Not being able to grow a beard is a hard feeling to grapple with, but there might be some science-based reasons for it. Genetics is usually the main reason, but it might also have to do with age, ethnicity, testosterone, underlying conditions like alopecia, diet, exercise, or stress.
Lifestyle Factors: Stress, poor nutrition, and lack of sleep can negatively impact hormone levels and overall health, potentially affecting beard growth. In summary, the inability to grow a beard can be attributed to a combination of genetic, hormonal, age-related, ethnic, health, and lifestyle factors.
A patchy beard is often due to factors out of our control, like genetics passed down from parents or varying levels of hormones. Sparse facial hair growth can also occur if your diet lacks certain nutrients and vitamins.
Laser hair removal or electrolysis are the two ways to get facial hair to stop growing. Hormone therapy is another way, but that's as a secondary measure and comes with many side effects.
For some, it could be as simple as genetics - some people are simply born with less facial hair than others. For others, it could be due to hormonal imbalances or deficiencies - low testosterone levels, for example, can cause a person to stop growing facial hair.
Does No Beard Mean Low Testosterone? That's not entirely true. Testosterone can influence facial hair quality, but when your genes are not favorable for beard production, testosterone can't help. Most men have similar levels of testosterone, including men without a beard.
So if your dad didn't have sensitive follicles, then you probably won't be able to grow a hefty beard. That's a lot of chemistry talk, but to make a long story short, if your dad and grandfather both couldn't grow a beard, you probably won't either.
Permanent methods
Laser hair removal is a long-term but not a permanent method for hair removal. If a person wants to remove their facial hair permanently, they can try electrolysis. Electrolysis destroys the growth of the hair at the base of the hair follicle, which means the hair is unable to grow back.
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).
“Clinically low levels of testosterone may affect hair growth. In those cases, you may have little to no facial hair.” Other symptoms of low testosterone, which should prompt a discussion with your healthcare provider, include: Reduced sex drive.
Hormone Levels
Having low levels of Testosterone can negatively affect your beard growth. Clinically low testosterone levels may call for a doctor, but most men can increase these levels naturally with a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise, a nutritious diet, supplements, skin care, and other tips may speed up beard growth. However, hormones and genetic factors will mainly determine how fully a person's beard will grow.
Several factors can stunt beard growth, including stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, and underlying medical conditions. Ensuring you manage stress and nourish your body will help prevent these issues.
Slow Growth: If your facial hair grows slower than average (less than half an inch per month), this could be another sign of difficulty in beard growth. No Changes Despite Age: Most men start to grow facial hair during puberty, but for some, a full beard doesn't develop until their late twenties or even early thirties.
Some of the ingredients used in beard oil have been shown in limited and small studies to offer benefits, but little of the research has been corroborated by follow-up studies. To put it simply, there's not a lot of evidence that these things work, and there's even less information to tell us how to use them correctly.
Can biotin help beard growth? Despite the popularity of biotin as a hair growth supplement, there's no evidence that it specifically promotes the growth of facial hair. Most studies that support biotin's hair growth properties focus on people who are deficient in biotin.
Dietary supplements that contain vitamins B6 and E are also believed to help get rid of unwanted hair growth in the facial areas. For one, vitamin B6 is thought to help lower testosterone in women and inhibit prolactin hormone production.
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.
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.
To stop hair growth on the face, you can try at-home methods like shaving, waxing, or using hair removal creams. The best option is professional laser hair removal for the face, which is a more permanent solution than shaving for example.
Studies have shown that using a beard roller can increase the thickness and number of hairs in the beard in as little as 4-6 weeks. Additionally, beard rollers can help to reduce itchiness and beardruff, as well as soften and condition the beard. What is beard microneedling?
No — shaving hair doesn't change its thickness, color or rate of growth. Shaving facial or body hair gives the hair a blunt tip. The tip might feel coarse or "stubbly" for a time as it grows out. During this phase, the hair might be more noticeable and perhaps appear darker or thicker.
Sleeping on one side throughout the night creates pressure on the side of the face where the beard grows. This pressure could affect the beard's hair follicles, leading to hair loss or a slower growth pattern. If you notice that your beard isn't growing as it should be, try switching sides if you can.