Whatever prompted you to want to grow a beard must have had an impact to stir you into action. The aftermath of No Shave November can be seen across the globe. Even Hollywood is teeming with celebrities who are defining new beard styles every day. Be it Jake Gyllenhaal’s groomed look or Matthew McConaughey’s rugged perfection. These are marvels to revel at.
There are numerous examples of men with glorious beards in the history books, for back in the day it was seen as a sign of masculinity and virility. So maybe the psyche of masculinity, authority, and dependability arising from a bearded individual has been hardwired into our minds. Regardless of the cognitive effects, a beard looks cool as hell.
So if you are inquiring about how to attain a full-bearded look, it is possible that you fall into one of these three categories:
- No facial hair
- Irregular patches of facial hair
- Regular stubble, just haven’t ever grown a full beard.
Whichever category you fit into, there is a respite for you in the fact that your facial hairs can grow fast if you want them to. All you need is to take care of a few things, and you are all set to begin.
The Secret to a Good Beard
Genetics. Alas, like many other personal attributes, genes play an important role in determining whether you will have a beard. They also determine whether you will have one at an early or later age. So unless you are above the age of 30 without any sign of a single facial hair, you need not to worry about not being able to grow a beard.
To those of you who are above 30 and still do not have a beard, you can try and contact your dermatologist, but it’s most likely not going to happen for you. There are costly hair transplant procedures that you can try if you are willing to spend a lot.
Now if beard growth is defined by the genes, what is the use of doing anything to make it grow faster? The answer to this question is to reach the maximum beard growth rate that your genes will support. If you have the potential to run at 25 miles per hour (mph), but you are doing only 20 mph, then it means that with some work you can fill that crucial 5 mph gap and make a difference. The same applies to your beard.
So here is how you can grow your beard faster and better.
Tips to Grow a Beard Fast
1. Boost Your Testosterone Level
The male sex hormone, testosterone, is responsible for the features that are distinctly associated with males, including facial hairs. Therefore, the first thing to do to stimulate your dormant hair follicles is to get your testosterone pumping.
And what better way is there than to workout regularly. If you cannot find time to incorporate long gym hours, high-intensity interval training has been known to give great results in boosting your muscular strength and volume. In the process, you boost your testosterone.
2. Take Care of Your Face
It is good if you are working out regularly, but you must also take care of your face regularly.
Exfoliate your face once a week. Removing dead skin cells from your face will stimulate hair growth.
Make a Coffee Scrub
You can make a wonderful exfoliating scrub using coffee grounds, coconut oil, and sugar.
Ingredients
- Ground coffee– 2 tablespoons
- Coconut oil– 2 tablespoons
- Sugar or sea salt –1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Mix the coffee grounds and sugar in a bowl.
- Add the coconut oil. Melt the coconut oil in a microwave if solidified.
- Mix the contents well.
- Apply the scrub on your face using circular motions. Keep the mixture away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Leave it on your face for at least 15 minutes, then rinse your face with warm water.
Also, wash your face with a cleanser twice daily and keep your face moisturized. Clean and moisturized skin provides a fertile environment for hair growth.
Finally, massage your face for 15 minutes every week. Massaging increases the blood circulation in your face. To further enhance the benefits, massage with a product containing eucalyptus extract, a popular stimulant for facial hair.
There are also a variety of essential oils that stimulate hair growth. Remember when using essential oils directly on the skin it is important to use a carrier oil as essential oils are potent and can cause heightened sensitivity. Always dilute them with a carrier oil like coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and even olive oil. Carrier oils do not lessen the properties of essential oils. In fact they act as a viable delivery system to your hair follicles.
Good hair growth stimulating essential oils are vetiver, cedarwood, peppermint, and rosemary. Always do a patch test to see if you have any sensitivity to the oils.
3. Avoid Stress
Avoid stress at all costs. Studies have found that too much stress is linked to hair loss. This is because when you are under stress, your body secretes the hormone cortisol, which is the nemesis of testosterone. High cortisol levels in your body reduce the testosterone levels, thereby affecting the growth of your facial hair, too.
Try engaging in activities that you enjoy like listening to music, watching movies, indulging in sports or playing video games. Also, meditation is often cited as a good remedy to counter stress, and it is a growing trend.
4. Get Enough Sleep
The importance of the right amount of rest can never be stressed enough. Lack of sleep is enough to create incoherence between the physiological and psychological functions of your body. When you are asleep, it gives time for bodily activities like repairing damaged skin cells to run their course.
5. Take Necessary Supplements
Take at least 2 mg of biotin daily, preferably 2.5 mg. It is a well-known dietary supplement for those who wish to increase their hair growth rate. It is readily available in drug or health food stores near you.
Certain vitamins like B1, B6, B12, C, E, and beta-carotene are also necessary for hair growth.
6. Include Fruits, Vegetables and Protein in Your Diet
Incorporate more vegetables, fruits, lean meat, fish, eggs and nuts into your diet to further the growth of facial hair.
Protein, along with important minerals found in fruits and vegetables, stimulates hair growth.
7. Avoid Myths, Leave Your Beard Alone
It is a well-established fact that shaving or trimming your beard does not make your hairs grow thicker or faster. The net effect that it has on your facial hair growth rate is zero, so it is time to move on from this flimsy home remedy. Instead, simply lay low and don’t touch your beard.
In the first month, you will have the urge to shave or trim it due to the way it will be growing, all wild and unkempt. During the first few weeks, you will also feel an incurable itch due to your facial hairs. Avoid all these temptations, and the result will be rewarding and well worth the trouble.
Growing a beard is something that requires complete commitment and immense patience.
8. Take Care of Your Growth
After a month has passed, don’t just let your beard grow all wild. Now you can give it the slight trim that it deserves. Keep your beard moisturized by regularly using beard conditioners and oils. If you don’t have those, just shampoo it every couple of days. Don’t wash it with soap.
Shampoo is not an alternative to your conventional beard conditioner. Use it only when you can’t arrange a beard conditioner.
In Conclusion
As stated above, you might be too young to worry about your facial hair right now. In fact, many guys in their 20s do not grow fully formed facial hair. For some, it comes as late as in their 40s.
To those of you who do not have any facial hair because of your genetic makeup, just relax. All you are missing in life is a few extra hours of grooming your beard. What you need to remember is that a beard is not a defining feature of your character and abilities. So, an absence of one can never take away what you truly are.