Growing a beard is something that a lot of men dread and absolutely refuse to attempt. A lot of them are usually convinced that it’s just in their genetics to be unable to grow a nice beard, while others view it as too much of a bother. Yet, there’s a lot of research and peer-reviewed psychological studies that suggest a lot of women prefer men with either a light stubble or a full-grown beard. And while there is also a large percentage of women who dislike all types of facial hear altogether, things seem to point over a “demand” of sorts for more bearded men.
Why do some men have trouble growing a beard?
Before we say anything else, we ought to acknowledge the simply biological reality that some men are unable to grow a beard. There are lots who only thing they can’t but are actually more than capable of growing a perfect thick beard, but yes – there are those who are just unable to grow a beard.
The reasons for this are mostly genetic. The two main hormones on which beard growth depends are testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The former defines the thickness of a man’s beard while the latter affects its density. Both of these hormones can be stimulated naturally to a certain degree, but if your levels of either of them are just too low, then there might be nothing you can do.
There are other reasons, however, why some men have only patchy beards, and most of those can be affected. Very often the reason is just that the person’s body is not sensitive enough toward these two hormones. This can be because of a lack of keratin due to insufficient vitamins, minerals, proteins, fat or carbs.
Additionally, testosterone levels can be affected to a certain degree by reducing your stress levels, improving your overall body fitness, and so on. And with that in mind, let’s go over some of the main ways you can try to improve the growth of your beard.
6 beard growth tips for a fast and effective process
Some of these tips will work more or less on a case-by-case basis – some will be more effective in some situations and less effective in others, depending on the person. The first few of them, however, are generally great not just for the sake of your facial hair growth but for your health overall. So, let’s help the beard grow!
Take good care of your body
One of the best ways to ensure that you’ll grow a thicker beard is to simply make sure that all the processes in your body are firing on all cylinders. Do you have low testosterone levels? Before attempting to take supplements, start exercising and see how much that’s going to affect things. Is your testosterone not translating into a nice beard? Eat more vegetables and fruits to increase the vitamins in your body and produce more keratin. Simply put, follow the 3 main steps for a healthy lifestyle.
- Exercise daily, both for strength and endurance.
- Eat good and balanced food that’s rich on vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs, as well as fat.
- Hydrate as well as possible. This is an often overlooked step by a lot of people.
Just let it grow
An even simpler and more common-sense tip is to give your beard time to grow. A lot of men give up on growing a beard in the first or second week because they don’t like how it feels or because they figure it won’t look good / it’ll take too much time. Your beard might grow slower than most men’s, but with each passing day, it’s going to get better. The density and thickness will increase, the hairs will become softer as they get longer, and the itching, if there’s any, will go away.
Wash your face regularly
A lot of men don’t wash their faces unless they are showering. Where most women do this because they want to take good care for their skin, most men don’t pay enough attention to that. The cleanliness of the skin is vital for the growth of beard hair, however, so washing your face once or twice every day to unblock the hair follicles is a must. You can use a face cleanser too if you find one that reacts well with your skin. To test face cleanser, first, try them on a small spot of your face (like the chin) and give them 10-15 minutes to see if there’s going to be any irritation.
Facial massages are a good idea
Another good idea to stimulate facial hair growth is daily facial massages. They don’t need to be anything complicated – just apply gentle but firm pressure on your face with your fingers and massage with a circular motion. This will stimulate the blood flow to your hair follicles and stimulate hair growth. If you want to know how to grow a beard faster naturally and not have to use too many beard growth products, practical tips like this one are a great choice.
Exfoliate your face once a week
Of course, using some products is smart as well, especially when you choose them correctly. A good exfoliant will help clear away your dead skin cells and free your hair follicles for effective and quick growth.
Beard oils help too
Generally, we’d advise you to be wary of any product that claims to stimulate hair growth. So, beard softeners and beard oil are last on the list as they are generally not intended as beard growth stimulants. Still, by softening and hydrating your hair, a good softener or beard oil is likely to have a positive effect on its growth.
Are there any good homemade beard growth stimulants?
We understand the impulse of looking for homemade remedies. And don’t get us wrong – there could be some benefits of making a hair growth paste out of lime juice and cinnamon or out of dried mustard leaves and amla oil. However, there’s very little peer-reviewed research in these areas so we can’t really recommend such methods.
