What is Hims?
Hims is a direct-to-consumer telehealth brand operated by Hims & Hers Health, Inc. It gives US adults an online route to treatments for common, often stigmatised conditions — hair loss, erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation, weight management, skin care and mental health — without an in-person doctor’s visit. You answer a medical questionnaire on the website or app, a licensed provider reviews it, and eligible prescriptions ship discreetly from a partner pharmacy on a subscription basis.
The company launched in 2017, positioning itself around approachable branding and destigmatised men’s health. Its sister brand, Hers, serves women’s health. The parent company trades publicly on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker HIMS. This guide is an independent explainer — we are not Hims & Hers, and nothing here is medical or investment advice.
How does Hims work?
The Hims model compresses a traditional clinic visit into a few online steps:
- Choose a concern — hair, sex, weight, skin, or mental health.
- Complete an intake questionnaire covering symptoms, medical history and medications.
- Provider review — a licensed clinician evaluates your answers asynchronously (and, in some states, via a quick call).
- Prescription or recommendation — if appropriate, a prescription is issued; the provider can also decline or request more information.
- Delivery — products ship in plain packaging, and most plans auto-renew until you cancel.
Because it is asynchronous telehealth, there is usually no scheduled video appointment for routine requests. That makes it fast, but it also means the burden is on you to answer the intake accurately and to follow up if something changes.
What can you get through Hims?
Hims groups its catalogue into a handful of categories. The table below summarises the main areas and the kinds of treatments involved. Specific products, availability and pricing change over time and by state.
| Category | Common treatments | Prescription? |
|---|---|---|
| Hair loss | Finasteride, minoxidil, biotin, ketoconazole shampoo | Finasteride yes; minoxidil/shampoo often OTC |
| Erectile dysfunction | Sildenafil, tadalafil, branded Viagra/Cialis, chewables | Yes |
| Premature ejaculation | Topical sprays, wipes, oral options | Varies |
| Weight loss | GLP-1 medications, compounded options, oral kits | Yes |
| Mental health | Anxiety and depression care, therapy referrals | Varies |
| Skin care | Tretinoin, anti-aging formulas, acne treatment | Some prescription |
Explore any of these in depth through the section guides linked across this site — for example our Hims Hair Growth hub, the Hims for Men ED hub, and the Hims Weight Loss hub.
Is Hims legit?
Yes — Hims is a legitimate, regulated telehealth business, not a scam. It is publicly traded, works with licensed US clinicians, and dispenses through licensed pharmacies. That legitimacy does not mean it is right for everyone. Common, fair criticisms include:
- Subscription friction. Plans auto-renew, and some customers find cancellation less obvious than sign-up. See our how to cancel Hims subscription guide.
- Asynchronous care limits. A questionnaire is not a full physical exam. Complex cases may need in-person evaluation.
- Compounded products. Some weight-loss and other compounded formulations are not FDA-approved as finished products, a point of ongoing regulatory attention.
For a deeper look at real-world outcomes, read our Hims reviews hub and the dedicated does Hims work analysis.
Is Hims FDA approved?
This is one of the most common questions, and the honest answer requires a distinction. Hims is a telehealth platform, so it is not itself “FDA approved.” What matters is the medication:
- Many active ingredients Hims prescribes — finasteride, sildenafil, tadalafil and others — are FDA-approved drugs with decades of clinical use.
- Some compounded products (custom-mixed by a pharmacy for an individual) are not FDA-approved as finished formulations, because compounding operates under a different regulatory pathway.
So “is Hims FDA approved” is best reframed as “is the specific product FDA-approved,” and that varies by item.
How much does Hims cost?
Hims uses recurring subscription pricing rather than one-off purchases. Ballpark ranges (which change frequently) look like this:
- Generic hair or ED medication: roughly $20–$40 per month.
- Branded medication (e.g. branded Viagra or Cialis): significantly more, priced per dose.
- Weight-loss / GLP-1 programs: the highest tier, often hundreds of dollars per month.
Longer commitments usually lower the monthly rate. Because it is a subscription, the sticker price you see at checkout may renew automatically. We break down fees, insurance and refunds in the does Hims take insurance and account & refunds guides.
Hims vs the alternatives
Hims is one of several US telehealth brands. Depending on the concern, common comparisons include Keeps and Roman (Ro) for hair and men’s health, BlueChew for ED chewables, and Rogaine or Nutrafol for hair. Our comparisons hub puts these side by side — start with Hims vs BlueChew, Keeps vs Hims or Hims vs Ro.
What’s the difference between Hims and Hers?
Hims and Hers are two consumer brands from the same parent company, Hims & Hers Health, Inc. The split is about audience, not a separate business. Hims markets to men and centres on hair loss, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, testosterone-related support and men’s skin care. Hers markets to women and focuses on hair and skin, mental health, birth control and women’s weight care. Both run on the same telehealth engine — an online questionnaire, a licensed clinician’s review, and subscription delivery — so the experience is broadly similar whichever door you enter through. If you want the full picture, our Hers and Hims and Hers guides cover each side and how the combined company fits together.
Hims for hair, ED and weight loss at a glance
Most people arrive at Hims for one of three reasons. Here is the short version of each, with a deeper hub linked for when you want detail.
- Hair loss. The core tools are prescription finasteride (a DHT-blocking tablet) and minoxidil (topical or oral), often paired, plus ketoconazole shampoo and biotin. Finasteride is FDA-approved for male pattern hair loss; results typically take three to six months and require ongoing use. See the Hims Hair Growth hub.
- Erectile dysfunction. Hims prescribes sildenafil (generic Viagra) and tadalafil (generic Cialis), plus branded versions and chewable combinations. These are well-established medicines with decades of use; they require a prescription and carry cautions, especially with nitrates. See the Hims for Men hub.
- Weight loss. The program has centred on GLP-1 medication such as semaglutide, alongside oral options. GLP-1 drugs curb appetite and are taken over months; some compounded versions are not FDA-approved as finished products, a fast-moving regulatory area. See the Hims Weight Loss hub.
Is Hims safe?
Safety with Hims comes down to the medication, not the website. The platform connects you to licensed clinicians and licensed pharmacies, which is the same regulatory framework a local prescription runs through. The medicines it dispenses — finasteride, minoxidil, sildenafil, tadalafil, GLP-1 agonists — all have known safety profiles and known side effects. The main safety gap in any asynchronous telehealth model is that a questionnaire cannot catch everything an in-person exam might. That places more responsibility on you to disclose your full history, list every medication and supplement, and flag anything unusual after you start. Our Hims side effects guide breaks down what to watch for by product. None of this is medical advice — a licensed clinician who knows your history is the right person to judge whether a given treatment is safe for you.
What to expect after you order
A common source of frustration is the gap between how easy it is to start and how the subscription behaves afterward. A realistic picture:
- Shipping. Prescription review and fulfilment usually take a few days; timelines vary by product, state and whether the provider needs more information.
- Discreet packaging. Orders arrive in plain packaging without obvious branding.
- Auto-renewal. Most plans renew automatically on a set cadence. The renewal date — not the order date — is what matters if you want to change or stop a plan.
- Changing or cancelling. You manage plans in your account; some users find the cancellation path less obvious than sign-up. Our how to cancel Hims subscription guide walks through it step by step.
Knowing the renewal mechanics up front is the single best way to avoid the billing surprises that show up most often in Hims reviews.
Who is behind Hims?
Hims & Hers was co-founded by Andrew Dudum, who serves as CEO. The company built its brand on modern, approachable marketing — including high-profile television and Super Bowl advertising — and scaled rapidly across men’s and women’s health categories before and after going public. Learn more in our Andrew Dudum founder profile and the Hims commercials and ads overview.
Hims as a public company
Beyond the clinic, Hims is closely watched as a growth stock. Investors track its revenue, subscriber numbers, GLP-1 weight-loss expansion and quarterly earnings. If you came here for the ticker rather than the treatment, head to our Hims stock hub, which links to earnings, forecast and short interest explainers. As always, that section is information only — not investment advice.
Getting started safely
If you are considering Hims, a sensible checklist: confirm the specific product and whether it is FDA-approved or compounded; read the recurring-billing terms; be honest and complete on the intake questionnaire; and tell your existing doctor about anything you start. Telehealth is convenient, but it works best as a complement to — not a replacement for — a relationship with a primary care provider.
Use the section hubs across this site to go deeper on whichever concern brought you here. Every guide is independent, plain-English, and focused on helping you make an informed decision.