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Over the last decade, beards have made a big comeback and more and more men are sporting them. You may have tried to grow one yourself, but been frustrated that it hasn\u2019t come in faster or fuller. <\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, there\u2019s no secret tonic that will make your hair grow quicker and\/or thicker. If it\u2019s not in the genes, it\u2019s just not going to happen. Just as your hair color is determined by your DNA, so are your facial hair growing propensities and patterns. You hair won\u2019t magically change colors overnight, and neither will a beard suddenly sprout if you\u2019re 35 and haven\u2019t seen much hair on that chinny chin chin yet. That\u2019s just the way it is. <\/span><\/p>\n There are, however, a few things you can do to slightly accelerate hair growth, and promote the health of your facial hair as well, which will help give it the nice luxurious look you\u2019re going for and give you the best beard possible. What you\u2019re really trying to do is maximize your body\u2019s potential for facial hair growth. Most men are likely living with habits that <\/span>hinder<\/span><\/i> growth, so heed the tips below to ensure you end up with the mane you were meant to have.<\/span><\/p>\n (Note: AoM originally first published ‘how to grow a beard’ in 2008. This is the updated version. But if you want to see the original version, click here<\/a>).<\/p>\n Contents [hide<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n Everyone\u2019s facial hair grows in at different speeds, thicknesses, and ranges (all over your face, or perhaps just in the goatee area). There just isn\u2019t a whole lot you can do to change this. <\/span><\/p>\n The good news is that with a little patience (okay, sometimes a lot), most men can rock some style of facial hair. For some it\u2019ll be a full beard, and for others it might just be a light goatee. Whichever style you go with (or settle for), achieving it might take a month, or it might take a year \u2014 it\u2019s all about patience. <\/span><\/p>\n When growing a beard, especially for the first time, just don\u2019t touch the dang thing for at least a few weeks. It will likely be itchy and uneven, but that\u2019s okay. You can deal with it for awhile.<\/span><\/p>\n Whatever you do, don\u2019t buy into the myth that regular shaving will make it grow back quicker. That urban legend has been dead for years, so if you still believe it, <\/span>you\u2019re just a nincompoop<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> Hair growth is promoted by a few things that relate to your general health and well-being. <\/span><\/p>\n First, most of your hair-growing happens overnight, when cellular turnover is at its peak. If you aren\u2019t resting and re-charging properly, your hair isn\u2019t growing as well as it could. Another byproduct of not being rested is decreased blood flow, which means less nutrients reaching their destination (your hair follicles). Less nutrients = comprised health and growth of facial hair. Get your 7-8 hours of sleep each night<\/a>, and your budding beard will thank you. <\/span><\/p>\n In addition to getting plenty of zzzz\u2019s, exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet of proteins, veggies, whole grains, fats, etc. will also enhance your hair\u2019s growth rate and health.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> Taking care of your physical health will not only increase the blood flow and nutrients your hair needs to thrive, it will also boost your testosterone, <\/span>a hormone related to hair growth<\/span><\/a>. Testosterone acts to prime the hair follicle for growth, and then DHT (which is a hormone that\u2019s converted from T) promotes the actual growth of the hair. So, generally speaking, more testosterone = more facial hair and better growth. <\/span>Read up on naturally boosting your T here<\/span><\/a>, and possibly have a better beard because of it. <\/span><\/p>\n That said, boosting your T won\u2019t overcome poor facial hair genetics and bring you from baby-bottom-smooth to world-class-lumberjack. What happens is that optimizing your T will optimize your beard genetics. So, if you\u2019re destined to have a baby-bottom-smooth face, you might see a small increase in facial hair growth, making your beard thicker and less patchy, but it won\u2019t magically give you the kind of beard that would make a Viking proud.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> Happy hair comes most heartily and speedily out of well-cared-for skin underneath it. You probably don\u2019t associate the male set with good skin care, but adopt a routine of washing your face well each morning and night, exfoliating 1-2 times per week (<\/span>Lather & Wood is nice<\/span><\/a>, but so is the much cheaper <\/span>Dove Men\u2019s Scrub<\/span><\/a>), and regularly using a moisturizer (your favorite lotion will do) to keep your skin hydrated. Not only will it encourage facial hair growth, but your complexion will improve too! Win win! <\/span><\/p>\n Once the beard starts coming in you can start...<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> After about a month of growth, you should have a good idea if your beard is going too be thick and full or patchy and sparse. If your beard is patchy and sparse, you should consider keeping your beard shorter. If it's thicker, you'll have more options. <\/p>\n When choosing a beard style<\/a>, you want to pick a beard style that suits your face shape. <\/p>\n If you want a fancy beard style, just show a barber a picture of what you're going for. It's the easiest way to do it.<\/p>\n For more tips, be sure to read our in-depth article on how to choose a beard style<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div> No, I\u2019m going to tell you need to buy fancy beard shampoos or expensive oils. That said, you should be shampooing your facial hair just as you do the mop on top of your head. Whatever you\u2019re normally using is fine, just take special care that your beard gets fully rinsed. You don\u2019t want leftover product in there drying things out or mucking up your luxurious man mane. Shampooing will keep both the skin and hair itself clean so that follicles don\u2019t get plugged up. Cleanliness = beardliness. <\/span><\/p>\n Also, you should indeed be using beard oil to keep your facial hair moisturized, but don\u2019t buy it unless you really want to. <\/span>You can make your own for a fraction of the cost.<\/span><\/a> If you do insist on buying it, my favorites are <\/span>MIG Soap\u2019s Man Face<\/span><\/a> and anything from <\/span>Beardbrand<\/span><\/a>. Oil will keep your skin and hair hydrated, which again promotes healthy growth.<\/span><\/p>\n For a deep dive, check out our in-depth article on beard oils<\/a>. We go deep with it. <\/p>\n<\/div> Once you have your beard the way you like it, maintain it with a regular beard grooming routine. Master barber, Thad Forrester recommends the following routine<\/p>\n Be sure to check out our detailed article on how to maintain your beard<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n \n
1. First and Foremost: Just Be Patient<\/h3>\n
2. Sleep Well, Eat Right, Exercise<\/h3>\n
4. Take Care of the Skin Underneath<\/h3>\n
5. Pick a Beard Style<\/h3>\n
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6. Use the Right Beard Care Products<\/h3>\n
7. Maintain Your Beard<\/h3>\n
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