Patchy Beard

After putting in the effort to grow your beard, it can be frustrating to look in the mirror and notice uneven patches. For starters, uneven beards are totally normal, and they’re not something you need to fix. Unless, of course, you want to.

If you’re wondering what to do about a patchy beard, you’re in the right place. First, we’ll cover the causes of a patchy beard, and then — because we’d never leave you hanging — we’ll discuss what you can do to fix a patchy beard or make the patches less noticeable.

Below, we’ve covered some common causes of patchy spots or bald spots in your beard.

Genetics

Your genes largely determine how dense your beard is and how fast it grows. Like your height or eye color, there’s not much you can do about this, but it can help explain why you may notice a patchy beard (thanks, Dad). The number of hair follicles you’ll have is also genetic, influencing how thick your beard can be.

One large study found that a variant of a gene known as EDAR caused facial hair to grow more sparsely (and was also correlated with straighter hair).

Hormone Levels

During puberty, increased androgens (male hormones) spur beard growth, and lower levels of testosterone may make it more difficult to grow a beard. 

Male pattern baldness is also hormonal — however, if you’re noticing hair thinning on your scalp, that does not mean you’ll also notice a thinning or patchy beard. It’s actually the opposite — male pattern baldness is largely caused by a genetic sensitivity to the male hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), but DHT actually stimulates the growth of facial hair.

Other changes to hormone levels like cortisol (the “stress hormone”) could potentially impact beard growth (chronically high levels of cortisol are linked to reduced testosterone). Increased estrogen can also lower testosterone.

Alopecia Barbae

Alopecia barbae is a rare disorder that affects beard growth specifically. It’s a sub-type of alopecia areata, in which your immune system mistakenly sees your hair follicles as invasive foreign bodies ​​and attacks them, causing damage and stunting growth.

Research shows that alopecia barbae (also called beard alopecia areata or BAA) affects the beard, mustache, and sideburn areas in men and has a lifetime risk of 2 percent. Some patients with this condition will lose all facial hair, while others will experience patchy beard loss.

Age 

Facial hair changes with age, particularly as men move from their teens into their mid-twenties and beyond. Most men will notice their hair naturally thickens with age, especially in the years following puberty.

Diet

You can’t eat your way to the full beard of your dreams, but eating a balanced diet may help hair health. Consuming a diet rich in zinc, biotin, and vitamins A, C, and E are all beneficial for hair growth. 

Some of those nutrients (like zinc) may also support healthy testosterone levels. Generally, you should be able to meet your nutritional goals through diet, but if a blood test reveals that you’re deficient in something, supplementing (under your doctor’s guidance) can help. We offer a biotin gummy supplement with other ingredients that support hair health, including vitamins A, C, D, and folic acid.

You can learn more in our guide to the best minerals and vitamins for hair growth.

First, allow us to be realists. If you have a patchy beard, there isn’t much you can do to transform it into the type of facial hair a Viking would admire. With that in mind, there are some things you can do to increase how full your beard looks and potentially even grow more facial hair.

1. Practice Patience

It's probably not what you want to hear, but if you’re in your teens or early twenties and are reading this, your beard will probably get thicker over time. You may just have to wait it out.

2. Keep Your Beard Short

Patchiness can actually become more noticeable when the rest of your beard is very thick. Instead, try rocking a stubble beard. And if this is a motivating factor, several studies have found that women prefer long or short stubble to full beards.

3. Use a Beard Balm & Beard Brush

Beard balm moisturizes and softens facial hair and can also offer a light hold. A little balm followed by some strategic combing with a beard brush can help cover the more patchy areas of your beard (kind of like a combover). Using a brush also helps distribute natural oils so your beard has some shine. You could also try using a pea-sized amount of beard oil for the same purpose

4. Try Beard Makeup or Topical Fibers

You can always fake it. Beard makeup and topical fibers (tiny, statically charged fibers typically made of keratin or cotton that cling to existing facial hair) can both make your beard hair temporarily look fuller and thicker. This works for a special occasion or photographs, but it may not be something you want to do every day.

5. Dye It

Your beard may look patchy because it’s gray in certain areas. If this is the case, beard dye can even it all out. Just make sure to buy a dye specifically formulated for beards (and the delicate skin on the face) and closely follow the instructions provided.

6 Ask Your Doctor About Hair Loss Medication

Minoxidil (you may know it as the active ingredient in Rogaine®) is a medication that’s approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration specifically for treating male pattern baldness. While it’s not approved for beard growth specifically, one of the known side effects of minoxidil is hair growth in areas where it drips or is otherwise accidentally applied.

There’s not much research on the topic, but a letter to the editor published in a 2016 volume of The Journal of Dermatology found that men who used 3% minoxidil on their chin and jawlines had an increase in facial hair growth.

Topical minoxidil is available over the counter (we offer it in a foam or as a minoxidil solution with a dropper application).

7. Keep Your Skin Clean and Moisturized

As we always say, a healthy scalp is the foundation for healthy hair, and the face sets the stage for a healthy beard. While skincare isn’t a magic ticket to a fuller beard, regularly exfoliating your skin helps promote blood flow to the face, which is important for hair growth. Moisturizing your face, including the beard area, also helps keep your beard flake-free.

8. Embrace It

Okay, this may not be the most actionable thing on our list, but it can help to simply accept and embrace that your beard is less full than others.

Hot tip: Google “famous men with patchy beards,” you may be surprised to find how commonplace it really is (and how good a little patchiness can look).

9. Consider a Beard Transplant

If you’re really serious about finding a permanent solution for the patchy beard look, a beard transplant may be an option. Hair transplants and beard transplants work the same way — a surgeon harvests hair from one area (typically your neck or the back of your head in the case of beards) and implants them into sparse areas.

Wondering why patchy beards occur and how to fix one? Here’s what to remember.

• Patchy beard growth can occur for many reasons ranging from age to genetics to hormonal imbalances or nutritional deficiencies.

• There’s no one “fix” for a patchy beard, but using minoxidil can help you grow a fuller beard. Other ways to temporarily make your beard look fuller include keeping it short, using a beard balm, or applying topical fibers.

• If you notice patchy hair loss all over or if it has started suddenly, it’s a good idea to consult a doctor who can rule out alopecia areata or other conditions.

Hungry for more beard content? Check out our guide to the best beard styles for bald men (they’ll look great even if you’re not bald). 

And if you’re interested in learning more about hair loss treatments, start with our online hair loss consultation to find out more about what could be causing your hair loss (beard or otherwise) as well as your most effective treatment options.