Once upon a time, I got a bad haircut. I went to a new hairstylist, asked for a trim, and left with a shockingly cropped cut that didn't suit my style. I was desperate to grow it out as quickly as possible, yet despite my best efforts, it stopped at my shoulders. To make matters worse, I was experiencing hormonal issues at the time, and my hair was visibly thinning. I was in the midst of a hair emergency, and I was down to try anything to fix it. I did daily scalp massages. I used gentle shampoo. I even tried taking hair supplements. These things might have helped, but I only saw a major difference once I started using hair growth serums.
Something about the highly effective concentration of active ingredients combined with my consistent use made my hair grow faster, stronger, and thicker. I've been a big believer in hair growth serums ever since, and I still use them whenever I feel like my hair could use some extra density and length.
I have my favorite formulas, but I wanted to know which ones experts and my fellow beauty editors swear by, so I asked them—and they answered. Ahead, check out 11 expert-recommended serums that unlock hyper-speed hair growth.
The Best Hair Growth Serums
- Virtue Flourish Density Booster ($50)
- Vegamour Gro Hair Serum ($64)
- Briogeo Destined for Density Peptide Hair Serum ($57)
- Act+Acre Cold Processed Stem Cell Serum ($86)
- Virtue Flourish Nightly Intensive Hair Growth Treatment Kit ($134)
- ReTress Serum ($54)
- Camille Rose Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum ($16)
- Divi Scalp Serum ($48)
- Nécessaire The Scalp Serum ($45)
- Ouai Scalp Serum ($52)
- The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum ($23)
Do Hair Growth Serums Really Work?
Candace Spann, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and hair loss specialist. She says, "Hair growth boosting serums can absolutely be effective, especially if they help improve blood flow to the scalp, help calm scalp inflammation, and help stop shedding."
Double board-certified dermatologist of MDCS Dermatology Brendan Camp, FAAD, MD, says that while hair growth serums can be powerful, they have indirect, rather than direct, effects. In other words, they don't instantly and magically boost hair growth, but they do "set the scalp and hair follicles up for success by providing nutrients and vitamins and promoting the health of scalp and hair cells."
What's the Difference Between a Serum and a Supplement?
A hair growth serum is a topical solution you apply to the scalp and hair, whereas a hair growth supplement is something you take orally. Camp says there's limited data to support the efficacy of scalp serums and supplements. That doesn't mean they're not effective; it just means they require more unbiased research. "Many of the studies released on each product are produced by the manufacturer, introducing an element of bias in the results," he says.
Meanwhile, Spann says you should use both a serum and a supplement for the best results. "The most effective approach to hair loss includes both an inside-out and an outside-in approach." While there are many hair supplements on the market, it's important to use one that's studied, expert-vetted, or ideally, expert-formulated, like Spann's very own ReTress Supplements ($26). They contain a high dose of biotin, vitamin A, and zinc to support healthy hair growth.
What Ingredients Should You Look For in a Hair Growth Serum?
While there are many active ingredients found in hair growth serums, Camp says the only one that's been FDA-approved to treat androgenetic alopecia (the most common form of hair loss) is minoxidil. "Minoxidil is thought to act by increasing blood flow and therefore oxygenation of hair follicles and stem cells that exist along the hair follicle," he says. "Improved circulation and oxygenation may encourage the growth of stem cells and encourage hairs to remain in anaphase, the growth phase of their life cycle."
Spann seconds this, adding that minoxidil, though effective, isn't without potential side effects. "The main side effects of minoxidil are unwanted hair growth on the face and scalp inflammation. That being said, there are a lot of hair growth-boosting serums that are helpful with hair growth and do not contain minoxidil. Ingredients to look for include rosemary oil, shea butter, anti-inflammatory ingredients like licorice extract, growth peptides, and herbs like apigenin to help reduce shedding."
How Often Should You Apply Hair Growth Serums?
"Growth boosting serums should be applied daily, indefinitely, as your hair is constantly in different stages of the growth cycle," Spann says. "Because the shedding phase is a normal part of the growth cycle, it is impossible to treat hair loss for a finite amount of time and expect the results to be sustained over many growth cycles."
Camp agrees, saying that it's important to stay consistent when using a hair growth serum and give it enough time to *actually* work. "Know that scalp hair typically grows at a rate of about one centimeter per month. If you use a hair growth product for only a month before moving on to the next one, you are not giving the product enough time to prove itself. Use a hair growth product for at least three to four months before deciding if it is helpful or not."
1. Virtue Flourish Density Booster
The experts' first recommendation is Virtue's Flourish Density Booster, which is a daily scalp serum that uses keratin, peptides, and larch wood extract to stimulate hair growth and boost thickness. "Marketed as a drug-free hair loss treatment, this product includes plant-based nutrients, keratins, and peptides to provide the scalp and hair with the nutrients needed to maintain healthy hair," Camp says.
Pros: Stimulates hair growth, boosts thickness
Cons: None
Key Ingredients: Alpha keratin 60ku clinical protein, biomimetic signal peptides, larch wood extract
Size: 4 oz
2. Vegamour Gro Hair Serum
Next, Camp recommends Vegamour's Gro Hair Serum, which just so happens to be one of my favorite formulas. (Check out my results after using it for three months.) "Vegan, plant-based phytoactives are included in this hair growth serum to soothe the scalp and revitalize hair follicles for an improved appearance of hair density and thickness," Camp says.
Pros: Stimulates hair growth, boosts thickness, reduces shedding
Cons: None
Key Ingredients: Turmeric, caffeine, red clover, mung bean
Size: 1 oz
3. Briogeo Destined for Density Peptide Hair Serum
"This lightweight, fast-absorbing, fragrance-free hair growth serum includes zinc, biotin, copper peptides, and an energy complex composed of caffeine, CoQ10, and green coffee oil to supply the scalp and hair follicles with nutrients and antioxidants that help overcome environmental stressors, like free oxygen radicals, that can damage hair," Camp says.
Pros: Stimulates hair growth, boosts thickness
Cons: Might be too heavy for fine/oily hair types
Key Ingredients: Zinc, caffeine, CoQ10, green coffee oil, biotin, copper peptides
Size: 1.5 oz
4. Act+Acre Cold Processed Stem Cell Serum
Camp also recommends this internet-famous scalp serum, which uses high-tech apple stem cells to work some serious hair magic. "A proprietary blend of ingredients—plant-based ingredients from bamboo and pea sprouts and hyaluronic acid—are featured in this hair growth serum to improve hair density, thickness, and strength," Camp says.
Pros: Boosts thickness, promotes scalp health
Cons: Might be too heavy for fine/oily hair types
Key Ingredients: Stem cells, bamboo sprout, pea sprout, hyaluronic acid
Size: 2.2 oz
5. Virtue Flourish Nightly Intensive Hair Growth Treatment Kit
Camp recommends this growth-boosting kit that contains shampoo, conditioner, and two bottles of a minoxidil solution. "Minoxidil is prescribed as an oral medication to treat high blood pressure, and it was found that hair growth is one of its side effects," Camp says. "Topical minoxidil capitalizes on this side effect to promote scalp hair growth and prevent further hair loss."
Pros: Stimulates hair growth, boosts thickness, comes with growth-boosting shampoo and conditioner
Cons: Pricey
Key Ingredients: Minoxidil
Size: 2 2-oz bottles of minoxidil
6. ReTress Serum
This growth-boosting serum can be purchased alone or as part of the ReTress Hair Rejuvenation Kit ($93). It was created by Spann to target and correct hair thinning and loss in women. "The ReTress system uses both an inside-out and outside-in approach," Spann says. "The ReTress shampoo, conditioner, and hair growth serum all contain a modified biotin tripeptide, which helps to improve blood flow to the scalp, licorice extract to calm scalp inflammation, and an herb called apigenin to help reduce shedding. The ReTress system also utilizes rosemary oil, shea oil, sage, peppermint, and geranium."
It's also free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances, and it's safe and effective for all hair types. "The ReTress system also has a vitamin supplement to help improve nourishment to the follicles," Spann says. "Utilizing this comprehensive inside-out and outside-in approach, the ReTress system safely and effectively helps boost hair growth, regardless of age, race, hair type, or cause of hair thinning. In consumer trials, 88% of women reported thicker fuller hair by eight weeks."
Pros: Stimulates hair growth, boosts thickness, dermatologist-developed
Cons: None
Key Ingredients: Biotin tripeptide, licorice extract, apigenin
Size: 1.40 oz
7. Camille Rose Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum
Recommended by Who What Wear's assistant editor, Maya Thomas, this hair growth serum is actually a natural oil blend. With ingredients like cocoa, honey, and amla oil, it's formulated to combat hair thinning and breakage for longer, stronger, and healthier-looking hair.
Pros: Stimulates hair growth, boosts thickness, very moisturizing
Cons: The oil-based formula might be too heavy for fine/oily hair types
Key Ingredients: Amla oil, sesame seed oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, macadamia oil, cocoa, honey, biotin, tea tree oil
Size: 8 oz
8. Divi Scalp Serum
Another editor favorite, this non-greasy scalp serum not only stimulates hair growth and boosts thickness but also hydrates and soothes the scalp with hyaluronic acid and tea tree oil. The latter is partially responsible for it's fresh and invigorating scent—the peppermint and tea tree aroma is so nice and spa-like.
Pros: Stimulates hair growth, boosts thickness, hydrating
Cons: None
Key Ingredients: Copper-tripeptide 1, caffeine, rosemary
Size: 1 oz
9. Nécessaire The Scalp Serum
Who What Wear's senior beauty editor, Jamie Schneider, recommends this scalp serum to boost hair growth. It has a super lightweight, watery texture that won't weigh down fine hair types. Plus, thanks to 1% hyaluronic acid, it soothes and hydrates the scalp.
Pros: Stimulates hair growth, boosts thickness, hydrating
Cons: None
Key Ingredients: 5% capixyl, 1% hyaluronic acid, vitamin B3, vitamin B5
Size: 1 oz
10. Ouai Scalp Serum
If you have a stressed, irritated scalp like I do, you'll love Ouai's Scalp Serum. It contains adaptogens to strengthen the scalp barrier, hyaluronic acid to hydrate, and peptides to encourage thicker, fuller, and healthier-looking hair.
Pros: Boosts thickness, soothes irritation, balances scalp
Cons: None
Key Ingredients: Adaptogens, hyaluronic acid, red clover flower extract, peptides
Size: 2 oz
11. The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum
Another budget-friendly option, The Ordinary's Multi-Peptide Serum contains (you guessed it) multiple peptides to stimulate hair growth, boost thickness, and strengthen strands—you know, all the things you want a hair growth serum to do.
Pros: Stimulates hair growth, boosts thickness, strengthens hair strands
Cons: Might take more time to show results compared to other serums
Key Ingredients: Peptides
Size: 2 oz
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