Many men desire the distinctly rugged appearance that a beard provides, and many women find facial hair attractive on men. Unfortunately, no magic bullet exists for overnight hair growth. Growing a beard, mustache or goatee takes time, but maintaining a healthy diet and taking care of yourself maximizes your facial hair's growth cycle.
Nutrients for Hair Growth
A balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean protein provide most of the nutrients your body needs to grow healthy hair on your face and your scalp. Some of the most important vitamins for hair growth include vitamin A, biotin, niacin and inositol. These nutrients nourish and moisturize your hair and support the production of keratin, which is the protein comprising most of your hair's composition. While a healthy diet will give you most of the vitamins you need, dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Benabio suggests taking 2.5 mg of a biotin supplement daily to specifically target facial hair growth.
Rest and Relaxation
The Belgravia Centre reports that excessive stress can cause hair loss or the halt of hair growth, known as telogen effluvium. Try to minimize your daily stressors, and find ways to unwind. Learn to meditate, take a yoga class, read a book, watch a movie or do whatever helps you to relax. Lack of sleep also causes serious stress for your body, so try to get six to eight hours of sleep each night.
Topical Treatments
Keep your skin and facial hair clean by massaging a mild shampoo into your beard every time you shower. If you are just starting to grow a beard, you may experience painful, itchy or dry skin. Before you abandon your attempt to grow your facial hair, try applying lotion or baby oil to the irritated areas. If that doesn't work, an over-the-counter steroid, like a 1-percent hydrocortisone cream, may provide relief. As a nice side benefit of these topical treatments, the act of massaging the skin increases circulation to the area and may stimulate hair growth, according to HairLossExpert.co.uk.
Important Warning about Minoxidil
You may have heard that applying minoxidil, known by the brand name Rogaine, to your face could speed up facial hair growth. However this has never been scientifically proven and the Food and Drug Administration has not approved minoxidil for facial hair growth. Dr. Benabio warns that applying minoxidil to your face may cause irritation and acne. Furthermore, if accidentally ingested, it could cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure.
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