Keeps is one of the largest hair loss brands in the US. Their products are marketed to men, and the brand claims that "keeping your hair has never been easier" thanks to their "clinically-proven products."

But are Keeps products really clinically proven to prevent hair loss or are these just marketing claims? Do they contain any unhealthy additives? Is Keeps overpriced compared to other hair loss brands? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Keeps?

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in the most popular Keeps products to give our take on whether or not they're likely to be effective for hair loss.

We'll also discuss the risk of side effects, feature real customer reviews, and compare the cost of Keeps to similar hair loss treatments to give our take on whether or not Keeps is overpriced.

Does Keeps Work?

The core offering of Keeps is a two-part medication: finasteride and minoxidil.

These are generic drugs which are FDA-approved for hair loss. These ingredients are not proprietary to Keeps. Many hair loss brands sell products containing them.

Finasteride is an oral medication that works by limiting conversion of testosterone (T) to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body, because DHT causes baldness. 

The dosage of 1 milligram (mg) of finasteride used by Keeps is an effective dose according to a 2022 medical review.

Another medical review published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment found that finasteride can increase hair growth. After 48 weeks of treatment, patients taking finasteride increased total hair count by thousands.

Minoxidil is a topical solution that’s the generic version of Rogaine.

Keeps contains minoxidil at a concentration of 5%, which is the most effective dose according to a 2022 clinical trial which found that it significantly increased hair regrowth.

Minoxidil is also shown to increase hair density, as we documented in our review of Nioxin shampoo, which means it can make existing hair thicker.

Overall, we consider Keeps likely to be effective at stopping and reversing hair loss because it contains two FDA-approved medications at effective doses.

Does Keeps Cause Side Effects?

Both of the generic drugs used by Keeps can cause side effects.

A small percentage of men taking finasteride (<5%) experience sexual side effects such as erectile dysfunction and loss of libido.

The concerning thing about this small risk is that those who do experience these side effects can suffer with them long after the medication is discontinued.

There is even a term defined in medical literature called post-finasteride syndrome because of the consistency of these sexual side effects in a small subset of men. 

Minoxidil has a more mild side effect profile, since it’s a topical solution.

The side effects of minoxidil aren’t nearly as well-publicized as finasteride, but it has been shown in a clinical trial to inhibit collagen production in the skin.

This study was in vitro, meaning it was a test tube study which is a weaker standard of evidence than a trial with human participants.

This study suggests that topical minoxidil may accelerate skin aging and increase wrinkles, given that collagen is the core structural protein in skin and is responsible for its youthful effect.

Real People Try Keeps

A YouTube creator named "IHuntHealth" has a Keeps review with over 60,000 views that includes before-and-after images:

Keeps has been reviewed over 60 times on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) site, and currently has an average rating of 1.12 out of 5 stars.

Several customers like "Matt H" complain that cancelling a recurring Keeps subscription is challenging:

"I signed up for the subscription and it took a month to get my order. They then auto refill you without notification and I still had over half of my previous order left. I tried to cancel the order and it took 2 weeks and multiple emails and phone calls. Then 2 weeks later it auto filled again which was another fight to try to get my subscription cancelled." 

To the credit of Keeps, they respond and try to resolve most customer complaints which is a sign of a high-quality brand.

Is Keeps Overpriced?

Keeps sells generic drugs as their core offering, and these same drugs are sold at a cheaper price by other retailers. Here's a cost breakdown:

Finasteride 1 mg, 90 tablets

Keeps: $53.34

Cost Plus Drugs: $7.70 (link)

Minoxidil 5% Foam, 2.11 ounces

Keeps: $33.33

Amazon: $11.99 (link)

In our opinion, Keeps is overpriced.

The company relies on great branding to sell generic drugs at a steep markup, while the same active drug ingredients can be purchased much cheaper at other retailers.

Is Keeps Shampoo Effective?

Keeps sells two different types of shampoo: 2% ketoconazole shampoo and Keeps Thickening Shampoo.

Ketoconazole was shown in a clinical trial published in the Dermatology journal to cause hair regrowth at the same concentration as in Keeps' shampoo.

It's one of the most common and most effective shampoo ingredients for hair loss.

We consider this shampoo likely to be effective for hair loss, but we wish that Keeps published a full ingredient list on the product page so we could assess the healthiness of this product. 

Keeps Thickening Shampoo also has no ingredient list on the product page on Keeps' website, but there is an ingredient list in one of the product's images on Amazon.

Saw palmetto extract is featured as a key ingredient in this formulation.

This botanical compound has been clinically shown to regrow hair when taken orally, as we documented in our ScalpMED reviews article, but we can't find any evidence that it regrows hair when used topically.

Green tea extract may stimulate hair growth according to a 2019 medical review, although the majority of clinical trials proving such are animal studies and not human studies.

Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative in Thickening Shampoo shown to be toxic to human cells in a 2020 clinical trial.

We consider Keeps Thickening Shampoo likely to be effective for hair growth, but we don't currently recommend it for health reasons, given the inclusion of phenoxyethanol.

Our Clean Hair Growth Picks

Happy Head Topical is our top premium hair growth solution.

This formulation uses FDA-approved hair loss ingredients like minoxidil which is clinically shown to increase hair count by 11%. 

Ritual HyaCera is our top hair growth supplement.

This supplement contains wheat oil extract, and a 2024 clinical trial reported that a wheat lipid complex had "a reducing effect on hair shedding and a stimulating effect on hair reappearance and growth."

MBG Omega-3 Potency+ is our top hair thickness pick.

Supplementation with omega-3 fats and antioxidants is clinically shown to improve hair density, and MBG's supplement contains both.

All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.

Keeps Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of Keeps in our opinion:

Pros:

• Effective, FDA-approved medications
• Great branding
• Online ordering is discreet
• Effective doses
• Shampoo with research-backed ingredients for hair growth

Cons:

• Overpriced
• Can get same drugs cheaper elsewhere
• Failure to publish full ingredient lists
• Some customers complain of recurring order issues
• Thickening Shampoo contains questionable preservative

Conclusion

The core offering of Keeps, finasteride and minoxidil, is effective for stopping and even reversing the progression of male pattern baldness.

Keeps doesn’t formulate these drugs; they just re-brand them. Both of these generic drugs are available from many other online retailers, often at a better price.

Both of the medications sold by Keeps can cause side effects, including sexual dysfunction and erection issues.

We don't currently recommend any Keeps products.

The drug offerings can be acquired much cheaper at other retailers, and the shampoo products have questionable efficacy and one doesn't even come with a full ingredient list.