Microneedling for Hair Loss: How It Works and Expert Insight From an MD

Microneedling has exploded in popularity on social media as a trendy hair loss fix — but how effective is it really?

Hair loss microneedling is a process that involves making tiny punctures in your scalp intended to stimulate the release of growth factors that promote increased hair regrowth. 

There’s evidence that these dermarollers and microneedling devices can treat hair loss, though a dermatologist will likely caution that it shouldn’t be your primary or only choice for treatment. Research from 2025 supports microneedling in combination with other proven treatments for hair loss.

Below, we’ll explain how microneedling works as a hair loss treatment option, as well as other treatments with more evidence you could try if you’re starting to lose your hair.

We also checked in with one of our medical advisors and board-certified dermatologists, Dr. Knox Beasley, MD, regarding whether microneedling for hair loss is a worthwhile option.

Microneedling treatment is a minimally invasive procedure that involves using a dermaroller — a small rolling device with fine microneedles on its surface — to produce small punctures in your scalp. These micro-injuries are thought to stimulate blood flow and healing effects that could increase hair density.

For treating hair loss, this means using the dermaroller on areas with a visible reduction in hair count, such as a receding hairline or bald spots.

The purpose of microneedling for hair loss is to stimulate growth factors in the dermal papilla, or the stem cells in your hair follicles. This encourages them to activate and start growing more hair.

A typical dermaroller used in the microneedling process contains about 200 tiny needles. During a microneedling session, these needles penetrate your skin, but only to the outer layers of your scalp — the needle length is just around 1.5mm, unlike the longer needles used for injections.

It’s thought that the mild physical trauma of having a needle penetrate your skin activates your healing response, which leads to a cascade of wound healing effects such as increased collagen production, improvements in your skin health, and  — potentially — hair growth.

Dermatology experts also think microneedling hair may stimulate and reactivate hair follicles for new hair growth where there’s thinning hair.

In addition to microneedling for hair loss, this type of treatment is used for a diverse range of other conditions and skin issues like acne, scarring, wrinkles, and other signs of aging.

Scalp microneedling for hair growth is thought to be effective for several types of alopecia, specifically male pattern baldness and alopecia areata, a type of hair loss caused by your immune system attacking your hair follicles.

Some research supports this. For instance, a 12-week 2013 randomized study of 100 men in Mumbai examined the hair growth results of microneedling in humans.

Half of the participants used topical minoxidil twice per day, and the other half underwent microneedling procedures once per week in addition to twice-daily treatment with minoxidil.

According to the researchers, participants who used a dermaroller with minoxidil grew thicker hair and reported higher overall patient satisfaction. Eight months after the study, the participants still showed positive results from combining microneedling with conventional therapy.

Another smaller study looked at four men who had been using finasteride and minoxidil for two to five years without new hair growth. The men started microneedling scalp treatments in addition to their finasteride and minoxidil treatments and showed accelerated results over six months.

A 2021 review of 22 clinical studies involving 1127 participants demonstrated that microneedling is generally a positive adjunct therapy (aka not a primary treatment option) for hair loss, alongside other approaches like minoxidil or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.

A 2023 systematic review of eight studies, including 466 participants, concluded that microneedling is most effective when combined with minoxidil, with significant improvements in hair count and density.

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness and safety of combining microneedling with minoxidil versus using minoxidil alone for treating androgenetic alopecia. 

Analyzing 12 randomized controlled trials, researchers found that the combination significantly improved hair count and hair diameter compared to minoxidil on its own, regardless of microneedling depth, duration, or technique. While mild side effects of microneedling were more common, they were generally well-tolerated. 

Bottom line? Microneedling appears to be a promising and safe adjunctive therapy for hair loss.

Microneedling is often used as a skin rejuvenation procedure and is becoming more popular for treating hair loss. But does it check out? Here’s what our medical reviewer and board-certified dermatologist had to say. 

Efficacy: ★★★ 

“There's not enough quality data to say whether microneedling by itself would be an effective hair loss treatment, but there are studies showing that it can help improve results from topical medications when treating male pattern hair loss,” Dr. Beasley tells us.

Side Effects: ★★★★ 

“Scalp microneedling can potentially cause redness, pain, or swelling where it's used, but typically this is a safe and well-tolerated treatment,” he says. Also, pro tip: Make sure to clean your tools between uses to prevent infection.

Ease of Use: ★★★★ 

“This typically only takes about two to five minutes at night. I recommend starting slowly, though, and avoid using it if your scalp feels sensitive or tender,” says Dr. Beasley.

Overall, microneedling for hair loss is a fairly quick, well-tolerated procedure. While it may not be a solo treatment, evidence suggests that it can support proven hair less treatments, like topical minoxidil.

If you’re wondering whether microneedling at home might be your solution to hair loss, we have to urge caution. No large studies support microneedling monotherapy as effective for androgenetic alopecia.

There is little research on microneedling as a monotherapy (single treatment) for hair loss since most studies combined it with other therapies like topical minoxidil or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.

It’s also possible that microneedling may help with some hair loss disorders, but not all causes of hair loss in men. 

In other words, the usual disclaimers for early-stage hair loss treatments definitely apply to microneedling — namely, that we need more high-quality information before we can authoritatively state that it’s an effective treatment for hair loss.

While we don’t know exactly how hair microneedling works, we do know that a wide variety of issues can cause or contribute to hair loss — and many can be treated with other science-backed options.

The most common form of hair loss in men is male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia. It’s caused by a mix of genetic factors and the effects of the hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. This type of hair loss can also happen to women — in these cases, it’s called female pattern hair loss.

If you’re genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness — also called androgenic alopecia — DHT can attach to receptors in your scalp and gradually cause your hair follicles to stop working.

Currently, the most effective hair loss treatments either prevent your body from creating DHT or stimulate hair growth at the scalp level, usually with topical treatments.

For example, the medication finasteride reduces the amount of testosterone that your body converts to DHT.

Meanwhile, topical minoxidil is believed to work by moving your hair follicles into a state of active, ongoing growth (as part of the hair growth cycle), although its exact mechanism of action is still unknown.

If medications aren’t your thing or don’t work for you, there are other options. Hairline restoration surgery, for example, involves moving hair follicles from another part of your body to your head and is one option for those with a receding hairline. Or you can opt for a natural-looking hair tattoo to help bolster the appearance of your hair.

Can microneedling your scalp really be the silver bullet when it comes to growing back a full head of hair, or is this treatment too good to be true? The jury is still out, but here’s what we know:

• Scalp microneedling can promote hair growth by stimulating hair follicles and increasing blood flow, but it's most effective when combined with proven treatments like minoxidil.

• Recent research supports its use as an adjunct therapy, particularly for androgenic alopecia and possibly alopecia areata.

• It’s not a first-line skincare or hair loss treatment, and results can vary. Always consult a licensed provider before trying at-home microneedling.

Want to explore hair growth options that help optimize hair health and coverage first? Our platform offers access to FDA-approved hair loss treatments like finasteride and minoxidil, tailored to you for best results. 

Take our free quiz and speak with a healthcare provider to start your personalized hair regrowth plan today.