Buy it for the dandruff-busting benefits; deploy it for hair thickening benefits, too.
Look, there’s no such thing as a hair loss shampoo; it’s a marketing myth, since no ingredients in a shampoo can absorb into the scalp quickly enough to benefit your follicles.
That said, there is one key ingredient that has limited research behind it on this topic: Ketoconazole. It has been shown to help fight dihydrotestosterone around the scalp—that’s the androgen/hormonal byproduct that miniaturizes your follicles. That research* remains limited but seems hopeful.
And funny enough, it’s an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory ingredient commonly found in dandruff shampoos, like my favorite one, Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with 1% Ketoconazole.
Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo 1% Ketoconazole: Buy on Amazon
Above all, this shampoo is fantastic as a dandruff fighter, or for keeping the issue at bay. I haven’t seen a flake in years, and I only deploy this on rare occasion just to continue preventing any problems. It would get a Blue Ribbon on that merit alone—but those anti-DHT benefits for thicker hair only add to my enthusiasm.
This, in my opinion, is one of those products that every single guy should have in his vanity, ready to use once every so often for dandruff mitigation, or for ridding of dandruff that appears. And again, for those lovely hair-thickening side effects, too. Just don’t treat it as a full-stop solution for hair loss. You need to rely on clinical grade treatments for that. Instead consider it a bonus product to round out an already strong hair loss routine.
This video explains more:
*Ketoconazole Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4
Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo 1% Ketoconazole: Buy on Amazon
How to Make the Most of It
If you’re using this to counter dandruff, then use it twice weekly until the problem subsides. (As directed, you use it every 3-4 days for a couple weeks, and as many as 8.)
If you’re using it for hair loss benefits, and you aren’t experiencing active dandruff, then once a week should be adequate enough without drying the scalp or parching the strands. Always follow it with a conditioner, too, as dandruff shampoos tend to be drying.
Remember, don’t pin all your hopes on this as your solution for hair retention. You should instead deploy actual clinical grade hair loss remedies. Hey, as a trickle-down benefit of weekly use, you probably won’t have to worry about getting dandruff any time soon.
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