Hair-loss treatments that don't require surgery and actually work, according to doctors

The two best hair-loss treatments for male-pattern baldness that don't require surgery or implants are minoxidil and finasteride, doctors say.Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/Insider

• Male-pattern baldness is a complicated condition that no one totally understands.
• No single treatment works for everyone, but there are a few tried-and-true solutions.
• Minoxidil and finasteride work best. Experts say to be wary of expensive pills and flashy devices.

Some men lose hair; some don't — but the exact who, when, where, and why of men's hair loss is still a bit of a mystery to scientists.

Yes, part of what makes guys' formerly luscious locks thin and fall out is inherited, but our genes don't tell the whole story.

Other factors, such as hormonal changes from aging, are at play when some of the 500,000 hair follicles on your head begin to shut down and stop producing the complex, essential signaling molecules that make hair grow.

Insider spoke with three leading, independent hair-loss experts from across the US about the best ways to maintain and regrow thinning hair. All of them mentioned two tried-and-true medications that definitely help some patients and referenced a third (but pricier) technique that might be of use if you are losing some hair. Finally, they mentioned some more fringe treatments that may help some men but aren't as well researched.