Happy Head Review

Hair loss impacts a significant portion of men in the U.S., with over half experiencing some form of hair loss by the time they reach 50. However, it’s not just men—approximately 40% of those affected by hair loss in the U.S. are women. For much of the 20th century, treatment options were limited to hairpieces, filler sprays, or shaving the head. Today, there are many more options available, including prescription treatments backed by extensive clinical research.

Happy Head is one such option, offering a combination of two of the most effective hair loss treatments: minoxidil and finasteride. These treatments, commonly known by their brand names Rogaine and Propecia, have been shown to perform better together in clinical trials, and Happy Head uses both in several of its products.

What is Happy Head?

Happy Head is a hair loss solution provider offering a range of the most well-known and clinically tested treatments. Their products come in different concentrations, tailored to individual needs based on a medical questionnaire and consultation with one of their doctors.

What sets Happy Head apart from competitors is the variety of treatments they offer, particularly their topical combinations. However, their pricing tends to be higher than average in many categories.

How does Happy Head work?

As part of the questionnaire you complete for your doctor, you’ll have the chance to request specific medications or exclude certain ones from your prescription. You can also adjust your prescription during your consultation to begin with a stronger or milder treatment, depending on your preferences.

To assist with these decisions, it’s helpful to understand the active ingredients available in Happy Head’s solutions. Notably, many of Happy Head’s competitors only offer two or three ingredients from this list, whereas Happy Head combines a greater variety of them, offering more comprehensive options than any other provider in the market.

We recommend using the questionnaire, as it’s designed to simplify the process and allows the assigned dermatologist to provide you with more tailored input. At the end of the questionnaire, you’ll proceed to checkout—but rest assured, this doesn’t finalize your prescription. After checking out, you’ll have the chance to message a Happy Head doctor to adjust your prescription as needed and address any questions you might have.

6-Month Growth Guarantee

The promise is that Happy Head’s products can stop users from losing more hair. However, even the most successful studies of finasteride, minoxidil, and other treatments don’t work for everyone. To address this, Happy Head offers a 6-month money-back guarantee.

If you’re not satisfied with your results after six months of use, you can reach out to the company to initiate a return. You’ll be responsible for fees to cover shipping costs, and you’ll need to return any unused product at your own expense.

There is a significant caveat: the money-back guarantee only applies to your most recent purchase. For example, if you’re on a monthly subscription for topical minoxidil at $59/month and request a return toward the end of your fifth month, you’ll only receive a refund for the most recent $59 payment, minus shipping charges and other fees.

Side effects of Happy Head

Topical Treatments

The ingredients in Happy Head’s topical solutions are well-studied and generally show minimal side effects in clinical trials, making them mostly safe. Having access to a dermatologist for any questions or concerns about potential side effects provides an added level of safety. However, some individuals may experience significant reactions to certain hair loss medications, and finasteride and dutasteride can be particularly harmful to most women due to their effect on testosterone.

Irritation from topical hair loss treatments is often caused by propylene glycol, a common inactive ingredient in many carrier solutions. This substance is a known irritant and frequently leads to allergic contact dermatitis. Happy Head’s solutions generally contain propylene glycol, except for their liposomal and aqueous formulas, which are currently only designed to carry minoxidil and finasteride. Foam-based minoxidil from companies like Keeps and Hims also avoids using propylene glycol.

Additional shedding is a typical side effect of many hair loss treatments. As the treatments start to work, they can reset the growth cycles of hair follicles, stimulating new growth from previously dormant follicles. This process helps reverse visible hair loss, but it can also cause established hair strands to shed as the follicles are reset. This shedding is a natural part of the process, and as long as you continue the treatment, those hairs should grow back.

Oral Medications

These side effects are more frequently observed with the 5mg dose used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, though they can still occur with the 1mg dose prescribed for men with AGA. Another oral option is minoxidil, which is often recognized as a topical treatment but is also available orally, primarily for patients with high blood pressure.

In recent years, its use for treating alopecia has been revisited, and dermatologists have prescribed it off-label to patients during in-office visits for some time. Recently, the telemedicine field has also adopted it, with providers like Happy Head, Roman, and Hers now offering oral minoxidil.

The most common side effect of oral minoxidil is hypertrichosis—hair growth in areas beyond the scalp. This can include facial areas like the forehead and other unexpected spots on the body. Studies have reported mild hypertrichosis in over 90% of participants in some cases. However, the condition was typically not severe enough for participants to discontinue treatment.

A more serious, though rare, side effect of minoxidil is cardiovascular. Originally developed as a blood pressure medication, minoxidil works as a vasodilator, relaxing the muscles that control vein width. This allows blood to flow more easily, lowering blood pressure. For individuals with low blood pressure—whether due to genetics, surgery, or medication use—minoxidil can pose significant risks.

Happy Head also offers spironolactone as an oral option, primarily for women who are unable to take finasteride or prefer to avoid the potential for hypertrichosis associated with oral minoxidil. In men, spironolactone may lead to a greater risk of side effects, including hormonal changes that could contribute to the development of feminizing traits.

Hair Growth Products

Topical treatments

Finasteride, minoxidil, and dutasteride are offered in various concentrations. The company prominently promotes its 8% minoxidil solution, which is considerably higher than the standard 5% found in most minoxidil products. However, with guidance from your consulting physician, you’ll receive a personalized combination of medications in the concentrations that best suit your needs.

• Finasteride: 0.025%, 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.3%
• Minoxidil: 2.5%, 6%, 8%
• Dutasteride: 0.1%, 0.3%
• Retinoic acid: 0.001%, 0.005%, 0.01%
• Hydrocortisone: 1%
• Spironolactone: 0.5%
• Latanoprost: 0.005%

Many of Happy Head’s topical solutions feature an aloe base to provide additional soothing for the scalp. However, if you prefer, any formula that typically contains aloe can be compounded without it.

Oral Medications

Happy Head also provides oral versions of finasteride, dutasteride, minoxidil, and spironolactone in the following dosages:

• Finasteride: 1mg
• Dutasteride: 0.5mg
• Minoxidil: 1.25mg
• Spironolactone: 25mg, 50mg, 100mg
• Vitamin D: 2000IU

A quick note about Happy Head’s oral minoxidil: it is available in 2.5mg tablets, which your doctor will instruct you to split in half for daily use. Research indicates that a 5mg dose is both effective and relatively safe, but there is a significantly higher risk of unwanted hair growth at that dosage.

Nutritional Supplement

In addition to their prescription medications, Happy Head offers a nutritional supplement that includes a variety of botanical ingredients. This supplement contains saw palmetto to block DHT, ashwagandha to help reduce stress, and biotin, keratin, and collagen to support the growth of healthy hair.

How much does Happy Head cost?

Topical Treatments

Happy Head products are sold primarily through a subscription model. Monthly pricing for the following topical hair loss treatments, which include consultations with a Happy Head physician, are as follows. The subscription also includes free shipping and a $45 discount on the first month:

	First-month	After the first month
Minoxidil	$14	$59
Finasteride and minoxidil	$34	$79
Dutasteride and minoxidil	$44	$89
Finasteride, dutasteride, and minoxidil	$74	$119
Spironolactone and minoxidil (women’s formula)	$34	$79
Finasteride and minoxidil (aqueous solution)	$74	$119
Finasteride and minoxidil (liposomal solution)	$134	$179
Latanoprost, finasteride, and minoxidil	$104	$149

Even the most affordable option from Happy Head costs noticeably more than similar treatments from competitors like Keeps, Hims, or Roman. Some research suggests that the extra 3% concentration of minoxidil in Happy Head’s solution could even have adverse effects.

Oral Medications

SuperCapsules combine multiple prescription oral medications with a 2000IU vitamin D dosage. To our knowledge, Happy Head is the only provider in this field offering combined medications in single capsules, all of which are available through subscription plans.

	Cost per month	Available supplies
Finasteride 1mg	$24	1, 2, and 3 months
Dutasteride 0.5mg	$59	1, 2, and 3 months
Minoxidil 2.5mg	$22	3 and 6 months
Spironolactone 50mg or 100mg	$49	4 months

Monthly orders from Happy Head are billed and shipped every 25 days to prevent running out of product. This can be particularly useful during the initial months as you adjust to the application routine, where spills or overapplication could deplete the supply sooner than expected.

Unlike their topical treatments, Happy Head’s prescription oral hair loss medications are not offered as subscriptions. Instead, they are available for bulk purchase, though buying in larger quantities does not offer any cost savings. Additionally, the available quantities vary depending on the specific medication.

	Cost per month	Available supplies
Finasteride 1mg	$24	1, 2, and 3 months
Dutasteride 0.5mg	$59	1, 2, and 3 months
Minoxidil 2.5mg	$22	3 and 6 months
Spironolactone 50mg or 100mg	$49	4 months

Nutritional Supplement

One bottle of Happy Head’s Hair Supplements is priced at $55 for the first month, with a subscription cost of $79 per month after that. It’s also one of the few products on their site available for a one-time purchase, which is priced at $88.

The Verdict

Happy Head’s products deliver higher concentrations of minoxidil than its competitors. This includes both the topical and oral options for finasteride, retinoic acid, hydrocortisone, and spironolactone. A complimentary consultation with a doctor helps determine the best combination for you. While the higher prices may make it less ideal compared to companies like Keeps or Hims for most people, the added cost allows for more personalized treatment with customized drug concentrations. If you’re willing to invest in these higher prices, it could result in more effective treatment for your hair loss compared to more limited alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

Can Happy Head treat hair loss?

While there is no permanent cure for hair loss, including with Happy Head or other treatments, there are effective options available. However, it’s important to note that these treatments will only remain effective as long as you continue using them. While they can help stop, reverse, and prevent hair loss, they do not provide a permanent cure. Stopping the treatment may reduce the benefits and cause hair loss to resume.

How does Happy Head customize the treatment?

Once you place your order, you can consult with a Happy Head physician to discuss additional customization. This may involve adjusting the doses of individual ingredients or completely reformulating the combination to better suit your needs. Testers found the process to be straightforward, with a wide variety of combination options available.

Is Happy Head a good option for women?

Happy Head offers several products designed for women, with their topical solution containing spironolactone and 6% minoxidil being the most common starting point.

What is the most effective combination offered by Happy Head?

The most effective combination can vary depending on individual needs, but the strongest possible formula includes 0.3% finasteride, 0.3% dutasteride, 0.01% retinoic acid, 8% minoxidil, and 1% hydrocortisone.