Supplements such as biotin, zinc, collagen, and saw palmetto have been touted for their beard growth benefits. However, there is little evidence that any particular nutrient, vitamin, mineral or herb affects facial hair growth. Hair length and fullness are influenced by many factors, including a person's lifestyle.
Given that zinc aids in the rapid division and proliferation of hair cells, it, therefore, promotes the growth of strong and resilient hair strands and contributes to overall hair health. It provides the building blocks needed for healthy follicle development and helps to fortify the foundation from which hair grows.
Vitamin D. Vitamin D stimulates hair follicles, which promotes beard growth and thickness and is essential for hair's overall health. Low vitamin D levels are often associated with hair loss2 or thinning hair. Maintain optimal vitamin D levels by ensuring sufficient exposure to natural sunlight.
Unfortunately, there is no way to grow facial hair faster than your body's natural growth rate. The most you can do is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet, exercise, and plenty of sleep. Additionally, you can use products such as minoxidil, which can help promote hair growth.
Eflornithine is used to slow the growth of unwanted hair on the face in women, usually around the lips or under the chin. Eflornithine works by blocking a natural substance that is needed for hair to grow and is located in your hair follicle (the sac where each hair grows).
Vellus hair (peach fuzz) is fine, short hair that grows all over your body, including your face, stomach, arms and legs. Vellus hair helps regulate your body temperature and protects your skin. Excess vellus hair growth can be a sign of some health conditions, such as Cushing syndrome.
Iron - As an essential vitamin in your diet, deficiencies can stunt hair growth and cause hair loss. Iron produces hemoglobin which supplies oxygen to the cells around your hair to encourage growth. Without iron, your hair is not growing anywhere.
Testosterone is a hormone that affects the growth of facial hair, and its levels can vary. Males between 19 and 38 typically have a range of 264 to 916 nanograms per deciliter.
2. Zinc can reduce hirsutism. The proven anti-androgenic effect of Zinc means that it can reduce hirsutism, or unwanted facial hair, in women with PCOS.
Hormonal Highways
Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are the hormones at the wheel, driving the growth of your facial hair. Higher levels can lead to quicker beard growth, making hormones a significant factor in your beard's growth rate.
The best beard growth supplements contain a variety of vitamins and nutrients that support healthy hair growth, including biotin, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B, and beta carotene. Other beneficial ingredients may include minerals like zinc and iron, as well as natural extracts like saw palmetto and nettle root.
The National Institutes of Health considers 40 mg of zinc a day to be the upper limit dose for adults and 4 mg of zinc a day for infants under age 6 months.
We concluded that zinc deficiency reduces testosterone levels and zinc supplementation improves testosterone levels. Furthermore, the effect degree of zinc on serum testosterone may vary depending on basal zinc and testosterone levels, zinc dosage form, elementary zinc dose, and duration.
Zinc: shown to be a potent inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase activity, blocking the production of DHT. The body cannot produce this trace element on its own, so it must be supplied through food and/or supplements. Too high of a dose of zinc can be damaging, so it is advised to monitor intake carefully.
The most commonly used antiandrogen is spironolactone. Spironolactone may be recommended, in addition to the birth control pill, if excess hair growth does not improve adequately after taking a birth control pill for six months.
Hirsutism is excess hair most often noticeable around the mouth and chin. With hirsutism, extra hair growth often arises from excess male hormones (androgens), primarily testosterone.
Electrolysis can permanently remove unwanted hair. Once your hair is gone, you won't need maintenance treatments. It works on all hair types, including light-colored hairs, which lasers cannot remove. There's no downtime.
No surprise there are many methods to get rid of it: you can epilate, tweeze, wax, sugar, thread, burn, shave or bleach; use creams, lasers, IPL, electrolysis or make-up. Surface removal methods like shaving are quick and easy, but stubble grows back fast.
Eflornithine (Vaniqa) is a prescription cream specifically for excessive facial hair in women. It's applied directly to the affected area of your face twice a day. It helps slow new hair growth but doesn't get rid of existing hair. It can be used with laser therapy to enhance the response.
Peach fuzz is common on all skin types and skin tones and is generally not very visible from afar. While the decision to get rid of peach fuzz on the face is a personal preference, doing so may offer cosmetic benefits, like a smoother makeup application.
Hirsutism Treatment
A topical cream (eflornithine hydrochloride) also can be applied to treat facial hirsutism. Medical therapy inhibits hair growth without eliminating hair already present. Therefore, medical therapy usually is combined with mechanical methods of hair removal, such as electrolysis or lasers.