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The beard roller uses a process similar to aerating a grass lawn.
Beard rollers are the latest trend being marketed to the millennial male, but the jury is still out on whether they actually work.
Various beard roller brands have emerged claiming that by running spikes over the skin twice a week, men can grow a fuller beard, in a process, reminiscent of aerating a grass lawn.
One brand advertises a roller with 540 tiny titanium needles that “penetrate the top layer of skin, creating thousands of microscopic channels, activating new follicles by utilising the body’s natural healing process.”
It creates “micro-injuries” to the skin which increases blood circulation.
According to advertisements, the roller needs to be used in conjunction with a “beard serum”, which contains capilia longa, an extract of turmeric.
The extract is said to reactivate dormant dermal cells, allowing hair follicles to regenerate new hair.
Mahurangi Matters could not find a dermatologist willing to comment on the efficacy of beard rollers.
However, dermatologist Stephanie Sturm, of the Silverdale Skin Clinic, says she has advised patients to use rollers for scalp hair growth in conjunction with medicine such as Minoxidil or Finasteride.
A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Trichology found that, after a 12-week period head hair growth was significantly greater among men who used a roller in conjunction with Minoxidil.
According to DermNet NZ, Minoxidil dilates small blood vessels and when applied to the scalp daily has been shown to stimulate hair growth by enhancing cell proliferation.
So far, anxiety about having a patchy beard is not considered a medical condition and there does not appear to be research into the use of rollers for growing fuller facial hair.
