Can This Popular Skincare Ingredient Boost Hair Growth? Here's What Experts Say

Don't sleep on it.

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(Image credit: @littleblackboots)

If you struggle with thinning hair, hair loss, or hair growth, trust me, you're not alone. Finding the right tools for your specific hair type can be tough, and there are so many potential options out there that it's overwhelming. If solutions like hair-strengthening vitamins or serums haven't done the trick for you, though, I recently learned that there's another popular ingredient entering the chat.

I'm sure by now you're familiar with peptides and the various benefits they can offer when it comes to skincare, but did you know they can also be beneficial to your hair? No? I didn't either. According to experts, peptides can promote healthier hair growth and may even help decrease hair thinning or loss. If this piques your interest, you're going to want to keep reading. I asked experts to dive into the topic of hair peptides with me and, spoiler alert: They had a lot to share.

The Best Peptides for Hair Loss in 2025, Listed

The Best Hair Products With Peptides

Best Overall: Omi Hair Nutrition Hair Growth Peptides

Best for Damage Repair: K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask

Best Budget: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

Best Two-For-One: Arey The System

Best Anti-Frizz: The Rootist Biobrew Fermented Leave-In Hair Serum

Best Clarifying: K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Peptide Prep™ Clarifying Detox Shampoo

Best Densifying: The Rootist Densifying & Thickening Serum for Thinning Hair

Best Strengthening: SickScience Labs Powercycle

Best Splurge: Act+Acre 3% Stem Cell Peptide H3-Grow+ Complex Scalp Treatment

Best Overnight: TYPEBEA Overnight Boosting Peptide Hair Serum

What are peptides?

LoGerfo first told me exactly what peptides are and how they work. It's helpful to understand how peptides work for both the skin and hair here—LoGerfo explained both.

Peptides are made up of short chains of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks needed to create full proteins. They can be made of two, three, or even four amino acids and are available with variations in the number of amino acids and sequence. "The peptide must be able to penetrate the skin and/or hair to be effective," says LoGerfo. "As for skin, peptides are touted to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, prevent damage from ultraviolet light, heal wounds and skin irritation, and treat acne. However, there is limited scientific evidence. Copper peptides are very popular in skincare. Studies show that copper peptides may promote collagen and elastin production as well as help maintain it. They may also help remove damaged collagen. For hair, peptides can help increase hair density and volume. They may also promote hair growth, strengthen the outer cuticle of hair, and improve scalp health."

Can peptides help with hair growth and hair loss?

While there are never any guarantees that one thing will work for everyone, LoGerfo says that peptides for hair growth and loss show a lot of promise. She says that peptides can have a positive influence on hair follicles since they influence keratin and collagen production, two key proteins for strong, healthy hair. Keratin is crucial for keeping hair's internal structure healthy. LoGerfo stresses that it provides strength, resilience, and elasticity to the hair shaft. Collagen also contributes to a healthy scalp and skin, providing building blocks for stronger strands. Peptides can intensify the manufacturing of keratin and collagen, which, in theory, can increase hair strength, elasticity, and quality over time.

While this can be helpful, LoGerfo also says that if you're wanting to use peptides to help combat hair loss, it may not be the miracle solution you're looking for, and more scientific research is needed. "There is some research that shows that peptides can help to stimulate the anagen (growth) phase of the hair growth cycle," she says. "This could potentially lead to more growth, thicker hair, and less loss. I really do not see peptides helping to prevent hair loss [altogether right] now, but I do see them playing a role in improving the quality of your hair. It is important to keep in mind that there are real, medically proven treatments to help with hair loss and promote hair growth. I would go with those first."

How we chose

As with all buying guides here at Who What Wear, we compile our product lists based on original testing and expert recommendations. The WWW beauty team tried several of the options listed above and had leading experts weigh in on their preferences as well. We know the ingredients play a huge role in the effectiveness of peptides, so our beauty team made sure to call that out for each product. Customer reviews are also important to keep in mind, especially when it comes to viral or celebrity-endorsed favorites. That said, we scoured the review sections of our favorite retailers when compiling our list.

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This story was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Associate Beauty Editor

Shawna Hudson is a beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and travel writer with over 10 years of experience. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in journalism and has written for other publications such as Bustle, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Elite Daily, and more. She is currently a beauty writer at Who What Wear and hopes to continue feeding her (completely out-of-control) beauty obsession as long as she can. Stay up to date on her latest finds on Instagram @shawnasimonee.