Zoom out for a moment, and you may realize that facial hair is an odd phenomenon indeed. Through thousands of years of evolution, males of the human species have grown dense hair on the cheeks, chin, and neck, offering warmth in winter while signaling virility and stature.
But while most men grow beards through involuntary genetic expression, others aren’t so lucky in the facial hair department. Beard growth doesn’t come easy to men with less-than-optimal hormone profiles or certain phenotypes — especially for first-time beard growers.
That’s where hair restoration experts like Jae Pak, M.D., may offer support and advice to men with bigger beard aspirations. Here are 12 tips you can implement to grow a beard, ranked low to high in terms of time, effort, and investment.
It’s no coincidence that the most legendary natural beards are grown by men with hearty diets. High testosterone diets include protein, whole grains, saturated animal fats, complex carbohydrates, and seasonal fruits and veggies.
Rethink your diet to focus on balancing testosterone levels and giving your body what it needs to grow a nice, long beard.
In the meantime, consider a men’s multivitamin to ensure your hair follicles get the nutrients they need to grow healthy hair. And, of course, make sure you hydrate with some water and electrolytes — especially if you follow step number two.
The sedentary lifestyle might feel comfortable and convenient, but it’s not doing our bodies — or beards — any good.
To promote beard growth and general health, even ten minutes of daily exercise can make a difference. Keep the blood flowing to the face with cardio and strength training, ensuring nutrients and oxygen are delivered to your hair follicles daily.
When you do work up a sweat, make sure to cleanse your skin and your beard hair to avoid beard itch. Itchiness can often crop up when sweat sits on your skin for too long, and frequent itching can do more harm than good in your attempts for a full beard.
That frazzled, disoriented feeling when underslept is a sure signal that something is wrong, and this has a ripple effect across all systems of the body.
Sleep is when our bodies replenish and reset, allowing for nutrient uptake and delivery and regulating follicle life cycles on the head and face. Remember that your beard may be paying the price if you sacrifice sleep for work or fun.
Commit to better sleep now; you may see more consistent facial hair development over time.
Acute stressful events are natural and needed to perform at our best, but chronic stress is toxic to the mind and body if not addressed healthily. Muscles remain tense, systemic irritation skyrockets, and facial hair gets put on hold when the body is chronically stressed.
We could all de-stress in one way or another, but if optimal health and beard growth is your goal, aim for healthy relaxation methods throughout the week.
Rather than reaching for drinks, smokes, or junk food, choose sauna, exercise, and mindfulness to chill out. Your body, brain, and beard will thank you.
One of the main hormones involved with beard growth is testosterone. And while men produce testosterone normally, some men produce more than others.
If you think that low testosterone levels may impact your ability to grow the perfect beard, consider having your testosterone levels tested by your primary care physician or a trusted endocrinologist.
If your levels are low, your doctor will be a great resource to help get your natural androgens back up and running.
The idea that shaving promotes beard growth is largely a myth, but there’s something to be said for proper, consistent grooming and hygiene in your efforts to achieve your best beard.
Not only does brushing, massaging, and the occasional shave help promote blood flow to the target area, but you will also get comfortable styling your facial hair exactly as you envision.
You may not have your ideal beard right here and now, but you’ll be ready to style and care for a longer beard when it does come to fruition.
Here are a few products that deserve a space in your beard care routine:
While these beard products can all go a long way toward helping you grow a great beard, it’s also important to examine your skincare routine. After all, whatever you put on your face will make it onto your beard.
Make sure your daily moisturizer won’t gunk up your beard, and your cleanser won’t strip your beard of its natural oils.
It might seem obvious, but remember not to get carried away with grooming your beard as it grows. We all need to navigate the “awkward mid-length stage” in facial hair development at some point, so it’s best to face the inevitable and realize it’s not so bad.
This isn’t an excuse to let the neck beard get out of control or allow your mustache to interfere with your dinner table manners. However, being overly attentive to how your beard shapes and grows will not make it come in any faster.
Overdoing it on beard maintenance won’t fill in a patchy beard or magically procure sideburns. Practice patience and let nature run its course.
For a temporary fix, test out beard fillers and dyes to give your facial hair a more complete, aesthetic look. These methods are best for men who need more coverage in certain areas of their facial hair growth pattern, such as the “connector zones” on the cheek line or beneath the lower lip.
Dyes are slightly longer lasting and can give a more pronounced appearance to light and wispy hair. Just be careful not to become dependent on how you look with dyes and fillers, and continue to strive for natural growth to the greatest extent possible.
Methods like derma-rolling have long been used to promote healthy skin on the face and scalp hair growth. Facial hair development is another benefit to add to the list for men.
Collagen induction is caused by creating microscopic punctures in the skin with a repeated, even distribution. The body’s natural response is to create healthier, stronger skin or boost hair growth with powerful enzymes and hormones.
More recently, microchanneling has improved on the foundations of derma-rolling for even better results. If you want a healthy-looking beard, contact your local dermatologist or a hair transplant specialist like Jae Pak, M.D., to discuss microneedling and other methods to help support beard growth.
Low-level infrared light is quickly becoming a favorite universal treatment in the skincare and dermatology industry. With exposure to this unique target frequency, skin repairs far more quickly, improving everything from wrinkles and acne to boosting recovery from injury.
Less research has been done connecting RLT to beard growth, but all signs point to positive outcomes for those who commit to frequent sessions.
Is it time to try testosterone replacement therapy or another hormone optimization strategy for beard growth?
Typically, doctors won’t prescribe these methods for strictly cosmetic purposes, as they are serious protocols with possible side effects.
However, if you’ve already committed to TRT for general health and well-being, extra beard growth might be a nice side bonus to look forward to.
Compared to FUE hair transplants, beard transplantation has come a long way in less than a decade of research and practice.
By extracting donor hair from the back of the head and adding it to the face, surgeons like Dr. Jae Pak can achieve transformative results for patients faster than ever, with minimal risk. Consider beard transplantation if you’re serious about fighting beard hair loss or achieving your dream beard on a much faster timeline.
For those struggling with natural beard growth, know that you’re not alone. The good news is that these 12 methods can bring your best beard to life, along with optimized health and improved self-image overall.
Sources:
Does Shaving Make Hair Grow Thicker? | Mayo Clinic
Review of Topical Therapies for Beard Enhancement | Research Gate
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