It’s time to review Shapiro MD Hair Growth – which is a topical system meant to stop hair loss.
But does this thing really work?
Considering all those negative reviews I found, it has high chances to be a scam.
So let’s find out the hidden truth behind.
Note: This review is based on my experience + research on Shapiro MD.
So Let’s Get To The Review
Full Name: Hair Growth DHT Blockers from Shapiro MD
Versions: There are 3 products available:
- shampoo
- conditioner
- foam
However – they are sold as a system (shampoo + conditioner) on the official website.
Foam isn’t included, unless you buy it separately (from Amazon).
Best Actual Price: $69.95 per system
Cheapest Place To Buy: The official website (Amazon has higher prices).
Designed For: Hair loss caused by DHT excess.
If you use it for hair loss caused by other factors, it won’t help too much.
My Rating: 6 out of 10
Worth Buying?: Definitely not – it’s just extremely overpriced:
- costs $70 per system (monthly supply)
- only works for DHT hair loss
- not effective for everyone
Instead of spending so much money on Shapiro MD, I would choose a $25 supplement that works for all causes of hair loss.
What I Liked About It
- Nice smell and consistency (in all 3 products)
- Really effective for hair loss caused by DHT excess
- A bottle may last more than 1 month
- No side effects (not even local ones)
- Available in several retailers
What I Didn’t Like About It
- Not effective for hair loss caused by other issues than DHT excess
- Doesn’t speed up hair growth
- No exact quantities for the ingredients
- All 3 products should be used daily for best results
- Lots of negative reviews
- Extremely overpriced
- Doesn’t work in 30 days – as it claims (in most cases)
What Is Shapiro MD?
Shapiro MD is actually a brand of hair products – all focused on DHT hair loss:
- DHT is the hormone behind hair loss (especially in men)
- Shapiro MD fights the excess using natural ingredients
- In this way, it promotes thicker and fuller hair
Basically – it’s a solution ONLY for hair loss caused by DHT excess.
Now, Shapiro MD offers 3 different products:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Foam
All 3 are based on the same formula and claim to decrease DHT hair loss.
However – these products aren’t as perfect as they seem (from price to previous customers’ opinions).
So is Shapiro MD a scam? It’s time to analyze each of its aspects.
#1 – Ingredients (8 out of 10)
Just like every topical product, Shapiro MD has a few problems here:
- No quantities mentioned.
- All ingredients are put together (whether active or inactive).
- No clear formula.
That’s why it’s hard to tell the real active substances.
Anyway – according to Shapiro MD’s website, all 3 products are based on 3 ingredients:
1. Saw Palmetto
It has some real benefits when it comes to hair:
- blocks DHT receptors
- anti-androgenic effects [1]
- one of the best herbs for hair loss that is DHT related
Basically – this herb doesn’t improve growth or boost hair health.
It can only help DHT hair loss. [2] That’s why it won’t be so effective in shedding caused by other issues.
2. EGCC
That’s actually Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate on its full name. Here’s how it helps:
- also involved in DHT blocking
- strong antioxidant [3]
- protects hair follicles from damage
Now – just like Saw Palmetto, it’s also effective only for DHT hair loss.
But unlike it, EGCC can also improve hair growth rates (according to studies).
3. Caffeine
Though it has many other benefits – it seems to be helpful for hair as well:
- fights DHT excess [4]
- antioxidant proprieties and fights free radicals
- stimulates hair follicles
However – caffeine isn’t as strong as the other 2 ingredients (in terms of hair benefits).
Conclusion
Shapiro MD doesn’t have a bad formula.
But considering it’s a topical product – I wouldn’t expect miracles from it:
- Works mostly at the surface.
- Doesn’t treat the actual cause behind.
So even though its 3 ingredients can fight DHT excess, they won’t block all the receptors (only the top ones).
That’s why I wouldn’t recommend topical products in general.
#2 – Smell & Texture (9 out of 10)
There’s some place for improvement, but Shapiro MD isn’t so bad at this chapter.
1. Smell
I would say it’s pleasantly surprising:
- no medicinal scent
- fragrance isn’t too intense
- fresh and natural smell
Basically – all 3 products smell the same, so these facts are available for all of them.
But unlike most medicinal shampoos/conditioner, Shapiro MD doesn’t have a weird smell. That’s something I personally liked.
2. Texture
Things could be a bit better here, in my view:
- shampoo doesn’t foam very well
- you need a larger quantity than usual
Now – it’s true that Shapiro MD are actually medicinal products.
This means they’re not full of chemicals and additives (like cosmetic ones).
But even so, I didn’t really like the shampoo’s texture.
The conditioner and foam have a nice consistency, though.
#3 – How To Use It (9 out of 10)
Luckily, the instructions are pretty clear for all 3 products:
- Use the shampoo whenever you wash your hair.
- Apply it to your scalp and massage for 2-5 minutes.
- Rinse and apply the conditioner.
- Let it sit for 3-5 minutes and rinse.
- Apply 2 pumps of foam and massage.
- This time you don’t have to rinse (the foam).
Now – there is one thing I personally didn’t like.
According to its official Amazon page, all 3 products should be used daily.
This means that you would have to wash and condition your hair daily – which can be uncomfortable.
#4 – My Results (7 out of 10)
Shapiro MD didn’t work amazingly for me.
But that might have been because of the cause of my hair loss.
1. My Background
The reason I tried this product was because my hair was falling out terribly:
- ends were very fragile
- roots were pretty thick
- my hair had thinned out more than 50% (in 2-3 years)
Basically – it was normal on top and very thin and fragile in the bottom half.
However, I had a combination of causes behind: hormonal imbalances, stress, damage, bad care, etc.
Shapiro MD claims to help only DHT hair loss – which I did have, but it wasn’t the only cause in my case.
That’s why I was curious if it could help.
2. How It Worked
Firstly – I only used the shampoo + conditioner (no foam, I doubt it would have helped more).
So to be honest, the results were so-so:
- My hair loss decreased with about 40-50%.
- Ends started feeling less fragile after some weeks.
- I didn’t have more volume than usual.
- My hair was still falling out (but less than before).
So basically – here’s what I think:
- Shapiro MD really helped my DHT hair loss
- But it didn’t stop the shedding caused by stress, damage, etc.
It didn’t work in 30 days, as it claims. But in my case, the shampoo and conditioner lasted more (about 6 weeks).
So after about 4-5 weeks, I could already see an improvement – which is pretty fast.
But it wasn’t exactly the one I wanted. This makes me not be a fan Shapiro MD.
Conclusion
From what I’ve seen – Shapiro MD helps DHT hair loss. But that’s pretty much it:
- doesn’t help other causes of shedding
- doesn’t speed hair growth
So unless you’re 100% sure you have DHT caused hair loss – I don’t recommend this thing.
But even if you do have DHT hair loss, my advice is to go for a supplement and treat the internal cause.
Topical products won’t help completely or permanently (but internal ones will).
#5 – Other Opinions (6 out of 10)
In order to created an unbiased review – I tried to check out different reviews.
The good news? I found plenty of real opinions.
The bad news? There were lots of complaints and negative reviews.
Note: I only included authentic opinions, not general ones.
1. What People Say
Here are some of the most common things I found on Shapiro MD:
- Some people say it works, but surely not in 30 days.
- Others say it’s one of the best products they tried.
- A few claim it’s the shampoo that does all the work (not the conditioner/foam).
- Others say it’s way too expensive.
- Some claim it didn’t help them at all.
- A few others even call it a rip-off.
Now – it’s quite normal that opinions are mixed up. Otherwise, the reviews might be fake.
But I noticed there was quite a high per cent of negative reviews. Compared to other products, at least.
And here’s this:
2. Biggest Complaints
I found lots of negative reviews regarding these issues:
- Products are extremely expensive.
- Staff is very unfriendly.
- Company doesn’t want to offer money back (despite promising so).
- Obviously, products don’t work for some.
Now – I didn’t buy Shapiro MD from its official website. So I can’t tell about the staff/refund issues.
But in terms of price, I definitely agree it’s very expensive.
Besides – there were many complaints from people who didn’t get any effect.
So it’s pretty clear that Shapiro MD isn’t effective for everyone. Especially for those who don’t have DHT excess.
Conclusion
Even though I found many authentic review – a high per cent were negative.
So even though I don’t consider Shapiro MD a scam, it’s surely not effective for a lot of people.
That’s why I personally don’t recommend it.
#6 – Price (2 out of 10)
Honestly, this is by far the biggest downside of Shapiro MD.
1. The Exact Price
As I said – there are 3 different products available: shampoo, conditioner and foam.
But their price actually depends on the seller:
- Official website only sells them as systems (shampoo + conditioner).
- One system costs around $70.
- Price decreases if you buy more systems together (about $50).
- Amazon sells them both together and separately.
- The price for a system is about $75 (so more expensive).
- Separate prices are also high: $45 shampoo, $50 conditioner.
- Foam can only be bought from Amazon.
- It’s the only one with a decent price ($15 for 1.5 oz).
To be honest, these prices are way too high.
Considering the formula it has, Shapiro MD should cost under $30.
There are lots of saw palmetto and caffeine products on the market – and none costs $50 per bottle. So Shapiro MD is extremely overpriced.
2. Competitors’ Price
I will compare Shapiro MD with my top recommendation for hair loss – a supplement called Folexin:
- F has a formula with almost 30 different ingredients.
- S only contains 3 active substances.
- F comes as pills, S as topical products.
- F costs $25 per bottle, S cost $70 per system (2 products).
- Both have a discount if you buy more bottles together.
- In this way, you can get F for $18 and S for $50 (per bottle).
So I personally think that the difference is huge.
Folexin is a supplement, which means it treats the hair loss cause from the inside.
Plus – it’s not effective only for DHT hair loss, but for most causes (contains different ingredients for different problems).
On the other hand, Shapiro MD only works on the surface and still costs a ton of money.
So I think you can judge for yourself.
Conclusion
Shapiro MD is one of the priciest topical products I know.
Considering there are lots of products with similar formulas which cost under $30 – I couldn’t possibly recommend it.
If you want a cheap option that really stops your hair loss, my advice is to choose a supplement.
That’s what can treat your problem for real (not just for a while).
#7 – Where To Find It (9 out of 10)
Fortunately, Shapiro MD is available to buy from several sellers:
Amazon- Ebay
- Walmart
But as I said, prices are a bit different between them and the official website.
So here’s what I advise you:
- If you want to buy a product separately (e.g. shampoo), choose a retailer (probably Amazon).
- If you want to buy shampoo + conditioner, choose their website.
- Also, for the best price choose their website once again.
Retailers have some higher prices even for shampoo + conditioner. So the official website is a better choice.
#8 – FAQs
Coming up, I will try to answer the most common questions about Shapiro MD.
Note: I might repeat something I already mentioned, but it’s easier to spot here.
1. How often you should use it?
According to their recommendations – once a day (each product).
However, that would mean you have to wash your hair daily – which I don’t recommend.
So you can use the foam daily and the shampoo + conditioner whenever you wash your hair.
2. How long lasts 1 bottle?
Around 1 month – depending how often you use it.
In my case, it lasted a bit more. But I didn’t use it daily.
3. Can I use it while taking pills?
Definitely – there’s no chance of interactions.
You can either use it with other hair supplements or any other drugs you’re currently taking.
4. Are there any side effects?
I think these products are pretty safe.
I personally didn’t experience any side effect while using them (not even a scalp allergy). And also – I couldn’t find too many reviews complaining of side effects.
So I think they’re quite safe.
5. How fast should I notice an effect?
The label says 30 days – but in reality, it takes a lot more.
But the point is that it depends on your actual hair:
- for a bald scalp, it might take more than 6 months
- for a healthy hair, it can even take 1 month
But you should use it for at least 30 days until you expect to see a change.
#9 – Final Conclusions
Here’s how I would sum up my opinion on Shapiro MD (in 3 ideas).
1. Only For DHT Hair Loss
That’s a major thing to keep in mind.
Shapiro MD isn’t going to help if your hair loss is caused by anything else:
- stress
- hormonal imbalances (other than DHT)
- pregnancy
- a scalp disorder
These are just some examples, but there are many others.
So unless you’re sure you have a DHT hair loss, don’t use it.
2. Really Overpriced
Considering what it contains, Shapiro MD costs way too much:
- $70 per system (shampoo + conditioner)
- products separately are even pricier
So I would surely not recommend this kind of products.
There are lots of Saw Palmetto and caffeine shampoos – but none costs over $30. That should tell you a lot.
3. Needs Time
If you really thought that Shapiro MD will cure your hair loss in 30 days – forget about it.
DHT excess usually causes massive hair loss (including balding).
In this case – any product will need at least 3-4 months to start regrowing hair.
If your hair is still intact, you’re lucky – it might work in even 1 month.
But in most cases, it’s going to need some serious months.
My Verdict – Is Shapiro MD Worth Buying?
Short answer: Definitely not. It’s not a scam, but it’s far from perfect.
It actually has a few major flaws:
- Only works for DHT caused hair loss.
- Extremely expensive at $70 per package.
- Doesn’t work very fast for everyone.
But most importantly – it’s a topical product.
This means it will only work on the outside, treating the external symptoms. If you stop using it, your hair will fall out again massively.
So what should you use instead?
A supplement – they have a lot more advantages:
- works from the inside (by treating the real cause)
- effective for hair loss caused by several issues – not just DHT
- most work for both men and women
- much faster effect
- lower price
My top recommendation is a $25 supplement that worked really well for me.
There are lots of supplements that work amazingly – but this is by far the cheapest.
So if you want a real hair loss remedy, switching to a supplement is my #1 advice.
1 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pubmed/11337315
2 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/PMC2840915/
I tried this for baldness, it did absolutely nothing in 4 months! I can’t understand how some people claim it’s helpful, when it’s clear it just can’t grow hair out of nothing. Unfair practices, they should not deceive people! It may work for any bit of hair, but it’s not effective for baldness. It’s just another scam on this full market, it’s the last miracle-product that I ever try. Better raise money and go for a hair transplant, that’s the only serious solution I heard of!
Hi Matthew, thanks for your feedback on Shapiro MD. I’m really sorry it didn’t work for you.
It claims to work for male hair loss, which is what you have – but it’s probably not strong enough to reduce baldness and regrow new hairs. Actually, very few products can do that.
To give you a tip, always look for products that promise to grow new hairs and have a money back guarantee. Most products only promise to decrease hair loss, which isn’t actually the same as REGROWING new hairs. So pay attention to that, it might help you take a decision.
Now – I never actually dealt with baldness, so I can’t recommend you anything from experience. The supplements I usually recommend are great for hair loss, but I doubt they can grow new hairs on a bald scalp. At least not in 3 months.
However, there are some products that claim to work on bald scalps: Follixin and Procerin. Both are meant only for male hair loss and contain DHT blockers (DHT excess is the #1 cause of male baldness). Judging after the reviews they have, they seem to be quite effective in many people (not in all, though).
So at this point, these are the best things I can recommend you. The other alternative is the hair transplant you mentioned, which is a great solution – but it’s super pricey and quite complicated.
Hope this helps.
Hi! I’m currently using the shampoo + conditioner with some disappointing results. I’m on my first bottle of each but my hair doesn’t seem to react well. I have this kind of itching from the first days but I just sort of ignored it, because I paid a ton of money on these products so I can’t just throw them away for any small flaw. Thing is that my itching got worse in the past days and now I can see some redness in some places of my scalp. I’m pretty sure it’s these products because it all started after using them. Have you ever experienced anything similar? Or maybe with other products… Do you think I should stop using Shapiro for a while? I paid a lot of money on these 2 so I will surely try them again, no matter what. I’ve got the 4 months supply, which is already looking like a bad decision to me.
Hello Bob, thanks for sharing your experience with Shapiro MD.
Your itching sounds like some scalp irritation caused by the shampoo or conditioner. I doubt it’s both. So the fact that it got worse makes it obvious that you need to give these products a break (at least a temporary one).
But here’s what I advise you to do. Give each product up by turn. Start with the shampoo and continue to use the conditioner in the meantime, for about a week. See if the itching and redness go away. Then switch and use the shampoo while giving up the conditioner.
Since you paid a lot on them and you don’t want to just throw them away, I think that’s the best thing to do.
But in my opinion – it’s the shampoo irritating your scalp. That’s the one you apply on your scalp, while the conditioner is usually applied on the ends and actual hair. Anyway, follow my advice and see if you can find the responsible.
Let me know how it goes so that I can understand the issue better. Hope this helps.
Hey Olly! I’m struggling with hair loss due to menopause and nothing I tried worked. That includes Noveau Hair and Regroe but I didn’t see any difference for 3 months each. I also tried natural remedy with several combination of Essential Oils but not much effect was observed.
I happen to have a friend selling Shapiro MD, she’s buying many products from them and selling them separately in our neighborhood. The price is a bit higher than online but at least there are no shipping issues. I am just wondering if this product is worth trying for my problem? I know the cause is menopause, so will it help since it’s for DHT excess? Also, should I buy all three products or just 1 or 2? Any advice would be much appreciated. Melanie
Hello Melanie. Menopause is a pretty common cause of hair loss. It actually makes your hair fall out because of hormonal imbalances – and the excess hormone is usually DHT. So Shapiro MD would be suitable for your problem, in terms of mechanism.
If you happen to know a local seller, it’s even better. And if the high price isn’t a problem for you, then go for it. Shapiro MD’s products are good, just overpriced. That’s why I don’t recommend them. But in terms of effect, there are enough praises.
Regarding your questions – the official website recommends using all 3 products for best results. However, that’s pretty obvious – since it’s a marketing strategy (they want to sell all their products, right?). I used just the shampoo + conditioner and could see good results. But in my opinion, it’s the shampoo that does most of the job.
So here’s my advice:
– If you’re on a tight budget, buy just the shampoo. Make sure you can afford buying it for at least 2 months (it needs time to work for real).
– In case you also afford the conditioner, buy it too. But instead of using the shampoo + conditioner for just one month, better use just the shampoo for 2 months. I’m speaking in case you can’t afford both.
– And lastly, if budget doesn’t really matter for you, then you can get the foam as well.
But overall, I think the shampoo helps most. So that’s what I recommend buying first of all. Hope this helps.
I bought the shampoo and conditioner from Amazon. I rated both one star, but if I could I would rate them zero. After 2 bottles I can’t see any new hairs and the old ones aren’t even thicker. Not sure if they’re bad in general or just for me, since I saw satisfied customers. Do you think those could be fake reviews? I can’t possibly see how it works so well for some and for me it does nothing.
Hello Stuart, thanks for your feedback on Shapiro MD. Unfortunately, there are enough complaints about the products, so there are enough people in your situation.
Thing is that Shapiro MD claims to treat only DHT hair loss. If that’s not the cause of your hair problems, then the products won’t work for you.
However, DHT excess is the main cause of male hair loss. Over 90% of cases are caused by DHT, so that’s probably the responsible for your hair loss as well. That’s why I can’t really explain why these products can’t help at all.
Regarding your question about fake reviews – I can’t really tell. I’ve seen people claiming that all those positive reviews are fake, but I have no idea if that’s true or not. So I prefer to stay silent on this subject.
I had a facelift 6 years ago. I got the numbness around my face to include ears and into my hairline. It feels like I have a very tight headband around my face. Anyway, it is not uncommon but usually goes away. Mine never did and I have been slowly loosing hair ever since. I don’t know what causes it but wanted your opinion on whether you think the Shapiro products are worth a try for me or if the supplements might help more. Thanks for your time and expertise.
Hi Nancy, I just did a quick research and I found out that hair loss is quite common after face lifting, just as you said. I can’t really tell what is the cause, but it’s probably a local one. Could you tell me – is your hair loss general or mostly around the hairline?
Regarding Shapiro MD, I don’t think it’s really suitable for your problem. This brand is designed for hair loss caused by DHT excess (or hormonal imbalances). Based on your description, you surely don’t have that – so I don’t think it’s worth spending so much money on this product, since it probably won’t help too much.
As I said, I personally think the cause behind your hair loss is something local. But I would need some more details to be sure.
Anyway – if I were you, I would start with a supplement and see how it goes. Since you don’t have any hormonal imbalance or hair loss caused by stress – most hair supplements should help you at least a bit. My top recommended product is Folexin, but it’s not the only option in your case. You could choose anything from hair vitamins (which I don’t recommend normally, but they should be good enough for your issue) to herbal supplements.
I’m not sure what kind of budget you have – but still, I don’t recommend getting a very pricey supplement. Since most should be good enough for your problem, you shouldn’t pay more than $30 per bottle for one.
Now – if you need some clear recommendations, besides Folexin you could also try Hairfluence, Biosil’s hair and skin supplement (also great against wrinkles) or evenHairfinity. As I said, these are not supplements I usually recommend – but since your hair loss isn’t caused by usual problems, you don’t need the strongest supplements on the market, a regular one should do.
Please let me know if you have any other questions or if you can give me some additional details about your problem.
Hi Olly,
My hair has recenlty just shed so bad, I only have about half left. I know stress is a major factor, my Mom being in the hospital during this pandemic and just eating horribly plus taking care of my Grandson, shew it’s alot! Also finding out that my estsrogen is only 25 when its supposed to be 125, I am a wreck!! I take vitamins all the time, but I suppose my eating habits have caught up to me, plus the stress!
The hormone doc is suggesting testosterone pellets and ssaid my hair would fall out more?? Yikes, why presicbe that? And he said that there was a pill to take for that but never mentioned what its name was, but I see from alot of other products, you cannot ever stop using it ?? I see the recomendation for Folexin and I am pretty sure I will go this way, is that a problem with the estrogen levels like this?
Thanks,
Sue
Hey Susan, I also answered your previous comment. Basically, your estrogen levels can impact your hair health. But raising your estrogen levels back to normal can’t be done with a supplement – you actually need a treatment prescribed by a specialist.
That pill against hair loss you mentioned is most likely Finasteride. But as I already said in my previous comment, I don’t usually recommend it because it has to be taken for the rest of your life, otherwise the hair loss returns and even worsens. Also, it works best in male pattern hair loss, so it’s prescribed very rarely in women.
Folexin might work for you in terms of hair, but it won’t solve your estrogen issues. You need to see a specialist for that. Hope this helps!
My wife had just used the Shapiro shampoo the other night and noticed this evening
that the right side of her scalp had become sensitive to touch. She did not feel any bumps around and just thought it could be a side effect of the shampoo. how possible is this?
Hi Rick. Yes, it might be a side effect from the shampoo, but it seems like a very minor one (at least if it doesn’t get worse). So if nothing changes, I say she should continue using the shampoo. Just make sure the area doesn’t become swollen or painful. If this happens, she’s probably allergic to some of the compounds inside the shampoo so I don’t think she should continue using it.
I appreciate your reply, Olly. Problem is solved. Thank you.
You’re very welcome, Rick. If there are any other questions, feel free to get back to me anytime!
I ordered Shapiro about 3 moths ago. Today I received a message telling me another order has been shipped for $179.82. Both my husband and I have very short hair so we still have 4 and a half bottle left (shampoo and conditioner) . I am not sure whether they indicated they would send me products automatically after my first order. For myself, I don’t need another order in three months. Buyers should be aware. Btw, I will not buy this anymore.
Hi Chris, thanks for your feedback on Shapiro MD. I can’t really tell for sure what they meant through that message, have you tried getting in touch with them? I guess they are the only ones that can clarify this.
I used Shapiro shampoo and conditioner. It did what I was expected. My hair was very thin and continued to fall out. However, in just a few short weeks my hair was getting thicker and looking fuller. One thing happened and I did not know why.The color (brown) was stripped from my hair. I became a blond and it was absolutely beautiful. I received many compliments and everyone thought I should keep the blond. I was not sure if it was safe if I continued so I did stop using the shampoo and now I am waiting to see if my normal color will come back.
Hi Laura, thanks a lot for sharing your experience with Shapiro MD. I’m happy to hear it helped with your hair loss but that color change sound really weird. Was that brown hair obtained by dying? I mean – was it your natural hair color? Because if it was, this kind of change is super weird. But let me know how things go in the future and whether that brown color returns once you stop using the shampoo.