This story first appeared on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter in which our beauty writers share their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. But we liked it so much we wanted to share it with all of our readers. If you want more first impressions of buzzy launches, quick takes on what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram, and deep dives into the week’s best beauty launches, sign up here. The Strategist Beauty Brief is delivered every Wednesday.
The horror of aging into one’s parents extends to hairlines — particularly for those of us under the influence of testosterone. I noticed some receding a couple of years ago, after starting testosterone at age 28. Nothing dramatic at first, just strands that felt finer and less elastic than normal, then some recession around the temples, then thinning at the front.
When I finally did start looking for help, I went to Hims (a nice-looking, DTC minoxidil and finasteride treatment) and took a hair-loss quiz. I decided against it but got so aggressively spammed by it afterward that I started to think what they were selling must be snake oil. The whole thing soured me on the medical route, so I started thinking about solutions that were more natural: scalp scrubs, oils (rosemary and castor), and supplements like biotin and vitamin B12. I even tried a red-light-therapy hat disguised in a baseball cap. But when I finally made an appointment with a dermatologist this February, my scalp was irritated and my hair was still thinning. My dermatologist examined me and confirmed what I’d already noticed — but added that there was thinning at my crown too. He pointed me back where I’d started: minoxidil. In the ’90s, it cost about $35 for a one-month supply; now, as my dermatologist helpfully informed me, it’s cheapest from Costco’s in-house brand, Kirkland Signature, where a six-month supply will set you back just $18. (Cost-saving tip: The formulation with the best value is branded for men, but works for all genders.)
It takes a few months to see results, but after starting it in February, I noticed regrowth around the temples by June and thicker, stronger hair overall by August, to the point where I could distinguish between the long, sparse surviving strands of the pre-Minoxidil era and a shorter crop of thick, healthy, shiny growth — a fringe of baby hairs around the front of the scalp early in the summer, and a noticeable difference in thickness between the scalp and the ends by August. Fewer long, thin strands were showing up on my hairbrush, and it was easier to style into a consistently floppy wave. I stopped wearing baseball caps with every outfit. Sure, Kirkland Signature Minoxidil isn’t sexy, but that “aesthetic” DTC packaging will cost you almost four times as much. I’m happy to spend that saving at the barbers, instead.
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