The beard growth. He fills one with pride, and drives the other insane. Especially when it's not growing as you want it to. Not that fast, not that full, let alone that long. What remains is a spotted beard with stubble that is shaved off.
But that's the end of it men! It's time to take your beard destiny into your own hands. We'll tell you everything you want to know about beard growth. You will also get everyday tips and tricks on how to stimulate your beard growth and how best to show it off.
the essentials in brief
- You have the power to control the growth of your beard. It is up to you to create a healthy growing environment for your beard. This includes nutrition, care and patience.
- Even if you have patchy beard growth, you can wear a beard with pride. There are styling shapes that you can use to conceal your beard well.
- Your beard growth will change over time. This is based on the changing testosterone balance in different life cycles. Through conversion processes, testosterone can affect your beard growth. You can also influence your testosterone levels through your lifestyle.
Background: What you should know about beard growth
Why does your beard grow as it grows? What is the cause and how can you change something? In order to understand this and much more about your beard growth, we have compiled and answered the most frequently asked questions about beard growth.
Can every man grow a beard?
Basically yes. However, your origin, disposition, age and lifestyle influence whether and to what extent you will grow a beard.
Beard growth is caused by the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT)(10). This is converted to testosterone in the body and significantly influences the process of beard hair formation. The increase in testosterone in the body begins with puberty and usually causes the first beard hairs to sprout during this period.
A cropped beard also flatters the face (Image source: Derik Mckinney / Unsplash).
However, beard growth can be small or absent if the conversion process of dihydrotestosterone does not take place, there are deficiency symptoms or a genetic predisposition prevents beard growth.
What causes irregular beard growth?
Beard growth is a hairy affair. They have a wide area on the face where they can develop. Anything between the ear and cheekbones, mouth area, lower cheeks and even the neck can be covered with whiskers.(5)
But not everyone grows hair at every point mentioned. While some hair only grows in selected areas, others have gaps or leaks. This can have different causes:
- Predisposition: Whether your beard grows in full splendor or only individual stubble shows has a lot to do with your origin and family predisposition. While in some parts of the world, a large proportion of the male population is blessed with heavy beard growth, in other parts men rarely grow facial hair (3). The beard growth of your direct family can also provide information about your beard growth. Genetics can often be passed on to the next generation.
- Hormones: We encounter them everywhere, even with our missing facial hair. This does not mean that you have to be deficient in the hormone testosterone, but it may not be able to dock to the receptors relevant for beard growth.
- Diet: Diet can be a trigger and a solution at the same time. A healthy diet is considered the home remedy par excellence for a magnificent beard growth. Instead of fries and canned ravioli, you should focus more on vitamins and protein-rich food. (7). This does not mean that you have to do without the former completely, but pay attention to balance. Dehydration can also reduce your beard growth. A well-stocked nutrient balance and plenty of liquid sets good basic conditions in which your whiskers diligently multiply.
- Complexion: Irregular beard growth can also be triggered by scarred tissue. This can be due to previous acne, for example. Furthermore, a simple clogging of the pores can restrict your beard growth.
Before you tackle your beard growth, it is best to become aware of what is causing it. Because there is no point in relying on more testosterone for stronger beard growth if the cause is a vitamin deficiency. Of course, this also applies vice versa and for other causes.
What can I do about irregular beard growth?
Courage to grow! Only when you have let it sprout over a longer period of time do you have a meaningful inventory of your hair growth. Who knows, maybe your bald patches are just growing more slowly than the rest?
By highlighting the more overgrown areas, a patchy beard can be well concealed (Image source: Anaya Katlego / Unsplash).
Furthermore, longer whiskers can often simply cover up smaller gaps. Even if you can't always influence your predisposed hair growth, that doesn't mean you shouldn't wear a beard at all. With the right beard shape and styling, even an irregular beard can look attractive and well-groomed.
| problem area | styling tip |
|---|---|
| Small bald spots in the beard growth | Longer beard hair makes the beard appear fuller and thicker. In addition, you can cover up leaks in the beard with adjacent hair by combing and styling products. |
| Bald patches between ear and cheekbones | In the case of irregular beard growth on the sideburns, it is advisable to remove them completely. Go for a beard around the mouth area and lower cheeks instead. The popular beard in the classic Henry the Fourth style is timeless and a good choice both as a three-day beard and in full length. |
| Missing lateral growth | In this case, bet on your existing beard hair. Wear it best in the form of a mustache that has come back into fashion or in combination with a goatee. This combo looks full and gives no hint of the bald spots. |
| Overall uneven beard growth | If you want to keep it broad despite uneven beard growth, emphasize your strong areas. With a slightly longer mustache and shorter rest of the beard, you direct the focus to the longer hair. However, you should be careful here, as a beard of unequal length can quickly appear unkempt. It is best to consult a barber for the first cut. |
When taking stock of your beard, make sure you actually let it grow for four to eight weeks. This can definitely get a bit stained, but at least you only have to pull it through once and then you'll know.
Why is my beard growth changing?
Your beard growth is strongly influenced by your testosterone balance. This has changed over the years. Classically, this begins in puberty, but also happens regularly over time (4). Hair growth in the beard area can also increase in men who tend to be bald. Well that's something, isn't it?
By emphasizing your strong beard areas, your beard appears fuller (Image source: Daniel Bosse / Unsplash).
However, temporary factors such as stress or a lack of nutrients can also lead to a change in beard growth. If your beard growth is unusually severe, it is advisable to see a doctor for a check-up, as this can also be a symptom of clinical pictures.
Does the beard grow faster after shaving?
A myth! A myth that we would like to clear up at this point. Cutting hair does not make it grow back faster or stronger. If you cut off thin tips of the hair on your head, it looks fuller because more volume is created.
When it comes to facial hair, the key factor is the number of dihydrotestosterone receptors on the face.
These will not increase with increasing shaving and thus make the beard appear thicker. Also the speed does not change by cutting the hair.
Instead, let your hair grow out and trim it to a length. This makes the beard look well-groomed and fuller.
How long does it take to grow a full beard?
Your facial hair grows about as fast as the hair on your head. That's around 0.3 to 0.4 millimeters a day. That's around 1 centimeter a month (2). So the road to a long full beard can be tough... staying tuned and being patient is the top rule when it comes to beard growth. It is best to set a clear goal that will help you to overcome the initial difficulties.
Growing a beard takes a lot of patience. Regular trimming of individual beard hairs is also important so that it looks well-groomed despite its length (Image source: Taylor / Unsplash).
A common reason for reaching for the razor is the itching of the beard. Be careful not to touch it all the time to keep away those itchy bacteria. Furthermore, by regularly cleaning your beard you can avoid dead skin and stop itching.
What can I do if I don't grow a beard?
There can be a number of reasons why you don't grow a beard. Question them before you start acting. Depending on the trigger, there are different approaches:
| trigger | approach |
|---|---|
| Your age | First of all, your missing beard may be related to your age. For some men, the first fuzz comes as early as puberty, for others it doesn't come until their early 20s. So don't stress yourself out and give it some time. |
| your family background | Look at your father and grandfather. What is their beard like? If you also don't have a beard, the missing hair is probably due to genetics. But rest assured, this doesn't necessarily mean you don't have a beard. Even if the way to the beard is harder, beard growth can be boosted by measures to promote circulation and vitamin intake. |
| nutrient deficiency | Does your body have a permanent lack of nutrients? When this happens, your body is simply choosing to use the nutrients you have on more important things that keep your body running. Both a healthy diet and dietary supplements can help here. It is best to try the natural way first with a balanced protein and vitamin-rich diet. In particular, foods such as fish, spinach, nuts, oatmeal, avocados, champions, bananas, and apples have high levels of biotin that promote beard growth (8). |
| testosterone deficiency | To gain clarity as to why you're not growing a beard, a visit to the doctor may be the answer. In this way it can be determined whether your thin beard growth is due to a lack of hair follicles or receptors, or whether it is only due to a lack of testosterone. This is much easier to fix than the first two. However, let me tell you, testosterone therapy does not have a 100% guarantee of success for beard growth. Instead, hair may otherwise sprout or cause hair loss on the head (6). A testosterone therapy in self-regime should not be carried out under any circumstances. Trust your doctor's authority. |
Regardless of whether you have a beard or not, remember that your masculinity does not depend on hair growth. Nor does it make statements about your attractiveness. Yes, a missing beard can be annoying, but it also saves you a lot of work. In addition, let me tell you, a well-groomed appearance scores more and more.
How do beard growth products help?
Beard growth products are designed to create a healthy breeding ground for beard hair by supplying vitamins and nutrients. Furthermore, they promise to activate inactive hair follicles. Using beard growth products requires persistence and discipline (1).
Most product manufacturers speak of a two to three month application to see a change. And this once or twice a day.
They are also said to stimulate blood circulation and promote cell reproduction.
The testimonials differ. While some men report successful changes, others have not seen any success despite correct use. If you would like to save some money, you should check the active ingredients when choosing a beard growth agent. These can often be covered by a combination of healthy nutrition and dietary supplements. Alternatively, a zinc tincture can also be helpful.
Beard growth: The best tips & tricks to stimulate your beard growth
Does your beard tend to grow patchy or very slowly? Then we have a few tips for you here on how to get your beard to sprout. Because even if a lot of your beard growth is not in your hands, you are still not simply exposed to it.
How can I stimulate my beard growth?
First of all, it should be said that there is no miracle cure that will help you grow a full beard. However, there are some simple habits that can have a stimulating effect on your beard growth. The key is to give your testosterone levels a little boost and give your beard the attention it needs. Sounds like with your partner? Well, your beard is your partner when it comes to hair growth 2.0.
facial care
The right facial care ensures moisture and good blood circulation. Two factors that are useful for your beard growth. Sufficient moisture protects the skin from scales and clogged pores. These can be triggers for uneven beard growth.
Sufficient moisture protects the skin from scales and clogged pores.
With the help of a peeling from time to time, clogged pores are cleaned and old skin cells are removed. This makes it easier for your whiskers to penetrate the surface evenly. It also promotes blood circulation and stimulates the renewal of your skin cells.
So men, get to the sink and massage in the peeling. One or the other of you will be surprised how beneficial and effective it is for your skin.
Healthy eating
We can only say it again and again, protein and vitamin-rich nutrition is the alpha and omega for your beard growth. Adequate nutrient supply gives your body the nutrients it needs for hair growth. A balanced diet also increases your testosterone level, which is also instrumental in your beard growth.
Sports
Sport also promotes blood circulation. Exercising properly is now no longer just dedicated to the body, but also to the growth of the beard. Muscle training in particular has the reputation of boosting testosterone in addition to blood circulation. Furthermore, it creates a balance to relieve stress and contributes to a healthy lifestyle.
stress relief
Keep calm and let it grow. Stress hormones and lack of sleep have a negative effect on your testosterone levels (9). This in turn can cause reduced beard growth. Furthermore, your stress is also transferred to your skin.
You probably have an awareness of what someone looks like when they come back from vacation fresh and refreshed with glowing skin, right? But there is the same effect the other way around. Stressed skin is not a good breeding ground for beard hair. In this sense, sleep in and take time for yourself.
Conclusion
Does your beard stop growing? In this case, keep in mind that the beard is just an ever-changing trend. Take comfort in saying that in ancient times beards grew to protect against the cold, so not having a beard is a sign of modern advancement, right?
The good news is you can control the growth of your beard. At least partially. In addition to your genes, your lifestyle and health, as well as your age, also play a decisive role. With the right tricks, you can also promote your beard growth. And with skillful styling, you can wear a beard proudly even with growth gaps. By the way, your beard growth goes through different cycles in life. How your beard grows today may not be the same in a few years.
Itemization(10)
- Panahi Y, Taghizadeh M, Marzony ET, Sahebkar A. Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial. Skinmed. 2015 Jan-Feb;13(1):15-21. PMID: 25842469. Source
- MYERS RJ, HAMILTON JB. Regeneration and rate of growth of hairs in man. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1951 Mar;53(3):562-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1951.tb31957.x. PMID: 14819882. Source
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- Oblong JE. Comparison of the impact of environmental stress on male and female skin. Br J Dermatol. 2012 Jun;166 Suppl 2:41-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2012.10928.x. PMID: 22670618. Source
- Vogt A, McElwee K, Blume-Peytavi U (2008) Biology of the Hair Follicle. In: Blume-Peytavi U., Tosti A., Trüeb R. (eds) Hair Growth and Disorders. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-46911-7_1 Source
- Inui S, Itami S. Androgen actions on the human hair follicle: perspectives. Exp Dermatol. 2013 Mar;22(3):168-71. doi: 10.1111/exd.12024. Epub 2012 Sep 28. PMID: 23016593. Source
- Zgaga L, Laird E, Healy M. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Measurement in Human Hair: Results from a Proof-of-Concept study. nutrients. 2019 Feb 18;11(2):423. doi: 10.3390/nu11020423. PMID: 30781610; PMCID: PMC6412768. Source
- Bistas KG, Tadi P. Biotin. 2020 Jul 8. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan–. PMID: 32119380. Source
- Gottesmann C, Hamon JF. Sleep deprivation decreases the beard-hair growth in man. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 1987;47(4):183-6. PMID: 3442272. Source
- Mark's LS. 5alpha-reductase: history and clinical importance. Rev Urol. 2004;6 Suppl 9(Suppl 9):S11-21. PMID: 16985920; PMCID: PMC1472916. Source
