Thinning hair can hit a guy’s confidence harder than a bad breakup. Whether it’s a subtle receding hairline or those dreaded bald spots creeping in, most of us have had that moment in front of the mirror, wondering, Is it time to do something about this?

Enter: hair growth serums. They’re everywhere—on your Instagram feed, and probably on your bathroom shelf if you’ve already decided to try one. But do these potions actually work? Or are they just another grooming gimmick? "Yes, some hair growth serums and treatments do work, but only if they contain active ingredients that are clinically proven. However, many over-the-counter products contain unproven or under-researched ingredients (a.k.a. "snake oil"), offering limited or no benefit," says Dr Jaishree Sharad, Celebrity Dermatologist and Founder, Skinfinitii Aesthetic Skin and Laser Clinic.

What’s Inside the Bottle?

Hair growth serums are basically topical treatments designed to stimulate your hair follicles and keep more hair on your head, longer. They’re usually packed with active ingredients like minoxidil (the big one), caffeine, and peptides.

Minoxidil is the real MVP here—it’s the only FDA-approved ingredient for hair regrowth and works by boosting blood flow to your scalp. That means your follicles get more oxygen and nutrients, which can help kick dormant hairs back into action. "When you apply minoxidil, you have to do it at least for six months to find efficacy, and initially you can have shedding, some people get dandruff or irritation, and if you stop minoxidil, the problem is that a good majority of the hair that you grew while on minoxidil actually falls off," says Dr Kiran Sethi, Celebrity Dermatologist, Founder of Isyaderm.
 

Other than minoxidil, Dr Sharad also notes that ingredients like Tretinoin, finasteride, caffeine, onion juice juice and rosemary oil may also work when used with other significant ingredients, however, results may differ for each case. "Finasteride can be taken orally and is best for male-pattern baldness," adds Dr Sethi.

So, Do They Work?

Here’s the deal: yes, they can—but you need to play the long game. If you’re hoping to wake up with a lion’s mane after two nights of using a serum, sorry to break it to you, it doesn’t work like that. Also, you must be the candidate for it. "Yes, there are many hair growth serums that do work and either some have side effects,some don't," says Dr Sethi. She further explains that these ingredients don’t work well on certain types of hair loss. "If you have cicatricial or scarring hair loss at alopecia, the efficacy is low. If you have very severe balding like grade 4, androgenetic alopecia, again, these topical ingredients may help preserve what's left and cause a little bit of hair growth, but they won't bring the whole growth back," she explains.

When Should You Start?

The key here is to start early and be committed to the routine. You must consult a dermatologist before building a routine with hair growth serums as some of the ingredients must be taken under expert's guidance and prescribed frequency. Most guys start to see real changes after 3 to 6 months of daily use. If you miss too many days, you’ll probably slide back to where you started. "Checking on scalp health, treating dandruff, inflammation, fungal issues, and taking care of lifestyle and nutrition is equally important while starting with the hair growth routine," adds Dr Sharad.You also haveto look at if you have any vitamin deficiencies. "If you're treating hair with hair growth serums and not treating your vitamins, then results don't happen," says Dr Sethi.

The Final Verdict

Yes, some of the hair growth serums do work but the ingredients in them play a major role in predicting whether or not they will give any results. Expect subtle changes at first—maybe less shedding, maybe some baby hairs coming in around the temples. Some users even experience more shedding in the first few weeks. That’s actually a good sign. It means weaker hairs are making way for stronger ones. However, make sure you don't fall for fads. "Ingredients like snake oil, argan oil, castor oil, Amla or Bhringraj oil and biotin don't have any proven clinical studies supporting hair hair growth," adds Dr Sharad.