MD Hair vs. Nutrafol vs. Keranique: Which is better for Women?

Taking care of our hair is important for our appearance and hygiene. When our hair is healthy, we feel good about ourselves. This comparison explores three popular brands – MDhair, Nutrafol, and Keranique – that offer products to strengthen hair, promote growth, and enhance shine.

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Taking care of our hair is important in regard to our appearance, but it’s also something that contributes to our hygiene. When our hair is healthy, we feel good about ourselves. We look as though we take the steps necessary to really care for our body.

Many women pay a lot of attention to their hair. If they’re not having a good hair day, then they don’t feel good about themselves. If you’re not paying attention to the products that you use on your hair and the processes that you use to wash, style and preserve the quality of your hair, then you can’t expect to love how you look.

In many cases, your hair will be one of the first things that someone will notice about you. It makes sense to focus on eating right, exercising, hydrating and using supplements to improve the strength, elasticity and shine of your hair can really help you put your best foot forward.

Let’s compare three different hair care product brands that can help strengthen your hair, help it grow faster, enhance its shine and hydrate. Here is MD Hair, Nutrafol and Keranique.

MDhair vs Nutrafol vs Keranique Fast Facts

FeatureMDhairNutrafolKeranique
Product TypeTopical serums, shampoos, conditioners, supplementsOral supplementsTopical treatment, shampoo, conditioner, styling spray
Primary FocusHair regrowth & scalp healthHair growth through nutrition & stress managementHair regrowth & follicle stimulation
Key IngredientsDHT blockers, plant complexes, minoxidil, keratin, argan oilVitamins, minerals, botanical extracts (varies by product)Minoxidil, keratin, amino complex, peppermint oil, ginseng
SubscriptionNoOptionalNo
Price Range$22 – $44 per product$88 per bottle of supplements$49.95 for a 4-step system
Unique FeatureMedical-grade hair loss treatment linePersonalized plans with naturopathic doctorsClinically proven minoxidil-based treatment

Overview of MDhair

MDhair products are designed to help you re-grow your hair in an easier, faster and more effective way than you would ever find in a salon. Avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach, MDhair has come up with a more modern approach to hair care. This is the world’s first medical-grade hair loss treatment line that is customized to the exact cause of your hair loss.

MDhair uses more than 100 different research-based, medical and botanical ingredients to help deliver the best results possible through their different products. Everything is free of sulfates, parabens and phthalates.

Pros

  • The world’s first medical-grade hair loss treatment line
  • Contains over 100 research-based ingredients.
  • Free of artificial and damaging ingredients like parabens, sulfates and phthalates
  • Packed in recyclable packaging
  • Follows recommendations from the American Academy of Dermatology
  • FDA-cleared ingredients are used.

Cons

  • Their products only come in one size. You can’t purchase a large quantity of something that you go through quickly.
  • It may take a few months to really see a difference in the health of your hair.

Overview of Nutrafol

Nutrafol’s hair subscription service makes it easier than ever to take control of your hair care. This is a brand that focuses on supplements, helping your hair grow stronger and healthier than ever before. Subscription-based, you get access to Nutrafol’s team of naturopathic doctors. They will personalize your hair care and health plan while guiding you throughout your hair growth journey.

When you first sign up for a Nutrafol subscription, you’ll be asked to complete a questionnaire about your hair and health. This information will help the company decide what supplements and products you should be using moving forward. You’ll receive this information at your first consultation. You will keep in touch with the Nutrafol team, who will make any changes that are necessary along the way.

Pros

  • Subscription-based
  • You gain access to naturopathic doctors.
  • Helps with identifying the root cause of your poor hair growth.
  • Free hair mineral analysis testing
  • Optional referrals available to Nutrafol-partnered doctors in your area.
  • Customized service
  • Education on what helps your hair grow stronger and healthier

Cons

  • Subscription-based, which is something not everybody wants to commit to.
  • Products are expensive.
  • It may take a few months to see any benefits.

Overview of Keranique

The Keranique hair regrowth treatment plan has been clinically proven to help regrow your hair, so it is stronger, fuller and healthier. These products will help your hair retain shine and have a denser texture. Designed with beneficial ingredients such as keratin, vitamin B5 and an amino complex, these products don’t weigh your hair down or make your hair look greasy. They’re very lightweight, simple and effective.

Keranique Regrowth Treatment contains ingredients that have the potential to reactivate dormant and shrunken hair follicles so they will become stronger and help re-grow your hair. It is recommended that you use this treatment twice per day for optimal results. Additional products are available for styling and protecting your hair throughout the day.

Pros

  • Over 1,000,000 women have trusted the Keranique Regrowth System.
  • Can repair your split ends.
  • Helps your hair grow faster and stronger.
  • Made with powerful ingredients such as keratin, vitamin B5 and an amino complex.
  • Products feature the only FDA-approved ingredient that has been clinically proven to help women regrow their hair.
  • Backed by a medical advisor.
  • Deep cleans and stimulating

Cons

  • Can cause itching or irritation of the scalp if you have sensitive skin.
  • Your hair may get worse before it gets better. This includes the potential for increased hair loss at first.

Comparing Hair Regrowth Products

MDhair, Nutrafol and Keranique all offer different hair regrowth products and other styling products. Let’s look at what each brand manufactures.

MDhair

MDhair has a pretty big selection of products that can help regrow your hair. This includes:

Regrowth Serum

This product contains DHT-blockers that can help support hair regrowth and a healthier scalp.

Restore Serum: This re-growth serum helps restore your hair so it’s thicker and stronger. It is enhanced with more than 20 active plant complexes.

Minoxidil 2.0%: This is a medicated treatment for women that are experiencing genetic or age-related hair loss. It has been FDA-approved and is clinically proven to be effective. This product is also available in a Minoxidil 5.0% strength.

Restore Shampoo: MDhair’s Restore Shampoo helps produce strong bonds so your hair is less frizzy. It can also help repair damage caused by environmental factors, heat and low-quality hair products.

Regrowth Shampoo: This is a scalp-stimulating shampoo that is effective for people with all types of hair loss.

Regrowth Supplements: These oral supplements can be taken to tackle genetic or age-related hair loss issues from within.

Restore Supplements: This supplement replenishes missing nutrients that are essential for hair regrowth.

Conditioner: MDhair conditioner helps to repair damaged, dry and frizzy hair thanks to ingredients such as keratin, silk peptides, argan oil and rosemary leaf oil.

Nutrafol

Nutrafol has broken their product line into different categories, based on age and situation. For example, there are hair supplements for women in the postpartum phase after pregnancy. There are also items for women between the ages of 18 and 44 and women over 45 who are experiencing hair loss. Here’s a more detailed look at the hair regrowth products that are available through Nutrafol.

Women’s Hair Growth Nutraceutical: This is a daily hair growth supplement that has been formulated for women between the ages of 18 and 44 who are experiencing signs of hair thinning. This is a physician-formulated product that is made with medical-grade and natural ingredients that will target the root causes of your hair thinning. This includes things like stress, lifestyle and poor nutrition.

Postpartum Hair Growth Nutraceutical: Nutrafol’s Postpartum product is designed for postpartum women in the first year after giving birth or breastfeeding. It has been developed by a team of OBGYNs and is breastfeeding friendly. Thanks to ingredients such as theanine, shatavari, DHA omega-3s, marine collagen, nettle and apple, the root cause of hair thinning during the postpartum period is addressed. From physical stress to emotional stress, this product can help you quickly improve the health of your hair so it’s thicker, fuller and sheds less.

Women’s Balance Hair Growth Nutraceutical: Women’s Balance is a daily hair growth supplement from Nutrafol that has been created with women over the age of 45 in mind. It uses natural and medical-grade ingredients to address issues such as hormones, aging and metabolism. This is a physician-formulated and award-winning formula that can produce fast results.

Keranique

The Keranique Hair Regrowth System is easy to use, providing you with a very simple four-part approach to hair loss, thinning and breakage. It has been clinically proven to work. Here are some of the products that are offered.

Keranique Hair Regrowth Treatment: Spraying this treatment product onto your scalp twice per day helps you address female hair loss by way of a clinically proven ingredient that can help re-grow hair. Minoxidil at two percent can help reactivate shrunken or dormant hair follicles and regrow thicker-looking hair.

Scalp Stimulating Shampoo for Thinning Hair: This sulfate-free, keratin-infused, volumizing shampoo has been made by Keranique to exclusively address female hair loss. It stimulates the scalp to nourish and rejuvenate the hair follicles thanks to ingredients such as keratin, peppermint oil and ginseng. It also reduces product build-up, protects against cuticle damage and promotes shine.

Keranique Volumizing Keratin Conditioner: This volume-boosting conditioner has been designed to help thicken and volumize your hair without weighing it down. It contains a keratin amino complex that penetrates deep into the hair to help thicken every strand. It also works hard to repair the outer protective layer of each strand, which reduces frizz and breakage.

Keranique Lift & Repair Treatment Spray: This is a safe product that can be used to protect your hair during styling with heat products. It provides a strong hold and makes thinning hair look thicker and healthier. It also adds shine while reducing frizz and sealing any split ends that you may have.

Comparing Pricing and Value

MDhair’s products are actually very affordable, considering the quality of product that you’re receiving. You can purchase their starter kit for $29, which provides you with three of their products to try. You can then purchase their other items individually. Their Regrowth Serum and Restore Serum are both $44. Minoxidil at 2 percent costs $24, while the 5 percent variety costs $24. Shampoos are just $22, which I think is pretty affordable compared to some of the other salon-grade hair care products that you can purchase in stores and online.

Nutrafol supplements retail for $88, or you can subscribe to drop the cost by 10 percent with each purchase.

Keranique sells its four-step hair re-growth system for $49.95. You receive two bonus gifts with your purchase, which include a detangling tool and a hair defense brush.

Comparing Customer Reviews

MDhair features reviews for all of their products. You can simply click through their website to see for yourself the impressive results that these items have helped people achieve. All of the reviews and ratings are very impressive, expressing how clean, healthy and strong people’s hair feels after using MDhair products for a number of weeks.

Nutrafol features some reviews from just some of the happy customers that have benefited from these supplements. This includes both men and women. There is also information from clinical trials performed over the span of six months. Eighty percent of women saw an improvement in their hair growth overall.

On the Keranique website, you can view some real-life customer results. All of these clients give the products a five out of five-star rating. There are some other reviews on the internet that warn against using minoxidil for too long or without caution. It appears it can cause some pretty serious irritation if you’re not careful. You should always spot-test new hair care and skin care products before you start using them regularly.

Main Differences between MDhair, Nutrafol and Keranique

Each of these product lines takes a very different approach to treating hair loss. MDhair and Keranique’s products are based on different active ingredients. MDhair has a few more options available in their lineup.

Nutrafol takes a completely different approach by providing your body with specific nutrients and ingredients that will help your hair regrow healthier and thicker. Rather than applying products topically, you’re taking them orally.

Which hair treatment brand is better: MD Hair, Keranique or Nutrafol?

I like that Nutrafol has provided information regarding the different clinical trials that were performed using their products. I also think it’s very beneficial to provide the body with the nutrients needed to boost hair growth. It can be helpful to apply certain ingredients to the scalp in hopes of stimulating better hair growth, but I like the healing from the inside-out approach as well.

MDhair has a very good reputation as well, using very natural and safe ingredients in their products. They also have a very large product line, so you can utilize a number of different products to get the results that you’re looking for.

I like that Keranique includes everything that you need in their affordable package deal.

Overall Winner:

MDhair! We love how this brand heavily focuses on hair regrowth. They have excellent solutions available and products to fit each phase of the hair regrowth process.

Shop at MDhair (official website)

The Bottom Line

It’s incredibly important that we invest time in developing and improving our self-confidence. For many women, this means taking care of their hair. You can head to a local salon to spend a great deal of money on different cuts, colors and treatments. However, there are plenty of products that you can use from the comfort of your own home. Using them on a regular basis will help you achieve the healthy hair and look that you’ve always wanted.

Depending on the type of hair that you have and the struggles that you face with taking care of your hair, there should be products from MDhair, Nutrafol and Keranique that can help you look and feel your best.

Photo of author

Courtney D'Angelo, MS, RD

Courtney D'Angelo, MS, RD, earned her masters degree in Nutrition and Foods from the University of Georgia. She's a Registered Dietitian at Morrison Healthcare and has a strong passion in helping people improve their wellness! Currently, she helps women in menopause find hormone balance through diet, exercise and science-backed products.

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