By Daniel Markey

(Men's Health) - Unfortunately, for most men it’s inevitable that their hair will start to thin and their hairline will recede. It’s been happening to me since I was about 22 and it always bothered me. Sure, a shaved head can be pulled off, but obviously we’d all love that mane. 

Other than the obvious hair-plugs or Rogaine, I started researching better ways to activate hair growth that are simply and obviously… EFFECTIVE. 

Recently, more brands are releasing shampoos and conditioners that can help provide the right nutrients, peptides, and antioxidants to thicken hair and trigger new hair growth.

Of course there are now dozens upon dozens of hair growth shampoos and conditioners for men that claim they work, but it’s hard to know what’s actually effective and safe. 

That’s where we come in. I put my best product reviewers to the test to find the best hair growth products for men that don’t require prescription or invasive surgeries. Today we’re focusing on shampoos. 

Let’s get started…

Effectiveness: 95%

Safety: 100%

Price: $

Overall: A+

This is by far our favorite shampoo for activating hair follicles and seeing consistent new growth for a thicker, fuller head of hair. Mane’s Root Activator Shampoo uses a special formula of nutrients and peptides to condition thinning hair strands to become thicker and stronger, while also boosting blood circulation to the scalp to reactivate root hairs for additional growth. We found out about Mane when they offered us a secret 50% discount code SECRET50 on a 3-pack. We tried it for three weeks, using everyday along with their companion conditioner. Several of our reviewers noticed significant growth in patchy areas of their hair and thicker follicles. This really is our top recommendation, and encourage anyone who wants a fuller head of hair to order this immediately!

SAVE 50% on a 3-Pack of Shampoo

Effectiveness: 80%

Safety: 100%

Price: $$$$

Overall Value: B+

Zain is an Italian luxury brand of hair growth and hair treatment products for men and women. While they provide a great shampoo that can help hydrate and help regrow hair, they provide exactly what luxury brands tend to provide: the same results as more affordable brands. While we love the feel of Zain and the essential oils and nutrients in the shampoo do show results, it’s nothing better than Mane’s Root Activator Shampoo, expect about double the price.

Effectiveness: 80%

Safety: 85%

Price: $$

Overall Value: B+

To be fair, Dr. Groot does not guarantee hair growth, only prevention from hair loss. However, it’s so nice, that if you’re more concerned with thickening your thinning hair and keeping what you have on your head healthy… this is a great choice. Plant-based and natural, it feels great and keeps your hair from looking dried out and thin. Definitely a recommendation for anyone looking to keep rather than grow.

Effectiveness: 75%

Safety: 80%

Price: $$$

Overall Value: C

Believe it or not, Onion Shampoo isn't the worst idea! Onion is a natural source of biotin which is great for hair growth. To be honest, it's not the best smelling shampoo, so maybe only use it when you're staying in for the night. But it definitely can help!

Effectiveness: 85%

Safety: 85%

Price: $$

Overall Value: B

Just like onion, ginger is a great natural ingredient for hair growth. This odd bottle of shampoo, Ginger Wang, is surprisingly good! It's fresh and helps stimulate blood flow to the scalp. We'd give this one a shot if you can find it. If you can't, Mane has similar ingredients, plus more for best results.

While we believe we recommended some great shampoos to help stimulate hair growth while helping protect your hair and lock in hydration, we believe Mane’s Root Activator Shampoo is the absolute best option. We wanted to talk further with our investigative reporter Mark Herring who helped create the rankings list and how he discovered the greatness that is Mane.

My girlfriend only recently pushed moisturizer on me, haha. It’s not that I don’t believe in any of the stuff (hell, I research and write about it all the time). I just never thought I needed most of it. My skin is fairly clear and never had many issues with acne or anything like that. That said, the one thing that always bothered me was my thinning head of hair. It runs in my family, my dad, brother, and cousins are all bald, so I figured it was my turn, too. 

So when I was put on assignment to find some amazing hair growth products, I was happy to test some things out. Unfortunately, not a lot made the cut. Too many products promising 70s shag hair and unstoppable growth. It wasn’t happening. And worse, I noticed a lot had strong chemicals that were drying out my hair, making it look like a coughed up hairball. 

I sort’ve gave up.

But then I noticed my best friend, who I trust with my life, started to grow out his hair out and it looked damn solid. Last time I remembered he had some thinning bald spots on the top of his head and was wearing hats almost everywhere. 

I asked him what was up and he shot out of his chair and grabbed the bottle of Mane’s Root Activator Shampoo. He said he tried a few things but that Mane was the only brand that he felt like actually delivered. I was skeptical, but when he showed me a photo from like 2 months ago, I was blow away. His hair was definitely thicker and the bald patches were covered up. 

I asked him to let me borrow his Root Activator Shampoo, but instead he told me to buy my own like a real adult LOL. Luckily he gave me the secret 50% off discount SECRET50 for a 3-pack. So I ordered two bottles immediately.

I received the package two days later and used as instructed. Use about a quarter-sized amount of shampoo and work into hair. Make sure to scrub onto your scalp and the root activation happens on the skin vs. the hair.

Of course, I looked into the mirror and expected immediate results, but with products like these you got to use them everyday for about three weeks before you notice anything. In the meantime, I wanted to know what made Mane’s Root Activator Shampoo do what it did. 

A combination of essential oils and nutrients help not only strengthen hair but activate roots that have stopped growing or never had the energy to grow. 

It’s quite simple, just as our bodies can exert less energy when we get older (remember staying up all night in your twenties?), our hair follows a similar pattern. When old hairs fall out, typically a new root is triggered and energy is spent building a new hair follicle. However, the older we get, the less energy is distributed to these roots. That’s when thinning and balding occur. 

Many of the hair follicles in our skin are never stimulated enough for the root to activate and push the potential hair from under the skin. Often it’s a result of not enough nutrients and energy at the top layers of our skin where we need it. 

The key to a fuller head of hair starts with activating your roots, and that’s exactly what Mane’s Root Activator Shampoo aims to do. Mane uses a Hair Growth Complex that’s filled with amazing ingredients to stimulate blood flow to the skin while strengthening hair follicles. Some of those essential ingredients include:

Licorice Root Extract

This is a super powerful growth extract that many forget about. If the mission is to stimulate the scalp to activate growth, this is the ingredient to do it. Bringing blood flow and oxygen to the scalp to help thickening while introducing new hair to your head. 

Sesame Seed Extract

To help strengthen and nourish the hair, Mane uses Sesame Extract. It’s filled with nutrients and peptides that keep your hair healthy while protecting it from outside toxins and free radicals. 

Citric Acid

Of course, you also need some elements that work like a shampoo! Citric Acid is great for bringing the pH balance of your hair down while reducing frizz and tangles.

The Root Activator Shampoo also includes Propylene Glycol, Ginger Root Powder, Ginger Root Oil and about 10 other natural ingredients that help retain moisture and stimulate growth. It’s pretty wild how many amazing ingredients are loaded into this shampoo. 

So, finally, after 4 weeks, I decided to check if I could see results… and wow! The areas of my hair that were previously patchy and thin began to fill out. Plus my hair felt fuller and stronger. I was simply amazed at how good it looked and felt.