More and more men are taking hair loss treatment into their own hands, building personalised ‘stacks’ made up of carefully chosen combinations of medications, supplements, oils, procedures and cosmetic products. These stacks vary by dosage, frequency and formulation, and often stray far beyond the familiar ‘meat and potatoes’ of clinically proven Minoxidil Spray and Finasteride tablets. While these core treatments are well-supported by decades of clinical research, the value of alternatives and additions is debatable. Still, men trying to game the system regularly share their personal stacks and progress pics on Reddit, welcoming ratings and suggestions on what else they can add to maximise results.
Some guys steer clear of medication altogether, opting for all-natural stacks of supplements, oils and plant extracts. Others take it to the opposite extreme, sometimes taking dutasteride alongside finasteride, or even experimenting with treatments not widely available in the UK. These regimens can involve alternating products by day or creating custom dosing schedules. Taking it further still, some are even mixing (or ‘compounding’) their own blends, using ‘research chemicals’ into DIY serums at home.
At its core, treatment stacking is a good idea. Hair loss is driven by multiple factors, so it makes sense to target it from more than one angle. The problem isn’t stacking itself, it’s what you stack. In this blog, we’ll break down which approaches are grounded in solid evidence, and which rely more on weak data, speculation, or guesswork.
Natural stacks
There’s quite a few natural treatments, using ingredients derived from plants, which have been shown in animal studies or small-scale human trials to have DHT-blocking properties or hair growth benefits. Redditers tend to agree that using just one won’t be enough to move the needle on stopping hair loss or regrowing hair, so the logic is, stack a few to compound the benefits.
The appeal of using all-natural remedies tends to stem from fear or anxiety around using prescription medications such as Finasteride and Dutasteride, often due to the risk of potential side effects.
Users try to replicate the pathway of 5α-reductase inhibitors finasteride and dutasteride with plants purported to have similar antiandrogenic effects. A popular example is pumpkin seed oil, which demonstrated some capacity to inhibit 5α-reductase and antiandrogenic effect in rats.
Another key player is saw palmetto, a herbal extract from a tree called Serenoa repens, which has been shown in studies to reduce DHT levels through inhibiting 5α-reductase. However, it has been shown in a trial to be less effective than finasteride 1mg tablets.
So, while these plant extracts may be able to counteract male pattern baldness somewhat, they are unlikely to be as effective as medication such as finasteride or dutasteride, which respectively reduce DHT levels by up to 70% and 90%.
Supplement stacking
Men might turn to vitamin supplements, like vitamin D, biotin, and omega 3s. While vitamins like this (and many others) are crucial for healthy hair – deficiencies can lead to hair thinning or loss - loading up on vitamins will not have an impact on genetic hair loss. As long as you eat a healthy and balanced diet, you’re likely to be getting all the nutrients you need. Taking more than the daily recommended amount of various vitamins won’t bring any additional health benefits. Even if you hit all your nutritional needs perfectly every single day, you can’t supplement your way out of male pattern baldness. That’s because it is caused by hormone DHT, so effective hair loss treatments must focus on reducing DHT on the scalp or combating the miniaturisation of the hair follicles that DHT causes.
The best approach is to speak to your doctor if you think you might be lacking in certain vitamins or minerals, which can be confirmed by a blood test.
‘Nuclear’ stacks
On the more extreme end of the scale are so‑called ‘nuclear’ stacks. These take an aggressive approach to hair loss by combining multiple medications, often in ways that may do more harm than good. Some men double up on dutasteride and finasteride, a strategy we don’t recommend. It’s unlikely to provide additional benefit and may increase the risk of side effects.
Others go a step further, sourcing so‑called ‘research chemicals’ through dubious channels and coming up with their own dosages with no medical input. The main issue here is the complete lack of professional oversight. Medications like finasteride and dutasteride are only dispensed through reputable pharmacies, prescribed by a doctor or pharmacist, and manufactured in tightly regulated environments. Chemicals bought from unverified websites don’t meet those standards, with no quality control, no long‑term safety data, and no reliable way to know whether what you’re taking is safe, effective, or even what it claims to be.
The OG Stack
When it comes to treatments with the strongest clinical backing, it’s finasteride and minoxidil. These two treatments target the core drivers of male pattern baldness: DHT and follicle miniaturisation. Clinical research shows that, together, they can slow or stop hair loss in 94% of men.
This is why almost every stack you see online, knowingly or not, are built around trying to address the underlying causes of male pattern baldness which finasteride and minoxidil already do safely and reliably. However, they try to do so without the same data to back up how well they will work, or even how safe they are.
Benefits of treatment stacking
It’s good to treat hair loss from multiple angles, as long as you’re using safe and evidence-based treatments. Using a combination of therapies usually improves your chances of stopping hair loss and regrowing hair. Relying on just one treatment to do all the legwork, especially depending on what it is, can limit potential results. Basically, stacking works. But what you stack? That’s where the difference is.
Alongside a solid foundation of finasteride and minoxidil, adding in other elements can help boost results. One good addition is microneedling with a derma roller, which involves rolling a hand-held tool covered in needles over the scalp to create tiny microinjuries, which has been shown in studies to improve the absorption of minoxidil, plus speed up hair growth by triggering the body’s natural regeneration pathways – you can read more about the benefits of derma rolling in this blog. Procedures in hair clinics, like Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) also have some human trials which suggest they can help with stopping hair loss and promoting regrowth, which you can read more about here. Extra steps or additions to your haircare routine, backed by real research, can help boost your results – alongside clinically proven, licensed treatment.
All of our blog articles are reviewed by our Medical Director before publication.
