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Sons Review – Does It Work for Hair Loss?

About the Author

Alex Goldberg

Alex worked at three early-stage startups before starting Fin vs Fin. Covering the rise of direct-to-consumer health, his mission is to help patients access better treatments online. He's also a husband, father, and UC Berkeley grad who enjoys golf, podcasts, live music, cooking, and home improvement.

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Rating: 4.3 / 5
Medically reviewed by:
Dr. Kim Langdon, MD

About Dr. Kim Langdon, MD

Physician Advisor

Dr. Langdon is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist with 19-years of clinical experience. She graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine with Honors before completing her OB/GYN residency program (also at Ohio State) where she focused on helping pregnant women suffering from depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

In this Article

In this Article

Alex Goldberg

For many assigned males, hair loss may be a source of stress and frustration. Pattern baldness, the most common cause of hair loss in assigned males, is quite common, given that it affects about 6.5 million males in the UK.

 

Online health clinics for males are making it incredibly simple to acquire effective hair loss treatments. Whether you’re looking to treat your existing baldness or prevent it from happening in the first place, platforms like Sons can deliver the meds that you need to your doorstep. 

 

This review will provide a detailed breakdown of Sons, one of the leading hair loss treatment platforms for males in the UK. Keep reading to learn more about Sons and what a board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Jonathan Rick, thinks about their treatment options.

 

What Is Sons?

Sons Ultimate Plan
Get 40% off Sons with code FIN40 at checkout

Sons is a direct-to-consumer healthcare company that specialises in hair loss treatments for males. Their goal is to provide affordable and clinically-proven treatments without the stigma that so often accompanies men’s health issues.  

 

Sons was founded by two guys, Will and Adrian, who were facing the very real possibility of losing their hair. They weren’t ready to say goodbye to their full heads of hair, so they started looking for hair loss solutions but weren’t satisfied with what they found. With Adrian heading up the clinical research and Will leading the business side of the company, they created Sons to help men take a proactive approach to their health. 

 

It’s also worth noting that Sons is carbon neutral, meaning that the amount of carbon dioxide that the company’s operations emit equals the amount of carbon dioxide that the company’s removing from the atmosphere. Given the climate emergency that our world is facing, you can feel good about supporting a carbon-neutral company like Sons. 

What Hair Loss Treatments Does Sons Offer?

Sons currently offers six different products to help with hair loss:

 

1. Finasteride for Hair Loss

 

Finasteride is a prescription medication that’s widely viewed as the gold standard for hair loss treatment. Specifically, finasteride helps treat male pattern baldness, AKA androgenetic alopecia. This medication stops testosterone from converting into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that’s been shown to cause shrinking hair follicles. Some people notice partial hair regrowth after using finasteride, but it’s best used to prevent male pattern baldness before it starts. After all, prevention is the best cure, right?

 

Sons is the UK licence holder for finasteride, and offers the treatment in a 1-milligram-per-day dose, which is the standard for hair loss treatment. Also, Sons claims that finasteride is effective in 8 out of 10 men for mild hair loss with results in 6 to 12 months. 

 

Alone, finasteride from Sons costs £29 per month delivered monthly, £25.33 per month delivered every 3 months, or £22.50 per month delivered every 6 months, or £20.83 delivered every 12 months. Slash 40% off these prices with Sons promo code FIN40 at checkout.

2. Minoxidil for Hair Loss

Sons Topical Minoxidil

Minoxidil is a non-prescription topical medication for hair loss. You’ve probably heard of it by its brand name: Rogaine. Sons offers the generic version in a standard 5% formulation, but it’s no less effective than the brand-name option. According to Sons, this treatment is effective in 6 out of 10 men for preventing hair loss and starts yielding prominent results in 6 to 12 months. 

 

Hair growth benefits from minoxidil because it’s a vasodilator, meaning that it widens blood vessels and therefore boosts circulation to the treatment area. This can enlarge and reactivate shrunken hair follicles, moving them into the growth phase. Minoxidil is also thought to lengthen the growth phase of hair follicles. Together, these effects can translate to thicker, fuller hair.

 

Sons’ minoxidil costs £20 per month, £33 per month delivered monthly, £24.67 per month delivered every 3 months, £21.67 per month delivered every 6 months, or £20 per month delivered every 12 months. Again, don’t forget to save 40% with code FIN40 at checkout.

Dr-Jonathan-Rick-MD-Headshot

A Word From Our Expert

— Dr. Jonathan Rick

Topical minoxidil is a cost-effective treatment for several types of hair loss. There is a wealth of data and experience showing that this is an effective product, especially for androgenic alopecia, or male pattern hair loss.”

3. Sons Hair Growth Complex

Sons Hair Growth Complex

Sons recently launched a new enhanced hair vitamin supplement to improve hair quality. Their Hair Growth Complex contains 9 different natural ingredients, including Anagain, Biotin, Marine Collagen, and Saw Palmetto that target hair strength, hair growth and a healthy scalp. Sons state that two tablets should be taken daily to see results within 3-6 months.

 

Sons’ Hair Growth Complex costs £30 per month for delivery every month, £28.67 per month for delivery every 3 months, £22.50 per month for delivery every 6 months, or £20.83 per month for delivery every 12 months.

4. Thickening Shampoo for Mild Hair Loss

Sons Strengthening Shampoo

Sons offers a specially formulated shampoo for men with mild hair loss. It contains saw palmetto, argan oil, iron, and vitamin B3. As a DHT-blocker, saw palmetto works similarly to finasteride as a treatment for male pattern baldness. But, while finasteride is a synthetic medication, saw palmetto is a type of palm tree that’s native to the southeastern U.S. 

 

Sons’ shampoo for hair loss costs £13 per month delivered monthly, £10 per month delivered every 3 months, £9 per month delivered every 6 months, or £8.33 per month delivered every 12 months.  

5. Biotin Hair Vitamins

 

Biotin supplements are the next item on Sons’ product list. Also called vitamin B7 or vitamin H, biotin can help combat hair loss by improving the production of keratin in the hair. Since keratin is one of the most important proteins for the structure of your hair, nails, and skin, biotin can help boost follicle development. Sons states that biotin is effective for hair health, and it can take between 6 and 12 months to show promising results.  

 

Sons offers their biotin supplements for £10 per month delivered monthly, £9 per month delivered every 3 months, £8 per month delivered every 6 months, or £7.50 per month delivered every 12 months.

6. Sons 2-in-1 Finoxidil Spray

Sons offers a prescription topical spray for hair loss containing 5% minoxidil and 0.1% finasteride. This treatment is ideal for men who want an alternative to a daily pill for hair loss. Sons have reformulated the spray for 2024 to include Tretinoin – an ingredient that optimises efficacy of your Minoxidil treatment.

 

Studies suggest that Tretinoin optimises efficacy of the treatment by increasing absorption of Minoxidil into the scalp. Sons also notes that the topical formulation may pose less of a risk for side effects than oral finasteride. The topical spray should be applied once daily, once in the morning and once at night for optimal results. 

 

Sons’ topical spray costs £43 per month for delivery every 2 months, £34 per month for delivery every 4 months, or £31 per month for delivery every 6 months. It’s only available on its own, meaning that it’s not included in any of Sons’ bundle treatment plans. Use code FIN40 for 40% off.

Is Sons’ Hair Loss Subscription Worth It?

While you can purchase individual treatments on Sons, the company also offers treatment bundles. Having a comprehensive hair loss routine can boost your chances of success, so we like that Sons provides cost-effective treatment packages that allow you to attack the problem from multiple angles. 

 

The Ultimate Plan

    • £59.00 per month delivered monthly

    • £49.67 per month delivered every 3 months

    • £45.83 per month delivered every 6 months

    • £41.58 per month delivered every 12 months

This plan includes Finasteride, Minoxidil, Hair Growth Complex and Shampoo. Sons has deemed this package their most popular and effective, with a track record of success in 9.4 out of 10 men.

 

The Advanced Plan

    • £48.00 per month delivered monthly

    • £44.00 per month delivered every 3 months

    • £39.83 per month delivered every 6 months

    • £36.58 per month delivered every 12 months

Sons Advanced Plan

This plan includes Finasteride, Minoxidil, and Hair Growth Complex.

 

The Core Plan

    • £40.00 per month delivered monthly

    • £35.00 per month delivered every 3 months

    • £31.67 per month delivered every 6 months

    • £28.75 per month delivered every 12 months

Sons Core Plan

This package contains the essentials: finasteride and minoxidil.

Does Sons Work for Hair Loss?

The short answer is yes, Sons hair loss products works well for MOST men. They prescribe safe, clinically-proven treatments (prescription and over the counter) that have helped millions of men keep their hair for decades.

 

 

But don’t just take our word for it. We know the primary question on every guy’s mind while shopping for hair loss products is simple: will it work for me? We’ve set out to you as clear of an answer as possible to this question by providing clinical study data for each of the hair loss treatments that Sons provides. 

 

What Kind of Results Can You Expect?

There are numerous studies to support the effectiveness of finasteride for male pattern baldness. This isn’t surprising, considering that the FDA approved it for the treatment of male pattern baldness all the way back in 1997. But, when you take a look at the research, finasteride is strikingly effective for the long-term management of hair loss.

 

A study on finasteride for hair loss discovered that males who used finasteride for 5 years had higher hair counts within the first year. Hair counts remained higher than the baseline in each successive year. Over a 5-year period, men who took the placebo lost hair indefinitely. When the results in this study are broken down, 65% of men treated with finasteride had increased hair count at 5 years, but 0% of men on placebo couldn’t say the same.

 

Want to look even further into the future with finasteride? A 10-year study conducted in Japan showed finasteride curbed the progression of male pattern baldness for 99% of the men in the study. With numbers like these supporting the efficacy of finasteride, there is no debate whether it works or not.

 

Does Sons Minoxidil Work?

There have also been a number of studies on the efficacy of minoxidil in general, such as this 4-month research of 743 men with male pattern baldness that examined the efficiency of a 5% minoxidil topical solution for reducing hair loss and initiating new hair growth by taking into account user feedback.

 

7.5% of the men considered the treatment very effective, 55% considered the treatment effective, 31.3% considered it moderately effective, and just 6.2% found it to be ineffective. Also in this study, 74.2% of men noticed that their hair density improved. 

 

To take a look at long-term results of minoxidil, let’s consider a 12-month study conducted in Germany in 984 men with male-pattern baldness. The participants applied 1 milliliter of a 5% minoxidil topical solution twice daily. By the end of the study, the solution was found to be very effective in 15.9% of men, effective in 47.8% of men, moderately effective in 20.6% of men, and ineffective in 15.7% of men. 

 

While minoxidil may not work for everyone, it works wonders for male-pattern baldness in the majority of men. Keep in mind that results typically take a few months to appear, and you’ll need to continuously apply minoxidil daily to continue to see them. Should you stop or pause treatment, your thinning is likely to return right away.

 

Does Saw Palmetto Work for Hair Loss?

Saw palmetto is a botanical extract and, as we mentioned above, a DHT blocker. Since it’s the main active ingredient in Sons’ shampoo, we researched the effectiveness of saw palmetto for hair loss in general to see what kind of clinical data exists. For men with male pattern baldness, saw palmetto may reduce levels of DHT in the scalp, leading to healthier hair follicles. 

 

5 randomized clinical trials and 2 prospective cohort studies showed that topical and oral saw palmetto supplements produced positive results in patients with male pattern baldness and telogen effluvium, a prevalent cause of temporary hair loss. These studies showed a 60% improvement in overall hair quality, 27% improvement in total hair count, increased hair density in 83.3% of participants, and stabilized disease progression in 52% of participants. 

 

How Well Does Biotin Work for Hair Loss?

A PubMed search of all case results and randomized clinical trials relating to biotin for hair, nail, and skin health found that in all of the reported cases, patients receiving biotin supplementation had some degree of poor hair or nail growth caused by biotin deficiency or related conditions. All of the cases showed that biotin supplementation improved the patients’ hair and nail growth. But, this search didn’t provide evidence that biotin supplementation is effective in healthy patients (those without biotin deficiencies). 

 

The studies available on biotin for hair loss today point to the idea that biotin is only effective for hair loss caused by a biotin deficiency, which is relatively rare. So, biotin isn’t going to be the make-or-break treatment in the regimen for people struggling with male pattern baldness.

 

How to Get Hair Loss Treatment from Sons

 

For oral finasteride and the topical spray, you’ll need to get a prescription online from one of the doctors on the Sons’ prescribing partners. To do this, you’ll first need to complete a free online health consultation in which you’ll provide information about your general health and the problems you need help with. The prescribers will then recommend personalized treatment plans for you to choose from. 

 

Once you pick a treatment plan and start your journey to healthier hair, you’ll get ongoing virtual physician support from Sons. The company’s medical experts will continue to check in with you to see how the treatment is going and make adjustments as needed. 

 

All of the treatment plans from Sons are commitment-free subscriptions that you can cancel at any time, free of charge. That said, you can save by choosing a subscription plan that delivers more products at once.

 

For example, with The Core Plan, you can choose monthly delivery for £40.00 per month, delivery every 3 months or £35.00 per month, delivery every 6 months for £31.67 per month, or delivery every 12 months for £28.75 every month.

 

These savings are valuable since finasteride and minoxidil, as treatment choices for hair loss, are long-term processes that require patience and must be used consistently to observe results. Stopping their use will reverse the cycle, and the thinning will resume. Thus it makes sense to purchase in bulk and save as much as possible.

 

Save an additional 40% off with code FIN40 at checkout, exclusively for Fin vs Fin readers.

 

Sons Alternatives:  How Does It Compare?

Sons vs Hims vs Numan vs Manual

Rx hair loss productsOral and topical finasterideOral and topical finasterideOral and topical finasterideOral finasteride
Non-prescription hair loss productsMinoxidil spray
Biotin vitamins
DHT-blocking shampoo
Minoxidil sprayMinoxidil sprayMinoxidil spray
Biotin vitamins
Thickening shampoo
Finasteride + minoxidil combination spray?
Other conditions treated (beyond hair loss)Beard growthED
Skincare
ED
Beard growth
Blood testing
Premature ejaculation
ED
Skincare
Blood testing
Gut health
Personalized (custom compounded) hair loss solutions?
Free physician consultation?
On-going access to a doctor?
Free shipping?
Carbon neutral?
Website

Need more details? Check out our in-depth review comparing the best hair loss subscription in the UK where we have broken down in more detail how Sons compares to Numan, Manual, and Hims UK (formerly known as Freshman).

 

Sons vs. Hims UK

The main difference between Sons and Hims UK is the breadth of their product line. Both offer clinically proven hair loss meds for hair loss, but Hims UK offers medications for a wider range of male conditions beyond hair loss, including erectile dysfunction and skincare. The company’s hair loss treatment offerings include topical finasteride and minoxidil, which is comparable to Sons’ topical spray, along with minoxidil and finasteride in pill form. 

Hims UK offers free one-day shipping across the UK. You’ll also gain unlimited access to the company’s clinical team for any questions or concerns that come up. Know that you can cancel your Hims subscription at any time, free of charge. 

 

Unlike Sons, Hims doesn’t offer shampoo or biotin supplements. When you directly compare the cost of Hims’ products to their Sons alternatives, you’ll find that Sons is significantly more affordable as well.

 

Overall, if you’re just looking for hair loss meds, we recommend Sons as our top pick, especially since you can save 40% with code FIN40 at checkout. If you’re curious to explore remedies for other common conditions beyond hair loss, Hims is a better one-stop-shop. Read more in our in-depth Hims UK review!

 

Numan vs. Sons for Hair Loss

The main difference between Numan and Sons is (again) the breadth of their product offerings. Numan is a popular men’s health platform offering treatment for erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, hair loss, and nutritional health. They also offers blood testing including their Fear Nothing Blood Test, which is free if they don’t find anything requiring care. Like many other digital health pharmacies, Numan offers free shipping (often within 24 hours) and online support from a team of clinicians. 

 

As far as hair loss treatments go, Numan offers a topical spray containing minoxidil (unlike Sons’ and Hims’ minoxidil-finasteride combo), oral finasteride, and Regaine (the brand-name version of Rogaine, which contains 5% topical minoxidil). You can also purchase Numan’s Complete Hair Kit, which bundles their topical spray and finasteride. 

 

Here’s how Numan’s products are priced:

 

  • Topical Spray: £32 per bottle
  • Finasteride: £1.04 per tablet (approximately £31.20 per month)
  • Regaine: £80 per bottle
  • Complete Hair Kit: £38

 

Check out our complete review of Numan and their services for men’s health for more info! 

Manual vs. Sons for Hair Loss

Manual is a direct-to-consumer health platform offering treatments and ongoing virtual care for just about every aspect of men’s health, including hair loss, erectile dysfunction, sleep, skin health, blood tests, and daily health, which covers treatments including vitamins, gut health, and testosterone support. 

 

We’d consider Manual to be a closer competitor to Sons than Hims or Numan because of their extensive product offerings for hair loss. The company offers finasteride, minoxidil, Regain, their own Power Shampoo, hair vitamins (containing biotin, selenium, and zinc), and hair transplants. You’ll have to head to an in-person clinic for transplants, but it’s an interesting option for hair loss that Sons doesn’t offer. 

 

Here’s Manual’s pricing for hair loss, just for comparison purposes:

 

Complete Hair Loss Plan, which includes finasteride and minoxidil

 

    • £28 per month delivered monthly
    • £20 per month delivered every 3 months
    • £19 per month delivered every 6 months

Finasteride 

 

    • £18 per month delivered monthly
    • £15 per month delivered every 3 months
    • £14 per month delivered every 6 months

Minoxidil (Regaine)

 

    • £24 per month delivered monthly
    • £19 per month delivered every 3 months
    • £16 per month delivered every 6 months

Power Shampoo

 

    • £11.90 every 2 months

Hair Vitamins

 

    • £12 per month

 

Compared to Sons’ Core Plan, which contains finasteride and minoxidil, Manual’s Complete Hair Loss Plan is slightly less expensive. That’s especially true if you apply code FIN40 at checkout and save an additional 40% on Sons already-low prices.

 

That said, Sons has a larger selection of cost-effective packages. With Manual, the Power Shampoo and Hair Vitamins can only be bought alone or as add-ons to other bundles. Overall, we recommend Sons for hair loss over Manual, although both offer effective solutions.

 

The Verdict: Is Sons Legit for Hair Loss in the UK?

 

After taking a deep dive into Sons and the products that they offer, we have to say that we’re impressed with their extensive selection. With both prescription and non-prescription hair loss packages, Sons truly offers a solution for every kind of guy. Non-prescription options being perfect for those who want to combat hair loss while also avoiding the risk of potential side effects from treatments like finasteride. 

 

And, when you compare Sons to other online hair loss diagnosis and treatment platforms for men, you’ll find that they not only offer a more comprehensive variety of treatments, but also highly competitive pricing. You can get 40% off their already low prices as well – just don’t forget to apply code FIN40 at checkout!

 

Sons offers several monthly plans that combine the minoxidil, finasteride, shampoo, and vitamins treatments for long-term use if you want to save more money per month. Plus Sons offers different finasteride and minoxidil applications (oral/topical) methods, combining convenience and practicality. They can also assist you if you are looking for medications for conditions other than hair loss.

 

We conduct extensive research to evaluate the pricing, effectiveness, accessibility, overall quality, and user experience of every telehealth service we review. This also includes examining and comparing each provider to comparable telemedicine alternatives. We also evaluate usability, treatments, prescription delivery time, and more to determine the best value for those seeking fast and reliable telehealth services.

 

Review ProcessKey MetricsWeighting
Sign up online– ease to complete intake form
– affordability
– upfront commitment or subscription required?
– money back guarantee or refund policy?
0.5
Vitual consult with provider / determine eligibility– ease to get appointment to determine eligibility
– need to leave house for labs or other in-person care?
1
Shipping + unboxing– shipping cost
– time from order to treatment delivery
– discreet packaging to maintain privacy
0.5
Test + journal for 1-3 months– ease of application
– transition into habitual use
– taste / smell / feel / pain
1.5
Results after 3 months of use– efficacy / results
– lack of side effects
– ease of refill / reordering
– quality of ongoing clinical support
– responsive customer support
– willingness to recommend to a friend
1.5

Related Reading

About the Author

Alex Goldberg

Alex worked at three early-stage startups before starting Fin vs Fin. Covering the rise of direct-to-consumer health, his mission is to help patients access better treatments online. He's also a husband, father, and UC Berkeley grad who enjoys golf, podcasts, live music, cooking, and home improvement.

Learn more
Alex Goldberg

Alex Goldberg

Alex worked at three early-stage startups before starting Fin vs Fin. Covering the rise of direct-to-consumer health, his mission is to help patients access better treatments online. He's also a husband, father, and UC Berkeley grad who enjoys golf, podcasts, live music, cooking, and home improvement.

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