How to Grow a Beard

It takes a man to grow a beard. Well, technically it takes testosterone to grow a beard, but most often, sufficient testosterone is found in adult men. Beards come in a great variety of colors, styles and textures. They can be a sign of masculinity or even part of a religious observance. Many men would like to grow beards, but for various reasons cannot. Though they may read about special diets and remedies on hundreds of websites, they often remain unsuccessful at growing a thick, luxurious beard. What if anything can they do to rectify the situation>

Making the Commitment
The first step in cultivating a beard is making the actual commitment to grow one. This is no trifling matter. Growing a beard takes at least four weeks, including enduring an uncomfortable itchy period and having to answer ridiculous questions like "Are you trying to grow a beard?" from your friends and colleagues. Pick a time when you can get a running start, like the beginning of a vacation or over a long weekend.

Don't shave
Despite popularly held beliefs, shaving will not make your beard grow faster or thicker. Facial hair grows a a set rate that cannot be changed, even if you shave regularly. People mistakenly believe this old wives' tale because when you start with a smooth face, stubbly hairs appear to be growing more quickly. They're not. It just looks that way because of the hair's contrast to your smooth skin. In fact, the hair in your beard will grow at the same rate after one year as it did after one day.

Wait to shape
Let your beard grow as much as possible before trying to shape it. Not all of the hairs on your face will be actively growing at the same time. Some areas might appear to be hairless, but over the weeks, the hairs that happened to be dormant there might start to grow.

Unlike your scalp, the hair on your face will not cover every inch of your face. Most men will have some areas that are spotty or thin, like on their cheeks and chin. How much hair you have is determined by genetic and hormonal factors. Unfortunately, there is little you can do about it except to try to work with what you've got.

No-gaine
What about applying Rogaine (minoxidil) to your face? Minoxidil causes hair growth on the scalps of men (and women) with hereditary hair loss. Why it works is not really known. In theory, Rogaine might help you grow a beard. However, it is not FDA-approved to grow facial hair and has never been proven to work in clinical studies. Applying minoxidil to your face can cause irritation and acne. If ingested or if applied in excessive amounts, minoxidil could cause serious side effects, like a drop in blood pressure.

Eating right
Unfortunately, eating a diet that's high in protein or taking prenatal or other vitamins have never been shown to help beards grow. They are unlikely to have any effect, except on your wallet. A possible exception is biotin. Biotin is a dietary supplement known to help with hair and nail growth. Consider taking 2.5mg of biotin each day.

Beard maintenance
You might find that growing a beard gives you an itchy, red, scaly rash on your face. Try using a little dandruff shampoo like Head and Shoulders on your beard two or three times each week. A mild over-the-counter steroid cream like hydro cortisone one percent can also be used occasionally to minimize irritation and itching.
After four to six weeks, you should have a good idea what your beard will look like. If after six weeks you find people saying: "Oh, are you trying to grow a beard?" consider the clean-shaven look.