Waiting for your beard to grow can feel like watching paint dry. It’s frustrating and tedious, whether this is your first time attempting to grow one or you’re coming back from a clean shave. While some of the things that affect hair growth, like genetics, are simply out of your control, there are things that you can do to promote the growth of your beard.
Skin
Just like the plants in your yard can’t grow and be healthy if their roots are working with poor soil, your beard can’t grow to its fullest potential if your skin isn’t providing the best possible conditions. Keeping your skin and hair hydrated and healthy is always a good first step. Once you’ve got a little growth, beard butters and oils are a great way to do that. However, if you’re noticing problems with the hair on your head as well, it’s possible that you have a skin condition that’s affecting the way your hair grows, such as alopecia. If you have symptoms of a skin condition that you think might be working against your efforts to grow out your beard, it’s worth mentioning to your doctor.
Stress
If you ever doubted that stress in your life could affect you physically, think again. Intense stress can actually make your hair fall out, both on your head and on your face. Telogen effluvium is what happens when, in order to cope with stress, your body pushes a large number of your hair follicles into the resting phase when they otherwise wouldn’t be. After a while, these hairs can fall out in clumps during regular washing or brushing, leading to a patchy appearance. Reducing your stress is always a good idea for your overall health, but if you need a little extra incentive to build time to relax into your busy schedule, just remember that your man mane is depending on you!
Diet
In order to give your body the ability to grow strong, healthy hair, you have to be fueling up correctly. Human hair is made up of protein and fat, and that’s exactly what you need to be sure you’re getting into your diet– lots of healthy proteins and fats, like the kinds in lean meats and fish, eggs, and nuts. You also need to be sure you’re getting essential vitamins and minerals, like iron, zinc, and vitamins E, C, D and B. Citrus fruits and leafy greens will be key to make sure your beard gets the nutrients it needs to thrive.
Testosterone
A big contributor to the way that facial hair grows is testosterone levels, and there are small changes you can make in your lifestyle to keep those levels high. Getting enough sleep and regular exercise, and again making sure to reduce stress and keep a healthy diet are all crucial factors in making sure your body is producing hormones the way it’s supposed to. You might think that taking a testosterone supplement would be a good idea, but unless you’re genuinely suffering from low testosterone as a hormone disorder, it’s not likely to make a difference. If you have other symptoms of low testosterone outside of your facial hair, check in with your doctor. Otherwise, making healthy choices every day is the best way to keep your hormone levels where they should be.
Time
This might be the hardest part about promoting beard growth, harder even than reducing stress in today’s stressful world. When you finally decide to commit to flowing facial hair, you want to see immediate results! It’s hard to stay motivated and interested when you’re not seeing any progress, but patience is key, especially if this is your first time trying to grow a beard. Put away the razor and the scissors and give your beard at least four to six weeks to fill in undisturbed. You’ll never know what a full beard will look like if you keep hacking away at it before it gets the chance to make any progress. Resist the urge to throw in the towel, and the results will be worth the wait!
At Fresh Beards, we are here to help you grow the beard of your dreams, whether you’re a first timer or a grizzled veteran. Check out our beard care products like butters, oils and balms that might be able to help you keep that scruff growing strong!
