Every man wants a nice, thick beard. Patches and thin spots can take away some of the glory of having a beard.
While there’s no surefire solution, there are methods you can pursue to try to get a thicker, healthier beard.
What Makes a Great Beard?
Beards come in all shapes and sizes. No matter what type you want, there are a few factors to bear in mind before getting down to brass tacks.
Hair Follicle Size
You may have noticed that beard hair is thicker than the hair on your scalp. The reason for this is that beard follicles measure roughly 0.1mm in diameter. This is double of what you’ll find on your scalp.
Beard Density
It’s not just a matter of the size of your follicles, but the number of follicles you have. Most beards have between 20 and 80 follicles per square centimeter. Ideally, you’ll be on the high end of that scale when you want to grow your beard.
Beard Length
Beard growth comes in stages. The longer you go without shaving, the longer your beard will become. It should take roughly two months of non-stop growth to see the kind of results you want.
Beard Hair Color
Amazingly, hair color plays a part in all this. Darker hair tends to come with thicker strands. However, blondes usually have greater density.
1. Drink Plenty of Water
Water keeps your skin clean and happy. When your skin’s healthy, your beard’s healthy, so make sure you get eight to 10 glasses of water daily.
2. Minoxidil
Minoxidil is typically used for helping hair growth on the scalp. But some guys swear it also works for facial hair.
Minoxidil has not been approved by the FDA for this use, so consult a doctor first before trying it. Additionally, proceed at your own risk, as some of the side effects of minoxidil include itchiness, dryness, and irritation.
3. Take Supplements
Supplements and vitamins can help aid hair growth. You want to look out for ones that specifically target hair, such as biotin, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, copper, zinc, and magnesium.
4. Trim Your Beard Regularly
While you don’t want to shave your luscious beard, you want to trim it regularly. Plus, there are ways you can cut your beard to make it appear thicker, such as by removing any stragglers popping out of the sides.
5. Use Beard Oil
Beard oil keeps your facial hair looking thick. It also prevents itchy skin and dandruff by providing a thin film over the surface of your skin. This locks moisture and prevents dryness, which in turn prevents hairs from falling out.
6. Sleep 8 Hours a Day
A healthy body results in a healthy beard. In addition to eating right and exercising, you also want to make sure you’re getting eight hours of sleep every night.
7. Exercise Regularly
Exercise is great for enhancing testosterone levels. Make sure you get 30 minutes of exercise at least four days ouf of the week.
Exercise also stimulates blood circulation, ensuring you get enough blood pumping through your face.
8. Use a Beard Growth Booster
Some companies offer beard growth boosters, which are supplements designed to aid hair growth. They often boast about vitamins and other nutrients designed to help hair grow faster and thicker.
Make sure to read the ingredient list of whatever you buy to ensure it’s filled with stuff that will actually help you and not a lot of fillers.
Be warned: there’s not much scientific evidence derma rollers work. But if you’re in a pinch, they may help.
9. Use a Derma Roller
Derma rollers utilize micro-needling, whereby tiny steel or titanium pins pierce the upper layers of your skin. This produces more collagen, which is the foundation for strong hair.
10. Reduce Stress
Too much stress can lead to hair loss all over. You need to learn to relax and identify stressors in your life. From there, you can take measures to limit how much the stress impacts your day-to-day life.
11. Condition Your Beard
One way to make your beard appear thicker is by applying a high-quality balm or oil. Balms are great for removing excess dead skin cells, which may block follicles from sprouting hairs.
12. Go On a Diet
What you eat plays a critical role in hair growth. You want to eat plenty of foods that help with your testosterone levels and boost hair growth.
13. Don’t Shave Your Beard
There’s an old wives’ tale that says how you can grow a beard faster and thicker by shaving often. That’s simply not true.
14. Have a Skincare Routine
A thick, healthy beard is ultimately a matter of having healthy skin. Therefore, you want a first-class skincare regimen to keep your follicles clean and pristine. This should entail a cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer.
15. Be Patient & Let it Grow
First things first, most guys want a thick beard right away. But you need to give your facial hair time to grow. Avoid shaving for a while and give yourself two months to see where you’re at.
Final Thoughts
There are no one-size-fits-all beard growth solutions for everyone. You may need to try a few of these methods before finding one that works for you. But be patient and give it a shot. Once you see yourself with a full beard, you’ll realize it was all worth it.
