Hims Review: Hard Mints, Sildenafil and Tadalafil, and What to Know Before Buying

Hims is a telehealth platform offering prescription medications for men's hair loss, skin care, mental health, weight management, and sexual health, including erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE). Its ED lineup includes generic versions of Viagra and Cialis as well as a proprietary compounded chewable line called Hard Mints.

Sildenafil and tadalafil, the active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis, are FDA-approved for the treatment of ED. Hims also offers compounded versions of these medications in chewable form. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved as finished drug products, but may be prescribed when patients prefer an alternative format or when physicians determine a compounded formulation is appropriate.

This article reviews Hims' ED products, how they work, their cost, and their pros and cons, and compares them with other ED treatment options to help you decide whether Hims is right for you.

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. If you have questions or concerns about your condition or treatment, please consult a healthcare provider.

What Is Hims?

What it is: Hims is a US-based telehealth platform that connects men with licensed healthcare providers for prescriptions covering sexual health, hair loss, skin care, mental health, and more. You fill out a medical questionnaire online, a provider reviews it, and if you're eligible, your prescription is filled and shipped to your door. Hims is available in all 50 states.

What it offers for ED: Hims offers FDA-approved standard tablets - Sildenafil (Generic for Viagra®) and Tadalafil (Generic for Cialis®), a proprietary compounded chewable line called Hard Mints in several formulations, and branded Viagra and Cialis for patients who prefer them. For premature ejaculation, Hims can prescribe sertraline, paroxetine, or a topical lidocaine spray. Hims also prescribes testosterone replacement therapy treatments, GLP-1s, and more.

How much it costs: Pricing varies by product and plan. Plans start at $22/mo for Sildenafil (generic for Viagra®) and go up from there depending on the formulation.

Pros: Wide range of ED medication formats including pills, chews, branded and generic options; access to multiple active ingredients; combo plans that pair ED with hair or PE treatment; no insurance required.

Cons: Hard Mints are compounded and not FDA-approved as finished products; combination formulations carry less clinical evidence than monotherapy.

Good for: Men who want a one-stop telehealth platform, prefer chewable formats, or want to bundle ED treatment with another health goal like hair loss or PE.

Not ideal for: Men looking for the lowest possible per-dose cost, or those who want only FDA-approved finished drug products.

Hims' ED and Sexual Health Offerings

Sildenafil (Generic for Viagra®)

Sildenafil is the active ingredient in Viagra and one of the most widely prescribed ED medications in the world. Hims offers it as a standard oral tablet.

How it works: Sildenafil is a PDE5 inhibitor that increases blood flow to the penis during sexual stimulation. It does not cause an erection on its own. Sexual arousal is required.

Available dosages: 20 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg

How to take it: As needed, approximately 30 to 60 minutes before sexual activity

How fast it works and how long it lasts: Typically works within 30 to 60 minutes; effects last approximately 4 to 6 hours

Starting price: Starting at $22/mo

Tadalafil (Generic for Cialis®)

Tadalafil is the active ingredient in Cialis. It can be taken as needed before sex or as a daily low-dose medication for continuous readiness.

How it works: Like sildenafil, tadalafil is a PDE5 inhibitor that enhances blood flow to the penis. Its longer half-life allows it to remain active in the body for up to 36 hours, which is why some men prefer it for spontaneous sexual activity.

Available dosages: 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, and 20 mg. Hims offers a broader dosing range than most competitors.

How to take it: Daily (2.5 mg or 5 mg) or as needed (5 mg to 20 mg), approximately 30 minutes before sexual activity when taken as needed

How fast it works and how long it lasts: Works within 30 to 60 minutes when taken as needed; daily use maintains ongoing readiness; effects can last up to 36 hours

Starting price: Starting at $24/mo

Hard Mints: Single-Ingredient Chewables

Hard Mints are Hims' proprietary chewable ED medication line, available in tadalafil-only and sildenafil-only formulations.

Tadalafil Hard Mints

• Formulation: Compounded chewable tablet
• Active ingredient: Tadalafil
• Available as: Daily or as-needed
• How to take: Chew and swallow approximately 30 to 60 minutes before sexual activity (as needed) or once daily at the same time
• How fast it works and how long it lasts: 30 to 60 minutes onset; up to 36 hours duration
• Starting price: Starting at $30/mo

Sildenafil Chews

• Formulation: Compounded chewable tablet, berry flavor
• Active ingredient: Sildenafil
• How to take: As needed, approximately 30 to 60 minutes before sexual activity
• How fast it works and how long it lasts: 30 to 60 minutes onset; approximately 4 to 6 hours duration
• Starting price: Starting at $30/mo

Hard Mints: 3-in-1 Combination Chewable (Sildenafil + Tadalafil + Vitamin B12)

Hims also offers a 3-in-1 Hard Mint that combines sildenafil, tadalafil, and vitamin B12 in a single chewable dose.

How it works: Sildenafil provides faster onset while tadalafil extends the duration. Vitamin B12 is included as a supportive nutrient. Its direct role in erectile function is nutritional support rather than a clinically proven ED mechanism.

Active ingredients: Sildenafil + tadalafil (dosages personalized by prescribing provider) + vitamin B12

Formulation: Compounded chewable; not FDA-approved as a finished drug. The individual active ingredients are each FDA-approved when prescribed separately for ED.

How to take it: As directed by your provider, approximately 30 to 60 minutes before sexual activity

Starting price: Starting at $30/mo (as-needed) or $39/mo (3-in-1 Pill daily format)

Sex Rx Combo Products

Hims offers several daily combination plans that pair an ED prescription with another men's health treatment in one subscription:

• Sex Rx + Hair Health: ED medication + hair loss treatment, starting at $39/mo
• Sex Rx + Testosterone Support: ED medication + testosterone support, starting at $39/mo
• Sex Rx + Multivitamin: ED medication + daily multivitamin, starting at $39/mo
• Sex Rx + Climax Control: ED medication + PE treatment, starting at $39/mo
• Sex Rx + Vitality Pro: ED medication + vitality support, starting at $39/mo

Premature Ejaculation Treatments

For men dealing with PE, Hims can prescribe sertraline or paroxetine, SSRIs used off-label for PE, taken daily or as needed before sex. A topical climax delay spray with lidocaine is also available to reduce sensitivity and delay ejaculation.

How Does Hims Work?

Hims' core ED medications, sildenafil and tadalafil, are PDE5 inhibitors. These are the same medications found in brand-name Viagra and Cialis.

When you're sexually aroused, your brain triggers the release of nitric oxide in the blood vessels of the penis. Nitric oxide stimulates production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which relaxes smooth muscle tissue and allows blood to flow into the penis, creating an erection. An enzyme called PDE5 normally breaks cGMP down, ending the erection. In men with ED, this process can be disrupted by PDE5 acting too quickly or by insufficient blood flow.

PDE5 inhibitors block that enzyme, giving cGMP more time to work. The result is a firmer, more reliable erection during sexual activity. These medications only work when sexual stimulation is present. They do not cause erections on their own.

Side Effects of Hims ED Medications

Common side effects include:

• Headache
• Flushing
• Nasal or sinus congestion
• Upset stomach or indigestion
• Dizziness
• Muscle or back pain
• Temporary vision changes (blue tint or increased light sensitivity)

Rare but serious side effects include:

• Sudden loss of vision or hearing
• Severely low blood pressure
• Priapism (a prolonged erection lasting more than four hours), which is a medical emergency requiring immediate attention

PDE5 inhibitors should not be combined with nitrate medications (such as nitroglycerin for chest pain), other ED medications, or certain blood pressure drugs. For Hims' compounded combination products, the FDA has not independently evaluated the combined formulations for safety and efficacy, though the individual ingredients are FDA-approved when used on their own.

How to Get a Prescription Through Hims

All of Hims' ED medications are prescription-only. You start with a free online health intake form covering your medical history, current medications, and treatment goals. A licensed Hims-affiliated provider reviews your intake and, if appropriate, issues a prescription. No in-person visit is needed. Some states may require a brief video call. Orders ship discreetly.

Hims Reviews and Company Reputation

Hims & Hers Health is a publicly traded company (NYSE: HIMS) with broad brand recognition. Customer reviews across platforms are generally positive, with users citing convenience, discreet packaging, and competitive pricing on daily tadalafil.

Sildenafil and tadalafil, the active ingredients behind Hims' ED products, are among the most extensively studied drugs in the world for treating ED and are considered first-line therapy by major urology associations.

Who Is Hims For?

Hims works well for men who are eligible to take PDE5 inhibitors and want the convenience of an online consultation and home delivery. It is particularly suited to men who:

• Want access to both standard generic pills and chewable formats
• Prefer daily tadalafil for spontaneous readiness
• Are looking for a platform that also treats hair loss, PE, or skin concerns
• Want to bundle ED treatment with another health goal in one monthly plan

Who May Not Want to Choose Hims?

• Men looking for the lowest possible per-dose price. Generic sildenafil is widely available at lower cost through retail pharmacies.
• Men who prefer only FDA-approved finished drug products should stick to Hims' generic pill options rather than the compounded Hard Mints.
• Men interested in sublingual formats for faster absorption will find that Hims' chewables are swallowed, not dissolved under the tongue.

Is Hims FDA-Approved?

Hims' standard sildenafil (generic for Viagra®) and tadalafil tablets are FDA-approved. Hims' Hard Mints are compounded medications and are not FDA-approved as finished drug products. The FDA does not verify the safety or effectiveness of compounded drugs. The individual active ingredients, sildenafil and tadalafil, are FDA-approved for ED treatment when prescribed as standard tablets.

Alternatives to Hims for ED

For men interested in a combination ED treatment that also targets the arousal side of the equation, Rugiet Ready is a sublingual troche combining sildenafil, tadalafil, and apomorphine, a dopamine agonist thought to support the brain's arousal response. Unlike a chewable you swallow, Rugiet Ready dissolves under the tongue for faster absorption, with effects reported in as little as 15 minutes on average. It is available in four strength tiers and prescribed through a simple online visit.

For men who want the simplest approach at the lowest price, single-ingredient sildenafil (generic for Viagra®) or tadalafil tablets from a retail or online pharmacy remain the most cost-effective and fully FDA-approved option.

Bottom Line

Hims offers a range of ED product formats through one platform. A few things worth knowing before you start:

• Generic pills are FDA-approved; chewables are compounded. If you want only FDA-approved finished products, stick to Hims' standard sildenafil and tadalafil tablets.
• Hard Mints add convenience but cost more. The chewable format appeals to men who dislike swallowing tablets, but monthly costs are higher than standard generics.
• Combo plans available. Some plans bundle ED treatment with hair loss, testosterone, or PE treatment in a single monthly subscription.

If you're looking for an ED treatment that addresses both the physical and the mental side of arousal with faster onset from a sublingual format, Rugiet Ready may be worth considering. Start your free online visit today to see if a prescription is right for you.