Product: Rogaine (or other cheaper brands that all use the same drug—Minoxidil)

What it does: Minoxidil, which was the first male-pattern baldness drug approved by the FDA in the late 1980s, re-grows hair and prevents additional hair loss. You apply it directly to the scalp wherever you’re losing hair. Physicians and researchers aren’t sure why Minoxidil works, but it could be its vasodilating effect on hair follicles. Or mysterious gypsy magic.

Who should use it: Minoxidil is most effective in people whose hair loss began recently and who have small areas of loss. The drug is more effective at improving growth in the center of the head than along the hairline. Oh, and you can’t ever stop using it; if you do, you’ll revert back to your balding self.

Price: A four-month supply of Men’s Rogaine 5 percent Minoxidil sells for $55.60 at some online discounters, while a 12-month supply of Kirkland Signature Minoxidil for Men 5 percent sells for $45.95.

TAGS: balding, effective, preventing hair loss, products, shampoos, treatments