Some men can grow a beard even in their teens without lifting a finger. Well, for others even in their 20’s or 30’s they can’t achieve their beard goals. I did some research to find out why. Here is what I found.
So, why can’t you grow a beard in the 20, 30, or 40? The two main reasons why you can’t grow a beard at 20, 30, or 40 years are due to genetic factors and testosterone levels. Other reasons include ethnicity, medical condition, poor lifestyle. However, there is a way you can still grow a beard in your 20, 30, or 40 years.
Related: How to stimulate beard growth
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Table of Contents
Why can’t you grow a beard at 30
Below are reasons why you can’t seem to grow a beard in your teens, 20s, 30s, and even 40s and beyond.
Hormone deficiency
Beard growth is controlled by two hormones, Testosterone, and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is synthesized from testosterone, how a man’s body reacts to these two hormones determines whether or not they will grow a beard.
You see, testosterone primes facial hair follicles while DHT promotes linear growth of the facial hair. So lack of enough testosterone, DHT, or your genes not being sensitive enough is one reason why growing a beard is so difficult.
For some ethnicities such as Native Americans and East Asian men, they tend to have a low concentration of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase responsible for converting testosterone into DHT.
Genetic mutation
Genetic mutation can also hamper you from growing a beard. For instance, studies show
that men suffering from a condition called pseudohermaphroditism (genetic mutation), are prone to low pubic, body hair, and beard.
Additionally, these men also go through hair loss with age. So, the genetic mutation could also be one of the reasons you are unable to grow a beard at 30.
Surprisingly, despite genetic mutation being a reason you are not growing a beard, you will be surprised to know that genetic mutation can also lead to beard growth.
Genes
The third reason why you cannot grow a beard is because of genes. In this case, not considering gene mutation.
As mentioned earlier, testosterone synthesizes DHT which affects beard growth. The ability of your body to respond to DHT is what determines whether you can grow a beard or not.
Despite the fact that most men have the same levels of testosterone, if your genes are not highly sensitive to DHT could mean no beard for you.
Ethnicities such as Native Americans and East Asian men have more copies of androgen receptors (beard growth genes), which mean low sensitivity to DHT, hence limited beard growth.
Age
I think this is the most outright reason for them all. Growth of beard and pubic hair sets in as adolescents kick in, that when your body becomes responsive to facial hair growth hormones.
That why it may be difficult to grow a beard below 18 years of age. That said, some men are early bloomers and will start growing beards as teenagers while others are late bloomers and will grow a substantial beard in their 30s or even 40s.
Health and skin conditions
Poor health and skin condition could be another reason standing between you and growing a beard.
Alopecia barbae is a health condition whereby your body’s immune system attacks your hair follicles accidentally.
As a result of damaged hair follicles, you will witness a patchy beard. Nonetheless, this condition may not last long. This condition mostly affects men at the age of 20 and below, which is not to say it won’t affect older men.
Ethnicity
There are ethnicities such as men from East Asian countries and Native Americans, who cannot grow a beard at all naturally.
In their case, genetics is the cause as they have a lot of androgen receptors which means low sensitivity to beard growth hormones.
They also have low levels of the 5-alpha-reductase hormone that converts testosterone to DHT the hormone responsible for growing beard.
Are there ethnicities that can’t grow facial hair? Yes, there are ethnicities that struggle to grow facial hair but it does not mean these ethnicities can’t grow Facial hair. Examples of ethnicities that struggle to grow facial hair include Native Americans and men from East Asia.
Poor lifestyle and diet
Poor lifestyle habits and diet could be standing between you and your beard goals. Your beard needs nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals to grow and thrive.
A lack of these nutrients will hamper the growth of your beard. Additionally, you will need to engage in exercise to promote the growth of your beard, exercise promotes blood circulation which ensures that nutrients are delivered to your follicles for growth.
Moreover, research shows that exercise promotes the production of testosterone hormone which promotes the growth of the beard.
How can you stimulate your beard to grow?
There are several tricks you can use to stimulate the growth of your beard, note this trick will only work if you have hair follicles and your genes are predisposed to growing a beard plus you have enough testosterone which is not a problem as most men have enough testosterone.
- Improve blood circulation on your face
- Increase the sensitivity of your androgen receptors
- Use peppermint oil or Rogaine combined with derma roller
Related: How to stimulate beard growth
How late can beard come in?
If you are an early bloomer beard can come as early as your teenage years. However, if you are a late bloomer facial hair can be as late as in your early 30s.
So, you need to exercise patience if you still cannot grow a beard in your teenage years and in your 20s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can every man grow a beard? Unfortunately not every man can grow a beard. Genes and testosterone play a major role in the process of growing a beard. Some men’s genes are not sensitive enough to DHT to support beard growth, this also explains the reason why some men can’t grow beards.
At what age is the beard fully developed? Beard develops fully between the ages of 20-35 years of age. Between these ages, you should be able to experience a fuller thicker beard if you have the right genes. Let take a look at how a beard develops as you age.
- 12-18 years of age: it is at this stage of your life that facial hair will begin to appear, though it will be quite patchy and soft. At this stage, it is not advisable to invest in beard grooming products, because they will not be of any benefit. It is at this stage that your testosterone is becoming active and your hair follicles and genes may not be one hundred percent receptive to it.
- 18-25 years of age: at this age, you have already grown a substantial beard and it is a good time to invest in high-quality beard grooming products such as a beard comb and brush, beard oil, conditioner, shampoo, and beard balm. If you still have a patchy beard, however, there is no reason to worry. Remember good things come to those who wait. Give your beard and genes time, at this stage you can also use some testosterone boosters.
- 25-35 years of age: well at this stage you should have a Rick Ross beard style. If you are using the right beard grooming products especially beard shampoos, beard conditioners, and beard balm you should be having a great beard. One that ladies can’t stop staring at. Make sure that your beard is well moisturized, clean, and also ensure that you lead a healthy lifestyle. Remember, your beard is what eats.
Can beard oil grow beard? There are a lot of products on the market that promises to grow you a beard. Well, beard oil does not grow a beard.
Beard oils only provide the right environment for you to deal with challenges that people experience, when growing a beard such as a beard itch and dandruff.
Beard oils with ingredients such as castor oil, peppermint oil, and onion oil improve the circulation of blood in the hair follicles, hence, promoting beard growth by providing nutrients to the hair follicles.
Circulation also makes it easy for DHT to be exposed to hair follicles.
Can I grow a beard if it’s not in my genes? This question has been debated several times. Men of Asian origin have trouble growing a beard.
Products such as Rogaine or minoxidil have been proven to grow beard successfully, especially among men who have not been able to grow facial hair.
There lots of before and after anecdotal pictures online based on people, including Asians who have used this product to grow a beard.
So, based on this anecdotal evidence you can grow a beard even if it is not in your genes.
30 no Beard? The reason you are 30 and still no beard is growing is because of genetic factors and testosterone levels. You can try rogaine or minoxidil that have been proven to grow beards even for those people who are genetically challenged.
No beard at 20, 24, 22 years? The reason you are 20,24, and 22 yet no beard seems to be growing or you are having a patchy beard could be low testosterone, or the sensitivity of your beard growth genes is still low, in this case with the time you may be able to grow a full beard. Products like Rogaine may help you grow beards much faster if your genes and testosterone levels are okay.
19 no facial hair? The two main reasons you are 19 and still have no facial hair are due to low testosterone levels or low sensitivity of androgen receptors. At this age, you should be patient as some men have grown full beards at 30 when they had none at 19.
no facial hair at 20? The two main reason you are 20 yet no facial hair is growing is due to genes and testosterone levels, if these two beards growing factors are fine, the other reason is maybe you are a late bloomer and with patience, you should be able to grow a beard.
When will my beard grow? Your beard will grow when you become a teenager if you are an early bloomer and may grow as late as in your 30’s if you are a late bloomer, it all depends on genes and beard growth hormones.
Conclusion
While you may not be able to grow a beard at 30 due to genetic predisposition. Using rogaine or minoxidil can help you grow a beard. It has even been tested among men in Thailand who are genetically challenged to grow a beard.
