Do Beard Rollers Work?

Some of us are blessed with thick and full beards, whilst the rest of us are doomed to have patchy beards for life.

It’s been that way for millennia, some guys are just naturally blessed with amazing beards, it seems unfair for the rest of us to have to put up with patchy and thin beards, right? 

Do Beard Rollers Work

Well thankfully, that doesn’t have to be the case anymore.

Beard products have done an amazing job in helping to bring our beards back to life and allow them to look much better, and one such invention, the beard roller, has worked wonders in restoring our beards. 

The beard roller, also known as micro-needling devices or derma-roller, began in 1995 as a product created by a plastic surgeon to treat scars on the face and not long after, people found that it also had a good effect on reducing wrinkles.

And from that, someone found that using it on their beard worked wonders, and thus the beard roller was born. 

It all sounds good, but do they actually work? We’re going to have a look at how a beard roller works, what the research says and any risks that are associated with using a beard roller. 

How Do Beard Rollers Work?

If you’ve heard of derma-rollers or micro-needling, you can probably guess how they work, but if not, a beard roller is a device that pricks the skin, don’t worry it won’t hurt and it only causes a small amount of damage to your skin.

The damage created kicks your body’s healing properties into gear, sending an increased blood flow and collagen to the skin to try and effectively heal the area. 

The stimulation of the area leads to a lot of positive things happening.

For example, if you’re using a roller to promote better skin care, you may start to see a reduction of wrinkles, scars healing and that aging is masked.

Whereas if you’re using a roller to stimulate hair growth, the increased blood flow to the area can stimulate the hair follicle which leads to rejuvenation. 

The Technique 

So, to understand how a beard roller actually works, it helps to understand the device a bit more.

It’s basically a razor handle, but instead of the razor head there is a tiny rolling mechanism with thousands of tiny needles rotating on it (they’re around 0.5 mm in size).

You find a spot where your beard is lacking in hair, and slowly roll the device back and forth on the skin. 

What The Research Says?

Whilst there aren’t any current studies on how effectively a beard roller helps to stimulate beard hair growth, there has been research done for growth of hair on the head using these rollers. 

These studies found that using an agent such as minoxidil or any other vitamin-infused oils after you’ve finished using the roller will help to promote much better hair growth, on both the head and the face. 

There’s not many reputable studies out there that say a beard roller benefits hair growth, but there are many people out there that believe it does in fact work. 

The Waiting Game

Do Beard Rollers Work?

If you’re asking yourself, “do beard rollers work?”, remember that it’s not an overnight solution, and most of the time you won’t see results right away. 

When using the roller, it can take anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to find any sort of hair growth on the affected area and if you’re looking for significant results, that can take around 6 months of continued use.

Even so, your beard probably won’t look flawless and full if you didn’t have a full beard to start with, the growth of the hair will be small and slow but it will be noticeable and should cover those patches. 

Manage Your Expectations

You probably already know this by now, but genetics play a huge role in determining your beard hair’s thickness.

If the men in your family have been predisposed to having beards that are hardly there, a beard roller won’t magically give you a huge bushy beard that is full and thick. 

Set your expectations, a beard roller will give you some hair growth in those patchy spots in your beard that just won’t grow, but if you come from a long line of men with wispy beards, chances are you’ll still have that wispy beard, it just might look a bit fuller. 

The Cost Of A Beard Roller

The good thing about beard rollers is that they’re pretty much affordable, you can find a lot for under $20, so there’s not much reason to not try.

Plus, like we mentioned earlier, there are studies that found vitamin-infused oils help to promote better hair growth. 

But, minoxidil can be quite expensive, so before investing in it, ask yourself how serious you are about wanting to thicken your beard and if it’s worth it for you.

But, as beard rollers are affordable, there’s no reason to not start beard rolling. 

Are There Any Risks To Beard Rolling?

Like with anything that will be touching your face, of course there are some risks you should be aware of.

Rollers can harbor bacteria, and since they pierce the skin on your face, the bacteria can enter and cause a nasty infection.

To avoid this, keep your beard roller sterilized, to keep your beard, and face, safe. 

Also, make sure to keep your face clean before you start rolling and after.

Making sure that you have cleansed your skin and have a routine will allow you to keep your beard as nice as possible.  

Final Thoughts

In short, yes beard rollers work, but you need to ask yourself if you’re willing to put the effort and time that is required to see results.

And if you are serious, make sure to do some research surrounding the vitamin-infused oils, minoxidil or lotions as these can help promote hair growth much better than just using a beard roller can.

Matt Park
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