If you’re starting to notice thinning or balding, hair growth serums seem like an obvious solution.
First, these serums are everywhere! And no wonder. Hair growth serums are far more affordable, less painful, and present fewer risks than hair transplants and medicated products.
But can a serum really regrow hair? Sure, any brand can find before and after pictures, but will it regrow your hair? That’s the question.
As a scientist and researcher, I can tell you what the clinical studies say and how to choose the best hair serums on the market right now.
My MD is in dermatology, which means I specialize in skin and hair health science. So, it’s not surprising that I became very intrigued by the potential of hair growth solutions.
I wanted to know if it’s possible for serums to affect growth without medicated ingredients. To find out, I did an extensive review of the clinical research.
As it turns out, hair serums (the best ones) contain active ingredients that do penetrate the scalp to the follicles and actively affect growth. Studies show that serums can influence hair growth in three ways:
This demonstrates that the science behind hair growth serums is sound.
It’s clear that active ingredients in serums can help to grow hair back and fight hair loss in three important ways.
Are these the best ways to influence hair growth? I would argue yes.
The only other ways to regrow hair or prevent loss are to a) transplant hair follicles or b) block DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a hormone. Both of these come with more significant risks and unwanted side effects.
Here’s the catch: All hair growth solutions (even transplants and medications) take time. Hair loss takes time, and so does growth. At best, you’ll notice a reduction in hair loss in about 6 weeks. New growth takes 3-6 or even 9 months sometimes.
Also, hair growth serums work best if your hair loss is relatively recent. (This is true for medications, too.) If you’ve had bald spots for years, nudging those follicles back into producing hair might be impossible.
Now that you know what hair growth serums can do in theory, let’s look at which ones on the market, based on their ingredients, could potentially tick all three boxes.
We also want to look at safety. Hair growth serums are “use at your own risk” products. You may have heard of cult hair products that ultimately caused hair loss, bald spots, blisters, and even scalp injuries. I don’t want this to happen to you!
Here’s what we’ll look for:
Ingredients that…
These are the four criteria I look for in a hair growth serum backed by evidence.
Now you know what we’re looking for… Which hair growth serums make the cut?
Because I’m a researcher, I’ve only included products with ingredients backed by clinical research. Next, I factor in safety, customer results, and value for money
Notes:
Here, you’ll find my top picks for 2025, ranked.
Description:
As one of the market leaders in clinically tested, plant-powered hair growth products, Scandinavian Biolabs’ hair serum tops our 2025 ranking.
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Customers with sensitive skin may not tolerate the tingling sensation
Bio-Pilixin was developed in Europe using relatively new stem cell technology.
The brand’s star ingredient, Bio-Pilixin, is backed by third-party clinical trials with men and women of all ages (and multiple types of hair loss.)
Scandinavian Biolabs’ Bio-Pilixin® Activation Serum is backed by a 150-day money-back guarantee. Their serum and other hair growth products are available for men and women.
Description:
The active ingredients in this hair growth serum are rosemary oil and caffeine, which are backed by clinical evidence and recognized as safe. Other traditional ingredients in the formula are solid, if not ground-breaking. Overall, EssyNaturals’ serum lost points in this ranking because the complete list of ingredients is not available online.
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Description:
Forest & Shore’s serum offers a blend of oils to revitalize and preserve damaged hair. These oils combine moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and stimulating properties. Some ingredients are used traditionally and have not been extensively researched for application in hair growth.
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Description:
This well-known hair serum contains several ingredients that may stimulate hair growth. It also includes an impressive number of ingredients to promote scalp comfort and improve hair texture. Downsides? The results come solely from a “consumer study. Brand-led consumer studies are less reliable, which is where this serum loses points.
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Also, the cost can be prohibitive. Ounce for ounce, Vegamour is almost 3x the price of the top-rated growth serum.
Description:
Grow Gorgeous is a “hair density” serum combining natural and synthetic ingredients. Some research supports the growth ingredients, which include caffeine, pea sprout extract, green tea extract, and clover flower extract. This formula loses points because it includes multiple ingredients that could be irritating.
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No effect on scalp hormonal balance or hair growth gene expression, lack of ingredient strength or diversity
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