Although you will need to stop shaving for a while, growing a beard is more than just letting your facial hair grow unchecked.
Although you will need to stop shaving for a while, growing a beard is more than just letting your facial hair grow unchecked.
Whether you’re looking to grow a full beard, short stubble, or something in between, patience and good grooming habits are key.
In this guide, we walk you through everything you need to know about growing out your beard.
At first, growing a beard might seem as easy as not removing your facial hair.
But, you’ll likely be unhappy with the results unless you take steps to groom and maintain your beard regularly.
Here are some of the ways you can take care of your beard while you’re growing it out.
Beards come in many shapes and sizes. The average male has roughly 10,000–20,000 hair follicles on their face, but beard growth thickness can differ a lot from person to person.
Before you start growing out your facial hair, you may find it helpful to look at beard photos to decide which type of beard might be most fitting for you.
Some apps even let you virtually try on different hair and beard styles using your camera lens.
Popular beard styles include:
Stubble. Stubble is facial hair that’s short but long enough to be visible. You can achieve this look by choosing one of the shortest guards on an electric razor.
Goatee. A goatee is a beard that only covers your chin. You might want to consider this option if you have trouble growing hair on your cheeks.
Full Beard. A full beard covers your entire jawline, cheeks, and upper lip. This is what a lot of people think of when they think “beard”.
Chin Strap. A chin strip is a thin strip of hair along your jawline. It may connect to your sideburns or a mustache.
Van Dyke. The Van Dyke is named after the 17th-century painter Anthony Van Dyck. It’s a classic style featuring a pointed goatee and a detached moustache.
Balbo. A balbo is a type of beard that consists of a trimmed moustache, a soul patch, and a separate chin beard without sideburns.
Anchor Beard. The name of this beard comes from its resemblance to a ship's anchor. It combines a beard that follows your chin line and soul patch with a moustache.
Haven’t tried growing out a beard before?
Start by growing out your facial hair until you get a clear picture of where your hair will grow.
The first time you grow your hair out, you can see which parts of your face hair sprouts from and which areas are patchy. This can help you decide on the best beard style for your face.
The style you choose depends on factors like:
Your facial hair coverage
Your face type
Your personal taste
If you want to grow a full beard but have trouble growing hair over your cheeks, consider choosing another style that doesn’t require full coverage, like a goatee.
In the beginning, you won’t need to spend much time trimming your beard except for touching up the shape every now and then.
Once you reach your target length, you'll need to trim your beard regularly to maintain a sharp look.
We’ll cover how to groom your beard later in this guide.
Like the hair on your scalp, facial hair requires proper care and maintenance to stay healthy and lush.
Here are some tips for how to maintain a beard.
Regularly use a face wash to clean the skin underneath your beard. This helps remove dirt, natural oil, and bacteria from your skin and beard.
After eating, think about giving your beard a quick rinse to help clear out food particles — especially if you have a longer beard.
How often you need to wash your beard depends on factors like length and hair type. But in general, you should think about washing your beard with shampoo about two to three times a week.
Applying daily beard oil after showering or washing your face can help soften your beard, reduce itchiness, and hydrate the skin underneath.
Look for oils that contain ingredients like:
Argan
Vitamin E
Jojoba
Beard balm provides additional moisture and can help you achieve the appearance of a thicker beard.
It’s also a good product to add to your beard care toolkit if your facial hair tends to get dry.
Regularly exfoliating the skin under your beard may help prevent ingrown hairs by removing oil and dead skin cells that can clog pores.
Aim to exfoliate your skin about once or twice a week. You may need to do this more or less, depending on your skin type.
Brushing your beard with a quality boar bristle brush helps to distribute oils and remove tangles.
Distributing oils helps keep your beard from getting too dry.
Even if you prefer a longer beard, occasional trims are necessary to remove split ends and maintain a neat appearance.
You can also touch up the edges of a beard around your cheekline and under your chin to help maintain its shape.
Don’t have a high-quality beard trimmer on hand? Consider visiting a professional barber to have them shape it for you.
Another shaping to-do? Your beard neckline.
Carefully shaping your neckline enhances the overall look of your beard. Here’s how:
Look straight into a mirror and hold your head upright.
Tilt your head slightly back and put a finger above your Adam’s apple, the protruding tissue from your throat.
Put your trimmer on this spot and shave the hair underneath.
Before you start your beard-growing journey, it's important to understand the factors that influence beard growth. They include the following.
Why do males have beards and most females don't? Some evolutionary theories include:
Beards help enhance the size of certain masculine features of the face, like the jaw and chin.
Beards protect the throat and jaw during physical alterations.
Beards protect the face from environmental exposure such as cold temperature.
Your genetics also play a major role in determining the thickness, speed of growth, and pattern of beard growth.
If your father or grandfather had a thick beard, there’s a good chance you will too.
Genes also influence the coarseness of each hair strand and your hair color. And having darker hair can make your beard appear thicker.
Your ethnicity might also play a role in beard thickness. For example, people of Northern European or Middle Eastern are more likely to develop thicker beard hair than people of East Asian or Native American heritage.
Higher levels of the androgens testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) may lead to thicker beard growth. But the research is limited.
Researchers of a 2021 study set out to explore whether there’s any connection between beard growth and testosterone levels. To test this, researchers measured beard length (at the chin and cheek) and asked participants to report their beard status (bearded, clean-shaven, stubble, etc.).
They also tested testosterone levels using saliva samples. The result? Researchers found no link between testosterone levels and facial hair appearance.
Beard hair might appear during a man’s teen years, but during that time it’s usually sparse. Often, the best beard growth happens once you reach adulthood.
Factors like diet, exercise, sleep, and stress levels can impact your overall health and hair growth. Poor lifestyle habits can also impact beard growth.
It’s well-documented that nutritional deficiencies like inadequate protein intake can negatively impact hair growth.
Here are a few beard growing tips to help you achieve a healthy-looking beard.
The first step in growing a beard is commitment.
Many men give up too soon due to issues like itchiness, patchiness, or impatience.
But keep in mind that it typically takes at least four weeks to achieve a thick beard. And long beards can take even more time.
A diet rich in vitamins and minerals is essential for healthy beard growth. Consider eating plenty of foods high in.
Protein
Biotin
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Vitamin D
Zinc
Iron
You can get most of your nutrients by eating a balanced diet. But if you’re worried about gaps in your diet, consider supplementation.
Make sure to talk with your provider before adding supplements to your routine. They can help determine whether you have a deficiency that needs to be addressed. And identify potential interactions with any medications you’re taking.
Sleep is essential for your overall health. And a healthy body is crucial for healthy beard growth. During sleep, your body repairs damaged cells and produces hormones necessary for hair growth.
Here are a few common beard-related problems, along with some solutions to help you deal with them.
Itchiness is common in the early stages of beard growth. If you’re battling itch, try using beard oil and moisturizing your skin to reduce dryness and irritation.
Dandruff doesn’t just affect the scalp. Dry skin on your face can lead to beard dandruff. Regular washing and moisturizing can help prevent dryness that leads to flakes.
The American Academy of Dermatology Association (ADA) suggests brushing your beard with a beard brush before washing your face to help remove skin flakes. They also recommend washing your beard with shampoos containing ingredients like:
2% zinc pyrithione
1% ketoconazole
1% selenium sulfide
There’s not much you can do to fill in patches in your beard.
If you’re still in your teens or 20s, your beard might continue to thicken as you age.
In the meantime, pick a beard style that suits your natural growth. For instance, if you have trouble growing hair over your cheeks you try sporting a goatee.
Ingrown hairs can be painful. Here’s what ADA recommends doing to prevent them:
Shave near the end or after your shower.
Apply a pre-shave gel before shaving and let it sit for 30 seconds.
Use a fragrance-free shaving cream.
Shave in the direction of your facial hair growth.
Rinse well after shaving with lukewarm water.
Gently pat your skin dry with a clean towel.
Apply a moisturizer after shaving.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that can cause round patches of hair loss, often around the jawline. It’s more common on the scalp but can occur anywhere on your body.
Without treatment, about half of people with alopecia areata see beard regrowth within a year.
If you experience this form of hair loss and don’t notice improvement, a healthcare professional might prescribe topical corticosteroids.
Learn more about reasons why your beard hair might be falling out.
Growing a new beard requires patience, proper care, and commitment.
Here’s what else to remember about achieving a full-looking beard:
Your genetics influence the look of your beard. Genes play a role in determining beard growth speed, thickness, and color.
You can’t change your genetics, but you can choose a style that suits you. Can’t grow a full beard? The perfect beard look for you might involve another style, like a goatee, balbo, or anchor beard.
Your lifestyle choices matter. Your lifestyle and beard care habits can help support healthy beard growth.
Worried about patchy beard growth and think it might be hair loss-related? Hims can connect you with a haircare professional who can assess your concerns and outline your hair loss treatment options. Take our hair loss quiz today!
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