Did you know the beard is a historical emblem of power? That’s why influential men sport this style. From Abraham Lincoln, Chuck Norris, to ZZ Top, even Santa and Jesus know how to rock a good, thick beard. It doesn’t matter if you can’t grow super long facial hair, you can make sure that the hair you grow is healthy and growing at its own max capacity. The biggest mistake men make is focusing on the belief that they cannot grow a beard at all, which is extremely rare.
Growing a beard can be one of life’s secret joys; even a token accomplishment. Not all men find it easy to grow plums of facial hair, but there are a few things you can do to help. While the rate and thickness of growth you produce will be dependent on your age and genetics, one thing all men lack is patience. This is how many men come to ask for advice on how to make your beard grow faster, as no one enjoys the itchy, fuzzy growing in phase.
So, if you are looking to get into the beard scene, Male Standard has a few tips to share to help you look and feel like a pro in no time!
1. Give Your Beard the Tools to Grow
It might sound obvious, but a diet high in protein, with less stress and more sleep can help you grow a faster beard. Stress is one of the contributing factors of hair loss, and will reverse the effects in men of any age. Protein gives your body the right nutrients to grow more hair, and sleep is the necessary time to put it all into place. Even drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day will help keep the growth thick and healthy.
Biotin is a natural hair growth supplement that you can take to help improve the hair quality and growth. This is especially helpful in men who suffer thin, patchy beards. Biotin contains Vitamin B6, C, and E, which will help keep your hair and skin in top shape. The downside to this supplement is that hair and nails are much alike, and accelerated nails and other bodily hair are likely to occur. So make sure you can deal with this potential before going forward.
Spring Valley Biotin – Available at Amazon
2. Commit to Growing a Beard
The next problem men face when trying to grow a beard faster is unreasonable expectations. It is almost impossible to wake up one morning with a fully-fledged beard, but you can begin to see growth over a few days. When tempted to shave it all off, remember that it will take time and that you are taking active steps in the right downward direction. Most men move out of the itchy, growing in phase by the end of the week, so focus on something else and it will arrive faster.
Go through the Male Standard vaults and look up different shapes and styles.
Or choose your beard personality from this chart:
3. Work With the Facial Hair You Have
Just because the beard is not super long yet, or where you want it to be, does not mean you can’t enjoy the growth that you have. Embrace each new growth phase as a time to test out new beard styles, and enjoy growing from stubble into substantial growth. Keeping the beard trim is also a great technique for creating the appearance of thicker, fuller hair. Long, straggly hair is not going to look good on anyone.
Invest in a quality facial groomer, so that you can style the longer hair as it comes in. While it might seem counterintuitive to cut hair, keeping it in shape also promotes new growth. Much like the hair on your head, split ends and damage mean that your body is working overtime to repair that damage instead of creating new growth. So don’t be scared to trim things back or into shape, if you are looking for lofty facial locks.
Phillips Norelco Beard and Face Trimmer – Available
4. Fill in the Blanks
If like many men, you suffer from patchy facial hair, consider filling in the blanks with beard products that give the appearance of thicker beards. This will immediately draw the eye to the area and make it look as if there is more hair than there is. Most of the time, celebrities keep their beards short and thick, and use this approach. You would be surprised how short some beards actually are, but it’s actually their presence that carries the greatest of weight.
Any barber worth his salt keeps this stuff on hand. A beard thickener is a spray on product, which gives professional results. Use this in areas where you have thin, patchy growth to give the appearance of a fuller beard. Just be sure you don’t overdo it, otherwise you might end up Amish on the scale of awesome. Also, choose a color, which is closest to your natural so you don’t end up with a weird leopard print effect (unless that’s your thing).
Jerome Russell’s Hair Color Thickener – Available at Amazon
5. Keep Your Facial Hair in Good Condition
Once you have grown your beard, keeping it in top condition will prevent the need to trim if off and start again. Castor oil is a great conditioning treatment that promotes hair growth, and will keep your beard moving in the right direction. Apply castor oil at night before you go to bed (a towel will help prevent staining), and wash off in the morning. Keep this ritual daily until the hair shows successful growth, and then move to a weekly regime.