These Are the Best Treatments, Medications In 2026

• Several new medications to treat hair loss in males and females are currently in clinical trials.
• Stem cell and fatty acid treatments are also being studied as potential treatments for hair loss caused by androgenetic alopecia.
• Experts say other approved treatments, such as Rogaine and Propecia, are effective, affordable, and widely available.

It’s estimated that 85% of males and 33% of females will experience some form of hair loss during their lifetime.

Approximately 25% of males and 12% of females will begin to lose their hair by the age of 30.

About 95% of males who experience hair loss do so due to an inherited condition known as androgenetic alopecia, a common type of alopecia commonly referred to as male pattern baldness.

In females, androgenetic alopecia usually results in hair thinning along the scalp, while the frontal hairline is usually retained.

Alopecia areata, another type of hair loss, is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks hair follicles. It typically results in patchy hair loss that affects the scalp and other parts of the body. An estimated 7 million people in the United States will experience this condition in their lifetime.

Regardless of the type of hair loss a person may be experiencing, there are many effective treatment options available. Here’s what you need to know.

Carolyn Goh, MD, an associate clinical professor in dermatology at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in California, lives with hair loss.

She told Healthline she has accepted her condition and doesn’t treat it. However, she said that route may not be the appropriate path for everyone.

“I think acceptance can be liberating and must be part of the process, but it should not be expected as the only avenue for managing one’s hair loss,” Goh said.

“Hair loss can have an impact on people’s lives beyond just their appearance,” she explained. “Hair loss can feel quite disfiguring for many people and is also stigmatized, in which people make assumptions based on one’s hair or lack thereof, and it likely impacts how one might be treated.”

Spencer Kobren, the founder of the American Hair Loss Association, cautions those with hair loss to carefully consider treatments, especially ones that are new to the industry.

“Several treatments are in development, but none have proven they will replace existing therapies,” he told Healthline. “Much of the attention surrounding future treatments is driven by online hype rather than long term clinical evidence.”

Ken Williams Jr., DO, a surgeon and founder of Orange County Hair Restoration in California, advises those with hair loss to carefully select their medical professional.

“Patients need to be aware that there are many doctors and clinics who call themselves ‘hair loss doctors’,” Williams told Healthline. “The reality is that short-term and long-term medical and surgical management for hair loss is best done by a board certified physician who is a diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS).”

The following hair loss treatments are well-established, including Rogaine, Proscar, and Propecia, which have been available for years.

Proscar and Propecia both contain the active ingredient finasteride.

Experts have said that the medications are effective, affordable, and readily available. They are approved for the treatment of male hair loss.

Proscar, manufactured by Organon, is a tablet that is also prescribed to treat symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate.

Propecia, manufactured by Merck, works by slowing hair loss in men. It does not help regrow hair. There are reports that it can diminish sex drive and also cause mood swings.

There are some general warnings about finasteride. Officials say pregnant women should not come into contact with the ingredient. Finasteride is also associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer.

In addition, a commentary published in October 2025 stated that FDA officials haven’t done enough to investigate the links between finasteride and mental health risks, including depression.

Still, experts say the benefits of finasteride products outweigh the risks.

“For men, finasteride remains the gold standard treatment for male pattern hair loss and one of the most studied and safest drugs in the Physicians’ Desk Reference,” Kobren said.

Rogaine is a topical treatment that contains the active ingredient minoxidil, which has been on the market since 1987 as a treatment for male and female pattern baldness.

Rogaine reportedly works by partially enlarging hair follicles and elongating the growth phase of hair, although experts are unsure exactly how the medication accomplishes this.

It can take up to four months to see results, and there can be some itching and redness associated with its use.

Experts say finasteride and minoxidil are well-established treatments.

“These two medications have been the mainstay of medical management for the last decades,” Williams said. “They have proven patient safety, tolerability, and efficacy.”

“Topical minoxidil and oral finasteride are still the only two FDA-approved treatments for pattern hair loss. They are very effective for the treatment of hair loss,” added Goh.

Brand names, such as Olumiant, Litfulo, and Leqselvi, are targeted anti-inflammatory drugs that target the immune system.

An older JAK inhibitor, Xeljanz, is sometimes prescribed off-label to treat alopecia areata. Other inhibitors, such as Rinvoq, are currently in clinical trials as potential treatments for alopecia areata.

Olumiant, manufactured by Eli Lilly, is a tablet approved for use in adults 18 years and older. This prescription drug is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and COVID-19. Mild side effects include nausea.

Serious side effects are uncommon but can occur, potentially causing low red blood cell levels and high cholesterol. The product has an FDA box label warning about risks involving cancer, blood clots, and heart-related events.

Litfulo, manufactured by Pfizer, is a capsule approved for use in adults and children 12 years and older. The drug works by blocking the action of certain proteins that cause your immune system to attack hair follicles. Litfulo can cause mild side effects such as acne, headache, and dizziness. It also carries an FDA boxed warning label regarding risks associated with blood clots and cancer.

Leqselvi, manufactured by Sun Pharmaceuticals, is a tablet approved by the FDA in July 2024 for use in adults 18 years and older. Mild side effects can include headache and acne. The product does carry a box label warning for infection and cardiovascular risk.

“For alopecia areata, the approved JAK inhibitors are still very promising, with more and more data coming out on them. There may be some additional treatments for alopecia areata soon,” said Goh.

Some of the following hair loss treatments are still in the research stage and are not widely available to the public, while others can be discussed with your doctor.

Clascoterone, sold under the brand names Winlevi and Breezula, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2020 to treat acne vulgaris in adults and children ages 12 and older.

The prescription cream is a topical androgen receptor inhibitor that works by blocking certain receptors. It helps reduce oil production and inflammation in the skin, reducing the development of acne.

Researchers are looking into clascoterone as a possible treatment for androgenetic alopecia.

It’s expected that Cosmo Pharmaceuticals will submit its product for regulatory approval in the United States and Europe in spring 2026.

“Clascoterone is the most advanced of the newer treatments and may become a useful topical option, particularly for women, but it is not a cure and is unlikely to replace existing treatments,” Kobren said.

PP405 is a topical treatment being developed by Pelage Pharmaceuticals to treat androgenetic alopecia.

It works by targeting hair follicle stem cells, addressing the root cause of dormancy.

PP405 was listed by Time magazine as one of the best inventions of 2025.

Pelage plans to begin phase III clinical trials in 2026.

“The… exciting value to PP405 is that it appears to induce or stimulate dormant hair follicles into the anagen phase of the hair cycle, suggesting the potential for regeneration,” said Williams.

Kobren expressed caution, however. “PP405 and ET-02 are very early, and the level of online excitement surrounding them is far ahead of the actual data,” he said. “Durability, real-world effectiveness, and long-term safety are still unknown for all of these.”

ET-02 is a topical ointment being studied as a potential treatment for hair loss and graying hair.

The product, being developed by Eirion Therapeutics, works by correcting defective hair follicle stem cells.

It has only been tested so far in phase I clinical trials. In that early research, ET-02 has demonstrated promise by encouraging rapid hair growth as well as reducing graying without serious side effects.

Eirion plans to conduct phase II trials in the near future.

“ET-02 is in very early stages, so while there may be some promise, it is too early to know at this time,” said Goh.

Other new treatments for hair loss are non-topical. ET-02 is one part of the growing science of using stem cells to treat hair loss.

Early research suggests that stem cells may be utilized as a potential treatment for pattern baldness in both males and females through hair transplants.

In this procedure, a small skin sample is removed, and hair follicles are harvested from it. The follicles are treated in a lab and then implanted back into the scalp.

However, experts caution that this use of stem cells and other technologies is in the early stages of research and could be expensive if and when they are approved.

“Stem cell therapy is unfortunately frequently seen in social media advertising as science and proven fact,” said Williams. “The science and validity of stem cells, however, still need to be studied and evaluated.”

“These are very attractive options, but the data are limited. As with any treatments using cell products, safety is a concern,” added Goh.

Fatty acids such as omega-3 and monounsaturated fatty acids have been studied as potential hair loss treatments.

They work in a variety of ways, from blocking enzymes that cause hair thinning to activating dormant hair follicle cells.

Experts warn, however, that like stem cell therapies, fatty acid treatments for hair loss have not been proven effective yet.

“These approaches are scientifically interesting for both men and women, but the clinical evidence remains limited,” said Kobren. “The bigger issue is unregulated clinics and aggressive marketing running far ahead of the science.”

While there are many options to treat hair loss, experts emphasize considering all possible avenues.

“Acceptance is ultimately the only true cure, but it is far easier said than done for most people,” said Kobren.

“I often tell young men that if they can shave their heads and truly move on, they may save themselves a lifetime of trying to manage a progressive condition that is as much emotional as it is physical, and not everyone will respond well to treatment,” he said.

“The reality is that most people want to do whatever they can to treat hair loss and, in that case, early intervention with evidence-based medication matters,” he added.

Williams said it’s it’s important to be aware of the most accurate and reliable information.

“I believe that ABHRS-certified physicians can offer hope for all hair loss sufferers. No one should suffer the emotional impact of hair loss,” he said. “Men and women need to have the proper diagnosis and treatment that is best rendered by an ABHRS physician.”