Is It Possible To Thicken Your Beard?

Many men, especially the younger ones, are dissatisfied with the texture and appearance of their thin, scraggly beards. While age, stress, genetics, hair chemicals, and poor nutrition are all causes of thin facial hair, the good news that is no matter why your beard is thin, there are strategies to make it fuller.

Give Your Beard Time to Grow

Hair on the face tends to grow in patches during your teenage years and the twenties. However, unlike height, beards can continue to develop well into your early thirties. So, if you’re young and your beard isn’t growing as thickly as desired, don’t lose hope. Simply wait it out as the development of hair continues to increase over time. This is why you’ll usually see the fullest of beards on older men.

Massage the Face

Did you know that massaging the face can help to stimulate beard growth? When you massage the face periodically, it improves blood flow to the follicles. An increase in blood flow means more nutrients will reach hair follicles on the face, which can be used to boost growth. As a result, inactive follicles can sprout, causing facial hair to appear thicker than before.

For this technique to work, it has to be part of your regular grooming routine. A good strategy is to massage your face every day before heading out and going to bed.

Enhance Your Natural Testosterone and DHT Production

Testosterone is a natural beard thickener. In fact, it’s one of the building blocks of hair follicles in men. The more you have it, the higher your chances of growing a full, thick beard.

Testosterone also forms a byproduct known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Both of these male hormones influence secondary sex characteristics such as body hair growth, deepening of the voice, penis growth, and so forth. Inadequate amounts of these androgens can cause thinning and loss of hair. By stimulating testosterone and DHT to reach optimum levels, you can cultivate a thicker beard.

Here are a few helpful suggestions to help you boost your natural testosterone and HDT levels:

Exercise Regularly
Increased physical activity boosts blood flow throughout the body and helps to stimulate testosterone production. If you’re overweight, studies have shown that losing unwanted fat helps to boost testosterone levels. For these reasons, exercising on a regular basis provides a natural way to stimulate beard growth. Good circulation is vital as this helps the body to transport nutrients to the skin and hair follicles through the blood stream. For the best results, try to combine muscle building and cardiovascular workouts in your fitness regimen.

Reduce Stress
Some studies have found that testosterone tends to decline with increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. So, keep in mind that chronic stress will cause your male sex hormones to drop. Researchers have also discovered that stress is one of the factors known to induce premature hair loss. It’s therefore wise to control it when trying to grow a thick beard.

There are many ways to relieve stress. Try exercising, meditation, deep breathing techniques or confide in a loved one or psychiatrist to get things off your chest. Your beard will thank you later for keeping stress at bay.

Rest
The amount of sleep that you get or lack thereof can also affects beard growth indirectly. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, testosterone levels drop by as much as 15% in men who only get 5 hours or less of sleep per day. As the level of testosterone suffers, so does the denseness and overall growth of your beard. Therefore, make sure to get enough sleep when trying to grow a thicker beard. Adults should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day in order to maintain good health.

Adopt a Beard-Friendly Diet
Taking care of your health by eating well can potentially thicken your beard. Since the basic structure of hair is primarily protein, your beard will benefit from protein rich foods such as lean beef, poultry meat, eggs, fish, beans, and tofu. Try to maintain a healthy diet by eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains as well. Remember that a nutrient-rich, healthy, and balanced diet will promote testosterone production, which is essential for thick, healthy beards.

Supplements
Supplements offer a great way to bridge any nutritional gap in your diet. By supplementing, you can easily meet the daily recommended dietary allocations for specific nutrients. Be on the lookout for supplements that contain iron, vitamin E, selenium, Vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc as these nutrients are known to stimulate beard growth.

B complex vitamins such as biotin, Vitamin B1, B6, and B12 are also essential nutrients to have in any supplement you plan to take so as to promote healthy growth of facial hair. One popular supplement you can try is VitaBeard, which is essentially a multivitamin beard thickener.

Grooming Techniques to Make Your Beard Look Thicker

Certain grooming techniques can also cause the beard to appear dense. While these methods do not improve the texture of facial hair, you might want to try them if you just want your beard to look thicker. These methods include:

Shaving
This is probably the most common method used to make the beard look thicker. Some people say it’s just a myth, but shaving does actually cause hair to become a bit thick albeit only in the early stages of growth.

New hair tends to have a wiry and thick texture since the portion closest to the roots is darker and coarser than the ends. However, once the length of hair increases, it’s hard to notice the difference. This grooming technique is therefore best for men who prefer maintain a thick and well-trimmed stubble.

Dyeing
When you dye hair, it looks thicker than it actually is. For the best results, choose a darker color than the normal shade of your hair.

Products that Stimulate Facial Hair Growth

There are products that stimulate facial hair growth, but you should exercise caution and keep a lookout for any adverse side effects.

Rogaine (Minoxidil)
This over the counter medication is usually used by men to treat baldness. It’s actually approved by the FDA for hair loss. However, Minoxidil (also sold under the trade name Rogaine), is incredibly effective for growing hair anywhere.

Originally, Minoxidil was an oral drug for hypertension. When patients on this medication started to report about unwanted growth of body hair, topical Minoxidil was born.

You can use Rogaine as a beard thickener by applying it on your face. One application per day should be enough, but the treatment should be left on your face for at least 4 hours before washing it off. Should it stimulate hair growth on bald patches, this will cause your facial hair to appear fuller and denser.

Depending on your level of sensitivity, Minoxidil can cause side effects. To be safe, take it under the supervision of your dermatologist or doctor.

Beard Growing Sprays and Oils
You can also find plenty of topical applications online designed to increase beard thickness. Whether or not they’re effective and safe is subject to debate. However, if you’re willing to try them, stick with those that contain natural ingredients and promise to offer a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with the results.

Conclusion 
When followed diligently, the methods suggested above can help you to stimulate beard growth and increase the volume of facial hair. However, the results are not guaranteed and experiences will vary because every person is different.

It’s also important to point out that how thick your beard can grow largely depends on genetics. You can live the healthiest lifestyle eat the most nutritious food or try just about every product out there to stimulate thicker beard growth but still get stuck with what is encoded in your genes. Ah, such is life.