Until now, one of the greatest questions of mankind has been: what helps beards grow?
I say 'now' because the myself and the experts at Wild Willies have put their heads together to write a comprehensive guide to beard growth products.
This facial hair growth guide will help you navigate the daunting world of beard beard products and facial hair health.
By the end of the article... your beard will probably be the same length. However, your knowledge on how to stimulate beard growth will have grown immensely.
Read on my friend - and welcome to the world of beard hair growth.
Understanding beard growth
Beard hair follicles are very similar to head hair follicles except they are located on your cheeks, chin, neck and lip.
Each hair follicle resides in the dermal layer of the skin and is made up of 20 different cell types.
Beard hair is much different than the hair on the top of your head as it has a thicker, tougher consistency. beard hair is also much more dense than regular head hair.
Beard hairs grow approximately 1cm per month (on average) - although this beard growth rate can vary depending on genetics, age, and hormone levels.
Beard growth genetics
The time it takes to grow a beard, as well as how full your beard can get, is largely determined by genetics.
Testosterone levels and DHT levels play important roles. as well, living a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise may help your beard be healthier, too.
While many beard growth products can help you get a thicker, longer and healthier beard... none can turn a baby-faced man into a lumberjack looking he-man.
How fast should a beard grow?
A full beard can take 2 to 4 months to grow, as facial hair tends to grow between 0.3 and 0.5 millimeters (mm) every day.
This works out to between one third and one half an inch per month.
Beard growth stages
The hair growth cycle
The growth and loss of hair may appear to be a simple procedure, but the hair development cycle consists of four separate stages.
These stages of hair growth have been studied in great depth to better understand how hair grows and what might be done to prevent or treat premature hair loss.
The first three phases — anagen, catagen, and telogen — cover the growth and maturation of hair and the activity of the hair follicles that produce each hair.
During the exogen phase - “old” hair sheds, though usually, a new hair is getting ready to take its place.
beard growth cycle summary:
- anagen (active phase of the hair)
- catagen (transition phase)
- telogen (resting phase)
- exogen (hair strands fall out)
Beard growth stages by week
- stage 1 - stubble (0-2 weeks)
- stage 2 - facial hair growth accelerates (2-5 weeks)
- stage 3 - beard thickens and beard shaping (week 5-8)
- stage 4 - beard maintenance (week 8+)
Beard growth tips
If you practice a few skin care tips, lifestyle tips and beard grooming tips, you will be able to notice an increase in the hair growth rate and the fullness of your beard.
Some important beard growth tips are:
- exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin cells
- keep your skin clean with beard wash or soap
- moisturize your beard and skin with beard oil
- check your beard for ingrown hairs
- manage your stress and eat well
- take vitamins and beard growth supplements
- do not trim until overall beard size has been reached
Beard growth products
Some beard growth products exist to moisturize your beard, helping keep it from getting brittle and some exist strictly to promote hair growth.
Beard growth oils
Beard growth oil is scientifically designed to hydrate your beard and deliver nutrients to your facial hair follicles to aid in stimulating beard growth.
Beard oil will help keep the skin underneath the beard from getting dry, preventing beard itch and a brittle beard. Beard oils with all natural oils are preferable to synthetic products as they are less likely to irritate your skin.
Want a glorious beard? Don't skip out on the beard oil.
If you get dry flaky skin underneath your beard you're more likely to get ingrown facial hairs. Also, your hair growth might be limited due to weak beard follicles, preventing you from a thicker beard.
Beard Oil
$10.00
A Badass Beard Oil that hydrates and softens your beard. The right consistency so your beard feels soft yet not greasy. Experience the ultimate in beard care with Wild Willies Beard Oil, designed for badass beard care enthusiasts. Restores Moisture… Read More
Beard balm
Beard balm is just like beard oil except it has more hold. Most beard balms are waxy and used more to shape your beard and tame wild hairs than growing a beard.
Cream for beard growth
Beard growth creams are basically beard balm that is more creamy and moisturizing than waxy.
Beard creams are more likely to help your facial hair grow faster than beard balm, because the product is more likely to reach our skin and hair follicle, but we'd stick with beard oils for this purpose.
Beard rollers
A beard roller is a tool which has multiple microneedles, and it is used for increasing beard growth. It is also known as beard derma roller.
It works by puncturing the skin with titanium microneedles or stainless steel needles, which results in an increase in blood flow to that area of skin. This helps the beard grow faster and stimulates dormant hair follicles.
One of the greatest benefits of beard rollers is that they make it possible to fill in patchy areas.
It is the same as Microneedling in that the tiny needles pierce the outer layer of skin to induce the production of collagen in the skin.
You can combine a beard derma roller with a growth serum or beard oil for best results.
Derma Roller
$25.00
BRING OUT THE FULL SPIRIT OF YOUR BEARD Say goodbye to patchy, not full beards! Are you looking to give your beard its best chance to fill in? Stop trying to grow a beard without using a derma roller. Micro… Read More
beard growth kits
Since shopping for individual products is a pain, beard growth kits are a quick and easy option for men looking for a full set of beard growth products to help them grow a beard.
Do beard growth kits work?
Good beard growth kits will include a derma roller (beard roller) as well as a beard growth oil or serum.
Some even include beard shaping tools, a beard shampoo or other hair growth goodies.
Beard growth supplements
Biotin for beard growth
Biotin is a B vitamin that promotes healthy nail growth and relieves brittle nails, biotin deficiency, diabetes, seborrheic dermatitis, and mild depression.
Proponents of biotin supplementation and washing your hair with biotin-enriched shampoo claim that biotin deficiency can cause hair loss.
Minoxidil for beard growth
Minoxidil may help in promoting hair growth on your head but does minoxidil work for beard growth?
In fact, there is not much proof that minoxidil works for beard growth!
Unfortunately, there is not a ton of data on the subject - just one study tested minoxidil for its ability to stimulate beard growth.
This 2016 study , published in the Journal of Dermatology, found that a 3 percent minoxidil lotion performed just a little bit better than a placebo.
Frequently asked beard growth questions
Do beards stop growing?
While your beard will never stop naturally growing, the cells that make up your follicles weaken with age. That is why the hair on your hair will thin, as will your beard.
age does play a factor in how long your facial hair grows - nutrition, exercise and stress levels will have a bigger impact on your body hair.
Do beards get split ends?
Split ends occur when your hair is dry or damaged and they are as much of a reality for beards as they are for the hair on your head.
Excessive heat (hair dryer, straightener, etc.), a lack of grooming, or bad grooming may all lead to split ends.
Healthy hair growth is important to a full beard so make sure your beard is moisturized and avoid applying too much direct heat if using a beard straightener.
Do beard rollers hurt?
Micro needling should never hurt. The derma roller needles are tiny and ultra sharp and even though they are piercing the skin, they should not be causing you pain.
If you do experience pain while using the product. stop immediately and contact the manufacturer.
Summary
Hopefully after reading this article you have an understanding of what helps beards grow and what doesn't.
Men looking to grow a beard faster than their genetics have suggested to date will be more in luck than men looking for a thick beard who have never been able to grow facial hair before. Also, men looking to fix patchy facial hair are in luck and should try a beard derma roller.
Beard health is a top consideration and involves both beard products and lifestyle choices. foods that are rich in nutrients and exercise promotes beard growth while a sedentary lifestyle may cause hair loss and other body issues.
