According to WebMD, by age 35, two-thirds of American men will have some degree of considerable hair loss and by age 50 approximately 85% of men have significantly thinning hair. For many, it is an extremely pervasive source of insecurity and stress.

There are a ton of ads for hair loss subscription websites lately, such as Keeps, Hims, and Roman. Do they work? Can they really help you keep your hair? We have compared their service and products, so read on to find out!

What Is a Subscription Service for Hair Loss Medications?

The websites, also called telemedicine providers, allow users to upload photos and help get you in touch with licensed physicians so that you can have an online or in-person appointment to get a legitimate prescription for hair loss treatments.

While each service offers its own range of original and generic products (which use the same ingredients as the name brand), they have one thing in common: they all use various types of finasteride (Propecia), minoxidil (Rogaine), and DHT-blocking shampoos to fight hair loss.

The medications are usually delivered as 3 month subscription plans. You decide how often and how much of each treatment you want each month and pay the subscription fee for your delivery.

Where Is Your Personal Health Information Going?

Before getting medications from the subscription service websites, customers will be required to complete and submit an online health questionnaire.

You will be answering many private questions and need to provide a current form of ID including your name, home address, a scanned photo, as well as your medical history and symptoms. This should take 15 minutes.

At the end of the questionnaire, you will be asked to provide payment information with your credit card or other options.

All your information above is recorded and stored in your web browser cookies and on their servers. Do you know where your data is going? Your information, not only goes to the subscription service websites, but also to their partner physicians and third-party pharmacies. 

How Much Do Subscription Websites Cost?

Keeps, Hims, Roman and other subscription websites offer customers modern marketing, slick packaging, and discretion - for a cost.

Keeps

• Finasteride (generic medication, exact same ingredient as Propecia): $75 every 3 months
• 5% Minoxidil (generic medication, exact same ingredient as Rogaine): $30 every 3 months

Hims

• Finasteride: $66 every 3 months
• 5% Minoxidil: $45 every 3 months

Roman

• Finasteride: $60 every 3 months
• 5% Minoxidil: $48 every 3 months

As you can see, they do not have brand name medications. If you are shopping specifically for generic medications, there are coupons available from the manufacturers, pharmacies or GoodRx that will offset the cost when purchasing from your local pharmacy.

Is Generic Finasteride or Minoxidil as Effective as Brand Name Propecia or Rogaine?

The FDA requires generic medications to be “bioequivalent” to their brand name counterpart. This generally means that they work the same way.

Generic version medications contain the same active ingredients, but may contain different inactive ingredients, which do not affect how well a medication works but may cause different or additional effects.

If you prefer to use brand name products to save your hair and your time, Canadian online pharmacy is by far the better deal.

Canada Online Health

• Propecia: $2.32 per tab, manufactured by Merck from New Zealand
• Rogaine Foam for Men: $0.85 per g, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson from Canada

Do You Really Want Your Medications to Arrive Automatically Every Month?

Subscription websites automatically deliver medications to your door monthly or every three months.

Some of the hair loss medications are used for a while and then the patient goes back to talk with their doctor to adjust treatment plans, which means you may use the medications differently than initially expected. What if you have a lot of medication left and do not need it this month? Or you need to wait a few days to prepare financially? Is there someone to call? Can you chat? How soon do they require notification to stop the next order?

Most online pharmacies allow you to log into their website and place orders when you need them. Additionally, if you need to speak to someone to make changes, there is a patient care representative available to either walk you through the change or take care of the change on your behalf with the pharmacy. Your medication will only be billed and arrive when you request it.

Most online pharmacies will also send you a reminder that your refill is due, so you don’t forget.  Additionally, there are usually options to email, text, or chat in order to refill a prescription or place a new order for medication.  Customer service and convenience are incredibly important.

How Canadian Online Pharmacy Works?

After having a conversation with your family doctor or walk-in clinic doctor, you may get a prescription for Propecia and/or Rogaine to start a trial.

Just call a Canadian online pharmacy and fax or mail your prescription. The pharmacy is licensed and regulated by the government for safety. There are no long and uncomfortable questionnaires and your data is kept secure.

At Canada Online Health, you can talk with a professional licensed pharmacist on the phone if you need more information on the medication. You will get discreet packaging and they also can send email reminders of the time to refill.  

Ordering from Canada Online Health is easy, no need to pay subscription or membership fees, there are no hidden fees, and the medication is affordable!

References:

• webmed.com
• michaelsaves.com
• finvsfin.com