Through the site, I get lots and lots of questions about beards all the time. Over the years, the question that I get most often comes from guys who report having little or no beard development. They ask if there is a cream, a medicine, or some other remedy that they can use to produce beard growth.
The sad truth is that there is no magic solution to produce beard growth where there is little or none. If the guy is young, patience may be the answer, as there is always the chance that he will develop more facial hair in the future. Otherwise, unless there is a medical problem inhibiting beard development, there’s really not much that can be done.
Many who ask this question express having a great deal of anxiety over their insufficient beard growth. Some have even reported contemplating suicide because of extreme frustration and powerful feelings of inferiority that stem from the inability to grow a beard. I recognize that it is a serious problem for them. Although others may insensitively dismiss it as being trivial, it is not. For many, the pain and frustration are profound.
I encourage all guys to work on accepting the level of beard development that they have and learning to make the most of it. If it still bothers a guy enough, I encourage him to consult a medical doctor. The doctor may not be able to help him develop more beard growth, but should be able to assist the patient in understanding the situation and help him to build coping skills. This is one of the toughest lessons about beards.
im 20 years old and can grow a full beard in about 2 days…i have to shave 2 or 3 times per day….Is this normal?? No one in my family has to shave multiple times per day and I don’t know of anyone else that has this “gift” i should say… Is there something wrong with me steve?? it’s really annoying having to shave again at 2 oclock in the afternoon
Billy Bob,
I’ve known of others with this same “complaint”. While it’s not typical, I am not qualified to say whether or not there might be “something wrong” with you. For that, see your doctor. If it’s nothing more than a heavy beard that’s fast-growing, you should be a great candidate for growing a beard. That would eliminate having to shave again each day by 2:00 PM. Good luck to you!
I have insufficient growth of moustche and beard.
please suggest some medicine
Sunil,
I cannot suggest any medicine. Please consult a doctor if this is an important problem for you.
Hi All,
My father had to shave multiple times a day and so does my younger brother. My father used to scrap his stubble across my tender face at bedtime when I was young and I hated the feeling. I am now in my late sixties and still have almost no facial hair. Now, nose and ear hair is another story, however.
In order not to completely ruin the economy, I put a new blade in my razor every month; if, big if, I remember. Not being able to grow sideburns, beard, etc., has never seemed to be a drawback socially or in business.
God gave me great hair, not much height, little facial hair, lots of talents, and more. If I was asked of inputs to my make up, I am convinced that the product would have been a total disaster.
Bill G.
Everyone should realize that the last person whose appearance was improved by facial hair was Abraham Lincoln,
So don’t worry about your beard growth. Just shave it like a real man. Of course, if you are really ugly, it won’t make you look any worse. Nor any better, either.
Heyo,
I am on my first beard, or what I hope will become one, about 3 weeks in and have a pretty good showing so far. But my problem is that I have a very “strong” “big” “pointy” whatever chin that juts out. While I like my chin, the whiskers growing down from my lower lip are growing right into my chin and visa versa. Its becoming pretty annoying/painful. But I’m afraid that if I try to trim it short in that one spot it will throw everything off.
Any thoughts?
Adam, I suggest honing your patience against your “soul patch.” After the hairs grow longer, they’ll lie along the skin instead of trying to pierce it. Then consider any trimming or shaping there. If you shave there, the shaving will have to happen daily to keep a consistent look and prevent the return of the inverted pincushion.
when i grow my moustache, there’s an annoying part in the center where hair does not grow. at all. how come? my dad’s moustache stretches right across his upper lip, same with all the men in my family
bb, I’ve seen that map on some men, in weekend stubble and real mustaches.
I know there are some people who haven’t gotten used to talking comfortably with men whose facial hair makes some lip and cheek movements difficult to see. Therefore, your map, grown out, isn’t as abrupt a cultural filter as mine is.
Why or how did you get an apparently unique mustache map in your family? I can only guess, yet I strongly believe there’s no need to harbor doubts about paternal identity. Recessive genes (both mother’s and father’s genes control a man’s beard)? A new (and not necessarily bad) mutation in your family? Different experience in your mother’s womb? Different experience while growing up? My facial hair is different from my brother’s in color, texture, fast-growth areas and slow-growth areas, but we and our cousins who share our surname also share the same face structure.
i don’t know how that happened, but its kind of odd. I’m almost in my 20s. do you think it will fill in more?
bb, since you’re that young, rest assured you can look forward to quite a bit of “filling in.”
My whiskers filled in enough for me to grow my first full, mostly-symmetrical set around age 21, but I didn’t see the cheek lines and over-the-throat areas arrive at true fill-in and symmetry until my mid 30’s. I might even have failed to notice their arrival for a few years because I had been experimenting with different styles.
hey steve(the one with the beard lol) i was wondering if there was any difference when it comes to facial hair growth if you use a normal razor instead of an electric one because i cant stand eletric razors
I’m 21 and i can only grow what my friends call the neck beard, no mustache and barely some burns, do you think in time it will happen?
Nathan: Shaving, by whatever type of razor, does not affect the rate or development of facial hair growth. See: http://www.beards.org/beardfaq.php#shaving
pewole: I have no way of knowing. You’ll just have to wait and see. Good luck to you.
hello Steve
can u tell us(not having beard at 19),whats r the things which shuld be kept in mind whilie eating, n whats r the possible things which we can do ,that would be helpful in growin bread, as u said that,it will be better for us to wait n watch ,but as some one said to exercise n eat good n all that ,can u tell that in details pls
I used to be able to grow a perfect beard when I about 16, now I’m 18 and there seems to be more and more thin patches and bald spots popping up in my beard, does anybody know what is causing this, and what can be done about it
I’m 20 and recently I noticed that the fuzz on my cheeks is finally getting darker and longer in some spots. Does this mean I’m going to have a beard soon? My dad was never able to grow a beard on his cheeks, so I suppose I have inherited my facial hair from my mother’s side, could this be the case?
I am so glad I found your site, I am one of those guys “stressing out”
over my insufficient beard growth. I have had a mustache since I was about 17 and it grows in pretty well. I am 48 now and have had some form of a goatee for several years. Although I shave every day I never thought my cheek area produced enough hair for a beard. WIth the sudden rash of beard growth among men I decided to jump in. I was not real encouraged at christmas when every male relative there had a very full beard and mine is extremely thin after two weeks. Going on three weeks now it is thickening up a little but very slowly. It takes my goatee quite a long time to grow and it is comparatively thin and also has a lot of gray and blond hairs which doesn’t help.
I am encouraged by Pauls comments and have decided to let it go for two months to see what happens. My co-workers and students may just have to put up with it since I am a big beard fan.
Thanks
Dan
Hey, Dan. I hope it grows in well enough to please you. At the very least, you will have given it a sufficient chance to find out. Good luck to you!
Dan, Some times it takes awhile for the beard to fill in. Be patient and you may well have a nice surprise.
A year ago because of a change in policy at my workplace, I could for the first time grow facial hair (other than just a moustache, which I wasn’t interested in). I grew a goatee and was very happy with it, and frankly very proud of it. But I didn’t consider growing a full beard–I was convinced it would be too patchy–especially in the sideburn area, where it didn’t seem that my facial hair joined up to the hair on my head.
This Christmas, though, I decided to go whole hog–let everything grow for a while and see what happened. Again, I have been very pleased with the results–it is even filling in reasonably well on the sideburn areas. Will I keep the full beard or just go back to a goatee? Not sure yet–it’s still a work in progress–but I have learned that I can grow sideburns!
I have really enjoyed this site. One thing that really interests me is how insecure men seem to be about their beards/beard growth. I’ll see a picture of a guy with what I would consider is a terrific beard and his comment will be, “I wish it were thicker.” We’re probably all our own worst critics!
Go for it! Let it grow and see what happens! You may be quite thrilled with the results. I know I have been. It’s a new hobby.
I’m tending to steer away from the goatee right now because they have become so “trendy” and “everybody has one.” (Well, all the males, anyway.) I grew it initially because I thought it looked good (and I was right) 😉 I don’t want people to look at me, though, and think I’m just following some trend. I was one of the first to set the trend! So maybe the full beard will be the next trend, and I’ll help set that. Then I’ll switch back to the goatee.
The possibilities are endless.
A quote from C. S. Lewis: “We have now for many centuries triumphed over nature to the extent of making certain secondary characteristics of the male (such as the beard) disagreeable to nearly all the females – and there is more in that than you might suppose.”
Im 32 with and i can only grow a beard on the left side of my face (really) the right side i can grow a little its just that i have a round patch missing and i hate it because i want to grow a chin strap or a beard and when i try my friends make fun of me they tell me to color it in with a sharpee lol maybe im just a late bloomer …women actually like it when i grow it out but im still very self conscious about it.
Midnight, you don’t have to go with the whole beard. There are lots of other possibilities . . .
Check out the styles–
http://www.beards.org/styles.php
Just thought will put in my bit about the beard thing. Beard is a natural component for a man. God created Adam with a beard. Subsequently all the Prophets that followed had beards, including Jesus Christ (may peace be upon him), until the last Prophet Mohammad(may peace be upon him). Science also proves that having a beard can be very advantageous for men. It acts as a filter from germs, bacteria thereby preventing several throat diseases. It performs as a natural sunscreen from direct sunlight, protecting the skin of the face during summer. Also keeps warm from cold climate conditions, not to mention strong harmful winds, which works as a shield. By simply stroking your beard downwards can also destress your mind, body and also bring down the heart rate to normalcy. Most importantly, beards act as a natural stimulant for higher potency for sex 🙂 Men don’t grow beards, God does. Men cut down which is a naturally endowed gift from Him. So, let it flow guys!
Good grief, my facial hair irritates me. Not that I don’t like beards in general, it’s just MY facial hair. It grows fairly fast, and individualy the hairs are thick. But they’re so spars and wiry and bushy (it looks like I have steel wool growing out of my face, with the skin clearly visible underneath), it isn’t attractive in the least, and everyone I know agrees. Because the hairs are so wiry and coarse, it’s a pain to shave and I suffer constant razor bumps when I do, especialy considering how frequently I have to shave if I choose too. Essentialy, I’m uncomfortable if I shave, and ugly if I don’t. Ugh. The only thing I have any hope for is a stachless goattee, though I had hoped to grow a nice chin-strap. I’m twenty, and I know you can still get some development into adulthood, but do I really have much of a chance?
does not having a beard effect fertility in men?
Paine, I don’t think a beard affects your fertility. However, your fertility might cause better beard growth. Testosterone does affect the growth of facial hair as well as baldedness. It’s all in the genes, not in the hair.
I have had a beards for 2 years now. I am 60 years old andI enjoy having it and not having to shave. I keep it quite short because it looks better when I am dealing with the public. I am a salesmen.Just one question out there why don’t I see more white beards. You know, white is beautiful
One thing seems to be overlooked here. All the hairs in the beard, granting that genetics sets the total number, are not growing at the same time. Some are in the active growth stage, some have reached terminal or maximum length—as shown in the galleries where guys have beards at their terminal length; and finally some are dormant or resting.
When growing a beard, time must be allowed for those growing hairs to reach the terminal stage, while the dormant hairs will start and reach the length the guy wants to maintain. It’s this addition of dormant hairs to growing and terminal hairs that gives the beard the sensation of becoming thicker and denser, to the genetic limit, after about six to eight months.
I’m 19 and have been able to grow a beard I’ve been proud of since I was 16. My chin is a very red color, my Irish side coming out, and the rest of it is jet black. My main concern is that my cheeks, on both sides, have a small patch that grows little to no hair, I’m wondering if it is something that will fix its self or if I might not be able to grow there at all. Should a doctor be contacted to see?
i m 26 yrs old guy from india.i have very less facial hair on my face.which hair r there r too weak and light.that no one can recognize that there r any bread in my face or not.i want good bread and hairs on my cheast.Is there any way.Plz help me out.
jude, you are still young. your beard has only just started growing. beards very rarely fill in evenly and all at once. when i was 21 i could grow a half desent moustache and goatee but the sideburns were very patchy and i was actually getting worried whether i would ever be able to grow them….now i am 36 and would have to shave twice a day if i wanted to be really clean shaven.
so don’t worry, eventually it should come. try and forget about it for now and you wont even notice.
I am 19. Annoyingly, my dad can grow a beard. He says it grows slowly, but would if he didnt shave it.
I have always wanted a beard, but as time goes by it seems less and less likely. I am blonde, (so not great already) and I can grow a moustache and 2 triangles of pepper coloured hair on my chin. On my cheeks and sideburns I can sort of see faint white hairs, but they never seem to amount to much. will these always stay this way?
I know I will likely have to wait for hopefully more development, but by then I will be out of university when nobody cares if you have a beard or not. Its a shame really because one or two of my friends have beards. grr
Let me tell you this all of those that would like a beard: LET IT GROW! Let it grow for about 4 weeks then trim. I am thin on the top, so I’ve trimmed the bottom until the top has matched. Now I look like Billy Maze.
This still is a horrible tragedy. Billy Mays was one of the worlds greatest icons. Billy Mays was far more charismatic, helpful, and memorable than Patrick Swayze whom the media loves to dote on. We need to remember a man who changed the way we watch infomercials. A man that was dedicatted to the best. Who we imitated, looked up to, and loved in his life as we shall continue to in his death. A death which leaves the world in comparative silence, in the wake of his strong voice. RIP, Billy Mays… We’ll remember you online when we use ALL CAPs to type.
Hey, I’ve been frustrated all my adult life until now, at 56, my beard is finally starting to fill in the bald spots on each side of the chin between the goatee and the sideburns. Sad thing is I’ve always known I’d look 100% better with a full beard. I’ve grown it three times up until now over the last fifteen years and each time it’s been a little thicker. But what I’m wondering is if anyone else has been kinda shocked by how thin and sparse their beard FEELS even if it looks fairly acceptable. I would expect it to feel thick and lush, but I can feel my chin almost like there’s no hair there! Is that nowmal for a guy with a beard?
I hv beards bt not as thick as would have loved to
Hi, I am 27 and I have a bald patch on one side of my beard and under my chin on the same side. Hair has never grown there so it’s not Alopecia Areata and nobody in my family has the same thing. It wouldn’t bother me so much if it was on both sides but it looks really stupid having a bald patch on one side. I can’t find much information about it, a comment somewhere said to try steroid injections in the area. Does anyone know about this or anyone tried it? I will ask my doctor about it next time I go but I’m not going to go just for that.
Paul,
It’s a good idea to ask about it when you see the doctor. There’s no way for us to know what it could be. You might try covering the spots with growth from the surrounding areas. If that doesn’t work out, then you may just have to design a beard style that works well with your growth pattern. Good luck to you.
Paul, don’t try steroids think in side effects
The best thing you can do is to visit a dermatologist it can be a Tinea versicolor and can be treated.
Hope this can help:
When i was very young 17-19, i only grow a light mustache .My chest grow more faster than my face.My first combination ,goatee, was at 25 years old ,my beard still incomplete at that moment. i get my first beard at 33 and still not totally complete …now at 40’s i can grow a complete full beard ,i even developed more hairs in my body.
hormones are the cause and for men reaching the 40’s will get different results.
im 26 year old boy no hair in my face and chest tell me any sollution
Jagadish: That may just be your genetic profile. If you think there could be a medical problem that is to blame, then the best thing to do would be to consult a physician. Good luck to you.
Here’s a guy who had this problem and fixed it. I thought I could give you guys some tips:
1- grow the beard and let it grow even if it’s thin. For people like us to takes longer time, some hair fossils require longer time to grow, sometimes months. Keep trimming it but keep it long enough.
2- so many factors affect the thickness including Genetics.
3- raising the level of testosterone by exercising will help alot.
4- working on the blood flow in the face with solutions and exercise. You can use Minoxidil sprays for weak areas.
5- hair vitamins like biotin and some multi vitamins for the hair help alot too.
6- eating well helps with the blood circulation.
So you need good health, vitamins, solutions and testosterone to overcome the thin beard.
Basically: let the beard grow and work on these factors with patience and persistence. You will face moments of despair especially that it will take you a few months. It takes real patience and commitment.
Sultan:
Thanks for sharing your experience and advice.
To all: Remember that beards.org cannot give medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult a medical professional. Good luck to all!
A lot of men grow bad@ss beards!
The original truly outstanding beard man grows a d@mn good beard!
Jared’s beard rocks!
I think all men should grow zz top beards.