Big, bushy beards have been all the rage for almost a decade. So whether you want to go full-blown fisherman with your look or fancy a Van Dyke instead, there are plenty of ways to go. Unfortunately, however, some men are plagued with an all-too-common problem. Their beards won’t grow well. If that sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to answer your burning questions about making your facial hair grow faster.
Why can’t I grow a beard?
First up, let’s talk about why you’re having a problem growing a beard in the first place. While you might think having luscious locks is the luck of the draw, there’s more to it. Believe it or not, various factors determine how fast your facial hair grows.
You might have heard that growing a decent beard is linked to your testosterone levels. It makes sense. Your hormone levels dictate many of your bodily functions. However, this is likely to be a myth. Recent research published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior suggests that having a beard doesn’t indicate high testosterone levels. While more research is needed, you can rule out your lack of a beard meaning you’re less manly.
Another reason you may struggle to grow the beard of your dreams may be to do with your skin. The truth is that certain skin conditions — although rare — can lower your chances of growing facial hair. If you are also experiencing dry skin, itchiness, or even a rash, it’s worth visiting your doctor or a specialised dermatologist. Check out our winter skincare tips as a starting point for more information.
So, what’s the deal? The most likely reason that you can’t grow a beard is genetics. You will notice that the men in your family tend to have the same type of beard as you, whether patchy or full. So, much like your hairline and other defining features, whether you can grow a thick beard will depend on the genes passed down.
Despite this fact, there are ways that you can make facial hair grow faster. So if you’re dissatisfied with your beard right now, never fear. We’ve got you covered. Within this guide, we will look at six tips that will help you grow a beard.
How to make facial hair grow faster
1. Lower your stress levels
Are you feeling stressed out? You might be drowning under a mountain of paperwork or have too many life admin tasks to complete. When you’re letting your stress levels soar, it can be a recipe for disaster. It should come as no surprise that this issue impacts your everyday health. But did you know that being stressed out could also affect your beard?
The latest research from Mayo Clinic suggests that stress can lead to hair loss. While that most commonly means the hair on your hair, it could feasibly impact other body areas. So when you’re finding it hard to grow a beard, you might want to look at your stress levels. What is it that is making you feel anxious? Can you change your lifestyle?
There are plenty of ways to manage your stress, including those in our natural ways to de-stress guide. Prioritising a decent sleep routine is a brilliant place to start. Why not try our tips to get a better night's sleep? However, you may also want to try mindful approaches, such as creating a meditation practice. Consider the ways that you can address this problem. Of course, if you are feeling extremely overwhelmed, you should see your GP for advice.
2. Boost your skincare regime
Do you have a skincare regime? As mentioned, specific skin problems can play havoc with your beard. So, when we talk about how to make facial hair grow faster, you might want to look at how you take care of your skin daily.
The first thing you need to do here is to understand your skin type: is it normal, dry, oily, combination, or sensitive? When you have determined which category your skin falls into, you can start creating a regime that suits it. You don’t have to go wild here. Instead, you can start by cleansing your skin and ensuring that you moisturise. If you’re unsure how to get started, book yourself an appointment with a skincare expert.
3. Take Vitamin B supplements
Getting enough Vitamin B could be vital to your beard-growing journey. Research published in the National Library of Medicine suggests a link between this vitamin and healthy hair growth. In addition, the study found that this vitamin’s presence may help stimulate and activate hair follicles in the long term. So if you start including vitamins as part of your everyday diet, you may notice a big difference.
There are two options: You can take Vitamin B supplements or get the vitamin through your foods. Ingredients rich in this vitamin include milk, cheese, meat, fish, and dark green vegetables. So go ahead and boost your intake today.
4. Stick to a balanced diet
While we’re on what you eat, we need to address your diet. How well your beard grows is directly linked to your everyday wellness, and that is directly related to what you eat. For that reason, you must stick to a balanced diet whenever possible. If you’re eating quarter-pounders every day and hoping for the best, you’re doing it wrong.
According to the NHS website, men should consume around 2,500 calories daily. Of course, this amount will change depending on your stature and build. However, it works as a decent guideline. Ensuring that you eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables will help. In addition, you should include more oily fish and lower your overall meat intake here.
5. Make sleep a priority
When you’re thinking about how to get your beard to grow faster, you may never have considered the impact that sleep has. Failing to get your 40 winks could result in poor health, which — as we have previously mentioned — is likely to slow down your hair growth. So if you want to grow thicker hair anywhere on your body, you need to be healthy.
While there are plenty of distractions in the modern world, nothing should get in the way of your sleep. To increase your sleep hygiene, you should make sure that you go to bed at the same time every day. You also need to adjust your bedroom environment to optimise your chances of getting rest. That means making it cool (sleeping in hot weather is never fun!) and dark when you hit the hay. You might also find these cleaning and organising tips for a blissful bedroom helpful.
6. Quit smoking immediately
Smoking is awful for your health… but you know that already. Research into this habit suggests that it can contribute to hair loss. So, if you have unexpectedly started losing hair on your cheeks, you might want to take a long, hard look at your lifestyle. Kicking the habit could improve all areas of your health and help you grow your beard.
Quitting smoking is anything but easy. You might have tried to do it in the past and, like many, failed. The NHS has a range of Stop Smoking Services to help you quit the habit sooner rather than later and we've written our very own guide on how to stop smoking. Take a look at the options and see what works.
Sadly, there’s no magic potion to make your beard grow faster. However, there are some lifestyle changes you can make that will help. This guide has looked at six of the tried and tested approaches you can use. So why not give them a go?
Q&A
Now that you know how to make your facial hair grow faster, you might have a few more questions. Again, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the frequently asked questions:
Does beard oil work?
In your quest to get a thicker beard, you might turn to the famous facial hair growth products the internet offers. One such item is beard oil. But unfortunately, while this styling product can improve the look of your beard, there’s no evidence that it will make it grow faster.
What stimulates beard growth?
Research suggests that Vitamin B can help activate the hair follicles and stimulate beard growth. For that reason, you may find that taking some supplements enables you to grow your facial hair faster than usual.
How do I fix my patchy beard?
Patchy beards can be annoying. The first thing you want to try is leaving your beard ungroomed for between 90 and 100 days. Doing so will allow all of the hair to come through naturally. You should also look into the tips we have suggested in the guide.
Is there a trick to growing a beard?
The growth of your beard may be directly linked to your everyday health. With that in mind, you should prioritise your sleep, eat well, and get plenty of exercise. When you look after yourself well, you may notice a difference in beard growth.
What style of beard are you trying to grow? Let us know in the comments below!
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