5 Best Hair Growth Shampoos: Ranked Best to Worst

Sebamed was the first shampoo I tested, and to be honest, it set a pretty decent standard at the beginning.

I started with Sebamed because it looked like one of the more thoughtful options on the market. The pH 5.5 formula made sense to me, and I liked that it was dermatologically tested rather than just another caffeine shampoo with a flashy label.

The feel was nice enough, gentle on the scalp, and it was easy to add into my routine. It didn't strip my hair, it didn't irritate my skin, and I did feel like it gave me a slightly calmer scalp during the first couple of weeks.

By the end of week 1, I noticed a small improvement in scalp comfort. Nothing dramatic, but enough that I could tell it was doing something at the surface.

By week 3, my scalp felt a bit less irritated and slightly less greasy by the end of the day, but the shedding difference wasn't huge. I was still pulling clumps out of the shower drain, and my hairline still looked the same in the mirror.

By the end of week 4, I liked Sebamed, but I didn't feel transformed by it. It was a good product, but it never gave me that 'wow' moment.

Compared to Regrowth+, this is where the difference became obvious. Sebamed felt like it helped a little with scalp comfort, but Regrowth+ felt like it attacked the full picture, the buildup, the shedding, the density, the scalp, on a completely different level.

Sebamed is still a strong option, and I can see why people with sensitive scalps like it. But after testing Regrowth+ later in the experiment, I knew Sebamed wasn't quite powerful enough to take the #1 spot.

Vichy Dercos was one I was really interested to try because it is so clearly positioned as a clinical, dermatologist-backed hair loss treatment.

Unlike some of the others, this one isn't just a daily shampoo with a few extras. It's built around Aminexil, a patented active that's been studied at the follicle level for years, which made me curious to see how it would compare for real shedding.

Because it's positioned more like a treatment than a daily shampoo, it didn't feel as ritual-like as the others. It was easy enough to use, but it felt clinical rather than something I looked forward to.

By the end of week 1, I did notice some improvement at the root. My hair felt a bit more anchored at the scalp, and I didn't get that same loose, falling-out feeling when I ran my hands through it.

By week 3, I could see why people rate it highly for follicle health. It helped with the strength of the existing hair, especially around the temples where I'd been losing density.

But where it fell short was the bigger picture.

It didn't really touch the mineral buildup, the scalp coating, or the slow choking of the follicles in the way Regrowth+ did. My existing hair felt stronger, but new growth wasn't coming through the way I'd hoped.

Compared to Regrowth+, Vichy felt more narrow. It was good for treating the follicle, but Regrowth+ felt like it worked on the actual root cause behind the shedding in this region, the calcium and magnesium your water is depositing on your scalp every single day.

I still think Vichy Dercos is a very good product if your main issue is follicle weakness in soft water. But if your hair loss feels tied to the Gulf's hard water, it didn't perform anywhere near as well as Regrowth+ for me.

Plantur 39 was one I expected to really like because the caffeine angle made a lot of sense to me.

The packaging was bold, the concept was simple, and I liked the idea of a shampoo built around stimulating the follicle with caffeine. Since my shedding felt connected to weak, lifeless follicles, I was interested to see what would happen.

The feel was decent, and it was easy enough to use. I didn't dislike it at all, but it didn't feel as clean or refreshing as Regrowth+.

By the end of week 1, I did feel a slightly tingly, stimulated scalp in the evenings. It wasn't a dramatic change, but I noticed something was happening at the surface.

By week 3, my scalp felt a bit more active, and I wasn't seeing quite as many short, weak strands in the brush. But when it came to the actual shedding and density, the results were only okay.

My hair still felt thin a lot of the time, especially after a long day, and I didn't see the same visual change at the temples that I saw with Regrowth+.

Compared to Regrowth+, Plantur 39 felt more like a scalp stimulant than a complete hair loss solution. It helped a little with circulation, but Regrowth+ gave me a much stronger shift across everything: shedding, density, scalp health, and the actual appearance of my hairline.

Plantur 39 isn't a bad product at all. I actually think it could be a good option for someone living in soft water who mainly wants a caffeine kick at the scalp.

But for this test, where I was looking specifically at shedding, density, and the hard water buildup that's the real issue in the Gulf, it just didn't come close to Regrowth+.

Kérastase was the most luxurious product in the test.

Instead of being focused on hard water or hair loss, it felt more like a premium salon experience in a bottle. That made it interesting, because feel and scent were definitely part of what I'd been missing from the cheaper options.

The first thing I noticed was that it didn't feel like a treatment, it felt like an indulgence. The lather was beautiful, the scent was upscale, and the texture was exactly what you'd expect from a salon brand at this price.

By the end of week 1, I did feel a slight difference in how my hair looked. It was shinier, softer, and easier to style.

By week 3, the cosmetic improvements were probably the strongest part of the product. I could see how this would appeal to someone whose main issue is dryness, frizz, or just wanting their hair to look polished day to day.

But for the actual shedding and the buildup on my scalp, it didn't do enough.

I didn't notice a real change in the amount of hair in the drain, my hairline didn't fill back in, and I didn't feel that lighter, cleaner, properly-detoxed scalp feeling that I got from Regrowth+.

Compared to Regrowth+, Kérastase felt like it only addressed one piece of the puzzle. It helped a little with the surface look of my existing hair, but Regrowth+ felt like it helped with the entire chain reaction, hard water, mineral buildup, blocked follicles, shedding, and thinning.

So while Kérastase was lovely to use, it was the least complete product in this test for me, especially given the price.

If your main concern is shine and feel and you live somewhere with soft water, it may still be worth looking at. But for stubborn shedding and that thinning, weak feeling in Gulf hard water, it finished firmly in fifth place.