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MSM for Beard Growth: How It Works and When It Might Help Your Beard Grow

MSM has been used for decades in joint powders for animals and older adults. Now it’s turning up in beard products too. The full name is methylsulfonylmethane. It's a sulphur compound your body uses to build and repair.
Educational illustration showing MSM supplement bottle with arrows pointing to collagen under the skin and keratin in a beard hair strand, highlighting how MSM supports beard structure.

How MSM Might Support Beard Hair

Sulphur is what your body uses to make keratin and collagen. 

Keratin shapes your beard hairs, and collagen supports the skin and follicles underneath.

When you’re low on sulphur, your beard can end up dry, brittle, or slower to grow. MSM is one way of topping it back up.

Related: How to Make Beard Hair Soft for Kissing

MSM supplement bottle placed between an open research book with graphs and a glowing hair follicle cross-section, with a microscope outline in the background to represent studies on MSM and hair growth.

What the Research Says About MSM and Hair

Most of the studies on MSM are about scalp hair, not beards.

A study in 2009 suggested MSM could make hair a bit stronger and fuller.

Another in 2019 combined MSM with magnesium and saw some regrowth in people with thinning hair.

There isn’t a beard-specific study yet, but the link to hair growth is promising.

Related: Do Beard Growth Supplements Work?

Coffee cup with spoon of MSM powder, three capsules, and a brown MSM pouch on a clean tabletop, showing different ways to take MSM for beard growth.

How to Take MSM for Beard Growth

MSM powder is the most common. It’s bitter, so many stir it into coffee, tea, or juice  to soften the taste.

Capsules are easier if you’re short on time. Some take it once a day, others split the dose -  go with whatever fits your routine.

Just keep it regular. That’s what makes the difference.
Two droppers releasing golden and clear drops into a dish of oil with a beard symbol beneath, showing MSM as an added ingredient in beard oils.

MSM in Beard Oils and Serums

You’ll spot MSM in a few beard oils and serums, often mixed with ingredients like biotin or caffeine.

There isn’t much research on how well MSM works when used on the skin, but these products can still help by keeping the skin barrier in better shape. 

Think of them as a small extra, not the main thing driving growth.
Single MSM capsule placed on a circled calendar date, with a pen and blurred stethoscope in the background, symbolising safe and careful use.

How to Start Using MSM Safely

Too much MSM at once can leave you with a sore head, fatigue, or an upset stomach.

A common starting point is around 500mg a day. Give it a week and see how you feel.

If you take regular medication or have ongoing health problems, it’s best to check with your doctor first.
Plate with salmon, greens, and a lemon wedge on a bedside table, alongside a sandalwood beard comb on a rolled towel, a sleep mask, and a small MSM supplement bottle, showing that MSM works best when diet, rest, and daily care are in place.

MSM Works Best with a Solid Beard Routine

MSM won’t cover for bad basics. If your beard feels rough, look at your food, sleep, and daily care first.

Once those are steady, MSM can give you an extra boost.

Related: Best Foods for Beard Growth

Stick With MSM Long Enough to See a Change

MSM isn’t quick. To know if it works for you, keep a steady dose for at least two months while sticking to your usual routine.

If your beard feels stronger, fuller, or healthier after that, you’ll know it’s doing something.
If you’ve given MSM a go, let us know how it went for you.
You must not rely on the information on our website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.
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