For those of you who desperately want a thick beard, but can only muster a patchy beard instead, confidence can sometimes be eroded. The inevitable “what do I do next?” questions start swirling in your minds, and confusion sets in. Do you just suck it up and go clean-shaven, even though it’s neither wanted or suits you, or do you put up with patches in your beard?
While there are no guaranteed ways to instantly turn your patchy beard into something more substantial, there are steps you can take to help it along the way.
Time is your friend
The reason why patchy beards occur is because of the uneven spread of hormones, particularly testosterone, in your face. This imbalance causes hair follicles to grow at different speeds, so hair will grow earlier and faster in some areas, while it may take a few more years and grow slower in other areas. In the short term the best course of action is to simply let your beard grow out as much as possible. Give it 5-6 months and see how it looks; you may be surprised how well those patches fill in when given the time to grow. In the long term, as you age you are more likely to grow in fuller and more evenly. As your hair follicles mature in the patchy areas of your face, they will grow just as thickly and quickly as the more mature areas. While this may not be the answer you’ve been searching for, the fact is patience is the key to growing out those patchy areas.
Take a chill pill
No, we don’t have a magic pill you can take to fill out your patchy beard. However there is a direct link between the levels of stress you endure on a daily basis, and the amount of hair you lose across your body. To assist your hair growing goals, particularly when it comes to your patchy beard, try and rid any stressful situations from your life. High stress jobs or unemployment, high maintenance family and friends, financial problems and recurring health issues are just some of the stresses we are exposed to throughout our lives. Whatever you can do to alleviate stress in your life will not only help with your patchy beard, but can also lead to a far happier life in general.
Fill up the tank with proper fuel
By eating the right foods you’ll not only give those hair follicles an almighty push, but you’ll also feel much better anyway. Hair follicles are made from proteins, and filling the dormant follicles in your face with extra protein may give them the push they need to speed up the growing process. So add more lean meats, fish, eggs, beans and nuts to your diet so your body is full of wonderful natural protein. In addition, vitamins B6, C and E are also recommended for hair growth, so supplement your new high protein diet with some of these as well.
Get creative
OK, so you can’t grow a full and bushy beard right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have awesome facial hair. Experiment with different styles and see what works. For example, if the hair on your cheeks is patchy, shave it off and grow an awesome goatee or chinstrap beard. If your moustache doesn’t connect to the beard, shave the beard off and go for a monumental handlebar moustache instead. The idea is to embrace what you’ve got, experiment with various styles, and own your new look. By really owning your new facial hairstyle your confidence will be sky high, and you never know, you may just discover a style you never thought would look great on you but does.
We do not recommend Minoxidil
If you’ve been researching ways to help your patchy beard, chances are you’ve come across recommendations for Minoxidil. This product was developed to treat high blood pressure, but during the testing phase they discovered it stimulated hair growth. However, the fact is this product was not developed for hair growth and can have side effects. If you use Minoxidil you could experience a sudden loss of blood pressure, which is what it was developed to do, and if you’ve had no blood pressure issues in the past, this can cause real problems. Our advice: steer clear of Minoxidil and try natural remedies instead.
Embrace your baby face
Not everyone can have perfect beard growing genes, and this may be the case for you. It’s not something you may want to hear, but it is something you may have to accept. If you’re not willing to wait until the maturity of the dormant hair follicles have caught up with your more active facial hair, or don’t want to experiment with beard styles that exclude those patchy areas, then shave it all off and concentrate on improving other areas of your personal look. Buy a kickass wardrobe, smell great at all times, hit the gym, or concentrate on a daily moisturizing program.
There is no easy fix for a patchy beard. Without going down the unnatural and dangerous route of taking Minoxidil, your best chance of success is eating a healthy diet, removing as many stressful situations from your life as you can, and patience. Not only will incorporating these into your regular life encourage hair growth, you’ll also experience a much healthy and more satisfactory quality of life as well. In the mean time, experiment with various facial hair styles that don’t use the patchy areas and have some fun with your new creations.
