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When it comes to hair growth, the best serums tend to go one of two ways—both of which are beneficial for scalp and hair wellness. Many of these are clinical-grade products that use FDA-approved treatments for men’s hair loss—like minoxidil, finasteride, and even tretinoin (a kind of high-grade retinol) to boost cellular turnover in the hair follicle and prevent thinning. Other hair growth serums act more like vitamins and circulation boosters to improve overall nutrition in the area. Some even deploy the same ingredients you might find in hair growth supplements: saw palmetto to reduce follicle shrinkage, perhaps, or ashwagandha to calm inflammation and curb stress-induced hair shedding.
Read on for 19 of the absolute best hair serums. But before you click BUY NOW, here are three important things to know.
1. Only your dermatologist can prescribe the best method for your specific case. It’s worth consulting a doctor before commiting to an overall strategy for holding onto your locks.
2. The most effective, lasting results typically come from daily medications, such as prescription finasteride pills and over-the-counter minoxidil. Oral finasteride in particular comes with infrequent (but notable) risks, namely sexual side effects and should thus be monitored closely. However, using a topical form of finasteride can curb some of those concerns.
3. You should set realistic expectations with your hair. Do the requisite research and, of course, involve your doctor. However, know that receding hair can be slowed but not restored. Thinning hair can only be restored and maintained if you lost it in the last few years. And you’ll have to continue whatever regimen you set out on for the rest of your life if you want to continue to see results.
What are hair growth serums?
Hair growth serums act like little liquid vitamins for your hair and scalp. Think of them as daily boosters (packed with things like Vitamin B, peptides, and tea tree oil) to promote a healthy scalp, strong bulbs, and an optimal growth environment. Some over-the-counter options focus on any or all of the following: circulation and nutrient delivery to the follicles; mitigating dihydrotestosterone (DHT, for short, is the androgen that actively thins and suffocates the follicles); defense against toxins and pollution (they’re packed with antioxidants); and scalp harmony (to prevent flaking, irritation and the like). However, only prescription-grade options with finasteride, minoxidil, dutasteride, and sometimes even tretinoin will provide clinical-caliber results that can slow, prevent, and even reverse hair loss when used long enough and in perpetuity.
How long does it take for hair growth serums to work?
The effects of OTC hair serums, like prescriptive options, may take months to fully notice, particularly in terms of overall fullness and density. They can and often do wake up dormant, wilting follicles, but not to the extent of minoxidil or finasteride.
Are hair growth serums worth it?
Hair growth serums can work for their targeted purpose, but your best bet is a multi-modal approach. What we mean is: If a serum promises to reduce inflammation, then that effect will be beneficial for the hair growth environment and contribute to less hair shedding when used correctly and in the long run. It won’t likely make your thinning crown do a 180-degree turn and suddenly look 10 years younger, per se. A minoxidil-packed serum could do that, but not something with a few key essential oils, for example. So the ingredients and their clinical proof matter.
Hair serums will be most successful if paired with other pro-hair-health choices, including a good diet, regular exercise, ample sleep, and stress-minimizing techniques. And finally, while you should absolutely see a doctor and discuss all of your options, the non-Rx serums below are generally safe to use without such monitoring or consulting. They often make a terrific additional supplement for people using minoxidil and finasteride, too. (Minoxidil by day, serum by night, for example.) Think of it this way: The serums can only help—it’s just a matter of how much help you need, and how you choose to deploy it.
Now, back to the best hair growth serums for men—wherein “hair growth” is supported by a variety of different efforts.
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Harklinikken Hair Gain Extract
Harklinikken’s singular focus on making your hair grow thicker and longer is infused in all of its products, but perhaps best expressed in its Hair Gain Extract. While every bottle shares some common ingredients (marigold for soothing inflammation and irritation, burdock root to combat the effects of DHT), it’s customized for each user according to individual needs. That customization even extends to the recommended dosage and frequency, which one of the company’s hair specialists will prescribe for you, in consultation with all the other things you’re doing to support your growth.
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Hims 5% Minoxidil Serum
Image Credit: Hims Minoxidil is one of the two tried-and-true “clinical” solutions for treating hair loss and activating regrowth. It works by boosting nutrient delivery to each hair, and also by decreasing the time your hair spends in its resting phase between natural sheddings (meaning you have more hair on your head at any given time). As a result, you need to note that the first couple of months of minoxidil can lead to excess shedding at first. But be not afraid: This means it’s working and “re-setting” your hair into its new retention plan. Within 6 months you should notice a significant improvement, assuming the hairs you’re regrowing were lost throughout the crown (as opposed to recession) and were lost within the last couple of years. They should grow back much denser, too. Many brands sell this generic of Rogaine, but be sure to get it from a trusted source like Hims. Five percent is the recommended dosage, and even though topical minoxidil is an OTC drug with few associated risks, it’s great to monitor progress with a doctor like those on call with Hims. (The brand also has an oral minoxidil option, for what it’s worth, which tends to be even more successful and is only available via prescription.)
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Happy Head Topical Finasteride & Minoxidil Serum
Image Credit: Happy head Finasteride works by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, which is what leads to follicle shrinkage. One of the more recent advancements in hair retention is the marriage of minoxidil and finasteride in one daily topical application. Formulas like Happy Head’s do this by upping the dose of minoxidil (which is normally applied twice daily) and by carefully measuring out an effective dose of finasteride (which is typically taken orally). The biggest benefit touted here is that men who otherwise reported sexual side effects from taking oral finasteride (1-2% of users) report significantly fewer risks from the topical treatment itself. Studies back this up, too. Each brand will offer different formula variations, but we love Happy Head’s which cranks the minoxidil up to 8 percent, and utilizes retinoic acid and hydrocortisone to prevent irritation and boost efficacy.
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Ro 3-in-1 Hair Solution Rx
Image Credit: Ro Alright, so you know what minoxidil and finasteride do to help hair retention efforts (from the above two products), but here’s what adding a pinch of tretinoin can do: That prescription-grade Vitamin A derivative can regulate and improve cellular turnover in the hair follicles so that hair grows stronger, particularly when paired with minoxidil. This topical 3-in-1 spray (effectively a serum that you spritz on) will give you all three ingredients in a low-risk, high-reward solution that you need only apply once a day.
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Happy Head Topical Minoxidil & Retinoic Acid
Image Credit: Happy Head Yes, there are two Happy Head products atop this roster, but that’s indicative of the brand’s incredible selection of compound topicals. If you prefer not to add finasteride to your hair care regimen (although topical finasteride is so low-risk compared to oral, that we’d suggest you do include it)…. You can always seek out a combination of minoxidil and tretinoin (retinoic acid) instead, like in this superb serum. This is a great option for women who experience alopecia in many forms, too, since it lacks the finasteride that might typically target male-pattern loss. Still, speak with the Happy Heads doctors about the best solution for your specific case; you can trust they have something for you in their impressive roster of prescription-grade compounds.
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Bosley MD Revive+ Densifying Foam for Men
Image Credit: Bosley MD Cheesy ’90s commercials notwithstanding, Bosley has for decades been an innovator in the hair growth space. Its latest products leans into that legacy: the company’s physicians and chemists used AI to analyze reams of research to identify a molecule that helps hair get thicker, faster. The ingredient, derived from Terminalia chebula, a South Asian plant used in Ayurvedic medicine for years, helped clinical trial participants achieve noticeable changes in their hair’s thickness in a little over six weeks.
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Plated Hair Serum
Image Credit: Plated Skin Science What happens when cardiologists start making skin-care products? Plated, a line of exosome-rich serums for the face, was founded in 2022 by two doctors researching regenerative medicine. When they found that ingredients derived from human blood platelets can influence aging cells to behave more like young ones, they used them to develop a trio of impressive formulas.
That technology is now available for your scalp. Plated’s Hair Serum, which debuted in January, was designed to not only reduce breaking and shedding but to also increase the appearance of density. While the jury is still out on whether it can replace tried-and-true medications, we’ve observed thicker hair and faster growth in our own use.
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Horace Anti-Hair Loss Serum
Image Credit: Horace Pea peptides and basil root extract act as superfoods for your follicles in Horace’s nutritious hair serum. It also deploys aloe vera to reduce inflammation and keep things cool and calm, thus mitigating the down-wind effects of stress as they pertain to hair shedding. It’s an easy and mess-free product to incorporate every other day into your bedtime regimen.
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Great Many Root Support Densifying Serum
Image Credit: Great Many Great Many, a one-stop shop for hair loss solutions that recently opened in New York City, just launched a range of hair care products that ship nationwide. Its hero product is this serum, which uses powerful doses of bio-fermented seaweed, anti-inflammatory Centella Asiatica, and nettle root to create a hospitable environment for your hair to get thicker.
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Patricks RD2 Hair Loss Serum for Men
Image Credit: Patricks When it comes to packing on active ingredients, nobody does it quite like Patricks (and that is true for every product the brand makes). It’s like a Lollapalooza of hair-boosting headliners: a 5% peptide complex to target DHT buildup at the follicles; 4% concentrations each of pea sprout extract, micro algae, and Baicapil sprout complex, all three of which combine for follicular stimulation. That’s just scratching the surface of their impressive ingredients—so suddenly the significantly higher price tag starts making sense; this is definitely the headlining act.
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Nutrafol Hair Serum for Men
Image Credit: Nutrafol Nutrafol is the name in non-prescription hair retention methods (its supplements are substantive and fantastic, by the way). This ashwagandha-powered serum delivers proteins and lipids to the scalp and follicle, which boosts cellular renewal and sprouts thicker, sturdier strands. Meanwhile, niacinamide, and extracts of tea tree, maca, sea buckthorn, panthenol, and moringa extract provide a host of benefits, from follicle fortification to scalp soothing.
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The Rootist Densify Hair Serum
Image Credit: The Rootist The Rootist’s entire assortment centers on the follicles, and creating happy harmony in your dome. This newly launched serum is well aligned to that mission, with its hair-strengthening peptides and turmeric-derived stem cells for optimized growth. At the heart of this formula is a scalp-balancing and nutrient-dense ferment that keeps reduce inflammation and promote uninhibited hair growth. Use it to reduce shedding from one-off bouts of anxiety or illness, or as an ongoing endeavor against things like urban pollution and everyday stressors.
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Nioxin Night Density Rescue Hair Serum
Image Credit: Amazon Getting ample rest is one of the best things you can do for your entire body, including your superficials like skin and hair. Better yet, you should pair that sleep with the right products that help magnify cellular regeneration as you sleep. Nioxin’s refreshing yet heavy-duty overnight serum reduces oxidation at the scalp, which in turn prevents premature hair fall and promotes hair density. Apply it before you slumber to a clean scalp, and let it work its magic as you rest.
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The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density
Image Credit: The Ordinary Add this serum to your morning styling regimen for an added push. As with any non-clinical serum, it’s a baseline booster at best: But the accessible price tag feels really reasonable for something that acts as supplemental to the rest of your hair retention regimen. This bottle packs peptides to help hair build back better from the follicle up, while caffeine boosts circulation all around the scalp, which improves hair growth and fullness.
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Collective Laboratories Activating Serum
Image Credit: Amazon Ginseng root prevents DHT proliferation while burdock root and Malabar kino bark keep the scalp balanced and toned. Meanwhile, lilac stem cells and biotin fortify hair growth, making this one very formidable formula.
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Davines Calming Superactive Soothing Serum
Image Credit: Davines One of the best things you can use a scalp serum for is to calm inflammation—especially if you put your trust in medicines like minoxidil and finasteride for actual hair retention efforts. That’s why Davines’ anti-inflammatory serum is perfect for anyone in highly polluted environments (read: big cities) as well as who experience stress regularly (read: everyone). The blueberry polyphenol-powered formula creates a balanced environment that in turn reduces hair shed by extension of all kinds of stress—physical, environmental, and beyond.
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Pura d’Or Hair Thinning Therapy Energizing Scalp Serum
Image Credit: Amazon Pura d’Or’s terrific scalp serum that energizes the dome and promotes circulation (and thus nutrient delivery) with caffeine and cayenne. A tea tree and antioxidant-rich formula keep the scalp balanced, while biotin and apple stem cells partner with a dozen other active ingredients to promote strong, uninhibited growth conditions.
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Sisley Paris Hair Rituel Soothing Rebalancing Cure Hair & Scalp Serum
Image Credit: Nordstrom This serum harnesses piroctone olamine to neutralize fungus in order to treat and prevent flaking of the scalp. And while dandruff is itself never responsible for hair loss, its presence is a significant hindrance to hair growth. That’s because you need to have a healthy, balanced scalp in order to procure the strongest, most resilient hairs sprouting forward, and any dryness, itching, flaking, and peeling is going to throw a wrench in the plans. This one will give you a quick fix, but use it continuously (thrice a week for three weeks) to keep the problem at bay.
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The Nue Co. Supa Thick Scalp Serum
Image Credit: Sephora This formula uses probiotics to help boost up the good bacteria in your scalp, and in turn neutralize the bad, irritating bacteria (as well as dandruff-causing fungus). In addition, it also has an essential oil trio (rosemary, peppermint, and sage) to further purify the scalp and boost circulation to the hair follicles, as well as plant-based Redensyl, which targets the hair’s stem cells and promotes the splitting of cells (and thus the proliferation of hair growth) from the onset.
Authors
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Adam Hurly
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