Let’s talk about beard rollers.
Beard care might seem simple, but for anyone interested in growing a full beard, it’s serious business. Your beard health is important, and it just makes sense that you’d have to take care of it.
Sure, you can apply some good ol’ homemade beard oil to keep your beard looking healthy and shiny.
But that’s not enough. A good beard should be dense and thick. That’s why we’ll kick patchy beards to the curb with derma rollers.
What is a beard roller, and what do they do?
A beard roller, also known as a derma roller, is a tool that’s used to stimulate healthy beard hair growth. You roll the tool over the skin beneath your facial hair in a process known as micro-needling. This stimulates hair follicle growth, leading to a denser and fuller beard.
Well, at least that’s what beard rollers are meant to do. But do they work?
Is it possible that an affordable and accessible $10 product could make your beard that much denser, perhaps to the degree of a $20,000 beard transplant? Let’s find out.
Do beard rollers work for beard growth?
Straight answer? Yes, beard rollers work. When used properly, they activate hair growth and could make your beard thicker. Beard rollers also break up scar tissue around hair follicles to let new hair grow. So, while we're still questioning "can supplements help beard growth?", we know beard rollers can.
…But there’s a catch.
What science says about beard hair growth
Remember how we said there was a catch to using beard rollers? Let’s talk about that catch.
A pilot study published in the International Journal of Trichology (Official Journal of the Hair Society of India) in 2013, titled A Randomized Evaluator Blinded Study of Effect of Microneedling in Androgenetic Alopecia gave an insight into whether beard rollers can work for hair growth.
The study was trying to see if using Minoxidil, a medically tested and verified hair loss treatment medicine, would function more effectively if it’s applied alongside using beard rollers.
To carry out this study, the scientists got 100 men between the ages of 20-35. They gave a particular group Minoxidil alone, while the second group used Minoxidil and beard rollers. To verify results, the scientist would perform a hair count before and after the process over a period of 12 weeks.
The study came to the following conclusion on derma rollers and micro-needling.
“Dermaroller along with Minoxidil treated group was statistically superior to minoxidil treated group in promoting hair growth in men with AGA (Androgenetic Alopecia) for all 3 primary efficacy measures of hair growth.”
A Randomized Evaluator Blinded Study of Effect of Microneedling in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Pilot Study
In English? Minoxidil + Beard rollers was much better than Minoxidil alone.
So while beard rollers are good, you’ll see great results using a beard roller with a hair loss treatment medication like Minoxidil.
Also, it turns out the micro-needling process that you do during beard rolling creates micro tears that induce collagen production, keratin production, and growth factors for stem cells while ensuring a nutrient-rich blood flow to the beard area.
Collagen is a protein that’s used to protect the health of your facial and scalp hair. It retains natural moisture, increases hair volume, and holds the hair together. Collagen can be gotten from a healthy diet of proteinous foods like eggs, fish, and, apparently, beard rolling.
So, a healthy dose of collagen could improve your patchy beard.
So, in summary, researchers generally agree that derma rollers and Minoxidil promote beard growth. The derma roller led to increased blood flow. Remember, healthy blood circulation is important to have healthy hair growth and healthy skin. Clinical studies also show that beard rolling can heal acne scars and prevent acne scarring.
What beard roller users say
We’ve done the science part, so let’s do real-world use. What are the actual people that use beard rollers saying?
To a certain degree, Many people that have used a derma roller to stimulate beard growth and improve a patchy beard agree that it works. But they advised that it should be used with Minoxidil or while supplementing with proteinous foods. But the general agreement is that it works.
By the way, Vellus is new hair growth. Don't let the lingo confuse you.
Do beard rollers have potential side effects?
Beard rollers come with some risks when they are used for stimulating beard growth. The fact that they interact with beard hair follicles to stimulate hair growth means they can pierce the skin and cause skin irritation and skin concerns like redness and inflammation.
For the same reason, skin infections can also occur if you’re not careful, but as long as you make sure both your skin and your beard roller are clean beforehand, you shouldn’t run into any issues.
Don’t try micro-needling or derma rolling if you have acne. You might end up using the roller to spread the bacteria from the acne to other parts of your face. So please, don’t.
How to use a derma roller for beard growth?
Derma rollers vary with the size of their needles. Some have tiny stainless steel needles of about 0.25mm, which can be used more often. Others might have a 0.3mm needle. Derma rollers with large needles like 0.5mm should only be used once or twice a week. You can also apply beard oil, protein products like biotin or use Minoxidil simultaneously.
That said, here’s how to use a beard roller:
1. Pre-care activities
This is everything you do before you begin the derma-rolling process. Study the size of the needle you use to ensure you have not used them more than how much you’re supposed to use them. It’s also advisable to find derma rollers with fewer needles on their surface. This is because the fewer the needles, the fewer the chances that the needles will pull your skin.
Wash and sanitize the roller with alcohol. This can include soaking the roller in alcohol for up to fifteen minutes. You should then wash your face and beard to remove dirt, oil, or sweat. After that, clean your face and your beard with a soft, warm towel.
2. The roll
During treatment, don’t apply too much pressure when using the derma roller. Roll the beard roller back and forth with gentle pressure in a consistent pattern in different planes and in different directions. A simple trick is to make horizontal and vertical lines and then make diagonal lines. You can also fill your cheeks with air like you’re shaving to give the roller a firmer skin surface to roll over.
3. Post-roll activities
Hydrate the skin where the beard roller was after the process. You can also apply your beard treatment at this point. If you have dry and irritable skin, you can apply beard oil to soothe the beard skin. Don’t forget to clean your roller when you’re done with it.
Note that you shouldn’t use a single beard roller for more than a month. Try to change it regularly.
Based on the above, we can conclude that a beard roller can make your beard grow. And the catch? It’s more effective when combined with the right hair loss treatment products.
Our top 3 recommended beard rollers
Looking to pick up a beard roller? Here are 3 top products available on Amazon that we’d recommend checking out.
1. Naland Beard Growth Kit
The Naland Beard Growth Kit takes the number 1 spot as our most recommended beard roller. With 10,000+ positive reviews on Amazon, it’s safe to say that the Naland Derma roller is a solid choice.
2. Yoobeaul Beard Growth Kit
Coming in at the number 2 spot is the Yoobeaul Beard Growth Kit. Combining value and quality, this titanium-based derma roller is quite the bargain. With over 7,000 positive reviews, you can pick it up as a solid alternative to the more expensive Naland. Heads up, it has a 0.25mm needle.
3. Thappink Beard Derma Roller
Our 3rd best pick is the Thappink Roller with a 0.25mm needle. It also has solid ratings on Amazon, and like the Naland, it’s portable.