Arthur’s hair and beard grow on their own in Red Dead Redemption 2 as in-game days pass, so the basic way to grow them is simply to keep playing and let time go by. To speed it up, drink Hair Tonic, sold at general stores: per the community wiki, each dose doubles the growth rate until the next length is reached, and doses stack. Below we cover how growth works, the length levels and why beards seem to stall, where to buy Hair Tonic, the barbers and camp trims that cut it back, and how Red Dead Online differs.
This guide covers Story Mode in the current build of Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4, Xbox One and PC (Steam and the Rockstar Games Launcher). PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players run those versions through backward compatibility, and as of this writing Rockstar has not announced a native current-gen version, so everything below applies there too.
How Hair and Beard Growth Works
Hair growth is one of Red Dead Redemption 2’s small realism systems. Both Arthur and, later, John grow out their hair and facial hair over in-game time, with no button to press. A few rules shape how it actually plays out:
- Hair and beard are tracked separately. The community wiki’s growth chart lists hair stages and beard stages as two different scales, so a long beard does not mean long hair.
- It changes off screen. Per the community wiki, the new length is applied during a screen fade rather than in real time, such as when you sleep, fast travel or hit a loading screen. If you have been riding for days and nothing has changed, a sleep usually shows the new length.
- It slows down as it gets longer. The early lengths come quickly. Player guides and the community wiki agree the longer lengths take far longer, with the top beard lengths measured in in-game weeks.
The Length Levels, and Why Beards Stall
Player guides describe both hair and beard as running through ten length levels, from a near-shave up to the longest cut. The community wiki adds the detail that explains most frustration: hair and facial hair only grow naturally to length 7. Past that point, natural growth stops, and Hair Tonic is what pushes a beard on to lengths 8, 9 and 10.
The wiki puts the time cost on record, too: with one dose of tonic per stage, lengths 8 and 9 take roughly two in-game weeks each, and the top beard takes roughly three. Player reports on the very top lengths are mixed. Some say they reached a full beard early in the story, while others say they could not get past a certain point even late in the game, so treat lengths 9 and 10 as the slowest, least predictable part of the system.
If your search for “rdr2 beard past 7” brought you here, that is the answer: stop waiting and start drinking tonic.
Hair Tonic: Where to Buy It and How to Use It
Where to buy it. Per the community wiki, Hair Tonic is sold at most general stores, both from the shelf and through the store catalog, and it also turns up as loot in the world. The wiki lists it at $3.75 a bottle, so a handful of doses is cheap even early in Chapter 2.
How to use it. The community wiki lists Hair Tonic as a kit item, so it sits in your satchel with your other consumables. Open the satchel, find it among your kit items and use it.
How it works. Per the community wiki, one dose doubles the growth rate, two doses quadruple it, three make it eight times faster, and the boost ends once your hair or beard reaches its next length. The wiki’s advice:
- Before beard length 5, taking more than three doses at once is mostly wasted, because each stage is short anyway.
- From length 5 onward, stages take in-game weeks, so stacking more doses saves real time.
The fastest routine. Drink your tonic, then let time pass in big chunks. Sleeping at camp is the simplest way to do it, and it also triggers the screen fade that applies the new length.
Cutting and Trimming: Barbers and Camp
Hair can only be cut at a barber. Per the community wiki, barber shops are found in Valentine, Saint Denis and Blackwater. Arthur cannot safely visit Blackwater, which is locked to him by a dead-or-alive bounty (our bounty guide explains why), so for most of the story Valentine and Saint Denis are your barbers.
In the chair you choose hair or beard, then either a simple trim or a specific style. The wiki lists parted cuts, fades, swept-back styles, buzz cuts and a full shave for hair, and named beard styles alongside a clean shave, with single-player prices between 25 cents and $1.50. Styles depend on length, so a cut that needs longer hair will not appear until Arthur has grown it out.
Beards can also be trimmed at camp. Per the community wiki, the gang’s camp has a shaving kit where Arthur can trim his facial hair himself, for free. The wiki also covers pomade: applied by a barber it lasts five in-game days, while applying it yourself lasts two.
Think before you cut. A trim takes you back down the length scale, and the longer lengths took weeks of in-game time and tonic to reach. If you are growing a long beard, trim only the parts you want; the wiki notes the barber lets you trim the mustache, chin and sideburns separately.
Hair as John in the Epilogue
The same system follows John Marston when you play as him later in the story, with the same tonic and the same barbers. Per the community wiki, Arthur’s hair naturally grows out parted to the right and John’s to the left, so their longer looks come out differently. For a sense of how much story is left before that switch, see our guide to how many chapters there are.
Hairstyles in Red Dead Online
Red Dead Online works differently. Per the community wiki, your online character’s hair and facial hair do not grow during regular play. Instead, you buy a style at any barber shop and it applies instantly. That makes Hair Tonic a Story Mode item in practice; online, the barber is the whole system.
Growing out Arthur’s beard takes in-game time, and so does nearly everything else worth doing. Our guides to fast travel and saving your game help you move that time along, and the Red Dead guides hub has the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you grow hair in RDR2? Let in-game time pass; Arthur’s hair and beard grow on their own. Drink Hair Tonic from a general store to speed it up, then sleep to apply the new length.
Why won’t my beard grow past 7 in RDR2? Per the community wiki, hair and facial hair only grow naturally to length 7. Hair Tonic is what pushes a beard to lengths 8, 9 and 10, and each of those takes in-game weeks.
Where do you buy Hair Tonic in RDR2? At most general stores, from the shelf or the catalog, per the community wiki. It also turns up as loot.
Does Hair Tonic stack? Yes, per the community wiki. Each dose doubles the growth rate again, and the effect ends when the next length is reached.
Can you cut Arthur’s hair at camp? No. Hair can only be cut at a barber. Beards, though, can be trimmed at the camp’s shaving kit.
Does hair grow in Red Dead Online? No, per the community wiki. Online characters buy styles at a barber shop instead.