My uncle, who is 30 years older than me, has been able to grow a full beard. I became curious about whether my beard will also fill in when I reach his age. I did some digging, and here’s what I found.
Facial hair will become thicker and fuller with age as your androgen receptors (beard genes) become more sensitive to both the beard-growing hormones (testosterone and DHT), thereby increasing the growth and thickness of your beard. However, not everyone will experience increased beard thickness due to factors such as genes, ethnicity, hormones, or health conditions.
The good news is that you can employ beard-growing tricks, such as using a derma roller and Rogaine/minoxidil, to fill in your patchy areas and thicken your beard.
Table of Contents
What causes a beard to become thicker with age?
Proper production of testosterone
Most men typically have similar levels of testosterone. However, there are a few who don’t produce the required amount of testosterone. During puberty, testosterone production increases as it contributes to the development of secondary male characteristics.
While the extent of beard growth is largely determined by your genes, low testosterone levels can also hinder your beard from reaching its maximum potential.
Testosterone and DHT are the two androgens responsible for beard growth. Testosterone primes beard follicles, while DHT promotes the linear growth of your beard. Therefore, having low levels of these two hormones will significantly impact your beard growth.
Testosterone levels usually remain high until around the age of 30, after which they decrease by approximately 1% per year. Most men begin to experience increased beard thickness from their early 20s to late 20s and early 30s.
With age comes increased gene sensitivity
When it comes to growing a beard, there are two types of men: early bloomers and late bloomers. Early bloomers tend to grow a beard relatively early compared to late bloomers.
A late bloomer might initially have a patchy beard. However, as they age, their genes become more sensitive to beard-growing hormones, allowing the patchy areas to fill in and the beard to become thicker.
Additionally, late bloomers may have had inactive facial follicles that become activated with age, aiding in the growth of a thicker and fuller beard.
As you age, the androgen receptors (sites where testosterone and DHT bind to stimulate beard growth) become more sensitive to these hormones. As a result, you will experience increased beard growth as you get older.
How to grow a thicker and fuller beard
Increase testosterone levels
The first step is to make sure that your levels of testosterone are at par. Low testosterone will only derail the growth of your beard.
Fortunately, you can boost your levels of testosterone by either eating foods that have been proven to increase testosterone or leading a lifestyle that will boost testosterone such as.
- Exercising
- Get enough sleep
- Avoid stress
- Alfalfa sprout
- Ashwagandha
- Creatine
Increase the sensitivity androgen receptors
The growth of your beard is determined by the sensitivity of your androgen receptors.
Various methods exist to enhance the sensitivity of your androgen receptors to dihydrotestosterone.
When these receptors are highly responsive and paired with optimal levels of beard growth hormones, they can foster the growth of a thicker beard sooner than anticipated.
So, how can you heighten the sensitivity of your androgen receptors?
Implementing some of these tips can also elevate your testosterone levels.
- Resistance training
- Eat mucuna pruriens
- L Carnitine
- Vitamin D
- Intermittent fasting
Get enough sleep
Experts recommend that men should aim for approximately 8 hours of sleep per day to ensure adequate rest. Research has shown that insufficient sleep can decrease testosterone levels in the body. Therefore, it’s important to prioritize enough sleep and rest to avoid negatively impacting testosterone levels.
Avoid stress
Stress triggers the production of cortisol hormone, which is known to lower testosterone levels in the body. Implementing various stress-reduction techniques like exercising or jogging can be effective in mitigating this impact.
Use derma roller and minoxidil/rogaine
A derma roller stimulates blood flow to your face, boosting collagen production, which in turn stimulates beard growth.
Using a derma roller about twice a week is recommended. If you’re looking to accelerate beard growth, incorporating minoxidil can be effective. Minoxidil has been proven and FDA-approved to aid hair regrowth.
Scientific tests have confirmed its ability to stimulate beard growth in individuals facing difficulties. Before-and-after pictures from users who’ve used minoxidil provide anecdotal evidence of its efficacy.
However, controversies surround the use of minoxidil for beard growth. The manufacturer’s website states that hair grown with minoxidil may not be permanent. They claim that discontinuing its use may lead to the loss of the beard or hair grown using minoxidil.
Yet, internet accounts also exist where individuals claim they didn’t lose their beard even after stopping minoxidil. In my opinion, it’s advisable to resort to minoxidil only after exhausting other options.
Do you have to wait to grow old to grow a thicker beard?
Using products such as minoxidil has been proven to stimulate new beard growth even among men who cannot grow a beard naturally.
Combining minoxidil with natural oils such as castor oil
, peppermint oil, olive oil, almond oil, grapeseed oil will help stimulate beard growth while argan, jojoba, coconut oil will help moisturize and groom your beard.
Keep away from oils that inhibit the activity of your beard growth hormones. These include pumpkin seed oil, tea tree oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, rosemary oil, amla oil, which have been proven to inhibit the action of beard growth hormones. Some like tea trees and lavender were found to cause man boobs among young boys.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do beards fill in overtime? Yes, if you are a late bloomer beard should fill in overtime. As you age your androgen receptors (genes) become more sensitive to the beard-growing hormones.
Can every man grow a full beard? Naturally, not every man can grow a beard due to having less sensitive beard-growing genes. However, with the use of minoxidil, most men can stimulate beard growth.
Why is facial hair more prominent in older men than in young men? The increased prominence of beard growth in older men compared to younger men is attributed to the heightened sensitivity of their androgen receptors (genes) to facial hair growth hormones.
Conclusion
Patience is crucial if you aim to reach the full potential of your beard. A beard, much like wine, improves with age. Nevertheless, you can thicken your beard and fill in those patchy areas using minoxidil.
