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Are you an aging man worried about your thinning hair? Are you a young man with nary a hair care in the world? Are you a man born on a day that ends in “y”? If you answered yes, it’s probably time to start thinking about Keeps.

If you don’t know about Keeps, allow me to introduce you. I have been a loyal Keeps user since the brand launched back in 2018. During its early days, Keeps limited offering was proven to be all you *needed* to hold onto your hair. They were the best then, and they’re still the best today. What are they? Minoxidil and finasteride. Let’s break these down further.

Minoxidil is a topical over-the-counter (OTC) medication developed in the 1950s to treat ulcers. Well, like many drugs we take today, the side effects proved more valuable than the intended usage (spoiler: it didn’t work for ulcers). More than 70 years later, no other topical treatment has a better track record at helping keep the hair you have and helping grow back some of the hair you lost. 

Finasteride is a prescription medication that was once a guarded secret among men. Initially approved in 1992 for medical use to treat enlarged prostates, it’s now much better known for its convenient counteraction: hair growth (and retention). 

Those are the basics, and if you are like me, and want to hold on to your hair, be it now or in the future, it’s best to start your Keeps regimen, like … yesterday. 

“As with many things in life, it’s better to start sooner than later,” Dr. Farhan Contractor, Medical Director of Keeps Hair Restoration, tells The Post. “Taking products such as Keeps finasteride and minoxidil during earlier stages of hair loss will minimize the chances of further shedding and give you the best shot at experiencing regrowth.” 

But wait — do you have to see this Manhattan-based doctor to get prescribed a simple yet effective medication to fight hair loss? How can Keeps send you prescription medication without going to a doctor? Magic. (Not really. It’s telemedicine.) 

Keeps starts your happy hair journey off by having you submit three pictures directly from your phone. From there, a Keeps-approved doctor reviews and recommends the products they think would best fit your hairy situation. Check in once a year, at $5 per visit, to keep the medication coming. Then it arrives every three months thanks to auto-ship, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.   

However, if scary hairy thoughts are keeping you up at night, Keeps is there. Literally. Once you are logged into your account, you can message your assigned doctor (shout out to my man, Dr. Craig), and they can answer any questions you may have in a reasonable amount of time. If you can’t wait, Keeps also offers real human customer service 24/7. (And if you have a problem that really *really* can’t wait, you should probably go to the hospital.) 

That’s not all, though. Keeps is, and always has been, all about the hair — not pushing gummy’s and ED pills like other brands — so it has leaned into men’s hair needs and introduced DHT-blocking thickening shampoo and conditioner, prescription 2% ketoconazole shampoo, and most recently hair thickening pomade. Keeps is ready, willing, and able to be the go-to spot for every stage of the life of your hair. 

Don’t worry if you miss a dose either. We’re all human, and even the most organized among us have an off day now and then. “Missing an occasional dose of finasteride or minoxidil is not going to be overly detrimental, but patients who routinely miss doses may not achieve their full potential,” says Contractor. However, if you regularly skip out on your treatment plan, you may begin to shed hair or, worse, start to thin again. 

“My advice is to do everything you can not to miss doses of medication,” Contractor advises. “Set daily reminders on your phone, leave the medications on your nightstand, so they’re easy to reach – whatever it takes!”

OK, you may be saying, “Barret, man, I’ve crossed into the land of no return — I need something *really* serious.” Well, I got you because the latest news from my favorite hair retention brand is that it’s now offering next-level options for men who are past pills and potions.

“Once patients have experienced extensive loss (think shiny scalp), it’s unlikely they will see substantial improvements from any form of medical therapy,” Contractor explains. “However, if patients have sufficient donor hair on the back and sides of their scalp, they may be a suitable candidate for an FUE procedure.

Enter: Keeps Hair Restoration. 

Opened in 2022, Keeps Hair Restoration – a welcoming studio located in midtown Manhattan – offers two tried-and-true hair procedures for androgenetic alopecia (or male pattern hair loss): platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and follicular unit extraction (FUE). PRP takes plasma from your own blood and injects it into your head, which has been shown to help grow hair and stimulate the growth of hair transplants. The zenith of hair loss restoration is the hair transplant, more commonly known today as follicular unit extraction or FUE. 

Contractor explains: “An FUE procedure generally offers the most drastic improvement for patients suffering from hair loss. Oftentimes, we have patients who’ve seen some nice regrowth with therapies like finasteride and minoxidil but still desire more coverage and/or density. This is where an FUE procedure can really help take hair restoration to the next level.” 

FUE may be my generation’s answer to hair plugs. However, these days, FUE is done with such patience and precision that when executed well, there is literally no evidence of the procedure once it’s complete. Each follicle is placed individually and grows organically, which looks undeniably natural. 

“Most healthy males with moderate hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia are suitable candidates for [an FUE] hair restoration procedure,” Contractor says of the increasingly popular procedure. “What we look for is an individual with thinning or balding areas to justify an FUE procedure while also having sufficient donor hair to provide adequate coverage through transplantation.”

However, don’t start thinking this is it for your hair loss. It is strongly recommended that anyone who has had FUE continues to use their Keeps regimen as diligently as ever. “We encourage all patients that are having an FUE procedure to continue using Keeps products such as finasteride, minoxidil and PRP to help protect native hair and support the health of transplanted grafts,” says Contractor. 

Additional procedures can be performed in the event of further hair loss, but this is not something you (or your wallet) are going to want to do again. It’s much easier to get in the habit of taking your finasteride daily and use your minoxidil solution once in the morning and once before bed.  

After being a loyal Keeps user for years, I can’t imagine living my life without it. Should I need to use more than the easily orderable treatments available from Keeps online? I hope not, but I know if I do, I’ll trust Keeps with that decision too.  

If you find yourself in New York City and would like to learn more about the new FUE procedure offered by Keeps, schedule a consultation with Keeps Hair Restoration, located at 25 West 45 Street, Suite 402, between 5th and 6th Avenues in Manhattan.

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