For those who love and treasure long beards, the question of how long it will take to grow to the desired size, length or thickness is common. In life, we all wish that the things we treasure or love would happen faster, but hey, the laws of nature must be followed! Almost every man can grow long beard, but it takes some time so you must be patient.
Exactly how long it takes before the beard grows to your desired size depends on many factors. All you need to know at this early instance is that it needs a lot of dedication, patience and hard work to grow beard to great length. This essentially means that the beard will not grow overnight and may take several weeks, months or years depending on how long or thick you want it to grow.
Perseverance is also important as you may have to deal with itch, dandruff and some other hiccups along the way, but these are usually short-lived and there are ways of getting rid of them. Almost always, dandruff and itchy skin are caused by dry skin under beard, so you need to do everything possible to remain well hydrated and apply oil where possible to keep the skin well hydrated.
To know exactly how long the beard will take to grow, you need to have some basic understanding of how human the hair grows.
How The Human Hair Grows
Just like the hair on the scalp, the beard grows gradually until it attains full length. The exact rate of growth varies from one individual to other, but generally if let to grow, the beard will gradually grow in to denser, long size. For the normal, average sized beard, it will take between 2 and 6 months to grow a full beard.
You may wonder why it takes such a long period but this is the reason. Every single hair in your body goes through a cycle of growth, which takes sometime from the time it sprouts from the skin pore to the time it gets to the desired size.
The three stages of growth of human hair:
Just the way a person grows from baby to teen than to adult age, the hair has three stages of growth. The three stages of the growth of human hair are anagen, catagen and telogen. Anagen is the first stage of the growth of human hair, and it is the stage characterized by very rapid growth. At this stage, if the hair is provided with what it needs for growth, it will develop relatively fast in terms of density and length. Note that genetics play some role in determining exactly how fast the hair grows so some people may experience faster or slower rate of growth of hair than their counterparts, at this stage.
Catagen stage refers to the phase in which the hair growth slows down. If provided with the right nutrition and maintenance, it will maintain its long length for at least some few months before it proceeds to the next stage.
Telogen is the last stage in the cycle of growth and development of human hair, and in this stage, the hair falls off, giving rise to new one and the cycle begins again.
In a human beard, the individual strands are at different stages of the growth, and so you need not worry about the telogen phase. As a single hair reaches maturity and falls off, many others are at the anagen phase. With this in mind, now you know why it will take some bit of time before the beard grows to capacity.
How Long (Length) Can A Beard Grow?
This is yet another popular question among men who want to grow long beards. Well, according to various sources across the world, and from the enthusiastic beard growers, your beard may grow up to three feet in length if carefully nurtured and left untouched throughout the period of growth. This is just an average length and so some beards may grow longer while others may never get to this size. Only a few men want to grow their beards to this huge length.
Whichever size you want to grow it, it is possible and only one thing needs to be emphasized; PATIENCE.
Other than normal beard growth cycle, what else affects its growth?
As stated above, the beard has a growth cycle, which it follows as it grows all the way from underneath the skin to the full beard length till it falls off.
The following factors also determine the rate at which the beard grows, and how long and dense it can grow.
1. Genes:
Genetic factors play an important role in the growth of any part or component of the human body. Almost every individual has some unique combination of genes and this explains why some people can easily grow long beards while others cannot manage to do so however much they try. It is also the genes which determine when the beard begins developing at puberty stage. There is nothing you can do to change your genetic factors, but the good news is that most men have genes which allow them to grow beards to a reasonable length.
2. Age:
At the very young or old age, the beard may not grow very long. Young age here refers to the age bracket of between 18 and 25 years, while old age refers to over 50 years. Thus, the ideal age of rowing beard to any length is between ages 25 to about 45 years old. Note that genes also play a role here and some senior citizens easily grow and keep long beards while some young men cannot grow an average size beard.
3. Contest for growth:
Race plays very important role in determining how fast you can grow the beard and how long it can be. African Americans and Caucasians tend to have darker, denser beards which do not grow to great lengths. On the other hand, the whites have less dense and lighter beards which can grow quite long. Kindly, the reference to races here is purely for illustration of how it affects the growth of beard so no one should feel offended by the description.
Can You Hasten The Rate Of Growth Of Beard?
Based on the foregoing story, you may have developed the feeling that growth of beard is slow and gradual. That is true, but there are ways of encouraging the beard to grow faster. You need to be careful here as not all the methods suggested online, or recommended by your friends will work well for you. This notwithstanding, here below are some of the interventions that can encourage the beard to grow not only faster but also healthier.
1. Brushing the beard:
To encourage faster growth of the beard, you are advised to use quality beard brush and work on your beard. Brushes with boar bristles are most recommended as they ‘comb’ the beard and encourage its growth. The recommended boar brushes have bristles made of natural hair, which deliver sebum oil through the length of the hair. They also brush and moisturize it, thus making the beard softer and easier to manage.
2. Applying beard oil:
Beard oil helps encourage the growth of the beard. It can also help to stop beard itch and get rid of beard dandruff. Begin by just applying one drop of the beard oil and gradually increase it as the beard grow denser and longer. There are many products marketed and sold as beard oil but not all of them will work well for your beard. Check the ingredients and ensure you buy only from trusted sources. The organic beard oil is most recommended for healthy, itch less and manageable beard.
3. Take general care of the skin:
The health of the skin on which the beard grows determines the health of the beard. If the skin is dry and flaky, chances are that itching will develop and dandruff may also set in. To ensure the beard grows faster, ensure you keep the skin beneath moist and well lubricated. You may apply shampoo and virgin oil on the skin to keep it moist and healthy.
4. Balanced diet:
Your body needs healthy, balanced diet for almost every function, including the growth of healthy, long beard. The foods rich in vitamins and proteins are highly recommended. For faster growth of the beard, you should take dairy foods, eggs, and chicken more often. Fruits and vegetables such as avocado, spinach and broccoli are also highly recommended. Fish varieties especially those high in omega 3 fatty acids are highly recommended.
5. Proper hydration:
Body hydration plays important role in the growth of the beard. Avoid anything or any product that may cause body dehydration. When the body does not have sufficient amounts of hydration, it will become dry and itching and dandruff may set in.
6. Maintaining the beard:
To growth the beard, you may need to trim it a bit. Remember that it is trimming and not shaving. Ensure you trim only the split ends of the beard and probably the detangled strands. Do not shave or trim by cutting the beard hair at its base.
7. Massaging the beard:
Massaging the beard and generally, the facial area helps stimulate the flow of blood to the area. This encourages the growth of the beard. Ensure you generally massage the face and the beard to encourage the flow of blood and growth of the beard. Any form of massage is welcome, whether it involves the use of bare hands or the application of oil on the skin.
8. Exercises:
Exercises are good for the general body health and so you need to get to workouts of you want to grow a beard faster. The exercises have shown to cause an increase in the levels of testosterone, the male hormone responsible for the growth of the beard. For growing the beard, all exercises are recommended so long as they increase the circulation of the blood and cause an upsurge in the levels of hormones responsible for the growth of the hair.
9. Applying other products:
Castor oil, Argan oil, coconut oil, hemp seed oil, and other types of oils can help encourage the growth of the beard. Generally, any product that helps prevent dryness of the skin, prevents or gets rid of dandruff, and helps prevent split ends in beard is welcome. However, be careful to avoid any product that may trigger allergic reactions or unwanted results in the growth of the beard.
10. Avoiding stress:
If you want to grow a long beard and grow beard faster, avoid stress by all means possible. Stress causes a decrease in the levels of testosterone and all the other hormones responsible for the growth of beard and other male characteristics. Avoid all forms of stressors if you really want to grow a thick, long beard.
So, Exactly How Long Will It Take For The Beard To Grow?
Based on the foregoing, it can clearly be seen that the rate at which your beard will grow, and the length it can grow, depends on many factors such as genes, age and race. A balanced diet, exercises, application of bear oil, massaging and brushing the beard can also help grow it faster. For this reason, the rate at which the beard grow varies from one individual to the other.
Assuming your genes support the normal growth of the beard, you will begin realizing growth as soon as the next day after you stop shaving. Within two weeks, a visible beard growth should be visible to anyone. You will also be able to spot the difference in the mirror.
Most men who want to grow their beards want it to grow to a certain size where they can trim and keep it at that size. Some few others want to let it grow until it gets to the telogen stage. Whatever your goal for growing the beard are, ensure you remain patient. Do not expect the beard to grow in a matter of days or few weeks. The longest and most admirable beards take several years of growing and nurturing to get to their present state
