So you’ve grown a beard. Yes! But wait… instead of the thick, bushy face forest you’ve always associated with masculinity and virility, in the mirror staring back at you is some thin, patchy, wispy thing that makes you second guess growing a beard out. What the…?!
Why is it that fate afflicted you with a thin beard?
Bro, hang in there! Help is at hand! We’ll show you how to make that thin beard of yours become the studly statement of power you always wanted.
A thin or patchy beard is simply about three things. The main two are genetics and time. The other is beard grooming and care.
A thin or patchy beard is not always a bad thing. Look at Keanu Reeves or Johnny Depp. So you never know… if you let your patchy beard grow, you might be surprised and like it!
The longer the whiskers, the thicker and more substantial a beard looks. Beyond four weeks of growth – during which time beard itch can be a huge factor – patchy areas can fill in, or at least appear to fill in.
No matter how thin or itchy it is in the first few weeks, keep growing and let its full potential develop. Use a quality beard wash, a beard moisturizer and beard oil to nourish your skin and follicles and reduce dryness, cracking and flaking that cause itch.
At four weeks and beyond, beard hairs start to “connect” and fill in the gaps. You might be surprised how many dudes with big thick beards actually have thin, patchy beards that have been allowed to grow out.
If you want your beard to be thick and luscious, you gotta tend to it so it’s healthy. That means you should wash and groom it from about week 1 or 2. Don’t use soap or other face washes. Use a quality beard wash packed with natural moisturizing nutrients to nourish skin and follicles and to exfoliate and open pores.
Apply a couple drops of beard oil each day after washing. Rub them down to the skin. A premium beard oil will ensure a proper balance of essential carrier oils penetrate your skin and coat your whiskers to prevent itching and thicken up the strands’ growth. Dry whiskers lose protein and can become brittle and develop split ends, making a thin beard problem worse.
Start brushing your beard with a wild boar bristle beard brush to gently exfoliate away dirt and flakes while ensuring even distribution of carrier oils. You’ll also tame your whiskers to grow the way you want, giving them a thicker look than if they point every which way.
Furthermore, a groomed beard looks heavier than one that’s unkempt and sticks out all frizzy.
A thick, luxurious beard sprouts from healthy skin. So use a dedicated beard moisturizer because it will help your skin as well as your beard.
Exercising and raising your heart rate regularly boosts testosterone. And testosterone governs the health and growth of your facial hair. Lower testosterone produces a thin beard or a patchy beard.
Exercising also increases blood flow and circulation to supply oxygen and nutrients to skin and hair follicles for thicker hair growth.
Here's a great article if you want more info about it: The Relationship Between Beard Growth & Testosterone
Daily stress is a fact of life. But stress sends cortisol coursing through your bloodstream, which impedes the testosterone governing facial hair growth. Regulating and balancing stress is as essential as beard care products.
You don’t have to become a Yoga nut or meditation disciple. (Both these activities are great for reducing stress, by the way.) Just find daily moments and activities of calm to counteract stress.
Everything in balance, Grasshopper!
You’ve probably seen how a sleep-deprived person has unhealthy looking hair on their head. The same goes with a beard. Sleep-deprivation makes for a thin, unhappy beard.
A good 7-8 hours of sleep per night helps regenerate cells in your body and keep testosterone levels topped up. Adequate sleep is also a great way to reduce stress.
It’s simple: a healthy body grows healthy hairs.
Good protein and fresh whole foods will supply essential proteins, vitamins and minerals to your hair.
If you suffer from a thin beard, try switching it up from the typical western diet of fast food and convenience food. You’ll be amazed at the difference.
It’s a total myth that shaving helps facial hairs grow faster and thicker.
Freshly sprouting whiskers only appear thicker at first because their tips have been cut off abruptly and are blunt. In time, those tips develop a more tapered shape and the illusion of them being thicker is gone.
Want your thin beard to be thicker? Leave it alone and let it grow.
Check out this article: Does Shaving Really Make Your Beard Grow Faster?
After following the above tips and letting your facial hair grow for several weeks, if you still have a thin beard, then it’s time to work with what you’ve got by trimming and shaping it to emphasize its best qualities and avoid the “weaknesses”.
First, we strongly recommend letting a pro barber work on it. Trimming yourself requires practice. But if you insist on doing it yourself, don’t skimp on the electric beard trimmer – get a good one.
You may want the lines of your beard, especially on your cheeks or chin or jaw, to work around the patches. Trimming and tapering these thinner areas so they have clean, defined angles and lines can help a lot. This way the thicker areas of hair will be allowed to bulk up and look awesome.
Just whatever you do, don’t comb over!
Just remember the golden rule… when in doubt, let a pro handle the styling.
If you simply still cannot be satisfied with your thin beard, you may become frustrated to the point of turning to more desperate measures.
Just be very, very careful here. Work with experts only, not social media “armchair experts”.
So, never think of yourself as inadequate just because you have a thin beard. We salute all brothers who sport a beard proudly – any beard. Work wisely with what you’ve been given, take good care of it, and your thin beard can be just as potent and respect-worthy as a huge mane.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
