So, you decided to grow a beard, but it’s not looking the way you envisioned? Don’t worry; you are not alone. In fact, it’s safe to say that all men have been there at some point, and we all know how frustrating it can be. Luckily, a patchy beard doesn’t have to be a permanent problem in your life. Here are some ways you can fix a bad beard and other tips on how to grow a full beard.
Supplement Your Diet
One of the easiest ways to improve your beard’s quality is to supplement your diet with vitamins and nutrients needed to promote hair growth. There are currently dozens of brands offering pills for beard growth, but you should know that not all of them are made with quality ingredients. Avoid those pills promising hair growth miracles, and instead opt for recognized brands made with naturally-based ingredients. In addition to beard supplements, your beard can also benefit from a more complete beard routine. It may be time to ditch the water and soap in favor of products specifically made for beards, like beard jelly and beard conditioners.
Give It Time
Have you tried letting your beard grow? If you are deducing that your beard will grow patchy by just looking at your one-week stubble, then you are seriously underestimating your beard’s potential. The key to beard growth is to be patient, so don’t jump to any conclusions or feel discouraged if it’s not where you want it to be in the beginning stages. After a couple of weeks, each hair takes on its own life, twists, and turns, and gives the illusion of a fuller, more uniform beard.
The Best Patchy Beard Style
If your beard isn’t fully developed or if it just looks patchy and uneven when you let it grow out, consider keeping it short. While this may not actually fix how your hair grows, it will definitely give the appearance of a naturally fuller beard. With hairs standing no more than a few millimeters off your face, flyaways and barren patches will become almost invisible to the naked eye. Another upside is that a short, close-to-the-skin stubble looks good on most men, so you can enjoy the feeling of sporting a beard without all the trimming and grooming troubles.
Style Smarter
In addition to nourishing your beard and keeping it clean, beard products can help hide the appearance of patchy facial hair. Try pomades and waxes to increase hair volume so your beard can look fuller and more mature. Topicals like facial hair waxes and beard pomades can also help you style longer strands of hair over the top of bald patches in the same way some men use comb-overs to mask their receding hairlines. If you are serious about your beard, products like waxes, pomades, and beard oil, should all be part of your beard routine, especially if you are trying to fix a patchy beard.
Seek Professional Solutions
If you have given your beard more than a couple of weeks to grow, tried supplements, adopted a new beard routine, but you still don’t see results, it may be time to talk to a professional. Healthcare professionals may recommend prescription hair growth solutions like minoxidil (aka Rogaine), which effectively promotes hair growth for those suffering from male pattern baldness. While minoxidil has been proven to work, it is crucial that you speak with a healthcare professional first as using minoxidil can lead to undesired side effects. For a faster solution, you can also inquire about a beard transplant (yes, you read that right), which is not very common but will get the job done.
But please, before you pick up your phone to call your doctor and ask about transplants, you should first consider more DIY solutions like better grooming techniques and beard products for healthier beard growth. But most importantly: remain patient! Growing a full beard takes effort and time, so don’t get too frustrated if you don’t see results immediately.