Most men and women spend money on the wrong treatment because they skip the first step: knowing their actual hair loss stage.
That gap matters. Finasteride and minoxidil are the two options with real clinical backing, but which one, at what dose, and through which service depends heavily on how far your hair loss has progressed. The same is true for anyone wondering whether a transplant conversation is even worth having yet. Before spending a dollar, it helps to know where you stand.
Here is how to think through the decision, and how five specific options map onto it.
How to Decide
Four questions narrow the field fast.
How far along is your hair loss? Early-stage loss (Norwood 1-3) responds well to medication. Later stages may need medication plus a surgical consult. Knowing your Norwood number before you shop is not optional, it is the whole starting point.
Do you want prescription-strength treatment or OTC? Finasteride requires a prescription and comes with a real, if minority-level, risk of sexual side effects. Minoxidil is available over the counter. Knowing which you are comfortable with filters out half the options immediately.
What is your monthly budget? Generic minoxidil costs roughly $10-15 per month. Subscription services with a prescribing clinician run $20-60. Custom compounded prescriptions can push higher.
Do you want a clinic or purely online? Some people want a face in front of them. Others want a browser and a credit card. Both paths exist.
The 5 Options
1. HairLine AI (Free Assessment Tool)
Free. No account. No payment screen.
HairLine AI is a browser-based tool that reads a webcam shot or uploaded photo, identifies the geometry of your hairline using MediaPipe, and then runs the image through Gemini 3 Pro to assign a Norwood classification. On the same screen it estimates graft count and a rough transplant cost range, so you get a full picture in about two minutes.
This is not a pharmacy or a clinic. It does not prescribe anything. What it does is give you an objective starting point that is not filtered through a brand trying to sell you a subscription. That independence is the point. You can take the Norwood read to a dermatologist, or use it to decide which subscription tier from the services below actually fits your situation. Results are a guide, not a medical diagnosis, and an in-person clinician should still confirm before you commit to any treatment path.
2. Hims (Widest Rx Range)
Hims is the only major telehealth service currently offering topical finasteride, which matters for men who want Rx-level treatment while reducing the systemic absorption that oral finasteride involves. They also carry oral finasteride, topical minoxidil, oral minoxidil, and combination kits. Pricing varies by product and plan. The breadth of options makes it a reasonable fit once you already know what you need, which is why doing an assessment first pays off.
3. Keeps (Budget-Friendly Subscriptions)
Keeps positions itself specifically around hair loss, not general men’s health. Their three-month plan pricing tends to undercut single-month rates, and shipping is around $5. They offer finasteride and minoxidil but not the topical finasteride that Hims carries. Good for someone who has already confirmed they want a standard finasteride plus minoxidil regimen and wants to keep costs predictable.
4. Happy Head (Custom Compounded Formulas)
Happy Head works with prescription compounding to create topical combinations, mixing finasteride, minoxidil, and other ingredients into a single application. This is for people who have already been through the basics and want a clinician-guided formula rather than off-the-shelf ratios. Compounded products are not FDA-approved as individual drugs in the same way generics are, which is a real distinction worth understanding before signing up.
5. Generic Minoxidil Plus Ketoconazole Shampoo (OTC Stack)
Cheap. Widely available. Genuinely effective for many people.
Generic minoxidil 5% foam or solution runs $10-15 a month at most pharmacies. Pairing it with a ketoconazole 1-2% shampoo adds a scalp-health layer that some studies associate with modest additional benefit. This stack makes sense for early-stage loss, for people who cannot use finasteride, or for anyone who wants to try something before committing to a telehealth subscription. Results still take three to six months minimum, and stopping minoxidil means any regrowth eventually reverses.
The Short Version
Know your Norwood stage first, then match the treatment to what it actually shows. HairLine AI handles that first step for free and without any sales process attached. From there, Hims is the pick if you want the widest Rx menu, Keeps if you want lower subscription costs, Happy Head if you want compounded formulas, and generic minoxidil if you want to start with zero friction and low cost.
See also: Boost Your Study Efficiency: Combining Digital Utilities with Expert Guidance
Common Questions
Does it matter which Norwood stage you are before choosing between Hims, Keeps, or Happy Head?
Yes, and significantly. Norwood 1-3 users often do fine on standard finasteride plus minoxidil, which Keeps handles cheaply. Norwood 4 and above may benefit from a wider prescription menu or compounded topicals. Running a free assessment through HairLine AI before picking a subscription saves you from paying for a tier that does not match your actual situation.
Is topical finasteride from Hims meaningfully different from the oral version sold by Keeps?
The active ingredient is the same. The difference is absorption. Topical finasteride delivers the drug directly to the scalp, which results in lower measured blood serum levels compared to the oral pill. Whether that translates to fewer systemic side effects for any individual is not fully settled by clinical data yet, but the pharmacological rationale is sound and published.
What does “compounded” actually mean on a Happy Head prescription, and why does FDA approval status matter?
Compounding means a pharmacy mixes ingredients to a custom formula rather than dispensing a factory-made drug. The FDA does not approve compounded products the same way it approves generics. That is not automatically a red flag, but it does mean the specific combination has less standardized safety and efficacy data behind it than a drug that went through full FDA review.
Can you use HairLine AI’s Norwood result to get a prescription, or does a clinician still need to assess you separately?
HairLine AI produces a classification only, not a clinical diagnosis. No telehealth service, including Hims or Keeps, will write a prescription based on an AI photo tool. You still go through their own intake process and clinician review. The value of the HairLine AI result is that you walk into that intake already knowing roughly where you stand, which makes the conversation faster and more specific.
If you stop minoxidil after six months of regrowth, does all of that hair fall out again?
Generally, yes. Minoxidil does not alter the underlying cause of androgenetic alopecia. It keeps hair follicles in an active growth phase while you use it. Once you stop, follicles that were previously miniaturizing typically return to that pattern within three to six months. This applies whether you are using generic OTC minoxidil or a compounded topical that includes it.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology, published clinical guidance on hair loss management (aad.org)
- Norwood-Hamilton Scale, original classification reference
- FDA drug database entries for finasteride and minoxidil
- Hims, Keeps, and Happy Head product pages (publicly listed pricing and product descriptions, verified 2025-2026)
