It can sometimes be a tough decision to start growing a beard. In the beginning, your face looks scruffy with partial hair growth and your skin feels terribly itchy. All you can do is think of how you can accelerate your beard growth rate and whether there are any beard growth products you can use to grow the beard faster.
Well! You have come to the right place. Today I am going to talk about the beard growth vitamins and beard growth supplements that have helped me on my journey of growing a beard. Join me as I take you through different steps of accelerating your beard growth rate.
Factors Affecting Beard Growth Rate
Many factors influence beard growth rate:
Stages of hair growth
Beard growth rate is influenced by the cyclical stages of hair growth. The hair growth cycle goes through three stages namely anagen, catagen and telogen. Not all hair in the beard are necessarily in the same stage at the same time. This means that at a given point of time you will have hairs in any of the three stages mentioned above.
Anagen is the stage of active hair growth where the hair bulb is developing and growing from the matrix of the bulb. The catagen stage on the other hand, is the ever changing stage where the hair separates from the papilla. In this stage the hair might grow or may be pushed out by new hair. This is a rapid stage which progresses to the telogen stage which is the resting stage where hair follicles loosen and fall out.
Here is a video explaining the entire process a little more in depth:
Temperature and time of day
Your beard growth rate is usually faster in warmer months. Also, hair grows faster at night than during the day time.
Age
Hair growth slows down with age. In women, facial hair growth increases (sorry for pointing that out) whereas in men, it decreases.
Hair growth rate on different parts of body
The hair growth rate differs based on the body part. It can range anywhere from 1.5 mm / month for fine hair to 2.8 mm / month for coarse hair.
Diet
Health and diet also play a crucial role in your beard growth rate. Men who eat a balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and lean proteins tend to have healthier stronger beards. One can try beard growth vitamins and beard growth supplements to accelerate growth. I have discussed these in detail below.
Genes
Members of a family can share beard growth patterns. For example, some boys start developing facial hair earlier during puberty than others; a factor controlled by genes.
Stress
Stress and emotional factors can also impact your beard growth rate. As long as stress is temporary, the stunted hair growth will also be temporary.
Beard Growth Rate Accelerating Diet
Before we talk about the best beard growth products, vitamins and supplements to help increase your beard growth rate, let us talk about the right food and dietary intake to nourish the beard hair. I am of the opinion that good food can fix many hair and skin issues and that is the first thing to do rather than depending on products alone. Here is a dietary plan to accelerate beard growth rate:
- Eat a whole food diet- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables with skin intact. The skin of fruits and veggies is packed with vitamins, minerals and trace minerals needed for hair growth. Eat soybean, whole grains, green peas, lentils, sprouts and sunflower seeds. Take a couple of tablespoons of flax seed oil daily.
- Eat lean meat and raisins that are packed with iron.
- Eat sea vegetables like kelp and take spirulina powder
- Drink goat milk.
- Drink the juice of carrots, beets, spinach, cucumber, green apples, nettle and alfalfa.
- Avoid raw eggs as they prevent absorption of Biotin-the most important vitamin needed for strong hair.
Beard Growth Supplements And Beard Growth Vitamins
Here are the most common beard growth supplements:
- a tablespoon of flax seed oil daily to improve texture of your beard hair.
- 50 mg of Botin twice a day.
- 100 mg Inositol which is vital for hair growth.
- 50 mg Zinc twice a day as it stimulates hair growth
- 3 mg copper daily.
- Amino acid blends
- B-vitamins (Vitamin B3 or Niacin 50 mg three times a day, B5 pantothenic acid 100 mg three times a day).
- Vitamin C-an antioxidant that reduces hair fall by fighting free radical damage-take at least 1000 to 3000 mg daily.
- Vitamin E- This is also an antioxidant vitamin needed for healthy strong beard. Start with a dose of 400 IU then gradually increase it to 800-1000 IU.
- COQ10 enzyme-This improves blood circulation to hair follicles preventing hair loss. 30 to 60 mg daily.
- 500 mg of kelp which improves beard growth rate by supplying minerals to the hair.
Beard Growth Products
Apart from supplements and beard growth vitamins, use the following beard growth products for conditioning, cleansing and protecting the beard:
Beard Shampoo
It is important to keep your beard clean and tidy by using a beard shampoo. Good quality beard shampoos prevent fungal infections, dandruff and other beard issues. Never use the shampoo that you use on your scalp for the beard. This is because; beard shampoos are specifically formulated for beard hair and help maintain the ph of skin. A good quality beard shampoo won’t dry your beard out and instead will keep it healthy and well conditioned.
Beard Oils
Beard oil blends containing essential oils like thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedarwood can be used for daily beard conditioning and massage. Beard oils are gentle, safe, effective and you can even create your own blends for daily use. Oils prevent common beard issues like dandruff, ringworm and hair fall. Many oils also stimulate beard growth rate, when used consistently. They moisturize and impregnate the hair follicles with nutrients and create an environment conducive to healthy beard growth.
For an extensive selection of beard oil recipes, click here.
Beard Balms
Like beard oils, beard balms feed and moisturize the hair follicles helping the growing process. When massaged into the beard daily, they nourish the roots and help the beard grow faster.
For beard balm recipes that you can make at home, click here.
Conclusion
It is usually down to nature and genetics to decide how fast your beard will grow. If your body and health are not in a good state, chances are that your beard growth will suffer too. While in most cases you cannot speed up beard growth rate, there are many things you can do to provide an environment conducive for the hair to grow faster. I hope the above guide helps you select the right beard growth products. Good luck!
