Patchy or slow beard growth is a common concern, particularly in younger men and those with uneven facial hair development. Unlike scalp hair loss, reduced beard growth is rarely due to an underlying medical condition and is usually driven by genetics and age. As a result, treatment options are more limited and often fall into two categories; cosmetic products that improve hair and skin condition or medical treatments that may stimulate beard hair follicles in selected patients. In this article, we review the most popular services where you can get beard growth treatments online in the UK and explain what each type of treatment can and cannot do.
What Kind of Beard Growth Treatments are Available?
The primary drivers of beard growth are the actions of androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) at the hair follicle. However, unlike scalp hair loss, lack of beard growth is not usually due to a disease process. It is usually driven by genetics, lifestyle, androgen sensitivity and age. For this reason, unless there’s an underlying condition like autoimmune disease or hormonal problems, there’s usually no underlying condition to correct a patchy, thin or slow growing beards.
In general, beard growth treatment options broadly fall into three groups. These are non-prescription grooming products that improve hair and skin condition, prescription or medically supervised treatments that stimulate hair follicles and in-person specialist care for beard hair loss. The latter is mainly related to medical conditions. Understanding which category a product falls into is essential, as many services marketed for “beard growth” primarily improve appearance rather than increasing new hair growth.
How to Get Beard Growth Treatment in Person in the UK
Over-the-counter beard growth treatments are widely available in most stores that stock men’s grooming products. The NHS does not help with routine beard growth problems but will provide treatment if there is beard hair loss due to an underlying medical condition like alopecia barbae, scarring from burns or trauma or hormonal imbalance. As such the bulk of in person beard growth treatments in the UK are through private dermatologists and specialist hair clinics. Here treatment options may include prescription oral or topical beard growth treatments, microneedling, PRP or even hair transplants.
Where to Get Beard Growth Treatments Online in the UK
Before we start, it’s important to be clear that the majority of available beard growth treatment are non-prescription products. There are currently no treatments specifically licensed for beard growth in the UK. Most beard growth products available online do not create new hair follicles. Beard oils, balms and serums primarily improve skin hydration and hair quality. Treatments such as topical minoxidil may stimulate existing follicles in some individuals, whilst microneedling and tretinoin are sometimes used to enhance follicular responsiveness and topical absorption. These unlicensed prescription treatments may in selected cases help stimulate hair follicles to boost beard density and hair quality. However, results vary widely and depend on baseline follicle density and responsiveness to androgens. Below are the most popular online services that provider beard growth treatments in the UK.
#1 City Skin Clinic
City Skin Clinic offers custom beard growth serums for suitable patients following review by a doctor. There’s a choice if online form or video consultation depending on your preference. The doctor designs the formula to cater to each patient’s needs and may include ingredients like minoxidil, melatonin and tretinoin where appropriate. Your doctor will provide you with a detailed protocol and monitor you throughout your journey. Treatments are delivered directly to you. This is not a subscriptions service so you order refills as and when you need. Your doctor may continue to adjust the formula in each refill based on your response.
#2 Brighton Beard Company
Brighton Beard Company specialises exclusively in beard care and grooming products. Their beard oils are aim to improve skin health in order to support healthier facial hair growth. Their products are non-prescription and as such may not address patchy or thin beards. However, they condition the skin and hair to improve the appearance and health of the beard. You can buy their beard growth treatments online or from a number of stockists across the UK.
#3 Sons
Sons is an online hair loss service that also offers a beard growth treatment. Their beard booster lotion contains topical minoxidil. To access the service, you will need to complete an online consultation form which their clinicians will review alongside your NHS Summary Care Record. If suitable they will then deliver the treatment to your home. This is a subscription service and they provide ongoing support by their care team.
#4 Numan
Numan provides a beard growth kit that contains a dermaroller, activator gel, comb and sanitising spray through a subscription service. They mention that the key active in the activator gel is Biotin. There’s also mention of a medicated hair spray and in the help section they say that the active ingredient in this is minoxidil.To access the service you complete and online form consultation which their clinicians review. You can also schedule a one-off phone consultation with one of their doctors for an additional fee if you prefer. Following consultation, if suitable for treatment, they will deliver the kit directly to you. You can access ongoing aftercare through their online platform.
#5 Unthin
Unthin is an online hair loss service that also offers beard growth treatments in the form of a prescription cream. Their beard growth cream contains minoxidil and tretinoin. To access the service, you complete an online medical form which their clinicians review. If appropriate they will prescribe the cream which they deliver to your home. This is a monthly subscription service and ongoing support is available through their platform.
| Provider | Consultation | Treatment Type | Prescription | Subscription | Best For | Key Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Skin Clinic | Online form or video consultation with UK-registered doctor | Custom topical beard growth serums (may include minoxidil, tretinoin, melatonin where appropriate) | Yes | No | Personalised beard growth treatments | Only provide custom treatments, no adjuncts like beard grooming products or supplements |
| Brighton Beard Company | None | Beard oils and grooming products | No | No | Improving beard softness, skin health and appearance. | Does not stimulate new hair growth |
| Sons | Online medical form + NHS Summary Care Record reviewed by clinician | Topical minoxidil beard booster | Yes | Yes | Simple prescription beard treatment via subscription | Fixed single ingredient treatment |
| Numan | Online form or one-off doctor call for an extra fee | Beard kit (dermaroller + activator gel; minoxidil referenced in medicated spray) | Yes | Yes | Complete beard care routine, dual approach with minoxidil and microneedling | No customisation and need to purchase entire kit |
| Unthin | Online medical form reviewed by clinician | Prescription topical cream (minoxidil + tretinoin) | Yes | Yes | Augmented follicle stimulation | No customisation |
When comparing beard growth services, it is important to distinguish between products that improve beard appearance and medically supervised treatments that aim to stimulate existing hair follicles. This is because suitability, risks, expectations and outcomes can differ significantly.
Beard growth is largely due to genetics and hence in the absence of an underlying medical cause, there are few treatment options. Most beard growth treatments are supportive and primarily improve the condition and appearance of existing hairs. Whilst there aren’t any licensed beard growth medications, there are a few treatments that can help stimulate hair follicles and increase growth. This can be helpful for patchy or thin beards but there’s a limit to what they can do and they are not suitable for everyone. There is a small number of online platforms that offer over the counter and medicated beard hair growth products. We expect this number to grow over time as as well as research into new treatments given the demand.
At City Skin Clinic, we offer personalised beard growth treatments. Our online skin clinic offers safe and effective treatments using prescription-strength ingredients like Tretinoin, Minoxidil, Caffeine and Melatonin where appropriate. To start your personalised treatment plan, book a virtual video consultation or use our online consultation form. The journey towards great skin (and hair) starts here.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified medical provider for any medical concerns or questions you might have.
