Do you want to grow a glorious beard quickly? It is natural for men to grow facial hair after puberty and by the time teenage ends, they grow prominent enough to be called a beard. But many people struggle with this process and experience patches or just slow growth. It can be attributed to multiple factors, ranging from genes to hormones to ethnicity and even age. If you’re facing some trouble in this department or know someone who does, read on to understand what may be causing this impediment and look for easy solutions. It’s extremely important to set your expectations right so that there are no illusions surrounding your nebulous mane.

WHY DO I HAVE A POOR BEARD GROWTH

The thing with body image in the age of Instagram is that we often ignore facts and statistics for optics. We see models with magnificent beards and jump to a point of dejection when we fail to reach the same sweet spot. There are many reasons why your face doesn’t behave like that of Zeus when it comes to hosting facial hair. You will be in a better position to course correct and accept the extent to which external help can ‘fix’ your problem, when you understand them individually.

Genetics

Everything about your physical appearance can be credited to your parents. The unique combination of their genes that you are, the character of your beard depends on what traits have been passed on to you from both sides of the families. So, your trouble with growing a model beard may be because of this gene pool. 

In such cases, a total turn around is very rarely seen, but the growth can be maximised by relevant topical products and dietary supplements.

Hormones

Androgens are a bundle of sex hormones responsible for all the changes that we experience after puberty. Testosterone is the quintessential male sex hormone that is credited with the change in our voice, facial and body hair and other developments in the reproductive bracket. Similarly, another endogenous androgen sex hormone called DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) that forms out of testosterone, is also responsible for beard growth. But it’s important to note that despite these hormones, your hair follicles have to be sensitive to receive stimulation from them. You may have normal hormone levels but still have poor follicle sensitivity, resulting in poor beard growth. 

This can be ‘fixed’ to an extent by adopting some lifestyle changes, but don’t guarantee 100% success.

Ethnicity

This is merely an extension of genetics, but is defined by your geographical and demographical background. Some races are more prone to better beard growth than others. For instance, within India, people from the North-East exhibit way lesser facial and body hair than people from the rest of India, and no amount of beard growth oil has the power to change that. 

Age. This is a very important factor. Most people grow impatient while waiting for their beards to make a breakthrough. Fact of the matter is that after puberty, your beard grows steadily in your teens, usually marking its boundaries, etc. But it’s actually in your 20s that it starts blooming into a denser, thicker and darker mane. This process is usually slow and goes up to the age of 30. 

So, set your expectations right in order to experience the full extent of your beard before you pull the SOS rope. 

LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO BOOST BEARD GROWTH

Just like environmental aggressors affect your skin and your neighbours’ comments affect your mood, your lifestyle affects the growth of your beard. The good news is that our suggested lifestyle hacks do more than just deliver a healthy-looking beard. Read on for the most multi-dimensional practices that have benefits for your whole body. 

Exercising

As per a recent study where 12,000 people were surveyed, 41.3% of Indian adults aged between 18 and 69 did not engage in WHO recommended moderate to vigorous physical activity of 150 minutes a week. This translates to not even engaging in an average of 20 minutes of exercising every day. It can lead to health hazards, but can have a big impact on your beard growth as well. 

Exercising induces better blood circulation in your body, including your hair follicles, and can lead to healthier and fuller beards. Moreover, it also boosts hormonal balance and promotes normal activity of internal organs. All this can further foster better beards.

Balanced Diet

You can give a nitro boost to your beard growth with a healthy daily nutrition intake. Hair is formed of a protein called Keratin, so foods that are rich sources of proteins are extremely beneficial in better hair growth. Go for lean proteins like meats, eggs, chicken, fish and nuts. Zinc is also a great booster of testosterone that may help with a healthy beard growth.

But it’s important to see what form you are consuming these in.

✅Eat: Chicken Breast

❌Don’t Eat: Deep Fried Chicken

✅Eat: Fresh Seafood

❌Don’t Eat: Processed Meats

✅Eat: Fresh Yoghurt

❌Don’t East: Sugary Yoghurt

There are many sources of proteins for vegetarians as well, even though most plant-based sources of proteins fall short of the 9 essential amino acids. This makes it important to include a variety of them in your diet to make up for the deficient amino acid in 1 and balance it with the other. Grains, nuts, wheat, beans, lentils and peas are excellent foods to be included in your daily diet. 

Manage Stress

Stress is the most dangerous condition you can subject your body to. If this becomes a permanent part of your life, it can cause many lifestyle problems, including a stunted beard growth and hair loss. 

When you are stressed your body produces Cortisol, a steroid hormone popularly called the stress hormone, as a reaction. When Cortisol levels increase, it causes hormonal imbalance and thus hinder natural growth of your beard. It also cuts down the supply of vitamins and nutrients to your hair follicles, depriving your beard of the same. 

Balance this out with proper sleep that not only relaxes you mentally but also takes the pressure off your body, restoring calm in your hormones.

DAILY PRACTICES TO BOOST BEARD GROWTH

Regular Exfoliation

Microneedling

Bombay Shaving Company Beard Growth Kit with Microneedling Dermaroller

Beard Growth Oil

The Beard Growth Oil from Bombay Shaving Company is a powerful cocktail of Amla oil, Jojoba oil, Vetiver oil, Brahmi, Sesame Seeds oil and Coconut oil. 

IN SHORT…

The best way to grow a beard is by the combination of all the above points - management of expectations, positive lifestyle changes and adoption of daily products and practices. Once you reach the point of steady harmony, you will see your beard grow to its best capacity. Then you can choose to style it with a trimmer or shave off altogether. But you’ll always know you’ve achieved its full potential