10 Best Hair Growth Serums For Thinning Hair

Hair rarely stays the same, shifting in its thickness and texture with time, amid stress, and through health changes like pregnancy and menopause. The best hair growth serum can help; it won’t necessarily restore your hair to normalcy, but rather establish a foundation that spurs hair growth, thus helping offset the effects of thinning and shedding.

Our top hair growth serum picks

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Best Ayuverdic hair growth serum

Fable & Mane Sahascalp Amla Soothing Serum

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Best for damaged hair 

Kerastase Genesis Strengthening Serum

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But finding the right formula isn’t a matter of simply choosing a product off the shelf and hoping that it works. First, it helps to understand what’s causing your hair changes. “I encourage everyone with a concern for hair thinning or shedding to consult with a health-care provider first,” says Paradi Mirmirani, MD, a board-certified dermatologist who specialises in hair disorders with Kaiser Permanente in Vallejo, CA.

That’s because factors like genetics, your nutrition, stress and anxiety, and changes in your hormones, metabolism, or medications can all contribute to thinning hair. And the cause of your hair loss can help you determine the right ingredients for you – and, with that, the best hair growth serum. Therefore, “the best guidance is to ask questions and rely on trusted sources for scientific evidence and advice that is tailored to your individual need,” she instructs. With that in mind, consider these the serums worth trying to achieve your unique hair goals.

Shop Vogue‘s top hair growth serums below

Best for damaged hair: Kerastase Genesis Fortifiant Hair Serum

Kerastase

Genesis Strengthening Serum

• Why we love it: Regular washing, brushing, and styling can take a toll on hair, which is where this Kerastase formula intends to help. The silicone-free serum pairs science-backed peptides like arginine with botanicals like ginger root extract and caffeine to help reduce mechanical damage to hair. Also worth noting is the fragrance, which has a woody yet refreshing feel thanks to notes of lavender, bergamot, and vetiver.
• Key ingredients: ginger root extract, arginine, caffeine
• Best for: thinning or breakage-prone hair
• Size: 90ml

Best value: Typebea G1 Overnight Boosting Peptide Serum

Typebea

G1 Overnight Boosting Peptide Serum

• Why we love it: Coming in the biggest bottle on this list, Typebea’s serum will last a long while on your hair growth journey. It offers instant itch relief, scalp hydration and a follicle-rejuvenating boost by way of smart peptides in its blend. With a formula free from silicones and laced with gentle exfoliants like lactic acid and gluconolactone, it’s a saviour for flaky scalps too. What’s more, it comes with rave reviews for improving postpartum hair loss even with sporadic use. But trust us – you’ll look forward to dropping this on in the morning and at night, thanks to its fast-absorbing, refreshing feel.
• Key ingredients: Baicapil, arginine, lactic acid, hydrogenated castor oil
• Best for: All hair types
• Size: 100ml

Read more: Everything You Need To Know About Derma Rollers For Hair Growth, According To Trichologists

Best with peptides: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum For Hair Density

The Ordinary

Multi-Peptide Serum For Hair Density

• Why we love it: Peptides are often used in skin care to encourage collagen and elastin production, but applied to your scalp, they can also support hair health and lend a thicker, fuller appearance. This formula harnesses an array of proprietary peptides to do just that, as well as caffeine to stimulate circulation on the scalp, thus delivering more nutrients to the roots.
• Key ingredients: Caffeine, peptides, green tea extract, Redensyl
• Best for: dry, fine hair
• Size: 60ml

Best applicator: L’Oreal Serioxyl Advanced Denser Hair Serum

L’Oréal Paris

Professionnel Serié Expert Advanced Denser Hair Serum

• Why we love it: If you’re not a fan of the faff that comes with dropper bottle serums, look in the direction of L’Oreal’s Serioxyl spray. The mist format makes light work of targeting the entire scalp, and its incredibly easy to stay consistent with. This hair growth serum calls on stemoxydine (an active clinically-proven to regenerate hair strands by activating dormant follicles) to redensify hair. If your hair feels particularly fragile, we recommend adding the Serioxyl-laced hair growth shampoo to your regimen too – it deploys a double dose of strengthening ingredients for hair that feels more resilient with every use.
• Key ingredients: 5 per cent stemoxydine and resveratrol
• Best for: thinning hair
• Size: 90ml

Best for bald patches: UKLASH Hair Growth Serum

• Why we love it: With impressive before and afters for bald spots and thinning, it’s easy to see why UKLASH’s new serum has been selling fast since it launched. Its blend of turmeric, pea extract and lemon fruit water works to reduce scalp inflammation and flaking, while also conditioning strands for less hair breakage overall. “Super soothing, this serum has a refreshing feel on the scalp. It’s water-based, so absorbs nicely and leaves no greasy residue as it gets to work.” – Tracy Achonwa, beauty writer
• Key ingredients: turmeric, phytic acid, pea sprout extract
• Best for: All hair types
• Size: 30ml

Best Ayurverdic hair growth serum: Fable & Mane Amla Soothing serum

Fable & Mane

Sahascalp Amla Soothing Serum

• Why we love it: Amla, arguably the most popular export of Ayurverdic haircare, is the star player in this blend. For those not in the know, this vitamin C-rich extract supercharges scalp health and has been used for millennia in Indian hair rituals. Including rosemary, a medley of our hair growth faves makes this one worth the spend – its gentle, plant-based formula keeps the scalp calm and yet impressively accelerates results. Worth noting: this serum is an emulsion of the best hair growth oils, so only calls for biweekly use. Per Dr Shaver, serums like this one are best for dry hair as they contain oils that help moisturise the dry hair shaft. It’s not heavy, but if your strands are prone to grease, you may prefer using it as a pre-wash remedy.
• Key ingredients: Amla, aloe vera, bakuchi, rosemary and lavender oil
• Best for: soothing scalp massage
• Size: 55ml

Read more: Experts On The Best Hair Masks For Damaged Tresses

Best for greys: Living Proof Scalp Care Density Serum

• Why we love it: No matter how well you may care for your hair, time takes a toll in the form of thinning and greying. This scalp serum intends to address both, with a proprietary complex that minimises the appearance of greys alongside peptides, phytonutrients, and other cutting-edge actives that simultaneously boost hair density. Together, they deliver the hair of your youth in a matter of months.
• Key ingredients: Amino acids, amaranth peptides, pea sprout extract
• Best for: age-related hair loss and greying
• Size: 50ml

Best for an irritated scalp: The Steam Bar Scalp Serum

The Steam Bar Scalp Serum

• Why we love it: Want to grow longer hair? Experts advise aiming for a healthy scalp. The Steam Bar’s formula is designed to target irritation, balance the microbiome and ease conditions like seborrheic dermatitis, providing optimal scalp conditions for growth. Developed with trichologists, its blend of vegan ingredients is gentle enough for daily use and incredibly effective at healing severe dandruff scales thanks to Brazilian peppertree.
• Key ingredients: inulin, magnesium carboxymethyl beta-glucan, Schinus Terebinthifolius (Brazilian Peppertree) seed extract
• Best for: irritated scalp
• Size: 50ml

Best viral: Cecred Edge Drops

• Why we love it: Cecred’s hair growth serum is so effective that it’s constantly sold out – and when restocks drop, there’s a strict purchase limit of two per customer. It’s even birthed a resale market where the coveted juice goes for as much as double its RRP. Needless to say, demand is high – and warranted – as we found out when we put it to the test. “This is the kind of serum that may spawn hairs on your forehead if you’re messy when you apply. I discovered this when, on a quest to thicken up my edges, I got more growth than I bargained for. Weightless and runny, it is the ideal texture for daily use, leaving no buildup on the scalp. I have been guarding my bottle with my life.” – Tracy Achonwa, contributing beauty writer
• Key ingredients: Biopeptide-5, biotin, bioactive keratin and fermented rice
• Best for: new growth
• Size: 50ml

Best clinical: E-50 Exosomes For Hair

• Why we love it: Powered by exosomes (the latest longevity biohack loved by the celebrity set), E-50’s serum works by kickstarting your follicles’ natural growth and repair processes. The exosomes, which are small vesicles containing peptides, growth factors and DNA, are delivered deep into the dermis where they reinvigorate damaged and ageing cells. “My hairline has benefited massively from this topical solution, with damaged, thinner areas well restored. Best administered in a clinic by medical professionals, it is pricey, but worth the results – namely, denser edges – I’ve noticed in as little as 8 weeks.” – Tracy Achonwa, contributing writer
• Key ingredients: salmon-derived exosomes, peptides, lipids
• Best for: effective scalp healing and hair restoration
• Size: 5ml ampoules

FAQs

What is a hair growth serum?

Like that for your scalp, a hair growth serum is a formula that, generally speaking, offers a high concentration of ingredients, such as vitamins, botanical extracts, and essential oils, with the purpose of improving the appearance, strength, and thickness of hair, according to Dr. Christine Shaver, MD, a board-certified dermatologist who specialises in hair restoration at Bernstein Medical Center in New York. You can also find hair growth serums that contain active ingredients that have been FDA-approved to promote hair growth, like minoxidil.

Depending on their formulation and how often you use them, “hair growth serums can provide a variety of benefits, from improving the healthy appearance of hair to enhancing hair growth,” says Dr Shaver, who notes that it’s critical to choose a formula that targets your unique hair goals.

What to look for in a hair growth serum

First, consider your hair needs. For instance, if your hair tends to be dry, then “look for serums that contain oils to help hydrate the dry hair shaft,” says Dr Shaver. Meanwhile, if you simply want better, faster hair growth, then she recommends looking for products with ingredients that have been clinically proven to do just that – and have scientific data that support their use.