Growing a beard is mostly an exercise in not quitting at week three. The itch, the patches and the sense that you look like you forgot to shave are all normal, and they pass. Men who make it to week eight usually find they have a beard.
To grow a beard, stop shaving for four to eight weeks, wash and moisturize the skin, eat and sleep well and trim only the neckline and stray hairs while it fills in. Speed is mostly genetics, so no product makes hair grow faster than your body allows. What you can control is how the beard looks along the way.
How do you grow a beard?
Put the razor away and give it four weeks before you judge anything. Facial hair grows about half an inch a month on average, and full coverage often takes two to four months.
Weeks one and two
It looks like stubble. This is the itchy stage, when the hair is short and sharp. Wash with a mild cleanser and moisturize the skin. Do not trim.
Weeks three and four
The patches become obvious and many men give up. Hold on. Hair grows in at different rates, and gaps often fill in between weeks four and eight.
Weeks five to eight
You can see the shape. Now is the time to go to a barber, set the neckline and cheek line and decide on a style. A beard trim and grooming visit at $18 turns an overgrown face into a beard. If the growth stays thin, a shorter style such as the short boxed beard hides the gaps well.
How do you make your beard grow faster?
You mostly cannot. Beard growth is set by genetics and hormones, so the best you can do is support healthy skin and hair and avoid damaging it.
- Sleep seven to eight hours, since growth and repair happen at night.
- Eat enough protein and a varied diet, because hair is built from what you eat.
- Exercise regularly, which helps circulation and general health.
- Keep stress down, as high stress can affect hair growth.
- Do not shave to make it thicker. That is a myth, and shaving does not change the hair.
Products and tools get a lot of attention. Derma rollers are one of the loudest claims, but the evidence is limited and it carries a risk of skin damage and infection. Read what we think in do derma rollers work for beard growth. If you suspect a medical cause, such as a vitamin deficiency or a hormone issue, speak to a doctor.
Patience is still the best method. Most of the improvement in a beard comes from time, not from any bottle.
How do you apply beard oil?
Put two to four drops in your palm, rub your hands together and work it through the beard from the roots to the tips, with a few passes on the skin underneath. Apply it to a slightly damp beard, after a shower, for the best result.
- Wash and dry your face gently, leaving the beard a little damp.
- Warm two or three drops of oil between your palms.
- Massage it into the skin under the beard first, then smooth it through the hair.
- Comb or brush the beard into shape.
- Use less on a short beard and more on a long one.
Too much oil makes a beard look greasy and can clog pores, which leads to spots. Start small and add more only if it still feels dry. Beard oil softens the hair and the skin, and it can ease itching, but it does not grow hair, as we explain in does beard oil help growth. For the difference between oil and balm, read how to use beard balm.
How do you make beard oil at home?
A simple beard oil is a carrier oil with a few drops of essential oil for scent. It is easy, but be careful with essential oils, which can irritate skin.
Use a light carrier oil, such as jojoba or sweet almond, as the base. Jojoba is close to the skin’s own oil and rarely clogs pores. Add essential oil in a very small amount, about a few drops per ounce of carrier, or skip the scent. Store it in a dark glass bottle away from heat.
Test it on a small patch of skin first, since nut oils and essential oils can cause reactions. Anyone with sensitive skin or allergies should check with a pharmacist or dermatologist before using it. A plain carrier oil with no added scent is the safest version, and it does the same job as the expensive bottles.
How do you properly trim a beard?
Trim the beard dry, start with the longest guard and work down, then define the cheek line and the neckline. Cutting too short at the start is the mistake you cannot undo.
Step by step
- Comb the beard so the hairs stand out evenly.
- Run the clipper with a long guard, from the sideburns down to the chin.
- Check the length, then go one guard shorter if you need to.
- Trim the mustache so it sits just above the lip.
- Set the cheek line at the natural edge, then the neckline about two fingers above the Adam’s apple.
- Brush away loose hair and check in good light.
For a crisp finish, use a razor or a trimmer on the neckline only. Our guide to how to line up a beard covers the edges in detail. And if the skin gets raw after trimming or shaving, read about beard burn to see what is happening and how to calm it.
How do you trim a short beard?
Use a guard, keep the length even and spend your effort on the edges. A short beard looks clean or messy based on its lines, and the length hardly matters.
A short beard is usually between a number 1 and a number 3 guard. Trim every five to seven days to keep it from drifting. Shape the cheek line to follow the natural curve of the beard instead of forcing a straight line, and keep the neckline above the jaw. The easiest short beard to keep is the one with a tidy outline. The short rule is to keep the length even, keep the lines clean and never skip the neck.
Do not chase a perfectly straight cheek line with a trimmer, because beards grow in curves and a ruler edge looks fake. Trim a little at a time, step back from the mirror and check both sides. If one side looks different, take the longer side down to match instead of starting over. A short beard forgives small errors, but it does not forgive a lopsided neckline, so take your time there.
When the beard grows past the guard you started with, move up one number and repeat. Keeping a note of your guard setting saves you from guessing next week.
If you want help with the shape, a guide to shaping a beard to your face shape explains where to place the lines.
Getting through the itchy and patchy stage
Itching in the first two to four weeks is normal, caused by short, stiff hairs and dry skin. A mild cleanser, a moisturizer and a little oil or balm help the most.
Do not scratch hard, since that irritates the skin and can cause ingrown hairs. Wash the beard two or three times a week with a gentle shampoo and rinse well. After that, a small amount of balm helps keep the hair soft. See a doctor if the skin gets red, swollen or painful, since that can be an infection or a skin condition.
For patchiness, give it eight weeks and then choose a style that works with the pattern. A goatee, a Van Dyke or a short boxed beard can look planned when the cheeks do not fill in.
Let a barber set the shape at Deja Vu
The best time to see a barber is around week four to six, when there is enough beard to shape. A beard trim and grooming visit at Deja Vu Barbershop is $18, and a line up and edge up is also $18. The Sharp Edge package is $30 and the Classic Combo of a fade plus a beard is $48, both listed in our barber packages.
We are at 101 E 34th St, New York, NY 10016, between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue in Murray Hill. Open Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm, closed Saturday. Book a time online or walk in, and call (212) 576-1062. Start with a beard trim and grooming visit and we will set the shape.
Questions readers ask
How long does it take to grow a full beard?
Most men see a full beard in two to four months, and some take longer. Growth rate depends on genetics, age and hormones.
Why is my beard patchy?
Beard hair grows at different rates, so gaps are common in the first month. Wait eight weeks before deciding, and then choose a style that suits the pattern.
Should I trim my beard while growing it?
Only the neckline and any stray hairs. Trimming the length holds back growth, but a clean neckline makes the beard look deliberate.
Does shaving make a beard grow back thicker?
No. Shaving cuts the hair at the surface and does not change the follicle, so the hair only seems blunter when it grows back.
How often should I wash a beard?
Two or three times a week with a mild shampoo is enough for most men. Washing every day can dry out the skin and the hair.