Sideburns typically grow around an inch within 2 to 4 weeks. So for most people, growing sideburns is just a matter of waiting. But if your sideburns aren’t growing enough to give you the look you want, there are steps you can take, from applying minoxidil to getting a sideburn hair transplant.
Discover how to grow, shape and maintain sideburns, with practical grooming advice and guidance on addressing sparse or patchy growth. Explore potential treatments, including minoxidil, microneedling, PRP therapy and hair transplants, alongside expert support from the Wimpole Clinic.
Key takeaways
Growing sideburns takes patience. You’ll need to allow around 2 to 4 weeks for sufficient sideburn growth before shaping.
Choose a style that suits your look, experimenting with sideburn length, thickness and shape to complement your hairstyle and facial proportions.
Clinical treatments can help promote sideburn growth. Minoxidil and microneedling may help improve hair density, while PRP therapy may help treat alopecia barbae.
If non-surgical treatments don’t help you grow sideburns, a beard transplant can restore permanently lost facial hair using follicles taken from the back of the scalp.
Ready to grow sideburns you’re proud of? Here’s our step by step guide to sideburn growth.
To get longer sideburns, you’ll need to let your beard grow, especially if you’re currently clean shaven. Beard hair grows approximately 0.47 mm every day on average, so it will take around 2-4 weeks to get enough sideburn hair growth to start shaping them [1].
If you struggle to grow a beard that facilitates strong sideburns, follow the advice in our guide on how to grow a beard.
When your beard has reached the desired length, wash it so the hair is clean and dry before you start styling. You can use regular hair shampoo, or try a dedicated shampoo for beards. Apply conditioner for soft, malleable beard hair.
Shaping your sideburns is usually the trickiest part. To make your sideburns look neat, you’ll need a beard trimmer with combs of various lengths.
The length you choose depends on the overall look you want to achieve:
Face shape can also play a part. Sideburns can balance out your facial proportions: thicker, longer sideburns can help widen a long or thin face, while round or heart-shaped faces can benefit from close-cut sideburns that add definition to your jawline.
That said, face shape is probably less important than your style or aesthetic, so don’t be afraid to experiment and break away from prescribed sideburn styles that ‘fit’ your face shape.
When your beard and sideburns are the right length, you can start shaping them. There are lots of options for styling your sideburns, from mutton chops to short neat fades. The style you choose directly affects the maintenance needed to keep your sideburns looking sharp, so bear in mind how much effort you want to put into maintaining your look when choosing a style.
To shape your sideburns, here’s what to do:
If your sideburns aren’t growing to give you the look you’re after, it’s time to explore why. Some people are prone to naturally patchy or sparse growth, while others are affected by beard hair loss.
In both cases, there are steps you can take to encourage sideburn growth. Here’s what to do if your sideburns aren’t growing.
Minoxidil is a topical treatment designed to reduce scalp hair loss, but studies have shown minoxidil can work on your beard, too [2-3]. Apply it to your sideburns twice a day consistently, and you may see improved hair density within 3-6 months.
Note that you need to keep using minoxidil to maintain any hair growth on your sideburns.
Microneedling is a technique that involves using a microneedling tool or derma roller for beard growth. While no research has yet explored using microneedling specifically for beards, it’s been shown to be effective for scalp growth, and the mechanisms may be similar for facial hair, including sideburns.
Derma rolling is relatively cheap — you can do it yourself at home with a derma roller or derma stamp. Use it 2-3 times a week. You can also combine it with minoxidil; microneedling improves absorption of the solution, potentially increasing its effectiveness.
Platelet-rich plasma therapy may be an effective treatment for alopecia barbae, a type of autoimmune beard hair loss [4].
Alopecia barbae is characterised by small round or oval patches of hair loss in the beard and/or sideburns. If you notice this symptom, speak to a trichologist, as they can help diagnose this condition and recommend treatments including PRP hair therapy and steroid creams for hair loss.
If topical or clinical treatments don’t improve your sideburn growth, a hair transplant may be the answer. Facial hair transplants replace permanently lost hair from the beard and face with growth from the back of the scalp. Over time, this grows to produce fuller, thicker facial hair.
Both men and women can have sideburn hair transplants, as long as you meet the standard eligibility criteria.
Finasteride probably won’t do much to help with sideburn growth, as it blocks production of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT stimulates beard and facial hair growth (while inhibiting scalp hair growth). There’s no evidence that taking finasteride directly restricts beard or sideburn growth, but it probably won’t trigger growth in these areas either.
Sideburns should be maintained regularly, alongside your beard. If you leave them more than a week or so, they’ll start to look scraggly, so it’s best to trim them down every 3-5 days.
After trimming, apply a beard oil to help your bristles stay soft, staving off itchiness and helping to keep the skin underneath hydrated.
Sideburns are the bridge between your beard and your hair, so growing and styling your sideburns is important. So if you’re struggling to get the sideburn growth you want, you might need professional advice.
The Wimpole Clinic is an award-winning hair transplant clinic. We’ve performed more than 40,000 procedures, including hair, beard, and sideburn transplants, helping restore your hair and your confidence.
Surgery isn’t your only option. We’ll also talk through your non-surgical treatment options for sideburn growth, helping you decide on the best course of action. Book a consultation at your nearest Wimpole location to get help with your beard and sideburn growth.
Discover more about growing sideburns in these frequently asked questions.
It takes around 2-4 weeks to grow sideburns of around 1 cm in length, depending on your beard growth rate [1]. However, you’ll see stubble within just a couple of days, helping blend your beard hair into your scalp hair.
Most boys start growing sideburns when they reach puberty, around the age of 13-17 [1]. Research suggests most have a shaveable beard by the age of 17 [5]. However, the beard doesn’t mature until several years later, so try not to worry if your sideburns still look a little thin in your late teens, or even your early 20s.
The length of your sideburns depends on the look you want to achieve. Mutton chops normally need to be much longer (at least 2 to 3 cm) compared with neat sideburns that bridge the gap between your hair and your beard.
The easiest way to check if your sideburns are even is to wear a pair of glasses or sunglasses, and see how the ends of the sideburns measure up against the arm of the glasses. You can then trim your sideburns so they’re even.
That said, if you’ve accidentally trimmed one sideburn too short, you don’t necessarily need to overcompensate on the other side. It only takes a few weeks for sideburns to grow, so if you can live with slightly uneven sideburns for a short time, it’s often best to wait and trim them to the same level when possible. This eliminates the risk of cutting the other side too short, forcing you to keep trimming until they’re even.
Yes, you can get a sideburn hair transplant to tackle patchy or sparse growth around your sideburns. A sideburn hair transplant is often performed as part of a beard transplant, though you can choose to focus solely on your sideburns if you prefer. Learn about the beard transplant timeline to find out more about the process.
Wimpole Clinic Services:
Hair Transplants, Beard Transplants & Eyebrow Transplants.
Talk to a specialist
Dr Peter Williams (GMC: 3545465) is one of the UK’s leading and most experienced hair transplant surgeons. After qualifying in Medicine at the Welsh National School of Medicine and Oxford University, he trained as a GP and took a special interest in surgical procedures.
He trained in cosmetic medicine and hair transplant surgery in Harley Street, London, and later undertook further training in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. Dr Williams is highly skilled and experienced in both the FUT ‘strip method’ and FUE ‘punch method’ techniques for extracting hair grafts.
He has trained and mentored many of the UK’s best hair surgeons currently in practice. He is also sought out by other cosmetic practices and hair clinics to assess and correct procedures that have not been performed to a high standard, bringing them up to his own standard of excellence.
Dr Williams performs surgery at our Cardiff hair transplant clinic. He lives in Mumbles, Wales, and is a member of the following:
