The Ordinary Hair Growth Guide: Build A Density Routine

An educational guide from the Beauty AMZ research team. No hard sell, just what you need to know.
How The Ordinary Density Serum Works
The Multi-Peptide Serum delivers a cocktail of peptide complexes to the scalp. Redensyl targets hair follicle stem cells to encourage the growth phase. Procapil combines biotinyl GHK with plant extracts to fight follicle miniaturization. Baicapil supports the hair anchor proteins that keep strands rooted. Caffeine boosts microcirculation around follicles. Together these aim to create a healthier scalp environment where existing hair grows thicker and sheds less. The effects are cosmetic and cumulative, building over months of daily application.
How To Choose Your Products
Start with the Multi-Peptide Serum as your core density treatment. Add the Moroccan Argan Oil if your hair is dry or breakage prone, since stronger strands look denser. Consider the 2-pack once you commit to the timeline. Skip additional growth products at first, since layering too many actives irritates scalps. If thinning is advanced, discuss minoxidil with a dermatologist rather than stacking more cosmetics. Keep the routine simple: one scalp serum plus basic hair care beats a cabinet of half used bottles.
How To Use It Step By Step
Wash and fully dry your scalp, or apply to a clean dry scalp between washes. Fill the dropper and apply drops directly to thinning areas. Use enough to lightly cover the scalp without dripping. Massage with fingertips for one minute to aid absorption. Do not rinse. Style as usual. Repeat once daily at the same time. Apply argan oil to mid lengths and ends separately, keeping oil off the scalp where the serum works. Photograph monthly in consistent lighting.
Mistakes To Avoid
Do not apply to wet hair, which dilutes the actives. Do not use a whole dropper when a few drops cover the area. Do not expect bald spot regrowth. Do not combine with scalp acids or retinoids without spacing. Do not quit before three months. Do not ignore the rest of your routine: harsh shampoos and tight hairstyles work against the serum. Do not assume more expensive means better, since this affordable serum matches pricier competitors on actives.
Maintaining Density Long Term
Continue daily use even after improvement, since stopping lets thinning resume its course. Keep the scalp clean with regular gentle washing. Avoid tight ponytails, braids, and extensions that pull follicles. Eat enough protein and iron, the building blocks of hair. Manage stress, which triggers shedding. Reassess every six months: if thinning advances, see a dermatologist about medical options. The Ordinary serum is an excellent maintenance tool, but progressive loss deserves professional input.
Recommended Products
These are the best The Ordinary hair growth products on Amazon, from the famous density serum to nourishing argan oil.

Best for: Early thinning on a budget.
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density
- Redensyl and Procapil complex
- Caffeine scalp stimulation
- Water based fast absorbing
- Drug free formula
Pros
- Best value peptide serum
- No drug side effects
Cons
- Needs months of use
- No bald spot regrowth

Best for: Committed density routines.
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density 2-Pack
- Two full size bottles
- Lower per bottle cost
- Uninterrupted routine supply
- Same peptide formula
Pros
- Best for 3-6 month routines
- No reorder gaps
Cons
- Higher upfront cost
- Commitment required

Best for: Nourishing lengths alongside the serum.
The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold Pressed Moroccan Argan Oil
- 100% pure argan oil
- Cold pressed organic
- No additives or silicones
- Multi use for hair and skin
Pros
- Extremely affordable
- Pure and simple
Cons
- Heavy for fine hair
- Not a growth active
Ready to Choose?
See our top product picks for the ordinary hair growth, or jump straight to the head-to-head comparison of the two most popular options.
Setting expectations by cause of thinning
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density is a supportive product, not a regrowth drug, and knowing which kind of thinning you have keeps expectations honest. Diffuse shedding from stress, illness, or a rough few months is where peptide serums earn their place, follicles are still active and the peptides support the regrowth phase as shedding normalizes.
Genetic pattern thinning moves slower and needs at least four to six months of nightly use before you can judge anything, and postpartum shedding follows its own timeline, peaking around three to four months after delivery and resolving gradually. If you see smooth patches, sudden clumps in the shower, or scalp pain, skip the serum aisle and book a dermatologist, since those patterns point to conditions no cosmetic product treats.
Volume techniques for very short hair
Root-lift mechanics change completely at short lengths, and most volumizing advice assumes shoulder-length hair. On pixies and short bobs, use a pea-sized amount of mousse, not a golf ball, because product overwhelms short strands fast. Lift the roots against their natural growth direction with your fingers while blow-drying, which builds height that actually holds at short lengths where gravity has less leverage to pull it down.
Apply the peptide serum with a dropper directly to the scalp in small sections, since short hair exposes more scalp and over-application shows as greasiness quickly, three to four drops total is usually enough. Our biotin and collagen volume comparison covers lightweight thickening options that suit shorter cuts.
Second-day volume with a scalp serum in the routine
Peptide serums go on at night, which leaves mornings free for volume work, and that separation is the whole trick. On wash mornings, shampoo thoroughly so no serum residue weighs the roots down, then style as usual. On non-wash days, revive the roots with dry shampoo at the part line only, letting it sit a full minute before working it in, then flip your head and blast the crown with cool air to reactivate yesterday's lift.
Resist the urge to reapply serum in the morning for a boost, it adds weight exactly where you need lift. If the scalp feels product-heavy by day three, that is the wash signal, not a cue for more dry shampoo. For a fuller breakdown of peptide routines, our Redensyl density routine guide maps out a week-by-week schedule you can adapt to the Multi-Peptide serum.