Do beard growth products really work?
Some beard growth products are genuinely good at stimulating facial hair growth. But not all solutions that claim to boost your beard can actually do the job. So it depends on which products you use.
Research shows that the following beard growth products can actually enhance your facial hair:
- Minoxidil
- Derma rollers
- Bimapromost
- Tretinoin
- Steroid creams
However, not all these treatments are suitable for treating all causes of beard hair loss. Let’s take a look at each treatment in more depth to find out when they’re most effective, and who they’re suitable for.
4 best beard growth products
Here are the best beard growth products currently available. Note that all these treatments are currently only available off-label for treating beard hair loss, which means they’re not licensed as facial hair growth treatments. That said, research supports their use for boosting beard growth in specific situations.
Read on to find out how these beard growth products work, who can benefit, and how to use them.
1. 5% Minoxidil

5% Minoxidil is one of the most effective products you can use to tackle beard hair loss. Applying Minoxidil to your face and neck stimulates blood flow to the region, allowing your facial follicles to receive more nutrients. Several studies have shown that Minoxidil can help with beard hair growth [1-3].
The images below show a comparison of beard growth in identical twins. The first patient (images labelled a) used 5% Minoxidil once a day to stimulate facial hair growth, while the second patient (images labelled b) used no treatment:

With increased hair density around the Minoxidil user’s chin and cheeks, these photos suggest a clear advantage of using Minoxidil for beard growth.
While any generic Minoxidil can boost beard growth, 5% Minoxidil from DrHair is our beard growth product of choice. DrHair has supplied the Wimpole Clinic and its patients with quality hair loss treatments for years, and now provides them directly to users at the lowest prices.
There’s no need for lengthy subscriptions; you can get a single month’s supply of Minoxidil from DrHair. Just take their one-minute assessment to get started.
2. Derma roller
Derma rollers are cosmetic devices that create tiny micro-wounds in your skin. The healing process promotes collagen production and hair growth, giving you thicker, healthier hair.
While there’s no research (yet) to substantiate the use of beard rollers for beard growth, the results for scalp hair growth are very promising. And the same mechanism for stimulating hair growth is likely to work on your beard area as well.
Using Minoxidil alongside a derma roller can give you better results than either treatment on its own [4]. Consider pairing a derma roller with DrHair’s 5% Minoxidil for optimal results.
3. Steroid creams

Steroid creams are commonly used to treat hair loss stemming from autoimmune conditions like alopecia barbae (alopecia areata of the beard). So if you have round bald patches in your beard (rather than patchy or sparse growth), steroid creams for hair loss are among the best products for beard growth.
4. Platelet-rich plasma therapy
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is proven to help stimulate scalp hair growth by injecting a concentrated suspension of platelets extracted from your own blood into thinning areas on your scalp. And some evidence suggests PRP hair treatments can help with beard growth, too, particularly if you have alopecia barbae [5-6].
More research is needed to establish the safety and efficacy of PRP for beard growth, but the growth factors within PRP which promote scalp hair growth are also likely to enhance your facial hair.
PRP for beard growth isn’t a product you can use at home, but skilled PRP technicians at reputable clinics may be able to offer this as a way to fix a patchy beard. You’ll likely need a few sessions over the course of several weeks to get the best results.
Do supplements work for beard growth?
In most cases, no, supplements won’t help with beard growth. While good nutrition is essential for beard growth, most people can and should get essential beard growth nutrients from their diet.
However, if you do have a nutritional deficiency that’s contributing to or causing lack of beard growth, a supplement may be able to help. Speak to your GP if you’re concerned about a lack of vitamins or minerals.

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Does Finasteride work for beard growth?
No. Finasteride is part of a group of drugs that block the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a naturally occurring male sex hormone that’s linked with genetic scalp hair loss.
While DHT is hazardous for scalp hair, it actually helps you grow facial hair. So taking Finasteride may inhibit beard growth.
What to do if beard growth products aren’t working
If you’re not having much luck with topical beard growth products, a beard transplant may be the best option for enhancing facial hair density. This involves extracting healthy hair follicles from your scalp and moving them to sparse areas across your jaw, chin, and neck.
At the Wimpole Clinic, we help patients with thin or patchy beards get the thick, full facial hair they want. With more than 50 years’ experience of performing hair transplants, you can be sure of our surgeons’ skill and expertise. Book a consultation to enquire about a beard transplant at your nearest Wimpole Clinic location.