Seven Steps to a Healthier Beard
Beards are a trend that’s been around for generations. In fact, beards are a symbol of manhood and one of the many ways we identify male and female traits.
Anywhere you go, you’ll likely find bearded black men. Whether they’re short or long, there’s one thing most men have in common: they don’t want a patchy beard. Following these seven beard growth solutions ensure a full, healthier beard.
Tips for a Full Beard
1. Eat a proper diet.
What you eat determines your overall health, including how your hair grows. Therefore, it’s important to eat a healthy, balanced diet. In fact, a large amount of nutrients used to grow hair derive from food. Here’s a list of foods to increase hair growth:
Protein-Based Foods
Protein-rich foods increase biotin and protein levels, which are responsible for hair growth. Your follicles are mostly made of protein. When your body lacks protein, you produce less biotin, making hair brittle and less likely to grow.
Consuming foods like eggs and beans provide enough protein to maintain hair health. Plus, both foods are relatively inexpensive, making it easy to incorporate them into your diet. If possible, eat a few servings of red meat per week to further stimulate hair growth.
Vitamin C-Rich Foods
In addition to producing new growth, you must work on maintaining the health of your strands. Eating foods containing vitamin C boosts collagen levels, which make hair strands stronger. Collagen, the antioxidant responsible for strengthening your hair, also protects against oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is a major contributor to premature hair loss. When you eat foods like sweet peppers and citrus fruits, your collagen levels rise. Eating one yellow sweet pepper is equivalent to eating five oranges.
Vitamin E-Rich Foods
Another healthy vitamin for hair growth is vitamin E. Vitamin E is great for neutralizing free radicals, promoting hair growth, and nourishing your scalp. Oftentimes, it’s not only your hair follicles that stifle your hair growth.
If the surrounding skin is damaged, it’s difficult for hair to flourish.
Eating foods with vitamin E like nuts, seeds, and avocados provide enough vitamin E necessary for hair growth. Not only does it strengthen your hair, but it heals damaged skin surrounding your hairs.
There are simple ways to incorporate these foods into your daily diet. You can blend them into smoothies, add them to avocado toast, or even make a dip. Either way, you’ll add both vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, which also enhance hair growth.
2. Drink plenty of water.
A major way to improve a patchy beard is staying hydrated. Your body requires a certain amount of water everyday to function. When you’re hydrated, your blood flow and circulation increase.
Proper blood flow improves skin health, which is the foundation of a healthy beard. Do what you can to drink enough water to accommodate your lifestyle and encourage growth.
3. Exercise
Exercise and hydration go hand in hand. Staying active also improves blood circulation. Not only does working out improve blood flow, it raises testosterone levels and recovery, which also improve your beard. Create a workout regimen for a healthier beard.
4. Keep your beard clean.
If you want your beard to thrive, you must keep it clean. Between environmental stress and food residue, your beard comes in contact with numerous particles. To keep it clean, you must wash it at least once a week.
Although you wash your hair with shampoo, it won’t work for your facial hair. The chemicals and dyes strip your beard of its natural oils and nutrients, creating a patchy beard. Invest in a quality beard wash that deeply cleans and conditions both your hair and skin.
5. Avoid stress.
When your cortisol levels increase, your testosterone levels decrease. As testosterone declines, your beard struggles to remain healthy and grow. Elevated stress levels also negatively impact your other bodily functions, including circulation and nutrient distribution.
Therefore, avoid stress whenever possible. If necessary, utilize techniques like meditation and breathing exercises to lower cortisol levels.
6. Keep your beard moisturized.
Even if you consistently clean your beard, it won’t grow without proper moisture. Moreover, your hair texture is unique and naturally requires additional moisture. For fullness and length retention, you must keep your beard moisturized.
Based on your texture, you can’t use any commercial product. Purchase quality, texture-specific beard balms and oils to improve your beard quality. Aim for all-natural products if possible for optimal results.
Be sure to brush your beard often. Brushing allows you to better distribute your natural oils evenly, which helps your beard grow uniformly. Brushing also allows your longer hairs to blend and cover shorter, patchy areas.
7. Be patient.
One of the most important tips to a healthy, patch-free beard is patience. It’s quite common for men to give up when they don’t immediately see results. As they say, anything worth having is worth waiting for. With proper TLC, your beard growing process takes at least six weeks.
Typically, your beard grows a half an inch every month. In the beginning of your beard journey, however, it’s normal for your beard to grow faster and fuller in certain areas. As you continue on your beard growth journey, you’ll see routine growth as your beard takes shape.
It’s also common to experience itchiness when you begin growing your beard. It’s especially common if you’re recovering from ingrown hairs. Do your best to leave it alone and continue growing your beard.
The Takeaway
While all beards aren’t created equal, there are fool-proof ways to maintain a healthy beard. Remember, you must be patient and make an effort to grow a full, patch-free beard. Even if you experience a few bumps in the road, you have to stay the course and be consistent for great results.
Keeping track of what you eat, staying hydrated, and being active all contribute to proper circulation and blood flow. Once your body functions at an optimal level, the additional beard growth solutions will help your beard thrive.
Being amongst other bearded black men is the ultimate sign of masculinity. Instead of admiring other men’s luxurious facial hair, show some love and commitment to growing your own. By making a habit of utilizing these seven beard growth solutions, your beard will flourish.
By: Alex Rogers
Alex is a beard aficionado who loves everything to do with men’s style and grooming. After discovering how much difference simple style and grooming made to his life; he started his blog and brand Norse Grooming to share valuable tips & products with others.
