At What Age Does Beard Grow Fully (Backed By Science)

Beard Growth Phases

There are three beard growth stages, namely:

Anagen

This is the stage where the growth of facial hair is the most active. This is when new hair starts developing and pushing the old hair that has stopped developing out of the follicle. At this phase, the hair grows at a rate of 1cm per month and is active for 2 to 6 years.

Catagen

This is a sort of transition phase; at any given time, around 3% of your facial hair is in this phase. This is the phase where the hair growth significantly slows down and the sheath of the outer root begins to shrink and stick to the root of the hair strand.

Telogen

This is the stage where the growth of the hair completely stops. The hair follicle, at this point, is completely inactive. If you pull out a hair in the telogen phase, you will notice a white substance at the root. This is the club hair.

At What Age Does a Beard Grow Fully

The average male beard would usually stop coming in at around age 30. This is also when testosterone levels start to dip in most men. However, this is only a rough estimate and your circumstance may vary significantly.

Factors

Genetics

If most of the men in your family can grow a full beard, especially your father and/or brothers, chances are good that you can also grow one. On the other hand, there might be a recessive gene in your body that will start getting active by the time you hit puberty.

Age

Although some young men start growing facial hair as young as 12, that is not usually the case. On average, men’s facial hair will only become visible by the time they are 18 or so. Some might not even have facial hair until they are in their early 20s.

Diet

An unhealthy diet can also influence your beard growth or lack thereof. Start eating healthy and focus on foods to boost beard growth. You should also increase the amount of protein you consume as it is the building block used by the body to create hair.

Physical Activity

When you exercise, your blood circulates within your body much better compared to when you are sedentary. Better circulation means the hair follicles receive more blood and nutrients, which means they are more active in producing hair strands.

Quick Grooming Tips

Don’t Shave

Don’t believe the supposed hacks for new beard growth say your beard will grow faster and thicker after shaving. This is not true in the slightest. You can also try beard growth serums if you want.

Be Patient

When you are starting to run out of patience because you are getting only a few sparse whiskers, think about it for a couple of more days before reaching for the razor. For instance, if you have been trying to grow your beard for six months, give yourself six days to make a final decision.

Use Beard Oil to Get Rid of the Itch

One reason why many young men do not like growing a beard is that it can get itchy during the first couple of months. For this problem, you need to use good quality beard oil, preferably containing tea tree oil.

Trim

You should trim it occasionally to keep you from looking like a bum while growing your beard. Shave your cheeks and neckline to ensure that you look neat even with a 3-month beard.

Essentially, you need to shave everything above your Adam’s apple. This will give your thicker beard an excellent shape.

FAQ

Will your beard grow after 21?

Yes, your beard will continue filling in well into your 20s. On average, your beard growth will slow down in your early 30s.

Do beards fill in with age?

Don’t worry if you are already 20 and still have a patchy beard. If full beards run in your family, you will likely have it in just a couple more years.

What is the last age of beard growth?

For most men, their beards will stop filling in by the time they hit 30.

Does your beard stop growing or grows slower as you age?

Yes, your age plays a significant role in the growth rate of your beard. As you get older, the production of hormones in your body slows down, which means a beard growing slowly is your reality. Even supposed beard growth kits might not work for you.

Conclusion

If you are getting impatient with how slow your beard is growing, a couple of factors might work against you.
Whatever the reason, the only thing you can do right now is to be patient. If the beard grows, then it will.

However, if it does not, learn to work with what you get, whether a full beard or a scraggly beard.