Are you trying to learn how to grow a beard? Take a look at our guide for more information on how to get the most of your beard.
How to Grow a Beard
Beards have been “in” for a while now, but not every man is lucky enough to grow a thick one like you see in the movies. Some men have patchy, lackluster beards and can’t seem to grow something that they like.
While ideal beards aren’t possible for everyone, you can learn some tips about how to grow a beard that will boost your chances at a great one. Ahead, we’ll take a look at some of these tips to help your beard reach its potential.
Maintaining Proper Health
Beard length and thickness has a lot to do with genetics, but there are some health-related tips you can use to maximize your chances at growing a great beard. Here are some of the ways to boost your body’s ability to grow a beard without relying on your genetics alone.
Diet for a Healthy Beard
Eating the right food is one of the ways to maximize your beard growth and health. Even if your beard doesn’t grow the way you want it to – you’ll at least be laying the foundation for future growth through a healthy lifestyle.
Vegetables and protein-rich foods will help your beard flourish and give it the best chance to reach its full potential. Green vegetables can also help and improve the health of the hair on your head and on your face.
Supplements are also a good addition here – since a lot of us don’t get enough vitamins and nutrients through our diet. Vitamin D is specifically useful here, and multivitamin supplements will give you a lot of what you need for your beard to grow and thrive.
In many ways, a beard is a reflection of your lifestyle. Some people will be able to grow an ideal beard without much work. Others have to put time and effort into it. Falling into the latter category means you have to optimize your diet before your beard can be at its best.
Even those who have achieved their dream body admit that it starts in the kitchen. You can do a lot to supplement your beard growth, but there’s no replacement for a healthy diet when it comes to growing a lavish beard.
Testosterone Levels
The primary hormone that dictates your beard growth is testosterone. Some men will naturally have more testosterone than others, but there are some natural ways to boost testosterone and dihydrotestosterone that will help your beard grow full and strong.
Those who are predisposed to having higher testosterone levels will naturally grow more facial hair. The trade-off that some men experience in this department is the loss of their hair on the top of their head. Men with high testosterone levels will lose their hair sooner than those with low levels, so there’s good and bad on both sides of the fence.
One of the best ways to naturally boost your testosterone levels is to start lifting weights. Weightlifting releases the hormone in your body and forces you to produce more. You’ll also want to eat a lot of protein-rich food and carbs so your body can easily replace the testosterone you lost.
Lifting weights – and working out in general – will be massively beneficial to your health. A healthy body means a healthy beard, so it’s a win-win in this department. Working out will also help you sleep better and reduce stress, which are two things that might be holding your beard back from its true potential.
Beard Enhancements
Some people will eat the right food, work out frequently, and make sure they get all of their nutrients their beard craves. Still, they’re left wondering why they can’t grow a thick beard as they see in the movies.
Well, some of this has to do with time. You still have a few years of beard development if you’re in your 20’s and wondering if you’ll ever have a beard as thick as the pros. Once you start getting into your 30’s though, time is beginning to run short.
At this point, you might have to accept that your genetics won’t allow you to have the thick beard of your dreams. Thankfully, there are a couple of enhancement products you can use to fill in the spots that are lagging behind.
Rogaine is the popular brand for such applications, but other companies make the same minoxidil-based solutions you can find at a local drug store. These products aren’t ideal since you’ll have to keep using them if you want your beard to stay thick and full. The hair will start to fall out once you stop, so it’s a commitment you’re going to have to make for the long-term.
Caring For Your Beard
Now that we’ve gone over the basics of starting your beard, it’s time to talk about what to do once the beard is on your face. Don’t get too excited when you start seeing thicker hair poke up – it’s just the beginning. You have to keep your facial hair in check if you want it to look good.
Cleaning And Pampering Your Beard
You’re eventually going to get to the point where you beard is long enough to clean with the rest of your hair. You’ll want to use the same tactics you would with hair on your head when you’re cleaning your beard.
Washing your hair every day will strip it of its natural oils and cause it to dry out. Instead of the full, rich look you probably want, your hair will be frazzled and messy. The same is the case for your beard if you wash it too frequently.
Of course, you’re still going to need to wash your beard. We recommend washing it once or twice every week – depending on how much it needs it. Some men need to wash their beard more frequently than others. A lot of it has to do with your lifestyle and body, but you can probably tell when your beard needs a wash.
You should condition your beard on many of the days you skip washing. Conditioner will keep your beard moist and fresh – replenishing the nutrients, it’s lost throughout the day.
Using special beard shampoo is a good idea here as well. Some men can get away with using regular shampoo, but those who are serious about growing a beard will need the products that are designed to tackle and tame your facial hair.
Sculpting
Sculpting is a very important – and often overlooked – aspect of learning how to grow a beard. Some men will just let their beard grow as it will – never keeping it in check with trimming and combining.
Your facial hair will not grow at the same length. A lot of people have neck or mustache hair that grows a lot faster than the rest of the beard. You’ll have to trim these parts and keep them in line, or your beard will look like a tangled mess after a couple of months.
Combing is equally important. Your beard won’t grow in the same direction, either, and keeping it under control is one of the ways to turn a lackluster beard into an attractive one.
Work With What You Have
In the end, your beard growing strategies don’t matter very much if you don’t have the genetics for it. No amount of tips is going to help someone like Celtics great Paul Pierce grow a thick, luscious beard – some people just can’t grow one.
Just because you can’t grow the beard of your dreams doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a bare face for your whole life, though. Most people have some facial hair they of which they can make something with some proper grooming and maintenance.
This last tip is about working to your strengths. It’s an unfortunate reality that some men can’t grow thick, full beards – just as it’s the case that some men will lose the hair on their head while they’re still in their 20’s.
Don’t try to grow a full beard if you’re one of the people who can’t grow an adequate one. You might end up with a neck beard or a patchy mess that doesn’t look the way you want. Instead, settle for a mustache/goatee combination if you want some facial hair.
One of the common complaints people have when they’re trying to learn how to grow a beard is that the hair is patchy or nonexistent in the cheek area. Instead of trying everything to make it grow, work with what you have and sculpt the cheeks away. You will look a lot cleaner and more put-together, and will still have a beard of sorts.
Accepting that you can’t grow an A+ beard is part of the process for some – just as some men have to commit to losing their hair and shave it off. You’ll look a lot better if you’re not clinging to an ideal beard you just don’t have. Work with what you have and make the best out of it.
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