We men, alas, grow bald. Our hair, of which time robs us, falls even as the leaves when the North wind brings them down.

– Ovid

As far back as ancient times, poets like Ovid spoke in a resigned and self deprecating way about balding. However, uncomfortable humor can’t mask the fact that hair loss is a pervasive and often debilitating psychological problem for men.

Today, Keeps launched with an approachable, mass market brand focused on helping men across America keep their hair intact. From the moment we met the co-founders, Steven Gutentag and Demetri Karagas, we found them to be thoughtful, solution oriented, and mission driven serial entrepreneurs. We are proud to back them in their mission to help young men take control of their hair loss and their overall physical and mental health.

The facts around hair loss are staggering:

• By the age of thirty-five, two-thirds of American men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss.
• 70% of men with hair loss reported hair to be an important feature of image.
• Reduced self-confidence in personal attractiveness was reported by 38% of men who were not in stable romantic relationships.
• 21% of men with hair loss said hair loss led to feelings of depression.

Given the breadth of the problem, very few men actually do anything about it. Less than 10% of men are currently pursuing treatment for hair loss, and three out of four had never pursued treatment for hair loss, either at present or in the past.

We believe the barrier to action has traditionally been too high. Many men under 40 do not have a primary care physician and the only scientifically validated treatments for hair loss require a prescription. By having a network of doctors across dozens of states and enabling asynchronous doctor visits and a prescription delivered to customer doorsteps, Keeps is eliminating the barriers to hair loss treatment and is the easiest way for men to keep their hair.

Keeps is focused on reaching every man, in red states and blue states, from the urban professional to tradesmen, teachers, firemen and soldiers. The brand is accessible, informative and razor focused on finding the right treatment for each individual. They aren’t selling gummy bears or t-shirts, but instead committed to only selling those products that are scientifically proven to work.

The launch merely marks the beginning of building an important brand focused on men’s hair loss and health. We are proud to be able to be on the journey with Steve and Demetri.

Sources: American Hair Loss Association, National Center for Biotechnology Information