How to grow a beard?

The growth of facial hair is an inevitable part of growing up and getting into an adult phase. Our genetics, ethnicity, age, testo levels (and related levels of hair growth), and facial hair type all affect the likelihood of growing a beard.

Why can't I grow a beard? At one point or another, we all have tried to grow a beard, and it never works. Let us first explore the reason for it.

Reasons for poor beard growth

Here are some common reasons for poor beard growth

Age
Genetics
Low testo
Alopecia areata
Ethnicity

1. Age:

Beard grows until around the age of 30. If you are in your 20’s, don’t worry; your beard will continue to grow. Some even develop a full beard at the age of 18 years, but everyone is different. Other factors contribute to beard growth.

2. Genetics:

The chances of you getting a similar beard growth pattern similar to your father and grandfather are very high. If they have a thick beard, chances are you might also grow a thick beard.

Testo is converted into Dihydrotestosterone by an enzyme called 5 alpha-reductase. The androgen hormone DHT binds to hair follicles causing beard growth. DHT sensitivity differs from person to person due to their genes.

Sometimes DHT sensitivity variation might leads to hair loss.

3. Low Testo

10% of testo is converted into DHT. Low levels of testo lead to a decrease in the production of DHT. Low DHT means poor facial hair growth to no beard growth at all.

Symptoms of low testo include

Erectile dysfunction
Fatigue
Low muscle buildup
Low sex drive
Irritation
Mood changes

4. Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition where the body is unable to recognize its cells. Here body attacks hair follicles as it is unable to identify its cells. It causes severe hair fall and a patchy beard. There is no cure available for alopecia except for treating the symptoms

Some of the medications to treat symptoms of alopecia area include

Mino-xidil topical solution
Topical immunotherapy
Steroid injects
Corticosteroid creams
Cortisone medications
Immunosuppressants
phototherapy

5. Ethnicity

Ethnic groups also exhibit differences in their facial hair growth patterns; like, Chinese men have low beard growth than Caucasians. Chinese males have facial hair around the mouth, while caucasian males have less beard hair on the cheek, neck, and chin but with much higher density.

The diameter of a beard, which can vary from 17 to 180 micrometres, might also contribute to such variations in beard growth.

Here are some common reasons for poor beard

There is simply no hack to get instant results regarding hair growth and beard growth. Patience and consistency are the keys to it. How to grow beard naturally at home? Let's find out:

1. Use derma roller:

Derma rollers have various tiny micro-needles; usually, 0.25 to 0.75mm, rolled in the beard skin region. The microneedles make holes or rupture skin in the area and make your body start repairing the damaged tissue. This enhances blood circulation in the part of the application and also increases collagen production. Collagen is a connective tissue protein that can stimulate hair growth. It is used with mino-xidil or any other essential oil.

You can use 0.25 mm needle-size derma rollers daily. If you are using 0.5mm needles, use them 2 times a week and if using 0.75mm needles, use them only once a week.

The study suggests that using mino-xidil with a derma roller has high results for treating anthropogenic alopecia and derma rollers are safe options for gaining hair growth.

2. Decrease stress:

Studies conducted suggest that stress can cause hair loss and a decrease in beard thickness. Try to maintain work-life balance and also maintain inner peace. Regular workouts, yoga, spending time with loved ones, and following your passion are ways to reduce stress.

3. Good diet:

Be it scalp hair, facial hair, or even your skin, everything needs proper nutrition to be healthy. That is why it is essential to consume healthy foods.

Calorie deficiency might also drop testo levels, in turn dropping the DHT levels. So consume enough calorie foods every day.

Take multivitamins if needed.

Add healthy fats, proteins, sprouts, etc., to get enough nutrients every day.

Have an antioxidant-rich diet by adding green tea, tomatoes, etc., to your diet chart. It will help in preventing oxidative stress and cell damage.

4. Routine:

Your medications and follow an excellent beard regime religiously.

If using mino-xidil, take it once or twice a day and apply it properly as per the instructions.

Moisturize your skin regularly. Use beard oils at least once a day. It will help in fighting dry beard skin.

If you are using derma rollers, use them once a week or as per your doctor’s instructions.

5. Avoid smoking:

Smoking is not only harmful to your lungs but also to your skin, hair, and beard.

6. Fixing Sleep Schedule:

Giving your body time to rest and heal is very important after an exhausting day. Your body gets into repair mechanisms while you sleep and improves overall functioning. Sleep is known to increase testo levels in the body, as per a study conducted in 2011.

7. Regular Exercise:

Regular workout improves blood flow to stimulate the hair follicles. Exercises like cardio, strength training, yoga, etc., are known for improving blood circulation and also increasing testo levels.

Take Away

There are several reasons for not being able to grow a full beard such as genetics, ethnicity, and autoimmune disorders like alopecia, all of them being out of our control. However, there are certain tricks you can follow to enhance beard growth. Taking a proper diet, enough sleep, minimising stress, using a derma roller, medications like mino-xidil, etc., are some of the ways to improve beard growth.

Frequently Asked Question

1. Should I shave to grow a beard?

It might seem counterintuitive, but shaving could help grow a beard, at least for the first time. Many people recommend giving yourself a good, close shave to stimulate the hair follicles and possibly cut down the number of ingrown hairs you get once the hair starts to grow out.

2. Does no beard mean low testo?

Men who can't grow a beard or have patchy beards generally have normal testo levels. It is not at all a reflection of having low testo or being deficient in testo.

References

1. Dihydrotestosterone Regulates Hair Growth Through the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in C57BL/6 Mice and In Vitro Organ Culture

2. The male beard hair and facial skin – challenges for shaving