Can everyone grow a beard and how can I grow a trendy beard?

In case you haven’t noticed, beards are all the rage these days. Very on-trend. Even the guy writing this article is rocking a pretty robust lumberjack look despite only ever using an ax once as a novelty. So with the proliferation of the face warmer in full effect, you may have found yourself looking in the mirror and wondering, should I join the club? And more importantly, can I join the club, as in, can everyone grow a beard?

Can everyone grow a beard?

To take the second question first, no. It surprised me too, but it turns out not everyone can grow a beard. It has to do with genetics as well as a chemical called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and the number of androgen receptors in the skin that the DHT can attach to, it’s all very sciencey so we won’t dive deeper than that.

If you’re one of those folks who can grow a beard though, you should absolutely join us! The main things you need to get a robust whiskered look are time and patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your beard look immaculate right away. There will be awkwardness but you’ve got to push through. As far as some steps you can take to get on the path to success:

• Just let it grow – initially, let it run free.
• Increase blood flow – blood flow stimulates hair follicle growth.
• Take your vitamins – In particular the B vitamins. C, E, A, iron and zinc are good too. Just a good multivitamin should do the trick though.
• Fats and proteins – Packing in the Omega 3’s and protein can help stimulate hair growth. Go ahead and add some more salmon to the menu.
• Create boundaries and trim not too far under the jaw – After the let it grow phase, you’ll want to start giving your beard some shape.
• Beard oil – definitely get some and lather up.

Do Beard Oil really works?

Speaking of beard oil, does the stuff work? If you’re expecting it to miraculously sprout you a luscious face mane, it’s not going to happen. It does, however, work wonders for the purposes it was created for, namely helping with; hydration, chin dandruff, itchiness and shininess.

• Hydration – beard oil works to keep the skin hydrated by bringing moisture to the hair and skin
• Chin dandruff – if your skin is properly hydrated you’re less likely to develop the dread beardruff and flakiness that it comes with
• Itchiness – that much hair can descend you into an itchy hell, beard oil helps stave off the itch train by keeping the hair soft and hydrated
• Shininess – the shine gives you and your hair that health look

How long does it take to grow a beard?

Keep in mind through all of this, growing a beard that’s not a disaster and gets the look is a process and requires discipline. This is a time commitment, you’re looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 to 4 months depending on what your beard goals are and your particular genetics. There will be times when you’ll catch a glimpse of yourself in those early days, rife with clumsy growth and looking a little odd, and wonder if it’s worth it. Well, all great things are. Is a beard a weird thing to ascribe greatness? Maybe it is but if you’ve got one already you know what I mean.

I've got a patchy beard, How can I fix it?

The last thing to consider is patchiness, a major consideration in the beard game. I deal with it myself, there are just certain spots that no matter how long I let grow will just not fill in. That’s just the hair hand I was dealt but there are some tricks you can employ to ‘fix it’. My solution was to just grow my beard more allowing the longer hair to just cover the patches. Consider getting yourself a board’s hairbrush and ‘train’ your beard to grow in the direction of the patch. Another option is the exact opposite route and keep it very tight and trimmed and shape it to tie in the patches if they’re in places in which that’s possible.

Like everything else in life, you only get out what you put in. If you want a stellar beard, you’re going to need to be committed and make an effort. Push past the awkward phase. Get the tools of the trade. Start trimming and shaping. If you’re having issues with growth, patchiness, etc that’s fine, just work with what you’ve got and find a style for your facial hair that works best for you.