Can’t Grow a Beard: 11 Proven Hacks to Boost New Growth

If you’ve believed a long and luxurious beard is a sign of manliness, power and sexiness since your teenage years, you probably tried growing one a few times already.

The trouble is – you never made any progress. Seeing all those bearded dudes when you can’t grow a beard at all makes you feel helpless.

You wish there was a magic pill you can swallow every morning and watch your beard grow longer each day. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way.

However, not all hope is lost.

Even if genetics (the main culprit why you can’t grow a beard at all) wasn’t generous, there are still ways for you to grow a beard. To be more precise, there are 11 of them and, in this article, we’ve gathered all the tips you need to finally grow the facial hair you’ve always dreamt about.

Read on and let it grow!

Why You Can’t Grow a Beard

Genetics

If you didn’t luck out with the hairy gene, when you might find that your facial hair doesn’t grow in as full and luscious as you would like it to – or maybe it does, but it just takes its time in doing so.

After all, slow and steady wins the race, right? But there’s nothing wrong with giving your facial hair a little push in the right direction to grow faster.

If you’re a pogonophile, then you likely know someone who can grow a breathtaking long beard without any effort at all on their part – and they likely drive you insane.

Some guys just have it all in the beard department – and trust us, we feel your frustration.

Well, what it is that these guys have that give them the ability to infuriatingly grow incredible beards without trying is simply an insanely lucky and fortunate combination of genes.

How this works is, you are born with hair follicles all over your body, including – of course – your face.

As it happens, the hair follicles on your face are the last ones to be activated, and this occurs when you hit puberty.

These hair follicles have everything to do with how quickly your facial hair grows.

What this means is that if dad has a pretty rocking beard, you can probably count on having the same.

On the contrary, though, if your father often finds himself staring longingly in the mirror stroking his chin, then you may find yourself in the same boat.

Fortunately, though, there are ways to grow and maintain some pretty impressive facial hair – even if you have bad genetics.

It just may be a little more difficult for you, and you may have to implement a few steps to make it happen.

Hormones

Another culprit for your facial hair’s growth are hormones, more precisely, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone or DHT.

You may have it all, but your hair follicles need testosterone to get to their maximum potential. If your body is less sensitive to it, you may be stuck with a hairless chin.

Don’t despair just yet, because there are plenty of natural ways in which you can increase this hormone in your body and raise your chances of developing that beard you’ve been dreaming of.

Testosterone will activate once you hit puberty and if you have noticed your first few facial hairs around that time, be patient as your full beard might soon start sprouting.

Keep in mind though that it’s possible your body has lower testosterone levels than it should and be prepared to do your best to change that.

For what it’s worth, although the lack of DHT means that you might never develop a thick facial hair, it also means that you won’t get bald.

In other words, sensitivity to DHT is one of the leading causes of male pattern baldness. Leading a healthier lifestyle is the key to keeping your body healthy and prepared to grow a beard as well.

Never try to raise the level of testosterone in your body in some unnatural ways as this can cause some serious health issues.

Injecting testosterone in your body is just not worth it if you don’t have the necessary genes for a beard. After all, there are a lot of natural ways you can pursue to boost this hormone in your body.

Age

Did you know that age can be one of the essential factors that determine your beard’s growth? There are a lot of things DHT has to take care of before activating the follicles of your facial hair.

Plus, every man is different and so are their beards. Some are in luck to have their beard fully developed in their early 20s, while late bloomers have to wait their 30s for the beard to finally come in.

Growing a beard is a never-ending process that requests your time, patience and a lot of care.

So, if your beard isn’t growing at the moment, be patient, give it a little time and work with what you’ve got right now and that healthy and thick beard will come in a few years.

Androgen Receptors (Sensitivity to Beard Hormones)

Genetics play a major role in determining the presence of androgen receptors. Androgens are usually a group of hormones that include testosterone that work to not only regulate sexual development but male secondary characteristics related to sex. 

Contrary to popular belief, testosterone alone is not responsible for hair growth. Your genetics determine how much testosterone you produce but whether or not you grow any facial hair and how much relies highly on the number of androgen receptors that you have in your hair follicles. 

More androgen receptors as such mean that more testosterone makes it into your hair enough to stimulate growth. 

You might have very high levels of testosterone but if there are insufficient androgen receptors, all that testosterone goes to waste. 

Androgen receptors, unfortunately, are usually determined by your genes in which case some men and even some women will have more such that testosterone can reach the hair in the right amounts to stimulate growth. 

This results in more facial hair which is the reason why some men can grow a thick full beard while others are left with a few hairs here and there or none at all. 

Stress

Maybe the reason behind your lack of beard is the fact that you are going through a period of high stress for some time now.

Stress affects many things in your body, including the growth of your beard.

This being said, if your facial hair grows slower or you notice that there are some areas of your face that have developed a few bald spots, try to avoid stressful situations as much as you can.

Talking to a professional or some close friend can be yet another solution that will help your entire well-being and ultimately lead to increased beard growth.

Health Conditions

Certain illnesses and medical conditions can also affect your facial hair’s growth. Fortunately, most of them are not dangerous and can be successfully cured in one way or another.

All in all, if you doubt that the reason why you can’t grow a beard is due to some medical condition, you must consult your doctor and dermatologist as this requires medical intervention.

Alopecia

Alopecia is simply any form of hair loss but there are different kinds of this medical condition. The most common type of alopecia is areata which is an autoimmune disorder that will attack your hair follicles preventing any kind of hair growth. 

The condition is characterized by bald patches on the face, head as well as the body. The damage from this condition is not usually permanent and can be corrected with certain treatment measures. 

Alopecia is not genetic and neither can it be passed by being in contact with someone who has it. Treatment mainly involves the use of ointments, creams, oral medication, or a combination. 

Hypothyroidism

The thyroid gland is located near the base of your skull and is responsible for the production of thyroid hormone. 

When thyroid hormone is not produced in enough amounts, body functions are affected which can lead to several health issues, a condition called hypothyroidism.

Such functions include hair growth. Hypothyroidism is a serious condition but often treatable which is the reason why you need to go see a doctor if you suspect that you may be having a thyroid issue.  

Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia can occur in some people and it is a result of lack of iron in your diet. This results in a deficiency in healthy red blood cells, a condition that can be severe or mild. 

Symptoms of iron deficiency include weakness, fatigue, chest pain, pale skin, shortness of breath, heartbeat issues, dizziness, lightheadedness and headaches. 

It can also lead to cold feet and hands, tongue inflammation, lack of appetite, brittle nails, and hair thinning as well as balding.  

People experience these symptoms in different degrees depending on the severity of the condition and treatment involves diet changes or medication. 

Methods to Grow a Beard (Even From Nothing)

On the bright side, there are some things you can do to give your facial hair a push and help it grow.

Let’s look into some of the options that you could implement to see a massive increase in your beard growth.

Healthy habits and lifestyle changes are essential things that can eliminate things that take a toll on your beard growth and decide whether you will grow a beard you’ve been dreaming of for so long.

Beard Oil

Beard oil comes with a ton of incredible benefits that can help you throughout your beard growing journey.

Some of the things you can expect to enjoy by dutifully applying beard oil to your facial hair include a more manageable beard and more ease of styling it.

Also, your manly mane will be more nourished and healthy. As a result, it will look fuller, shinier, and smoother.

Not only that, but keeping your beard well-nourished with the help of beard oil can help give your beard all the resources it needs to be able to grow at a faster rate.

Of course, you will get the best results if you invest in a beard oil with high-quality ingredients, designed to provide your facial hair with all the ingredients it needs to be healthy and grow out long.

The right beard oil will also make your beard look healthy, luscious, and manageable – and who doesn’t want that?

If you’re having trouble finding a brand that meets these criteria, our Beardoholic beard oil is sure to impress.

Also, to increase the effects and results of beard oil make sure you wash and clean your beard with a well-formulated beard shampoo.

Pay Attention to Your Diet

Eating the right foods helps beard growth too! One of the ingredients essential to healthy and effective hair growth is folic acid. This handy dandy supplement promotes thicker hair growth!

By increasing the amount of folic acid you intake in your diet, you could see a significant difference in your facial hair’s growth.

This means that you should make room for plenty of whole grain cereals and bread in your diet, as well as leafy green vegetables, nuts, and peas.

Also, biotin is helpful in beard growth because a deficiency it can lead to hair loss.

Biotin can be found in oysters, liver, cauliflower, fish, beans, carrots, soy flour, bananas, egg yolks, and more.

Make sure you’re getting enough of these foods in your diet to give your beard the nutrients it needs.

Another way to get that biotin into your system is to take a biotin supplement if need be, although getting it from fresh foods is always the best way to go if it’s possible.

Other foods that can help to stimulate facial hair growth include orange juice, potatoes, gelatin, brazil nuts, raisins, beef, and sorghum.

Exercise

Remember testosterone and how boosting it can actually help you with beard growth? Great, because after the diet, regular exercise is the second best thing for your facial hair growth.

You don’t have to head to the gym to exercise. Instead, start with some sports activity you like, for example, basketball or soccer with your friends.

Another useful habit can be taking the stairs instead of an elevator when traveling to work.

Finally, if neither of these stuff works for you, the gym is your last resort. There are a lot of studies that show the correlation between resistance training and testosterone production.

More testosterone means more beard. And anyway, working out has lots of benefits, so you should be doing it for your health’s sake if nothing else.

Exercising will increase your circulation and speed up your metabolism. If you make it part of your routine, in the bottom line it will encourage healthy facial hair growth.

Sleep

Lack of sleep can make your facial hair grow slower than it would normally grow. In order to help your beard, make sure you get anywhere between 7-10 hours of sleep every night.

Go to bed and get up every night and morning at the same time. This will do good not only to your beard growth but to your overall health too.

Testosterone production is at its highest during REM sleep and the longer you sleep, the more testosterone your body produces.

Sleeping also helps you reduce stress and lose weight, two things that are also responsible for your beard’s growth.

Proper Skin Care

One of the most useful things you can do to support your beard’s growth is taking care of your facial skin.

Dirt that accumulates on your face during the day can block your hair follicles thus preventing your beard from growing.

To prevent this, make the eucalyptus exfoliant mask and apply it on your face at least once a week. Besides being great for your skin, this mask can help promote facial hair’s growth.

Wash your face with all natural grooming products, such as shampoos and lotions with a vitamin B complex.

Always make sure to massage your face gently with the tips of your fingers. Massaging your face in circular motions for two to three minutes will stimulate the growth of your beard.

For maximum results, you can also use some facial moisturizer.

Give Your Beard Some TLC (Tender Loving Care)

Finally, give the facial hair that you do have, a little love.

While your facial hair might not be growing in just the way you like, and while you should always strive for a beard that you are happy with, you should still take the time to appreciate the beard you do have.

Groom it well and care for it daily to keep promoting the growth of healthy hair to eventually get your coveted beard look and style!

Little Known Ways to Grow a Beard If You Can’t

If your lack of beard growth is not tied to genetics, then the condition can be corrected in several of these ways;

3% Peppermint Oil Solution

On its own, peppermint oil is extremely volatile and potent but it is known for improving circulation when applied. 

Additionally, when used regularly, it has been shown to stimulate new facial hair growth by increasing the levels on IGF-1 which is a growth hormone found in hair follicles. 

Minoxidil

Some men have sworn by the effectiveness of Minoxidil to fill up any patchy spots on the face and prevent hair loss in the future. 

However, based on those who have used it, it will be effective if you use it for a while if you can’t seem to grow facial hair at all. 

While it’s not known how Minoxidil stimulates hair growth, various studies point to the fact that the drug tends to activate dormant hair follicles by improving circulation as well as delivery of nutrients to the hair roots.  

Known among most men who can’t grow a beard, Rogaine is one of the most popular methods known for its ability to stimulate facial hair growth.

As this is not a natural way of growing a beard, there is a chance that you might experience some side effects, such as eye burning, irritation, dandruff or itchy skin.

Be extra careful when applying this product as you don’t want it to get into your mouth.

Another noteworthy thing about Rogaine is that it doesn’t work for everyone, so keep that in mind in case you expect a miracle to happen.

Microneedle

The other beard growth secret involves the use of Derma Roller together with minoxidil as well as peppermint oil. 

Derma Roller consists of hundreds of tiny micro-needles that you are supposed to roll around the beard area to stimulate growth.

The needles work by puncturing small holes into your skin which forces the body to repair the damage by ramping up collagen production and circulation which stimulates hair follicles to force hair to grow. 

Vitamins and Foods

Your diet contributes a significant percentage in the growth of facial hair by supplying the hair follicles with the right kind of nutrients. 

As such, eating enough and well-balanced meals that contain proteins, carbs and fat while incorporating key beard minerals and vitamins will help you grow a healthy beard. 

Carnitine

Most of the time, beard growth products rarely work despite the hype behind such products including beard growth supplements. 

However, when it comes to hair supplements, most men swear by carnitine products such as the L-carnitine L-tartrate (LCLT) powder. 

Carnitine works in various ways such as activating androgen receptors and helping the body in shuttling fatty acids into the hair follicles which stimulates hair growth. 

How to Grow a Beard for The First Time

Step 1 – Make a commitment

When it comes to beard growth, there are a lot of frustrations that you may experience especially when it doesn’t grow to the desired thickness. 

However, one thing you need to understand is that beard growth takes time sometimes even up to four weeks to have any sustainable growth.

If you have decided that you want to grow a beard, the first thing you need to do is to commit to the process fully. 

Step 2 – Leave the hair alone

As the beard begins to grow, leave it alone. This means not trying to shape or trim it as it grows. Most men make the mistake of diving into grooming the moment the beard starts to sprout. 

Step 3 – Give beard oil a try

Beard oil works wonders in hydrating your hair as well as the skin to help increase growth. If you are starting, you can give beard oil a try to see if that increases the growth.

Step 4 – Use supplements

When you are growing your beard for the first time, there are certain nutrients that you can incorporate into your daily routine to help the beard grow faster and more effectively. 

As such, it will be in your best interest if you added supplements but ensure that you ask your doctor before making any health care changes. 

Step 5 – Eat a healthy diet

What you eat as mentioned earlier, will affect whether that beard grows or not. As such, your diet should always be balanced and also, incorporate vitamins and minerals that are likely to stimulate beard growth.

Step 6 – Medical intervention

When all fails, you might want to see a doctor about your condition because the reason you may not be growing a beard may be tied to your genetics or underlying health conditions. 

As such, you can try such products as minoxidil to stimulate facial hair growth. Additionally, you can enquire from your doctor about testosterone therapy or plastic surgery if it’s that serious. 

Do’s and Don’ts When Growing a Beard

Do’s

• When it comes to trimming your beard, use the right tools with the basic ones including scissors, razors, and trimmers. 
• Ensure that you use the right products to clean your beard.
• Do use beard balms to style and moisturize your beard. On that note, beard hair is different from any other hair that grows on your body, therefore you need beard specific styling products.
• Different beards work for different people therefore, match your style to the shape of your face. 
• Buy beard care products like conditioners, hair wash, and beard oil if you are to have a healthy and good looking beard. 
• Always condition your beard to keep it silky and soft and prevent strands from becoming brittle, weak, and frizzy in the long run. 

Don’ts

• Don’t just use any hair care product. Rather, go for natural formulas that are designed for beard care. 
• Don’t leave food crumbs in the beard for long to prevent irritation and looking unkempt. 
• Don’t trim your beard for the sake of it. If you can’t afford to have a professional to do it for you all the time, then the least you can do is master the art of beard trimming and knowing the right tools to use. 
• Never allow your beard to grow out of proportion. When you have picked a style, allow it to grow to the desired length where you can trim it without offsetting your chosen style. 
• Avoid picking at ingrown hairs if they exist. 

FAQs

Can everyone grow a beard?

It’s not everyone who can grow a beard especially if your lack of beard is tied to genetics. If it’s due to an underlying condition or not taking care of your facial air, then you can always remedy the situation and with time your beard will grow to the desired length. 

Is it possible to never grow a beard?

For some men, growing facial hair is harder while with some it’s as easy as not trimming the hair for a few weeks. It is possible to never grow a beard if you have the wrong genes where androgen receptors are absent. 

Why can’t I grow a beard at 30?

If you are 30 and haven’t grown any beard and as far as you can tell, your health is okay, then you can blame your genes.

Does shaving increase beard growth?

Contrary to popular belief, shaving doesn’t increase beard growth and neither does it make your beard grow back thicker. The only way to make that happen is to allow the beard to grow and take the right kind of food. 

At what age does a beard grow fully?

Most men will start growing facial hair in later adolescence or puberty years which is between 17 and 20. However, a majority of men don’t develop a full beard until their early to late twenties. 

Conclusion

Almost all men desire to grow a beard. For some, this comes easily while others have to struggle to make it happen. Growing a beard is tied to either genetics, underlying health issues or life choices such as diet and exercise. To grow a beard, you need to pinpoint the exact cause of your baldness and go from there and there are so many things you can do to start growing facial hair as you have seen.

As you can see, how well your beard grows has a lot to do with your genes and genetics. However, that doesn’t mean that you are stuck with whatever you get.

Through the solutions and methods detailed above, such as the dutiful application of beard oil, following the right diet, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep or using Rogaine.

If you want, you can get your beard to grow remarkably, and enjoy the full and luxurious beard you have been striving for in no time at all.

To recap, if you’re looking for the best beard around:

• Invest in some high-quality beard oil
• Eat nutritious foods that promote beard growth and avoid those that inhibit it
• Exercise regularly
• Get some rest by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day
• Take proper care of your face skin
• Try Rogaine (Minoxidil)

Show your beard some love by caring for it and grooming it well.