Hims Hair Kit Reviews

About Hims Hair Kit

By Derek Lakin

HighYa Staff

Published on: Dec 19, 2017

By connecting men with credible doctors to obtain preventative care prescriptions, but without appointments, waiting rooms, or awkward conversations, Hims Hair Kits and sexual health products promise to help make achieving personal wellness easy and affordable.

In fact, the website reports theirs are available at up to 80 percent less than over-the-counter products and prescription options found at your local pharmacy.

But, when it comes to hair loss and sexual wellness, is the lowest priced option necessarily your best? Regardless, can you expect Hims kits to help you keep that beautiful hair, as claimed on the website?

Stick with us over the next few minutes, and we’ll help you decide whether or not you should go with them, or one of the competitors.

The Basics of Hair Loss

In our hair loss product buying guide, we explain that hair loss can be caused by a wide variety of issues, including poor nutrition, some medications, trauma, and poor grooming habits.

However, among men and women, the most common cause is androgenetic alopecia, or male and female pattern baldness. While the process isn’t fully understood by the medical community, it’s thought that a hormone named dihydrotestosterone attacks hair follicles and causes them to produce increasingly thin hair. Eventually, they stop producing hair altogether.

While there’s no known cure for hair loss, how do Hims’ kits claim to help?

Which Products and Ingredients Will You Find in Hims Hair Kits?

With thee details in mind, Hims offers three different kits, as well as each of their products a la carte:

• Edible Hair Kit – Finasteride (30 x 1 mg pills) and The Vitamin (30 edible biotin gummies)
• OTC Hair Kit – DHT Shampoo (8 oz bottle) and The Vitamin
• Complete Hair Kit – Everything found in the above kits, in addition to a 2 oz bottle of minoxidil drops

Keep in mind that to place an order for a kit containing finasteride, you’ll need to obtain a prescription through one of the doctors in the company’s network.

To accomplish this, the site’s FAQ indicates you’ll need to complete a digital assessment on their website, which they indicate will take less than five minutes. Beforehand, though, you’ll need to enter your DOB, shipping and credit card information, and upload a government-issued ID.

Afterward, customers can ask the doctor questions anytime using the company’s secure, HIPAA-compliant messaging platform.

Important note: All of Hims’ doctors are licensed, board certified, and located in the United States, although they’re not licensed in every state. Before placing your order, make sure you take a look at their licensed states, which could vary depending on the product you’re considering.

Except for prescription medications, all of the products found in Hims Hair Kits are manufactured in the US. These include:

5% Minoxidil Treatment

Ingredients: 5% Minoxidil w/v, Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Purified Water

Without going into unnecessary detail, minoxidil (the active ingredient popularized by brands like Rogaine, although it’s also found in hundreds of OTC products, whether from Hims or otherwise) is a vasodilator, which means it’s a substance that widens blood vessels and improves circulation, leading to improvements in male and female pattern baldness.

However, WebMD, reports that it’s not understood exactly how minoxidil accomplishes this, and that “it is not used for baldness at the front of the scalp or receding hairline in men.” In other words, if you’re suffering from hair loss anywhere other than the crown, it might not be a valid option.

Of course, this is something that Hims can help you determine through their five-minute digital assessment.

DHT Shampoo

Beauty expert Paula Begoun emphasizes that only the first five or six ingredients in any shampoo are present in high enough concentrations to make a meaningful difference. However, since some ingredients further down DHT Shampoo’s list have some clinical support for their efficacy related to hair loss, we’ve presented the complete lineup here:

Purified Water, Sodium Xylenesulfonate, Cocamide Betaine, Trideceth Sulfate, Cocamide MEA, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Salicylic Acid, Lavender Oil, Peppermint Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Methylparaben, Polyquaternium 7, Phenoxyethanol, Cysteine-Bis-PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Lecithin, Nettle Leaf Extract, Hops Flower Extract, Grapefruit Peel Extract, Biotin, Folic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Niacinamide, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine, Riboflavin, Thiamine, Yeast Peptides, Yeast Extract, Blue 1

According to sites like Truth In Aging, EWG.org, and WebMD, the majority of DHT Shampoo’s ingredients act as surfactants and cleansing agents (sodium xylenesulfonate, cocamide betaine, trideceth sulfate), emulsifiers (cocamidopropyl betaine), conditioners (glycerin, cysteine-bis-PG-propyl silanetriol), preservatives (sodium benzoate, methylparaben, phenoxyethanol), and film formers and antistatic agents (polyquaternium 7).

They indicate that salicylic acid is especially effective for increasing cell turnover, which can help promote scalp health, although there's little-reported evidence that this can directly impact genetic hair loss.

On the other hand, WebMD tells us that lavender is possibly effective for improving “hair growth by as much as 44% after 7 months of treatment,” when combined with a topical solution of thyme, rosemary, and cedarwood oils.

However, none of these sites reported that these ingredients have been specifically shown to address DHT’s negative impact on hair follicles.

Multivitamin Supplement

The only ingredients listed on the Hims website for their Multivitamin Supplement were: Corn Syrup (From Corn, Sugar (From Beets), Water, Gelatin, Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, Pectin (Derived from Fruits), Colors (from fruits and vegetables), Lactic Acid.

We called the customer support line below during normal business hours looking for additional information, although the only option was to leave a voicemail. As such, we sent an email but hadn't received a response at the time of publishing.

Hims Finasteride

Each film-coated pill contains 1 mg of Finasteride.

Note: Per the Hims FAQ, “It is not known if Finasteride works for a receding hairline on either side of and above your forehead (temporal area).”

Could Any of the Ingredients in Hims Hair Kits Cause Side Effects?

The Hims FAQ emphasizes that their “hair loss products are only recommended for patients age 18 – 65,” and their sexual health products “for patients aged 25 – 65.” Furthermore, that Finasteride “is for use by men only and should not be used by women or children.”

Outside of this, WebMD indicates that common side effects associated with minoxidil include burning, stinging, or redness at the application site (no specifics provided). In some instances, however, (again, no specifics) it can cause serious side effects such as dizziness, fast or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, and hand or foot swelling.

RxList indicates that finasteride can cause side effects such as impotence, abnormal ejaculation or trouble having an orgasm, dizziness, weakness, runny nose, and skin rash.

Finally, WebMD reports that in rare instances, tea tree oil can cause skin irritation and swelling.

How Much Do Hims Hair Loss Kits Cost?

Hims’ hair kits will cost you:

• Edible Kit: $28/mo
• OTC Hair Kit: $30/mo
• Complete Hair Kit: $44/mo

Individual hair loss and sexual wellness products are priced at:

• Vitamins: $16
• Minoxidil: $13
• DHT Shampoo: $11
• Finasteride: $28.50
• Sildenafil: $20

When purchasing your first hair kit, Hims provides free shipping via first class mail. For all subsequent orders, they charge a flat $5 rate, while orders over $50 automatically include free shipping.

Can you pay through insurance, health savings, or flexible spending account? The FAQ reports that their services might be covered under insurance, depending on the prescription and plan, although this is something you’ll need to verify independently.

However, they emphasize that they’re “available at 50-80% off retail cost, making them more affordable and accessible to consumers.”

If you opt for a subscription plan, it can be changed, paused, or canceled at any time.

All Hims orders come with a satisfaction guarantee that they contain what you ordered and arrive undamaged. However, “in order to keep these products safe and secure, we cannot accept any returns.”

Customer service can be reached at 800-368-0038 or support@forhims.com.

What Do We Know About the Company Behind Hims Hair Kits?

Hims, Inc. is based out of Austin, TX and was founded in November 2017 by Andrew Dudum. He’s a serial founder and is also behind companies such as Atomic, Ever Co, Terminal, TalkIQ, Cherubic Ventures, and Mira Technologies (to name just a few).

Hims held an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, with no customer reviews or closed complaints, as of 12/18/17. According to their website, they “will continue to develop and evolve new and existing science-backed products focusing on a variety of men's health needs and concerns,” including upcoming skincare products.

Do Hims’ Hair Kits Have Any Competition?

According to IBISWorld, the hair loss treatment manufacturing industry rakes in more than $4 billion annually, so Hims’ hair kits are clearly up against a lot of competitors. In this sea of options, how can you make a more empowered decision that what you’re purchasing will deliver value?

It all starts with what’s causing your hair loss. For example, as we discussed above, sites like WebMD report that minoxidil and finasteride have clinical evidence indicating they could address aspects of androgenetic alopecia.

However, if you’re experiencing a receding hairline or hair loss anywhere other than on your crown, or if your hair loss is advanced, you might not experience these same benefits.

It’s also important to keep in mind that these aren’t your only hair restoration options, which include surgical transplants, toupees, wigs, and weaves, light treatments, and even topical fibers that can be applied during your morning routine.

Even if we’re only narrowing our options down to hair kits that contain some form of minoxidil, Hims is still up against some fairly deep competition, including Rogaine, Nioxin, Keranique, Vanarex, Foligain Trioxidil, and Bosley, to name just a few. Price-wise, most ranged between $20 and $50, with some reaching as high as $100.

How can you decide whether or not a Hims Hair Kit is more worthy of your money?

Our Final Thoughts About Hims Hair Kits

The bottom line is that, while you understand there isn’t a cure or a one-size-fits-all solution to genetic hair loss, you want to at least put up a fight. And based on what we learned from sites like WebMD, Truth In Aging, and RxList, it seems like many of the ingredients in Hims’ kits could provide some measure of help.

However, you’ll need to obtain a prescription for finasteride (or sildenafil, if sexual wellness is your concern), which will involve talking with a doctor. And if you don’t want to make an appointment with yours, Hims is currently the only company offering an all-in-one solution that includes assessment, prescription fulfillment, and different hair loss kits.

On top of this, Hims seems to have a mostly positive—if not somewhat limited—online reputation. But keep in mind that none of their products come with refunds, so you’ll want to make 100 percent certain you’re ready to spend the money before placing your order for one of their hair loss kits, or for their standalone products.