September 01, 2022

It’s pretty safe to say that every single guy growing out their beard wants it to grow faster. This leads many of them to try a variety of “tricks” to accelerate beard growth, including shaving.

But does shaving your beard off really make it grow back faster, or are you parting ways with all of your progress for nothing? 

Let’s dig in…

The Cold, Hard Truth

Shaving does NOT make a beard grow faster. Plain and simple.

Sorry to break it to you, my man, but shaving makes no difference at all when it comes to how fast your beard grows. 

You simply have to go through the entire process. Patience, grasshopper!

But we know A) that's not what you want to hear, and B) there are a lot of claims and myths out there that will state otherwise. So, let’s continue putting the smack down on this shaving nonsense…

Shedding the Bogus Myth

It seems so simple when somebody claims on TikTok or Instagram that shaving can make a beard grow faster. But in reality, somebody who does that can easily use some video/photo trickery – especially if they’re (conveniently) promoting a product.

And therein lies the main reason that myths about magically enhanced growth exist… to sell gimmicks and snake oil. They do this by trying to make you feel inadequate about your hair growth, as if this is somehow a reflection on your manliness.

Well, it’s not. It’s a pretty safe bet that your beard hairs grow around the same rate as anybody else. The average rate of growth is anywhere from 0.15 to 0.5 of an inch per month. The variations are due to genetics (which you can do nothing about), age (it may grow a bit thicker in your 30s and older), and maybe your lifestyle and environment.

Shaving SHORTENS Whiskers - So Don’t Start All Over

I mean, think about it. It’s kind of obvious, but shaving makes a beard …shorter. 

After 6 months, the beard on most dudes will have grown about 2.5 inches long.

But if you shave after 3 or 4 weeks, it’s still going to take 6 months to get to that 2.5-inch length.

So shaving is no good because you have to start all over again! In the time wasted by shaving, that beard would have grown longer. I mean, after a month or two can you really expect a shave to provide such growth that hairs come pouring out and catch up to what was lost? 

Sadly, the myth about shaving speeding up beard growth has persisted for many, many years. And the carnage has been devastating. All those beards lost… RIP…

The Beard Thickening Illusion

Some people will swear blind that after shaving it off, their beard grew back with enhanced thickness and ferocity.

That’s an illusion.

Newly sprouted stubble hairs are coarse and blunt at their tips. They feel thick and meaty and super prickly. They may even look thicker and meatier and pricklier than whiskers you had before shaving. But that changes with time. Over the few weeks following the last shave, beard hair tips become tapered, which makes them feel softer and thinner at the ends. However, the main shafts of the hairs don’t change at all. Nor does the speed of growth.

The Scraggly “Stagnant” Phase

During the first month or so, it can be tempting to shave and start over because you may feel like your beard is either slowing down or coming in all patchy. It takes time for a beard to fill in because hairs grow at different rates. Some slow down a bit while others keep growing, causing a patchy and uneven look that can be disheartening.

Hang in there! Another month or two of growth will enable all the hairs to “connect” and fill out the patches. Plus a judicious trim (a very small one!) may help the appearance of thickness.

What Really Determines the Speed of Beard Growth?

Well, not shaving. That’s for sure. 

  • Genetics. Whatever thickness of beard your father or grandfathers had will determine your beard thickness and growth speed.
  • Age. Ever notice that teenagers grow patchy peach-fuzz beards or even what the British call “bumfluff”? Beards tend to get fuller into the 20s and 30s. 
  • Hormones. This links to both genetics and age. Testosterone level will determine a lot about a beard’s thickness or thinness. e.g. Women have much less testosterone and thus don’t grow full beards. If your testosterone levels are low, you may have some other symptoms like low sex drive, fatigue, and even erectile dysfunction.
  • Ethnicity. For instance, men from the Middle East and the Asian subcontinent tend to grow very thick, coarse beard hairs. Meanwhile, Asian men tend to have a lot less facial hair. Caucasian men and men of African ethnicity generally fall somewhere between.
  • Health and lifestyle. You can definitely slow down beard growth by regularly eating poorly, over-washing with harsh products, smoking, being exposed to heavy UV rays, and being stressed out.

Tips for Helping your Beard Grow Happy and Healthy 

By now, you should be picking up the theme that you can’t speed up beard growth, but you can help its thickness and overall health. So you may as well do everything you can to make your face forest luscious and glowing with greatness.

First, put the razor away! Shaving won’t do anything for growth.

Second, the basics… eat well and get plenty of good nutrients every day, quit smoking/vaping, reduce stress, exercise regularly, sleep well, and be patient. 😊

Third, take good care of your skin and groom. Beard hairs grow from the inside, so healthy skin is important.

Here are some tips:

  • Wash with a gentle beard wash enhanced with natural essential ingredients.
  • Apply beard oil daily for essential moisture and conditioning for your whiskers and skin.
  • Brush smoothly with a beard brush that will never snag or tug.
  • Apply some beard balm if you need extra shaping or an extra boost of nutrients and hydration or a feeling of extra thickness.

We implore you to let your beard grow and flow. As we should have proven by now, shaving won’t stimulate faster growth. It’s just a myth. 

If anything, shaving your beard off will just delay the time it takes you to achieve the legendary look you desire and deserve.

So beard out and let it grow!




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