One of the most common complaints amongst guys with facial hair is patchy spots in their beards. You’ve probably wondered on more than one occasion what the problem is and how to fix it.
Contrary to popular belief, patchy beards are not usually the result of low testosterone levels. Rather, it mostly comes down to how sensitive your hair follicles are to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a male sex hormone produced by testosterone.
The rate of your hair growth and environmental factors can also play a role in how patchy your beard grows. So, can you do anything to fix your beard, or are you stuck with unsightly patches in your facial hair?
Here are several things you should know about patchy beards:
- Patchy beards are extremely common in guys of all ages and is a normal stage of facial hair growth.
- Giving your beard time to fill in properly is often all that’s needed to fix large patches in facial hair.
- Getting adequate sleep, eating a healthy diet and taking care of your skin and beard can help facilitate facial hair growth.
1. Give It Time to Grow
We know that being told to “just be patient” is an unsatisfying answer for your patchy beard problem. However, the simple truth is that most guys don’t magically sprout a full and even-looking beard right from the start.
Beard hair grows at different rates, which means that you’re naturally going to have some spots that need to play catch-up. This can take anywhere from a few months to an entire year.
TRY MEN’S SKIN CARE2. Temper Your Expectations
If you’re still not pleased with your beard after six to eight months of patiently allowing it to grow, you may need to lower your expectations. We’re often hyper-critical of our own beards and don’t realize that most guys don’t have a picture-perfect beard themselves.
Do a quick Google search of your favorite bearded guys from Hollywood and zero-in on their facial hair. If you look closely and give their beards the same scrutiny as you do with your own facial hair, you’ll likely see some tiny patches and imperfections.
No one really notices these minor imperfections. Sometimes, you just need to be okay with “good enough” with your beard.
3. Establish a Regular Beard Care Routine
When you have noticeable patches in your beard, it’s easy to start looking a little unkempt. Taking good care of your beard (and the skin underneath) will go a long way in taming scraggly beard hairs and hiding any imperfections in your facial hair.
Start by washing your beard every two or three days with shampoo. Be sure to gently massage the product into your beard to promote maximum blood flow to the skin, which may help promote facial hair growth.
To keep beard dandruff at bay, use an exfoliating scrub on your beard twice per week. This will remove dead skin cells and prevent beard acne as well.
Finally, don’t forget to use a hydrating beard oil to tame flyaway beard hairs and soften your skin. A good beard oil can make your beard hair less itchy and easier to manage in its early growth stages.
4. Opt for a Shorter Beard Style
If you’ve waited six months and your beard isn’t where you want it to be, consider opting for stubble instead. Shorter beard styles will make your stubborn beard patches far less noticeable.
Plus, stubble is one of the most desirable facial hair styles that a guy can sport. According to a 2013 study published in Evolution and Human Behavior, guys with heavy stubble were rated as most attractive by women (see claim: “Women judged faces with heavy stubble as most attractive and heavy beards, light stubble and clean-shaven faces as similarly less attractive.”)
Take the skin care quiz5. Adopt Healthy Habits
Your lifestyle choices can play a significant role in how fast and bushy your beard grows. For instance, being obese or eating a poor diet lacking in key nutrients can slow down beard growth.
According to a 2015 study published in Obesity Reviews, obesity and abdominal fat are associated with lower levels of testosterone (see claim: “Low testosterone levels are associated with increased fat mass (particularly central adiposity) and reduced lean mass in males.”) Low testosterone levels can negatively affect the rate of beard growth because it’s responsible for producing DHT, which is necessary for male facial hair.
Other lifestyle factors that could be hurting your ability to grow facial hair include a poor diet, bad sleep habits and too much stress. To boost your beard growth, start practicing a little self-care by eating a nutrient-dense diet, working out regularly and going to bed at a decent time each night.
Bottom Line
More often than not, fixing the patches in your beard simply requires time and patience. While there are several facial hair growth products on the market, many of them aren’t backed by science.
Besides giving your beard time to grow, one of the best things you can do for your beard patches is to take better care of the skin underneath your beard. After just a couple of weeks of using one of Tiege Hanley’s Skin Care Systems, you’ll be too distracted by your glowing skin to notice any lingering patches in your beard.
