According to Dr. Jeffery Benabio FAAD, member of the the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the American Medical Association, growing facial hair will require "patience, persistence and just enough testosterone." The third factor is particularly significant, because your facial hair will begin to grow as your testosterone levels increase during puberty. Because of genetic influences, some boys will enter puberty before others and thus will be able to grow facial hair sooner. While genetics will always play a factor, there are numerous lifestyle changes that you can make that will maximize your potential to grow facial hair at a young age.
Step 1
Ask your doctor to recommend a multivitamin for you. Nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition will hinder your body's development, energy levels and even your potential facial hair growth. It can be difficult to get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs from solid food. A multivitamin will replace the vitamins and minerals that your diet may be missing.
Step 2
Ask your doctor to recommend a biotin supplement for you. Dr. Benabio recommends 2.5mg of biotin a day. Many multivitamin formulas have significantly less than this amount, so you will have to check the label. Biotin is linked to hair growth and maintenance.
Step 3
Eat protein. Your body makes hair from the dietary protein that you consume. Hair is actually made of keratin protein. 10 to 35 percent of your calories should come from protein. The chart in the resource section from the Baylor University College of Medicine has information on the amount of protein you need to eat based on your age.
Step 4
Don't smoke and try not to breathe secondhand smoke. Smoking is bad for your health and it can also be bad for your hair. Nicotine from cigarette smoke hinders your body's ability to absorb nutrients needed for hair growth and decreases blood circulation by constricting blood vessels. Smoking is linked to premature hair loss.
Step 5
Don't shave your facial hair or beard. Contrary to popular belief, shaving will not increase the speed or thickening of your facial hair. It will merely temporarily remove it. You will need to grow your facial hair for at least 4 weeks before making any styling changes.
Things You'll Need
- Multivitamin with biotin
References
- The Dermatology Blog; Dr. Jeffery Benabio, MD, FAAD.: How to Grow a Beard in 10 Easy Steps
- Hudson's Guide: Facial Hair, Growth and Grooming
- Beards.org: All About Beards: Growing a Beard
- University of Minnesota: Second Hand Smoke Facts
- Mayo Clinic: Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with These Nutrition Guidelines
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin H (Biotin)
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