You’ve seen the screenshots. That rugged, mountain-man version of Arthur Morgan looking like he just spent a decade surviving on nothing but wolf meat and creek water. His beard is a massive, bushy curtain, and his hair is flowing past his shoulders. It looks cool. It looks "canon" for a low-honor playthrough. But if you've ever tried to get Arthur Morgan longest hair yourself, you probably hit a wall around Chapter 3 and wondered why the hell your hair tonic isn't working.
Rockstar Games loves their realism, and the hair growth system in Red Dead Redemption 2 is arguably the most complex grooming mechanic ever put in a video game. It’s not just a timer. It’s a combination of in-game days, screen fades, and a very specific cap on "natural" growth.
Basically, you can’t just sleep for a week and wake up with a ponytail.
The Hard Cap on Natural Growth
Most players assume that if they just stop visiting the barber in Valentine, Arthur will eventually look like a castaway. Wrong.
Arthur's hair and beard have a natural limit. Without any outside help, his head hair and his facial hair will both stop growing once they hit Level 7. For context, the scale goes from 0 (bald/extra clean shaven) to 10. If you are sitting there in Chapter 4 wondering why Arthur still looks relatively "neat" despite months of in-game time passing, it's because you’ve reached the natural biological limit of a 19th-century outlaw.
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To go further, you need Hair Tonic.
You can buy these at any General Store for about $3.90. They don't just "speed up" growth; they are the only way to unlock Levels 8, 9, and 10. Without a tonic in your system, Arthur’s hair follicles literally go on strike at Level 7.
How to Actually Hit Level 10
There is a lot of misinformation about how tonics work. Some people say you should chug ten at once. Others say you need to wait until a specific chapter.
Here is the reality:
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- Tonics stack, but only up to three. Drinking one bottle doubles the growth rate. Drinking two doubles it again (4x). Drinking three is the max, giving you an 8x growth multiplier. Drinking a fourth is just a waste of money and a very expensive way to make Arthur thirsty.
- Growth only happens during "Screen Fades." You will never see Arthur’s hair get longer while you’re riding across The Heartlands. The game checks for growth during loading screens—sleeping, fast traveling, or starting a mission.
- The "Wait in Van Horn" Glitch. If you’re impatient, go to the Van Horn Trading Post. Kill the fence shopkeeper. Walk outside. The game will now allow you to "Wait until morning" indefinitely because the shop is closed. Chug three tonics, wait until morning repeatedly, and watch the levels climb.
Just be prepared for a grind. Going from Level 9 to Level 10 beard takes about three weeks of in-game time. Even with the 8x boost from tonics, it’s a slog.
Does Hair Actually Reach Level 10?
This is the big "gotcha" that catches everyone. While Arthur's beard can absolutely reach a glorious, chest-length Level 10, his head hair actually caps out at Level 7.
Wait, what?
Yeah. Despite what some old forum posts might claim, the "Arthur Morgan longest hair" on his head is technically Level 7. At this length, it's a shaggy, over-the-ears look that covers the back of his neck. If you want him to look truly unhinged, you have to rely on the Level 10 beard to do the heavy lifting. John Marston, interestingly enough, has slightly different growth patterns in the epilogue, but for our man Arthur, Level 7 is the ceiling for the hair on his scalp.
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Why Your Hair Stopped Growing
If you’ve been pounding tonics and Arthur still looks like a city slicker, you might be dealing with a "stunted" growth bug. This usually happens if you’re constantly trimming just one part of the beard.
The game’s engine sometimes gets confused if your mustache is Level 7 but your chin is Level 10. To fix this, most experts suggest doing a full shave and starting from scratch with tonics from Level 0. It feels like a betrayal to cut off all that progress, but it’s often the only way to reset the growth flags in the game’s code.
Also, remember that tonics eventually wear off. You’ll see a notification in the top left corner saying "Hair Tonic has worn off." That is your cue to head back to the satchel and pop three more.
Actionable Tips for the Ultimate Arthur
- Don't Shave in Guarma: You can't buy tonics on the island. If you want that "stranded" look, make sure you have a Level 7+ beard before the Saint Denis bank heist.
- The Pomade Trap: Using hair pomade makes Arthur look sharp, but it also prevents the hair from looking truly "long" because it slicks everything down. If you want the maximum volume of the Arthur Morgan longest hair look, avoid the pomade.
- Check the Barber Styles: Some hairstyles, like the "Left Parted," look longer than others at the same level. If you're at Level 7, cycle through the styles at the barber to see which one gives you the most "length" visually.
To get the most out of your next playthrough, try reaching a Level 10 beard while keeping the head hair at Level 1. It’s a bizarre, terrifying look that makes the Saint Denis socialites look at you like you’re a cryptid. If you’re going for the full "Mountain Man" aesthetic, pair your long hair with the Legendary Bear Head Hat—just be ready for the NPCs to make fun of your "outfit" every five seconds.