We've been testing hair growth serums and these are the ones that *actually* work (2025)

If you ever suspected that vegan products weren't as powerful as their animal-derived counterparts, this serum will prove you wrong.

Expect to see healthier, smoother, more hydrated ends, with a big drop in split ends, too. Some injected volume could also be spotted at the roots, while strands were seen with some diamond-like shine. Prepare to be seriously impressed.

Customer review: "I have been experiencing a lot of hair loss. My hair was looking and feeling thinner, and I was feeling self conscious. I tried soooo many other oils and nothing changed. I gave this one a try and OMG. The week after I started using it, I could count the hairs in my brush with one hand. After two + weeks, my scalp has been feeling less tender to the touch, and I can even see my scalp slowly starting to cover with hair again! It is a little more pricey, but if you buy anything hair oil, it is a waste of your money. But this one instead!"

Yes, it's important to invest in a serum that encourages growth, but it's equally as important to look after the strands you already have – and this leave-in conditioner will strengthen to prevent your ends from snapping off.

You read that right, costing only a fiver, the new MONDAY repair leave-in conditioner puts in the work to repair damaged lengths without causing harm to your bank balance. The silky serum is formulated with keratin – the protein responsible for how healthy and strong our hair is – so this will feed brittle lengths with keratin to fortify and reduce breakage.

Customer review: "I absolutely love the Monday Brand's Repair Leave-In Conditioner! It keeps my hair looking fresh and manageable all day long. The lightweight formula doesn’t weigh my hair down, and it leaves it feeling incredibly soft and nourished. Plus, the pleasant scent is a nice bonus! Highly recommend this product for anyone looking to elevate their hair care routine!"

This takes a whole new approach to hair growth and focuses on preventing heavy shedding to leave you with fuller locks. It's oilier in texture than other serums on our list but manages to nourish and hydrate, without leaving crowns looking greasy.

This repairing cocktail contains glycerin, hyaluronic acid and camellia extract to hydrate follicles and encourage them to stay put, while pro-vitamin B5 creates an 'anti-hair fall' effect.

Desert-dry scalps were left rejuvenated, while hair looked healthier and more velvety-smooth after a few weeks. Did we mention it's vegan and helps protect against heat and UV damage too? Talk about multi-purpose.

Customer review: "It is my second bottle. It is expensive but after using the first bottle I was shocked at how good it is. I have hormonal problems and most serums don't work for me. But this one works great!"

A rare few products generate universal buzz amongst beauty experts and editors – Chāmpo's Pitta Growth Serum is one of them.

The formula contains caffeine, peptides and DHT-blocking red clover extract, making it the perfect trifecta for stimulating hair growth. Cleverly, the serum targets a hair-loss hormone named DHT. By managing its levels, the tonic significantly prevents hair loss while also stimulating new growth.

Our beauty writer, Clare Stephenson, has put it to the test, massaging a few dollops into her hair line, and she can attest that this stuff truly works.

Customer review: "I never leave reviews but felt I had to for this product. I've been using this serum daily for around 2 weeks and already seeing a difference. I'm noticing less hair shedding, my hair appears fuller and shinier and I'm noticing new hair growth in problem areas. I'm delighted and very surprised by how quickly I've noticed a difference- other people have also commented on the difference in my overall hair health."

Products promising to grow you a new head of hair don't come cheap, but this one's less than £15 and...it works.

It contains invigorating caffeine extract, which aims to help to improve hair thickness and density. Thanks to its anti-fallout and anti-dandruff powers, this will help give hair a full reset. It even works for colour-treated strands, so you can enjoy more dazzling vibrancy.

Customer review: "I have repurchased this 3, maybe 4 times so far. It feels like it is working, I like the applicator and the coolness when you put it on your scalp. I've been using this alongside rosemary oil, so I don't know if it is either or the combination that works, but it does work!"

Whether you've fried your tresses with hair tools or have a penchant for bleach, you might not be seeing any growth because your hair health is suffering.

Help get things back on track with this nourishing formula featuring organic quinine (to prevent breakages) and edelweiss (to strengthen). Yes, it sounds like a healthy salad but bear with us.

This cocktail aims to revive brittle strands, leaving you with shinier, hydrated and more voluminous hair. Thicker, more resilient strands were spotted as a result.

Customer review: "Smells beautiful, my hair feels stronger and they shiner than ever!! recommended to any friend who needs a quick hair fix after damage."

There is so much greenwashing in beauty, but a B Corp certification is a big deal. It means a company has been thoroughly reviewed and confirmed to have a positive social and environmental impact. Great job, Weleda.

Just as importantly, did this serum actually work? Tick! This vegan offering will help restore locks to their former glory, helping to limit shedding and split ends. Basically, it will leave your hair in altogether better nick.

Customer review: "I have been using this hair tonic for about 4 months now and it works. I have fine thinning hair. I use this every time I wash my hair. I have noticed there is less hair on my brushes. Even my hairdresser has noticed the difference."

This soybean and ginger blend aims to restore and reshape all manner of curls, from kinks to coils.

It works to minimise hair fallout, while also leaving tresses looking and feeling fuller and stronger. We were pleased with the thickness and hydration it added, with some XL volume spotted too.

Customer review: "I started using this along with the "Full Lengths Density Oil" and it has been a dream. I have noticed that my hair has been thicker and healthier. I have also noticed some regrowth of my baby hairs which has been amazing. I am now on my 4th bottle and still love it!"

While technically a hair oil as opposed to a serum, Hair Syrup's Rapunzel still does wonders in promoting healthy and strong growth. The oil is formulated with grapefruit and flaxseed, both known as natural ways to boost growth and moisture.

To use, squeeze a few drops over your scalp and use a massage brush to work the product in – the nourishing oils will feed your scalp, promoting a healthy environment for hair to grow. You can also add it to your mid-lengths to bring life back to broken, brittle strands.

Customer review: "I will repurchase this over and over again. It smells amazing and it does exactly what it says it will. It has made my hair thicker and healthier and has helped it to grow."

If you're a fan of UKLash's Eyelash Growth Serum, you'll know that the brand is an expert when it comes to hair growth. And trust us, the results are there to prove it.

The UKHair Growth Serum contains AnaGain™ (pea sprout extract), turmeric, and lemon fruit extract that not only stimulates the hair follicles to encourage growth, but also nourishes the scalp to minimise hair loss.

We also love that the serum has a water-weight texture to it, so it seamlessly sinks into the scalp without leaving a greasy residue.

Customer review: "I’ve tried everything – gummies, rosemary oil, different shampoos, brushes, not washing as much. I had thin hair before my pregnancy but even worse after. Now here I am after three months of using the serum every other day and my hair is so healthy, thick and shiny. I love it and can’t wait to see what it’ll look like in a years time."

Your hair is never going to look or feel good if your scalp isn't on point. This formula delivers some much-needed hydration to roots, helping to eliminate dandruff.

Containing energising ginger root and Aminexil (L'Oreal's big dog in the hair loss treatment game), the lightweight serum left us with healthier heads of hair and fewer breakages. Locks were left shinier and smoother, too.

If you're struggling with baby hairs' that refuse to grow past a certain point, add this one to your basket ASAP.

Customer review: "Lord!!! wonderful product, I have used many other companies against hair loss, this one is number 1, smells so nice and gentle. This is my 2nd bottle results after two weeks. Thank you Kerastase!!!The most important thing is that the shine of the hair is not lost after application."

We're often so focused on crow's feet popping up that we forget the toll ageing takes on our hair. Yep, I'm talking sparse patches and grey hairs.

Naturally, we're all about embracing the grey but if you want to hold them off for a bit longer, this serum contains a cocktail of antioxidants and amino acids – dubbed the brand's "Anti-Grey Complex" – proven to reduce discolouration. At the same time, the peptide and pea sprout extract formula will help you grow thicker locks from the root.

Customer review: "ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! Yes, it’s pricey. But Y’ALL—this little bottle did EVERYTHING it claimed it would, undeniably, in just a week’s time. The formula is super lightweight and can conveniently be used on wet or dry hair without any residual effect/oiliness/buildup. My scalp is notably fuller and my roots are proof of greatly increased rates of growth/length—true in less than 7 uses and increasingly effective with each additional application/time passed. This one is SO worth your coin, friends!"

Never used a pre-wash treatment? 1) Where have you been?! 2) It's dead easy and will leave you with healthier hair in no time. This did just that, thanks to its oil-rich formula including safflower, sesame, castor and jojoba, to name but a handful of goodies.

Not only does it leave hair smelling divine thanks to its nose-pleasing scent, but it also improves thickness and works to banish dandruff. Prepare to see hair looking revived and healthier, with dry scalps quenched.

Customer review: "As a nurse in New York my hair is consistently getting damaged by washing it before and after work. Either from overwashing or the stress, I noticed my hair getting weaker and thin. Since I started using this in my hair routine, my hair feels fuller. The scent is very calming. I would absolutely recommend this product to individuals who work in a field where they put a lot of stress on their hair."

No matter your age, race or gender, hair loss can plague us all. So, how do you determine what's going wrong?

First up is intermittent shedding, aka going through phases of seeing more hair in your drains. “Seasonal hair shedding is a perfect example,” says Dr Wong. “Some people’s hair follicles are sensitive to changes to the number of daylight hours, leading to shedding that will self-limit without any treatment.

“Intermittent shedding can also be due to stress, dietary changes, periods of time when sex hormones are in flux – such as when starting, changing or stopping hormonal contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or after pregnancy – and following illnesses accompanied by a fever.”

There's also the stuff that can be trickier to treat:

• Genetic hair loss: Such as male or female pattern hair loss.
• Telogen effluvium: Sounds like a Harry Potter spell, but actually means excess hair shedding.
• Alopecia areata: This autoimmune hair loss condition may affect a single patch of skin, but it can also take over multiple areas across the body, scalp and face.
• Traction alopecia: Hair loss due to excessive pulling from tight hairstyles (that slicked-back ponytail look ain’t worth it if you ask us).

If you notice inflammation, spots or sores around the area of hair loss, Dr Wong advises making an appointment with your GP. They can arrange a blood test to find out what's going on and give you a prescription if necessary.