Costco offers minoxidil under the Kirkland brand name both online and in stores, making it a convenient option for those interested in treating certain types of hair loss. Minoxidil is an FDA-approved topical treatment for male and female pattern hair loss that is clinically backed and is generally well-tolerated.
Learn more about Kirkland minoxidil, including its effectiveness, safety, how it compares to other minoxidil treatments, and more. In addition, we spoke with Dr. Jonathan Rick, a board-certified dermatologist, about his thoughts on Kirkland minoxidil and who it may work best for.
Does Kirkland Minoxidil Work?
According to dermatologists at NYU, 80% of men will experience hair loss during their lifetime. For otherwise healthy men, male pattern baldness is called “alopecia,” and doctors and scientists have been searching for a cure. Thankfully, there are two FDA approved drugs to treat hair loss – Minoxidil and Finasteride.
Minoxidil is the active ingredient in the brand name drug Rogaine, and is available as a generic as well, which is why Costco can sell their Kirkland version of it.
First of all, does Minoxidil work? Yes – we’ve reviewed numerous clinical studies that have shown that Minoxidil – the active ingredient in both Rogaine and Kirkland’s hair loss topical medicine – works. For example, a year-long German study of close to 1,000 men published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology showed over half of the men in the trial saw their bald spot shrink, and close to one third of men didn’t see any additional hair loss. And there are many other studies that have shown about 40% to 60% of men are helped by the medicine. So, the hair loss medicine in Kirkland’s Minoxidil is legit.
A Word From Our Expert
— Dr. Jonathan Rick
Kirkland minoxidil is fantastic and one of my key recommendations. It has the same scientifically proven active ingredient as rogaine and is very affordable. It needs to be applied twice a day. In general, this is probably the most cost-effective treatment for androgenic alopecia.”
We tried three different minoxidil brands — Kirkland Signature, Rogaine, and Keeps — to see if there’s any notable differences.
Kirkland Minoxidil vs. Rogaine: Which Works Better?
The original brand of Minoxidil was Rogaine – you might remember the commercials from the 90’s. Once the drug became available to be sold as a generic, competitors started producing alternatives. And now, everyone’s favorite warehouse club, Costco, has their own brand, Kirkland. Here is how the two brands compare – and just for fun, we’ll add in a third brand that we love, Keeps, which we’ve previously compared to Rogaine:
Minoxidil Brand Comparison: Rogaine vs Kirkland vs Keeps | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Solution | Liquid | LiquidFoam | LiquidFoam |
| Subscriptions Available | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Minoxidil Concentration | 2% and 5% | 2% and 5% | 5% |
| Price | $16.99 for 6 bottles | ~$14.25 per month | $10 per month (get 50% off your 1st order) |
| Other FDA Approved Hair Loss Drugs? | ❌ | ❌ | Finasteride |
| Website |
True to form for Costco, the bulk packs of Kirkland Minoxidil are pretty much the cheapest that we’ve reviewed. It’s really hard to beat that deal, even if you try to buy from Amazon or from one of the leading hair loss telemedicine companies, Keeps.
So if you’ve already tried the drug and think that it’s working for you, we’d recommend the Costco brand in a heartbeat. You are getting the same active ingredient as the brand Rogaine at a much lower price.
The only reasons that we’d suggest you try something different is if you really want to maximize the probability of saving your hair. That’s because the active ingredient in the topical drug isn’t the only FDA approved medicine. There is a second drug, Finasteride, that has been approved to treat baldness, and various studies show that combining the two drugs is more effective than just Minoxidil alone. We’ve got a chart showing the results of various clinical trials with the two medicines combined on our Finasteride price comparison if you want to investigate more. And we love Keeps, who can get you both medicines for a low monthly cost – or they can just get you the Finasteride, if that’s all you want.
Secondly, Finasteride and Minoxidil are now available in a combined topical treatment as well, so you can avoid having to take any pills (Fin is typically taken in a pill form, whereas Rogaine and the generics are usually applied to your scalp as a liquid or foam).
The Verdict: Should You Get Your Minoxidil at Costco?
Minoxidil is ideal for [guys/women/shoppers] who want to…
Like everyone, we love Costco. And like you, since you are reading this comparison, we are losing our hair. And we’ve tried a number of the leading, online hair loss brands like Hims, Roman and Keeps. And we’ve used the Kirkland brand, and the brand name Rogaine as well. And for us, we think they’ve all worked. So we’d definitely suggest you get your medicine at Costco, unless you want to do everything you can to stop balding – in which case, check out Keeps (and get 50% off when you use our link).
Let us know what you decided to do in the comments below. We hope you find a way to slow or stop going bald like we have!
Curious where to start?
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Methodology
We conduct extensive research to evaluate the pricing, effectiveness, accessibility, overall quality, and user experience of each product we review. This also included examining and comparing them to several alternatives.
| Review Process | Key Metrics | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase online | – ease to complete intake form – affordability – upfront commitment or subscription required? – money back guarantee or refund policy? | 1 |
| Shipping + unboxing | – shipping cost – time from order to treatment delivery – sustainable packaging | 1 |
| Testing + journal for 1-3 months | – ease of use – transition into habitual use – taste / smell / feel / pain | 1.5 |
| Results after 3 months of use | – efficacy / results – ease of forming a health habit – requires additional purchae? – responsive customer support – willingness to recommend to a friend | 1.5 |
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