89 Best Tried and True Japanese Hair Growth Products for Men in 2022
In movies or in person, you may have noticed that a lot of Japanese men have nice, full heads of hair. How do they do it? Surely many of them use hair-restoration products. But, there are so many on the market; how can you choose the one for you?
mybest is here to help! We tested 89 different hair-restoration products from Japan- the top-sellers on sites like Amazon, Rakuten, and @cosme, and ranked them to help you find the right one for you.
With the help of our expert, we tested for the following points:
- Ingredients
- Ease of Use
Hiroko Kobayashi is the director of the Saiye Hair Growth Salon in Nakano, Tokyo, which is popular even with younger generations due to her reliable service, safety, and prices. She has helped over 70,000 customers with a 90% success rate, which contributes to her 3-month-long customer wait list.
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The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
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How to Choose a Hair Growth Product - Buying Guide
Here are some things to look out for.
Look for Ingredients That are Effective for Men
Men can suffer from hair loss for different reasons than women, so knowing the cause of your hair loss is just as effective in treating it.
If It's Male Pattern Hair Loss, Avoid DHT
Although men can (and sometimes should, as we'll explain later) use products for women, if you suffer from male pattern baldness (AGA) then you should search for products that help inhibit the main culprit of this type of hair loss, dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Some ingredients to look for:
- Seaweed extract
- Birch extract
- Clove extract
- Loquat extract
- Leopard lily extract
- Chinese skullcap extract
- Tripeptide-1 copper
Look for Ingredients That Promote Blood Circulation
Sometimes the main factor in your hair loss is a lack of blood circulation to your scalp. Luckily, there are certain products that will stimulate your vessels. You should also keep an eye out for these ingredients:
- Adenosine
- Carpronium chloride
- Swertia japonica extract
- Nicotinamide
Look for Moisturizers to Revitalize Your Damaged Scalp
Moisturizing ingredients will help keep your scalp healthy and avoid greasiness as well as dryness. Here are some examples:
- Hyaluronic acid
- Collagen
- Ceramide
- Glycerin
- Acetylglucosamine
- Hydrolyzed elastin
- Jojoba oil
In fact, many hair restorers marketed for women are often highly moisturizing and mild, and they're fine for men to use. You don't need to worry if the product says it promotes female hormones- men have these hormones too, and they actually help bolster the hair growth cycle.
Remember That Your Scalp is Sensitive and Choose a Product Accordingly
You may think that lots of ingredients will cover every reason why you might be losing hair, so that's your best choice, right? Wrong! The skin on your scalp is very sensitive and easily absorbs whatever you put on it. So don't just use everything under the sun.
Try to determine your individual symptoms and choose a product targeted at that. This will help you avoid the risk of more damage or allergic reactions. Unlike men's hair restorers, many women's products are hypoallergenic, so that's another reason those products might be better for you.
Another thing you may want to avoid is alcohol. Many products have alcohol to provide a refreshing feeling, but it can be irritating. Avoiding fragrances is a good idea, too. And finally, it's always best to consult a hair-loss specialist before using any product.
Your scalp can absorb ingredients faster than you would orally, so you shouldn't use a hair growth product with many ingredients very lightly.
Sometimes dermatologists and other doctors that don't specialize in hair growth can misdiagnose, so you should always check with a hair growth specialist before trying a product.
Pick Something That You Can Stick With
These are products that you need to keep using regularly to see their benefits. If it's hard to apply or the price is a stretch, chances are you'll stop using it. Our expert Ms. Kobayashi doesn't recommend switching products all the time- it'll be hard on your skin and also less effective.
1. Choose one that's easy to apply
There are some applicators that sort of sprinkle the restorer onto your scalp and others which are applied with a dropper, but both of these take some getting used to. We found the easiest type was a straight and strong spray type.
2. Choose one you can afford to keep using
A high price doesn't necessarily mean a better result. We found many good products in the $30-$40 range. Remember that this isn't a one-time purchase, and most of these will last you one month. Then you need to buy more! So it's also good to check if the company offers refunds, guarantees, loyalty points or discounts for regular customers.
20 Best Hair-Restoration Products for Men
| Products | Image | Click to purchase | Popularity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | BraveGrow Ozone Associa |  | No.1 | |
2 | Ri-Jun Scalp Essence Misumi Cosmetics |  | No.2 | |
3 | My Nature Hair Grower Red Vision |  | No.3 | |
4 | Kenomika Hair Care Lotion Kameyamado |  | No.4 | |
5 | Nano Action Suntory |  | No.5 | |
6 | Linna Scalp Essence Arthur and Dovirtue |  | No.6 | |
7 | Astalift Scalp Focus Essence Fujifilm Healthcare Laboratory |  | No.7 | |
8 | RJ Hair Essence Yamada |  | No.8 | |
9 | Bubka Zero Scalp Essence T.S Collaboration |  | No.9 | |
10 | Munoage Hair Approach Program Advanced Medical Care |  | No.10 |
This has great reviews on shopping sites, and we agree. The gel covers the whole scalp thickly and leaves you feeling moisturized and refreshed. It's a simple formula with no alcohol and no additives, so our testers didn't experience any irritation.
It does take some time to spread it out on your head, and some of us thought it was hard to use the nozzle to get the right amount, but the ingredients are so good it outweighed these issues.
mybest can recommend this hair restorer with confidence!
If you're not used to using hair restorers, this one will make it easy for you. We thought this was simple to use, and since it also has no fragrance, it's a good choice for anyone.
It has a long list of ingredients, so you may want to avoid it if you are concerned about an allergic reaction. Even though it doesn't say it's alcohol-free, there was none listed on the label.
This additive-free hair restorer has a lot of ingredients, but 49 of them are plant-based. It's not only a restorer, but also a scalp-care product, so it can be good for casual users too.
We liked the bottle design and the round nozzle makes for a comfortable yet spill-free application.
KameyamadoKenomika Hair Care Lotion
With few irritating ingredients, this is a great choice for people with sensitive skin or allergies. It's a bit watery and doesn't dry fast, but it's alcohol-free, and easy to use.
Although it takes getting used to, the dispenser reliably releases the perfect amount every time, which is what earned this one a high score for ease of use.
It spreads easily all over the scalp and nothing is wasted. If you want to get the most out of your product, consider this one.
Arthur and DovirtueLinna Scalp Essence
Although the design is rather feminine, the fragrance and moisturizing power make this a good choice for a wide variety of consumers.
It's applied with a dropper, but the consistency is slightly thick and feels like a lotion or serum.
Fujifilm Healthcare LaboratoryAstalift Scalp Focus Essence
A collapsing nozzle that made it easy to dispense just the right amount of product earned this one a high score.
The moisturizing was average and the price a bit high, but based on the reputation of this line, we still recommend it.
Almost like a serum or essence, it was easy to apply and had strong moisturizing power. It smells faintly of herbs. We also liked that the bottle gave instructions of how much product to use.
If you are determined to restore your hair growth, this is a good choice despite the price.
We thought it had a great balance of ingredients, and it will leave your scalp moist and and smelling nice. It's also easy to use.
Advanced Medical CareMunoage Hair Approach Program
We tested the trial size and found it didn't last as long as it was supposed to, so the price may be high considering that.
But because it's a two-part system with a nourisher and hair restorer, we thought it was great for moisturizing.
A simple, well-priced, highly-moisturizing option. Some may find its alcohol properties can cause irritation, but if you don't have any reactions to alcohol, then you should be fine.
Considering the ingredients, moisturizing power, and ease of use earned great scores otherwise, we thought it was a very good value overall.
This one is perfect for those with sensitive skin. It's alcohol-free, mild, and unscented. It's a bit watery but easy to use with its sprayer.
The reason this one didn't score higher was the dropper application; otherwise it would have made it into the Top 10.
If you can get past that, and don't mind alcohol, the fragrance and contents are fabulous.
Rohto50 Blessings Hair Growth Mousse
If you're worried about dripping, we recommend this foamy mousse. On the other hand, you'll have to massage it in, as the foam doesn't penetrate to the scalp as well.
Despite that, we think it will be difficult for this product to cause skin irritation considering the combination of its mousse texture and moisturizing ingredients.
Happiness ClubKankikou Citrus Increase
It was effective at reaching the scalp easily, but we wanted better ingredients. The citrus smell is nice but slightly bitter. One bottle lasts 2 months, so the price isn't as high as it seems.
We liked this product, but it didn't score higher because a lot came out at once, and we felt it wasted some of it. We think this is especially important to note since hair growth treatments aren't exactly cheap.
Some of our testers liked the carbonate bubbles, but some of us actually thought it was painful. We all agreed it smells a bit feminine too.
We did like how our scalp retained moisture from the product even after blown with a hair dryer. If you want something bubbly and don't mind the smell, we'd recommend trying it out.
How We Tested the Hair Growth Products
First, we identified products that were high-quality, and then tested then for ingredients and ease of use.
Test ① Ingredients
We decided to focus on the moisturizing ingredients in our tests, since the ingredients for DHT suppression and blood circulation and only useful for some men.
We applied each product to artificial skin, and used a dryer to check evaporation.
We also applied each product to our own heads to check for itchiness or dandruff.
Finally, we considered the properties of each product. In general, thick, gel-like products tended to dry out, while liquid types were more moisturizing. And many products that contained alcohol felt itchy soon after application.
We also had better luck in general with moisture using hair growth products for women than for men. The men's products often made us feel itchy afterwards.
Test ② Ease of Use
We compared if the product would be easy to apply quickly every day. Does it cover the entire scalp without dripping or coming off?
We thought the spray types with no diffuser were the easiest in general. The misting nozzles left our hair too wet, but the straight spray nozzles went right where we needed the product.
We also factored in aspects like fragrance and how strong the alcohol ingredients smelled. It's sometimes mentioned in the product information if you're interested.
How to Get the Most out of Your Hair Growth Product
It's important to apply the product to your entire scalp, not just the affected areas. The products work by improving your overall scalp health.
Some people think that using these products leads to greater hair loss, but the truth in most of these cases is that it's a combination of other factors like your lifestyle or environment.
Don't use harsh shampoos. Moisture and sebum production are important. Something as simple as changing your shampoo to something more gentle and nourishing can greatly affect your hair loss.
Make sure you are eating a balanced diet! Nutrition is essential for everything in your body, and hair is no exception. Eating a hot breakfast can help raise your body temperature and improve blood flow to the scalp.
Help Your Hair and Scalp More with These Products
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The descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
