Causes of white beard

Beards have long been associated with masculinity and strength, a sign of health and virility. The ancient Greeks believed that the Gods endowed humans with beards as a symbol of wisdom. The Romans revered beards as a symbol of dignity and manliness. Beards and moustaches have also been associated with religious figures such as Jesus Christ, Buddha, and Moses.

All through history, beards have been associated with power, strength, wisdom, virility, and honour. We are all aware of the legendary bearded personalities like Tom Selleck, Hugh Jackman or David Beckham. Most of us are familiar with the manly bearded looks that always capture our heart.

A healthy beard is like icing on the cake for men’s self-image. Most men aspire to have a well-groomed bodily appearance and beard grooming is an integral part of this process.

Everyone likes a good beard but what about a white beard? All men suffer from some or the other hair related problems and just hate them from the core of their hearts.

While premature greying of a beard is a natural phenomenon for most men, it is one of the biggest reasons for self-consciousness and embarrassment for people who are young yet have white beards. It is not a serious issue but it surely gives a feeling of being unwell and old.

What are the causes of a white beard?

There are a number of reasons why a beard goes white or grey, including age, overuse of products and genetics.

Genetics: Genetics influence melanin production and the rate at which a man produces white hair. Your genes can determine the stage at which greying will begin, including the intensity, progress and shade of grey.
Excess production of hydrogen peroxide can block the natural pigment in the hair, thus resulting in white hair. Usually, our body produces enzymes that break down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. This ensures that the level of hydrogen peroxide in our body remains balanced. But as we grow older, we tend to produce fewer of this enzyme, which causes a build-up of hydrogen peroxide.
Stress: Studies suggest that stress can be a catalyst for premature greying. However, stress doesn't directly cause white hair, there are other stress-related factors that lead to hair fall and then regrowth tends to have less pigmentation. As a result, it leads to premature greying of the beard.

Smoking: Studies suggest that people who smoke are two and half times more likely to suffer from premature greying of hair than non-smokers.

How to Reverse Premature Greying of Beard Naturally?

Apply essential oils: Beard oils can reduce the signs of ageing, including premature greying. These oils have anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties that can prevent infections and refreshes the skin and beard.
Diet: Foods rich in antioxidants can help you get rid of free radicals that create oxidative stress if not neutralized. Berries, tea, olive oil, fish, broccoli are some of the antioxidant-rich foods that can prevent premature greying of beard hair.
Take Supplements: Vitamin B deficiency is one of the major causes of white beard hair. As you might already know that our body is not capable of producing Vitamins on its own, we need to add supplements to our diet routine to maintain the health of the beard. You can either take multivitamin supplements or add foods like cereals, meat or dairy products to your diet.

How Can You Prevent White Beard?

You can use essential beard products like beard oil and balm to prevent white hair on your beard. The main advantage of these products is that they contain natural oils which help in moisturizing the hair and keep it smooth. Beard oil is very popular with people who have a long dark beard. It helps keep your beard manageable and also makes it look thick and healthy. Beard oil or balm can also protect your beard from the harmful rays of the Sun. These UV rays can trigger oxidative stress in the body, which can result in premature greying of hair.

Biotin is one of the popular supplements used by people with various hair problems like thinning of hair, slow hair growth, percentage of loss and the appearance of grey hair which has turned into white hair. Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin that is basically clear in colour. People take biotin supplements to prevent or treat diseases and conditions related to skin, nails, eyes and metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Quit smoking as it may make your body lose pigments.

Control your anger and stress issues. Practice meditation and yoga to calm your mind.

Eat a healthy diet to help your body produce collagen and biotin so that you can fight off free radicals. Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin that is essential for cell growth. It aids the formation of fatty acids, enzymes, and proteins. It also helps the body metabolize important nutrients from food. You can find biotin in avocados, eggs, chicken, salmon, walnuts, lima beans, beef liver, and peanuts. Include foods like berries, citrus fruits, garlic, foods rich in iron, minerals and vitamins in your diet.

Take Away

If you are a regular consumer of the internet, then you may have come across or read multiple stories and various articles on men with white beards. White beards tend to draw more attention but the impact of these attentions are always socially embarrassing. So to deal with these problems, you need to take up a complete nutritional supplement that contains the right blend of nutrients to help you grow healthy beard hair and get rid of beard problems.