In this post, we will cover tips on how to know if you can grow facial hair.
There are two factors that affect beard growth, one is genes and the other hormones.
Whereas, almost all men have the same levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone the beard-growing hormones. The sensitivity of their genes to these hormones determines to which extent they will grow a beard.
How do you know if you can grow a beard? To know if you will grow facial hair consider the genealogy of your family look at your father, your uncles, and other older male relatives, if they have a beard chance are you will definitely grow a beard. Another sign that can help you to know if you can grow a beard is looking at your body. How hairy are you? During puberty, you will most probably start growing hair all over your body such as pubic hair, armpits hair, and chest hair. Chest hair can be a sign that you will definitely grow a beard.
It goes without saying beards make a man feel more manly and strong as compared to his fellow men without beards.
Research has it that, women are attracted more to men with a beard than those without. This could be attributed to the fact that testosterone is the hormone that influences beard growth and at the same time influences the development of other manly features such as breaking of voice and so on.
Every woman instinctively wants a man who is strong, and evolutionary a strong man carries strong genes which means their offspring will stand a better chance for survival.
Table of Contents
Signs to look for to know if you can grow a beard
Genes
Despite the fact that we have mentioned that testosterone influences the growth of beards. Without the right genes even with all the testosterone, you will never grow a beard.
Just look at those men who can’t grow a beard, it does not mean they do not have testosterone.
They do have this precious hormone but genes are not on their side. To determine, whether or not you have the right genes to grow a beard.
Check the genealogy of your family, if your father, grandfather, or uncles have beard chances are you have also inherited those genes. What you need is patience before your mane starts sprouting.
Are you hairy?
The next sign to look for to determine whether you will grow facial hair is the amount of hair you grew when you hit puberty.
If you were lucky enough to grow lots of hair especially in your chest and legs, chances are it is only a matter of time before your facial hair sets in.
Few sprouting beard hair
When you hit puberty, there is this unmistakable one strand of beard that appears on your chin. It is usually the very first sign you can really grow a beard.
The first strand of beard is very persistent, even if you shave it, it will still grow back. This is one of the best signs that you will grow a beard.
Of course, you will have to withstand the ridicule from other guys making fun of your one beard strand. All you need to do is exercise patience and you will have the last laugh.
Moustache hair develops first before your cheeks and chin beard fill in. so you will have to be contented with the ‘one’ beard strand for a while.
Later in the beard growth cycle, the chin and cheeks beards will grow faster and longer in length as compared to the mustache.
Related: How to grow beard on cheeks
What you should know about beards if you can grow them
Your beard should be washed regularly: Once you grow a beard, you will have to invest in a good shampoo or beard soap for washing your beard. Make sure the shampoo that you buy is made of natural ingredients and is sulfate or paraben-free to avoid causing harm to your beard.
Your beard should be moisturized and nourished: Invest in good high-quality beard oil, beard conditioner, or beard balm that is made of natural ingredients. Moisture prevents beards from drying up and becoming coarse and frizzy. A beard conditioner will help you soften and make it easier to style your beard. A beard balm will come in handy if you want to style your beard.
Invest in a good beard comb and brush: You will need a beard comb and brush specifically made with a bearded man in mind. You cannot use just any comb and brush out there. Make sure to invest in the right beard grooming kit.
Eat a healthy diet: Your beards require nutrients to flourish. Eat food rich in vitamins, proteins, and minerals to grow a healthy beard. There are foods that have been proven to boost levels of testosterone and help activate your androgen receptors for promoting beard growth. Engage in exercises regularly, exercise such as resistance training has been proven to increase testosterone levels and also boost the sensitivity of your androgen receptors.
Avoid stress and get enough sleep: If you want to grow a healthy beard avoid stress, stress increases the production of the cortisol hormone that lowers the production of testosterone.
It is also recommended you get enough sleep if you are looking at improving the levels of testosterone in the body. Lack of enough sleep has been proven to decrease testosterone levels.
Related: How to stimulate beard growth
What are the signs of beard growth?
The signs of beard growth start with either mustache or goatee just a few strands of facial hair in these areas.
The growth of facial hair kicks in during puberty, testosterone gets converted into dihydrotestosterone and binds into the androgen receptors which is the name for the genes responsible for beard growth.
The first sign of beard growth in some men, is a few strands of facial hair on the chin or upper lip.
Some men will have a few strands on the upper lip, and then later the chin will grow a few more strands.
I have not heard of anyone whose beard started on the cheeks.
Normally, compared to the chin beard upper lip beard aka mustache grows slower. Most men will have a thick mustache and goatee but patchy or thin cheek beard.
This can be attributed to the fact that the mustache and goatee are located on the t zone of the face which is proven to have more sebum oil glands and hence more hair follicles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age does full beard come in? Facial hair starts to grow when you hit puberty. Some men are early bloomers and their genes are highly sensitive to testosterone and dihydrotestosterone others can have a full beard when they are in their 30s or so. So it all depends on the sensitivity of your genes to determine at what age you will grow a full beard.
Will I ever have a full beard? Again whether you will have a full beard or not depends on your genes and how sensitive they are to the beard growth hormones. The higher the sensitivity of your androgen receptors the fuller your beard is going to be.
Does shaving increase beard growth? No, shaving does not increase beard growth. The growth of the beard is influenced by hormones and genes and shaving does not in any way affect these factors.
