is cheap, thick and everywhere in hair-growth videos. No clinical trial shows it regrows hair, but used well it can protect fragile hair from breaking. Here is how to pick a clean bottle and use it without the mess.

6 picks ranked

Best Pumpkin Seed Oil for Hair Loss

Pumpkin seed oil has one small, encouraging trial behind it, which is more than most natural hair remedies can claim and far less than minoxidil or finasteride. Here is how to buy it sensibly, in capsules or as a topical oil, and what to expect.

7 picks ranked

Best Vitamin D Supplement for Hair Loss

Low vitamin D turns up again and again in people who are shedding, but an association is not a cure. Here is what the evidence supports, how to find out whether you are low, and which D3 supplements are worth buying when you are.

7 picks ranked

Best Wig for Women with Hair Loss

When hair loss is extensive, from chemotherapy, alopecia areata or advanced thinning, a well-made wig gives back a look that feels like your own. The right one depends far more on the cap than on the style.

7 picks ranked

Best DHT Blocker

Finasteride and dutasteride are the only DHT blockers with strong evidence for hair loss, and both need a prescription. Over the counter, you are choosing between weaker approaches: a pill, a shampoo, a seed oil or a multi-ingredient formula. Here is the best of each, and what each can realistically do.

7 picks ranked

Best Scalp Massager

A good scalp massager costs less than a coffee, feels great, and helps you clean your scalp properly. Whether it grows hair is a much smaller question than the marketing suggests, and the honest answer shapes which one you should buy.

7 picks ranked

Best Conditioner for Thinning Hair

Thin hair needs conditioner more than most, because fine strands break easily, but the wrong one flattens it against the scalp. These lightweight, volumizing conditioners protect fragile hair while keeping it full.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Fibers for Thinning Hair

Hair fibers are the closest thing to an instant fix for thinning hair. They do not grow anything, but a well-matched fiber, applied properly and locked in place, can make scalp show-through disappear for the whole day.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Thickening Products

Thickening stylers will not grow a single hair, but the right mousse, cream or root spray can make fine or thinning hair look noticeably fuller from the moment you blow-dry it. The trick is matching the product to your hair and using it properly.

7 picks ranked

Best Shampoo for Thinning Hair

The right shampoo will not regrow hair, but it can make thinning hair look and feel noticeably fuller from the first wash. These are the thickening and volumizing shampoos worth buying, matched to hair type.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Care Products for Women

Most women do not need a twelve-step routine. They need a gentle shampoo, a conditioner that suits their hair, one repair step, and protection from heat. These are the products we would build that routine around.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Products for Curly Hair

Curly hair needs more moisture, gentler cleansing and a product that holds the curl pattern without turning it stiff. These are the curl creams, gels, leave-ins and co-washes worth buying, matched to the curls they suit.

7 picks ranked

Best Black Hair Care Products

Type 4 and relaxed hair grows like any other hair. What holds length back is dryness and breakage. These are the leave-ins, butters, stylers and treatments that do the most to keep the length you grow.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Treatment for Damaged Hair

Bleach, color and heat break hair from the inside; dryness and friction rough it up from the outside. The right treatment depends on which kind of damage you have. These are the bond builders and masks worth buying for each.

7 picks ranked

Best Scalp Scrub

A good scalp scrub clears product buildup, excess oil and dead skin that shampoo leaves behind. It will not regrow hair, and the wrong one can irritate. These are the physical and chemical scalp exfoliants worth using, and who should skip them.

7 picks ranked

Best Heat Protectant Spray

A heat protectant cannot make a 450°F iron harmless, but it measurably reduces the damage that turns fine or thinning hair into broken, frizzy ends. Here is what to buy for your hair type and how to use it so it actually works.

7 picks ranked

Best Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo is a brilliant way to stretch a blowout and add lift to fine roots. It is also easy to overuse. Here are the formulas worth buying, what the aerosol recalls actually covered, and how to use dry shampoo without neglecting your scalp.

7 picks ranked

Best Silk Pillowcase for Hair

A silk pillowcase will not regrow hair or stop shedding. What it can do is reduce the friction that tangles, frizzes and breaks fragile hair while you sleep. Here is how to buy one that is worth the money, and when cheaper satin does the job.

7 picks ranked

Best Leave-In Conditioner

A good leave-in detangles, softens and cuts down on the breakage that makes hair look thinner than it is. The wrong one weighs fine hair flat or leaves curls thirsty. Here is how to pick by texture, and the formulas worth buying.

8 picks ranked

Best Purple Shampoo

Purple shampoo is simple color theory in a bottle: violet pigment cancels out yellow. The hard part is picking the right strength for your hair and using it often enough to work, but not so often that you turn lilac.

7 picks ranked

Best Clarifying Shampoo

A clarifying shampoo is a reset button for hair weighed down by product, oil, minerals or pool water. Used every week or few weeks, it makes hair lighter and your other products work better. Used too often, it dries hair and fades color.

7 picks ranked

Best Shower Filter for Hair

A shower filter can make hair and skin feel better if your water is heavily chlorinated. It will not turn hard water soft, and it will not stop hair loss, whatever the box says.

7 picks ranked

Best Anti-Frizz Serum

Frizz is what happens when hair takes on moisture unevenly. A good serum slows that down and smooths the surface, but the right one depends on how fine or thick your hair is and how humid your days are.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Spray

A good hair spray holds your style all day and brushes out without a fight. The right one depends on how much hold you need, how fine your hair is, and whether you prefer an aerosol or a pump.

7 picks ranked

Best Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Sulfates are not toxic and they do not cause hair loss, but they are strong cleansers that can leave dry, curly, bleached or sensitive hair rougher than it needs to be. These are the gentler everyday shampoos worth switching to, and who can safely skip the trend.

7 picks ranked

Best Shampoo for Oily Hair

Oily hair is mostly down to hormones and genetics, not something you did wrong. The right daily shampoo removes sebum efficiently without leaving your scalp tight or your ends dry, and washing more often will not make it worse.

6 picks ranked

Best Shampoo for Itchy Scalp

Most itchy scalps come down to one of four things: dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis, a reaction to a product, psoriasis, or plain dryness. Each responds to a different shampoo, and using the wrong one can make the itch worse.

6 picks ranked

Best Shampoo for Color-Treated Hair

Every wash takes a little color with it. The right shampoo slows that down by cleaning gently and leaving the cuticle smooth, but how you wash matters as much as what you wash with. These are the color-protecting shampoos worth buying, and the routine that makes them work.

8 picks ranked

Best At-Home Hair Color

Box dye has come a long way, but the basics have not changed: pick the right type of color, match the shade honestly, and do the patch test every time. We ranked eight kits on coverage, ease of use, gentleness and value.

8 picks ranked

Best Dandruff Shampoo

Dandruff shampoos are over-the-counter drugs, and the active ingredient in the Drug Facts box matters far more than the brand on the front. Here is how the four active classes differ, which bottle to buy for your scalp, how to rotate them, and why clearing flakes can also calm shedding.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Dryer

A good dryer protects your hair by getting the job done quickly at a moderate temperature. We ranked seven on airflow, heat control, weight and value, with extra weight on how kind they are to fine, fragile or thinning hair.

7 picks ranked

Best Flat Iron

A flat iron presses hot plates directly onto your hair, which makes it the most damaging tool most people own. The right one gets you straight in a single pass at the lowest temperature that works. We ranked seven on exactly that.

7 picks ranked

Best Curling Iron

The best curling iron gives you curls that hold at a moderate temperature, so you are not cranking the heat to make fine hair cooperate. We ranked seven irons and wands on heat control, barrel size, ease of use and value.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Dryer Brush

A hair dryer brush dries and styles in one step, which can mean less total heat than a dryer followed by a flat iron. We ranked seven, from the budget Revlon One-Step to multi-stylers like the Shark FlexStyle and Dyson Airwrap, on volume, heat control and value.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Straightening Brush

A heated straightening brush smooths dry hair in a few passes with less clamping and tension than a flat iron. It will not give you glass-straight hair, but used at the right temperature it is one of the gentler ways to tame frizz. Here is what to buy.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Brush for Thinning Hair

No brush grows hair. But the wrong brush, used the wrong way, snaps fragile strands and makes thin hair look thinner. Here is how to choose a gentle brush or comb and use it so every strand you have stays put.

7 picks ranked

Best Dyson Airwrap Alternative

The Airwrap made styling with airflow mainstream, and now several credible brands sell multi-stylers that do most of what it does for much less. We ranked seven, with the Airwrap itself as the benchmark, on curl quality, heat control, attachments and value.

7 picks ranked

Best Dyson Supersonic Alternative

High-speed drying used to mean buying a Dyson. Now Shark, Laifen, ghd and Dreame sell dryers built on the same idea for a fraction of the price. We compared seven, with a Supersonic as the benchmark, on speed, heat control, weight and what you really give up.

7 picks ranked

Best Heated Rollers

Hot rollers fell out of fashion, then came back because they solve a real problem: lasting volume without clamping hair in a hot iron. We ranked seven sets on volume, hold, heat, clips and ease of use, with extra weight on fine and thinning hair.

6 picks ranked

Best Hair Products for Men

Most men's hair care comes down to two products: a styler that suits your hair and haircut, and a wash routine that keeps it from looking greasy or flat. These are the picks that do each job best.

7 picks ranked

Best Shampoo for Men

Men's shampoos are mostly marketed on fragrance and packaging, but what actually matters is whether a formula suits an oily, dry or flaky scalp and how often you wash. These are the everyday shampoos that get it right.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Clippers

A good clipper pays for itself in a few skipped barber visits. The right one depends on whether you are keeping a simple buzz, cutting someone else's hair, or going short because your hair is thinning.

7 picks ranked

Best Beard Trimmer

A good beard trimmer does two jobs: hold an even length across your face and give you clean edges without irritating the skin. Here is what to buy for stubble, a growing beard, or a long one.

6 picks ranked

Best Head Shaver

If your hair is thinning and you have decided to take it all off, the right head shaver makes the daily or every-other-day shave quick, comfortable and close. Here is what to buy, and how to look after the scalp underneath.

7 picks ranked

Best Electric Shaver for Men

Foil or rotary, wet or dry, premium or budget: the right electric shaver depends on your beard, your skin and how often you shave. Here is how the major brands compare and which models are worth buying.

7 picks ranked

Best Hair Dye for Men

Men's hair color has split into three camps: full coverage, gray blending and gradual shampoos. The right pick depends on how much gray you want to keep, and on a skin allergy test most men skip.

7 picks ranked

Best Nose Hair Trimmer

A good nose hair trimmer removes what shows without tugging, nicking or removing the hair your nose actually needs. Here is what to buy, and why plucking is the one method to avoid.

6 picks ranked

Best Body Groomer for Men

Body hair grows over curves, folds and thin skin that a beard trimmer was never designed for. A good body groomer is built around one goal: trimming close without cutting you.

6 picks ranked

Best Beard Growth Oil

Beard oil makes a beard softer, less itchy and better looking, which can make it look fuller. It does not make new hair grow. Here is what to buy, and what to try if real growth is the goal.

6 picks ranked

Best Eyelash Growth Serum

The lash serums that work best tend to borrow from glaucoma drugs. That is why they can lengthen lashes, and why they can also darken eyelids and, rarely, eye color. Here is how to choose carefully.

7 picks ranked

Best Eyebrow Growth Serum

The brow serums with the most visible results usually rely on prostaglandin analogs, the same drug family as prescription lash treatments. That brings real side effects. Here is how to choose with your eyes open.

7 picks ranked

Best Beard Grooming Kit

A good beard kit bundles the few things a beard really needs, a wash, a conditioner, an oil or balm and the right brush or comb, into one box. Here is how to pick one that suits the beard, not just the wrapping paper.

8 picks ranked

Best Beard Growth Products

Most products sold for beard growth condition the beard you already have. A few can plausibly change how much grows. This guide separates the two, ranks the best of each, and is honest about the evidence behind every pick.