Who doesn’t like enhancing their everyday appearance with fashionable beards and moustaches? Every guy likes experimenting with different beard styles, from a well trimmed goatee to a stylish stubble. The process of growing a beard, however, may be laborious and practically impossible for some people.
Your beard’s growth might be affected by a variety of things. In this post, we’ll go over some of the factors that make it tough to grow out your beard and how to speed up the process.
Is Growing A Beard Possible For Everyone?
It could be challenging for some guys to grow a beard. Some people’s facial hair grows rather slowly, making it appear difficult to acquire a fully covered beard. Unfortunately, there isn’t a known way to encourage facial hair growth.
Unfavorable genetic traits may prevent some men from growing the thick beard and desired beard styles.
There are various urban legends around beard growing. A common misconception is that shaving causes facial hair to get thicker. This notion, however, is unsupported by any evidence. Shaving is unable to enhance the quantity of hair follicles under the skin or even the pace of hair growth.
Top 6 Signs Why Can’t I Grow a Beard
The growing and appearance of your beard are influenced by a variety of things. The main elements that determine whether you can grow a beard or not are listed below.
1. Genetics
One of the significant factors of the growth of your beard’s thickness is genetics. You are likely to follow in the footsteps of your father and grandfather if they have thin beards, inconsistent facial hair growth, or no facial hair at all.
Older people used to think that your mother’s genes were what determined whether you had the capacity to grow a beard or not. However, such an idea was wholly incorrect. According to research from 2014, a person’s genetic composition is a random mashup of the DNAs of both parents.
2. Age
Age also has a significant impact on how quickly your beard grows, in addition to genetics. Typically, men’s facial hair starts to cover up throughout adolescence.
That age ranges from 13 to 19 depending on genetics.
Some folks may need a few more years to fully grwoth a beard. Even the increasing facial hair covering might be delayed till the early 20s. In most situations, one can grow a full beard by the time they are thirty. The inability to grow a beard must thus be confirmed in your 30s.
3. Ethnicity
The way your facial hair grows might be influenced by your individuality [1]. According to a research titled “The Male Beard Hair and Facial Skin – Challenges for Shaving,” men of Chinese, Mexican, and Native American descent often had less facial hair than males of Caucasian ancestry [2].
Additionally, it says that human hair typically has a diameter between 17 and 180 micrometres. A beard seems fuller due to the thickness of the individual hairs on the face.
4. Alopecia Areata
Alopecia Areata [3], an autoimmune condition, may result in significant hair loss. In this disorder, your immune system targets the hair follicles on your face and scalp, resulting in patchy hair loss.
5. Unhealthy Habits
You can notice a delay or inconsistency in the growth of your beard even if you had bearded forebears. You need to practise good living choices in addition to having favourable genes and a young age to impact the growth of your beard.
Deep sleep, a healthy diet, and consistent exercise are crucial. These three good practices may provide your body the nutrition and energy it needs to grow hair continuously.
6. Low Testosterone
The hormone testosterone significantly influences the growth of facial hair. A low dose of this hormone reduces the likelihood of beard growth.
How To Know If You Can Grow A Beard?
1. Bearded Ancestors
Your genetics influence the growth of a thick, full beard. Depending on the dominant genes on your chromosome, both of your parents’ genes may have an impact on how much hair you grow. The growth pattern of facial hair is often dominated by paternal genes.
However, your maternal genes are your only chance if your paternal ancestors come from a group that typically grows less facial hair than the norm.
2. A Hairy Body
If you have hair on your shoulders, chest, arms, and legs, it’s likely that you’ll also grow hair on your face.
Also, if you hit puberty early, you’re more likely to have a thick, well-covered beard. On the other hand, if you tend to grow less hair as a teen, you might not have a beard or it might be patchy.
3. Healthy Lifestyle
Aside from genes, a healthy way of life is the most important factor in a bear’s growth. Eat healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and seafood (especially those rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and biotin).
Physical activity is the next step. Your hormone levels can stay in balance and your testosterone levels can go up if you exercise regularly and play sports outside. Testosterone can change your hair follicles and make your facial hair grow faster.
4. Able to Seal with Stress Well
Stress can also slow or speed up the growth of your beard. In 2017, researchers found that stress makes people more likely to lose hair, especially when their hair is in the growing phase.
How Can You Grow A Beard?
There is no shortcut to growing a fashionable beard. Whether you can have it or not is solely determined by your DNA. However, how you choose to nurture it is totally up to you.
It takes time, commitment, and instruction to grow your beard for the first time. You can grow a thick beard with a few little lifestyle adjustments. Examples of lifestyle modifications that might increase your genetic capacity for facial hair growth include the following:
1. Eat Healthy Food
Avoiding vitamin deficits and promoting healthy beard growth are made possible by eating a healthy, balanced diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids [4] and biotin [5].
2. Patience
As a teenager or in your early 20s, you may not have a fully-grown beard. By the time they are in their 30s, some men’s beard growth reaches its peak. To make your beard thicker, you must thus wait.
3. Reduce Stress
The idea that stress might cause scalp hair loss is supported by research. So there is a risk that stress may also have an impact on the quality of your facial hair. However, there is no such proof to support it.
However, stress may also affect your sleep cycle and the quality of your sleep. To properly control your hormones and maintain their levels in your body—which enable your skin and follicles to function at full capacity—you need a decent sleep schedule.
4. Avoid from Smoking
Smoking may have an impact on the health and growth of your hair, according to studies. Therefore, you should entirely stop smoking or at the very least cut down.
What Ages Can You Get A Full Beard?
A male may often start growing a full beard at the age of 18 or so. However, for some individuals, it might take up to 30 years for their beard to fully grow. To enjoy the full growth of your facial hair, you must wait until you are in your 30s.
Is Low Testosterone Related with No Beard?
That is not completely accurate. The quality of facial hair may be influenced by testosterone, but testosterone won’t assist if your genes don’t support the growth of facial hair. Males without beards and most other men have comparable testosterone levels.
Conclusion
Not all men have the ability to grow beards. In certain circumstances, external aid could be useful for beard growth. You cannot, however, grow a beard if your genes are mismatched or if you suffer from a condition like alopecia.
References:
- A genome-wide association scan in admixed Latin Americans identifies loci influencing facial and scalp hair features, published on 01 March 2016 https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms10815?source=post_page—————————
- The male beard hair and facial skin – challenges for shaving, published on 22 May 2016, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ics.12328
- Alopecia areata, Published on 28 August 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573125/
- Mackerel-Derived Fermented Fish Oil Promotes Hair Growth by Anagen-Stimulating Pathways, published on Sept 2018, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30223485/
- A Review of the Use of Biotin for Hair Loss, Published on Aug 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5582478/