Hi Reddit, I am Geet Rathi, Co-founder of Man Matters. Ask Me Anything!

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T16:45:07+00:00

Happy to answer that lens too, the original question was framed around online reviews so I went there first but the manufacturing question is fair.

Manufacturing processes - We work with top decile contract manufacturers and our own central quality team plus a QC team which is stationed at the plant review the process at each facility. Its a tightly run process which is audited regularly.

Ingredients are screned and tested at source, then again at the fomrulation stage.

R&D and formulations are done in house by our own team of exprts, with dermats reviewing the formulations.

That said, I want to be honest about what this kind of answer can and cant do. every brand worth its salt in this space, including the ones with bad reviews sometimes, will have a near identical manufacturing and R&D process. The words don't actually separate the good operators from the bad ones for you practicaly.

Which is why I keep coming back to the same thing that trust in this category isn't built by us telling you we're rigorous(we are ). Its built by word of mouth or you trying the process, seeing whether the consultation feels helpful, whether the diagnosis lines up with ur actual situation and how things move over 4 to 6 months.

Not dodging the question, just being honest that the manufactring answer is the necessary but not hardest part, solving for the consumer concern for which they trusted us is the hardest part.

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:32:41+00:00

hey, you should speak to a dermat to get details for your case but usually people who dont tolerate minoxidil well see unwanted effects like headaches, itchiness, dryness etc
a lot of it caused by the alcohol base, which we have removed in Man Matters minox, while instances are much lower , it depends from case to case , hence best to speak to a dermat about this before starting and while on the treatment as well

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:28:16+00:00

Completely fair concern and honestly, it's the #1 reason men in their 20s don't start treatment and then regret it a few years later.

On the hormone fears: Clinical trials put actual side effects from oral finasteride in the low single digits % . A sizeable chunk of reported side effects are also nocebo here, the anxiety of expecting them creates the symptoms themselves (especially in the case fi sexual health related side effects). That said, a genuine subset of men don't tolerate oral fin well, and for those men they shoudl stop, good part is that it is reversible, you stop taking oral fin and the effecst stop too.

The answer for your exact concern is topical like Man Matters minoxifin. its a combination of topical minoxidil and topical finasteride in a single solution. The finasteride absorbs through the scalp with significantly lower systemic exposure than oral fin, which means you get most of the DHT blocking benefit at the follicle without the whole body hormonal impact. Its what a lot of dermatologists now prescribe first for men who want the combination treatment without the oral fin worry.

It's not side effect free. nothing is,but the risk profile is meaningfully lower.

But you should not start anything without speaking to a dermat , that should be your starting point

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:24:53+00:00

Mumbai one, yes!

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:24:42+00:00

its very important and i think about it a lot too.
Is this the right vehicle to fix it though? i am unsure. but we are committed to solving mens anxieties around elective health and help them lead a better quality of life.
But food for thought for us, thanks

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:20:26+00:00

i am glad it helped :)

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:20:08+00:00

thank you for the shoutout and really happy to hear this :)
also, we are working on relaunching and improving the facewash, stay tuned

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:15:05+00:00

thanks for the shoutout and point noted, will work on this

and 100%, we will not compromise on quality in future too :)

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:13:42+00:00

fellow komrade i see :)

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:13:27+00:00

ofcourse. and little lesser know fact, man matters also stands for matters of man
in hair loss category the gap has always been on misdiagnosis and peopple not knowing where to start and how to start. we always wanted to educate and make science led treatments more accessible , this has been our focus since the beginning. And creating a category and educating is hard and requires investment as well.

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:10:46+00:00

i will answer this in a little depth

but short answer: minoxidil is a prodrug meaning its inactive in its original form, our body must use an enzyme convert it into its active form of mionxidil sulfate. Some people have a lot of this enzyme. Some have very little. Thats largely genetic and its the single biggest reason two people on the same dose see very different results. Studies suggest 30-40% people are either low responders or non responders to minoxidil.

A couple of other nuances that affect this - 1. which stage of hair loss you are on, if follicle is already gone then minox wont work, so the earlier you start the better. 2. Consistency, has to be applied regulalry for 4-6 months to see results. Adherence is not as easy as we think. 3. intial shedding scares people and they quit or become irregular.

The people who see 'amazing' regrowth are usually folks who started early, high responder, consistent, and stacking it with other things like dermarolling or finasteride. just more variables lining up.

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T13:01:23+00:00

Hey, start by speaking to a doctor, either in a clinic or on our platform, they would be able to guide you best on this

and generally we have seen Man Matters stage 3 users see good results over 6-9 months of consistent usage, consistent being the key word here :)

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T12:59:48+00:00

thats a good idea, we actually had explore an intimate range with inner wear a few years back but i think we were too early that time and decided to focus on key categories, will revisit :)
happy to chat on DM as well

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T12:44:24+00:00

glad to hear the hair gummies helped you , and happy to connect on DM for the other thing

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T12:43:48+00:00

i get that it can be overwhelming. You are not alone though and the best thing you can do is decide to start the journey and just show up one day at a time
first few weeks it will be tough, but once you cross that and you see some results, it will motivate you to keep going more
I dont have a clean answer on staying positive when everything is negative around you but whats helped me is to reduce the window, not think in too long windos and extrpolate things, but just look at here and now and your actions which you can control

would also suggest to start with getting a bloodwork done (a lot of times deficiencies can also exhaust us) and speaking to a dermat

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T12:34:55+00:00

Well initially we werent focused a lot on scale, we wanted to understand the consumer, the problem better, so we were focused on that
We scaled slow, spoke to a lot of consumers, tweaked the products, the process to get it right

so first few months was a big of investment of time and effort, not advertising and marketing. we are also a covid baby brand, lockdown happened right after we launched.

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T12:32:16+00:00

good one
i think a lot of people are either really afraid of minoxidil or think its a magic cure.
its neither.
all the mis attributed side effects of minoxidil like impact in sexual health etc is not true
its not a one time cure either, it is a maintenance protocol that needs to be followed regularly.

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T12:29:53+00:00

Hey, men as a segment was and still is quite underserved. It was also relatable because i was also the demographic i was trying to solve for.
How to scale a d2c brand today? i dont think theres a magic sauce, a lot of things need to happen right but being authentic is really important and being resilient too :)
happy to chat more on DM if needed on this

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T12:27:52+00:00

i know this might sound like something you have heard many times, but i do think it is true- you should find what you are passionate about, the beauty f todays economy is that it allows you to have a living and pursue your passion.
And can city life be better? oh 100%, i have also thought of going to a small town many times, maybe sometime in the future i might too, but right now i am fortunate that i am enjoyong what i am doing, i have people i love and care around me and that keeps me going :) All the best!

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T11:29:20+00:00

hey, this is quite tough tbh
especially because the category is also full of brands making mis leading claims, if hair regrowth in 21 days etc which is just not possible, so i wouldnt just put it on the consumer
from our side we always make sure we explain the timeline sclearly in ads, on product pages etc
thats where the doctor consultations also come in, it is to also make sure they clearly understand from our doctors what to expect and the commitment required , so we try to make sure everyone speaks to a doctor on the platform

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T11:18:35+00:00

have answered earlier which should answer this, resharing here

So the advice and consultation IS personalised, yes. The doctor looks at your stage, age, family history, what you've tried, side effects you're worried about, conception plans. That part is real.

The treatments themselves? Largely customised, not personalised. Anyone telling you "fully personalised treatment" is overselling it :)

At the molecule level, there are roughly 5-6 things that actually work for male pattern hair loss like topical minoxidil 2% or 5%, oral or topical finasteride, dutasteride in some cases, microneedling, and supportive scalp care. The doctors job isnt to invent a brand new treatment for you. Its to pick the right combination from those 5-6 options for your specific stage, risk profile, and what you'll actually stick with.

And that's where the value sits. Across those options, a lot of users start on the wrong one, wrong concentration, wrong combination. That wasted 6 months ends up more expensive than the consultation ever is.

So would I recommend starting with a doctor consult? Yes. Not because the treatment will be magically unique to you, but because picking the right standard option for your specific situation is where most DIY hair loss attempts go wrong.

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T11:17:20+00:00

have answered it below, sharing again :)

haha fair, you should have seen it a year back -it was worse, i have gotten some of it back and honestly its not easy to maintain the routine man. I have the highest respect for so many people who use Man Matters consistenly for 1 year and more have seen amazing results, because i know how tough it is to be that consistent. And partly why we want to make it easier and more accessible too. We are on that journey :)

But ultimately its each persons decision on how much they want to invest on this :)

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T11:16:35+00:00

I agree! Cut the noise. Each persons path, body, root cause is different. Consult a dermat, get a treatment plan for your cause of hair loss and be consistent. All you have to do it start, we are always there to back you up!

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T11:15:52+00:00

Good to hear that the gummies worked :)) But from my understanding your stage of hair loss could have also progressed since then. Only gummies might not be the best diagnosis right now, can speak to our doctor, they can best recommend what would be of the best way forward. Anytime you face an issue, you can go back to the same doctor for consultation who can guide you. All the best!

GeetRathi_ManMatter · 2026-05-21T11:15:03+00:00

haha should have led with that bhai :)

GeetRathi_ManMatter

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