How To Life ||| Growing and Maintaining a Beautiful Beard

Full, luxurious beards are the hallmark of masculinity in 2017. Over the last decade beards have transformed from an obscure remnant of hippies, bikers and 70’s rockers to modern sheik. Man-manes aren’t just for ironic hipsters anymore. Bold bushy beards can be found on everyone from business professionals to pro athletes. Unfortunately beards aren’t the kind of fashion accessory that you can just walk into a store and purchase. While well groomed beard can really take a man’s look the next level, patchy and scraggly beards just come off as atrocious.

While a good beard is mostly genetic, there are a number of things you can do to improve the growth and look of your beard. A combination of the right supplements, conditioners and grooming supplies can turn your beard game around in no time. Tinkering to find the right balance can be time-consuming so we crunched the numbers and experimented to find just the right solutions for just about anyone trying to grow a better beard.

(Disclaimer: Always consult your doctor before starting a new regiment of vitamins or supplements. Your doctor knows your body better than we do, possibly even better than you do. It’s never a bad idea to talk to your doc.)

Here are the fundamentals to growing a better, fuller beard.

Step 1 ||| it’s all in the genes
Your genetic background is the heaviest factor when it comes to beard growth. For many people it just comes naturally, but if you’ve been unable to get the look you want you may need a little help. Most body hair growth, including facial hair, relies heavily upon testosterone levels. High amounts of free testosterone lead to fuller healthier beard growth. Unfortunately when levels are too high it can also lead to male pattern baldness. This explains why you see so many bald men with absolutely glorious beards. The goal is to coax your body into producing more of it’s own testosterone. One of the best ways to do this is using the supplement DHEA. DHEA is a naturally occurring prohormone in your body. It is also a testosterone precursor, which means your body uses DHEA to make testosterone. Your body’s DHEA levels naturally start declining by your mid 20s. While users of this supplement make many unsubstantiated claims about its benefits one of the universally agreed upon side effects of taking DHEA is facial hair growth. The effects of taking DHEA are not immediate and it is not a silver bullet. While your endocrine system uses DHEA to produce testosterone you will still need a healthy diet and exercise that will give your body a reason to utilize the supplement.

Another fantastic way to promote free testosterone production is sex. That’s right sex is your beard’s best friend! Not only does the natural hormone production of love making raise T levels, but the act of sex itself is an intense-burst cardio workout. The kind of exercise that most promotes testosterone production in men. Next time you see someone with a beard that radiates majesty, well… that guy’s getting some!

Step 2 ||| feed your follicles
We know it takes testosterone to grow facial hair but just any hair won’t do. We need full, thick, beautiful hair to grow a proper beard. This is where diet and the right vitamins can make all the difference. Many of the same vitamins that stimulate hair growth are also excellent for building and toning muscle. This gives you an added incentive to start hitting the gym.

Biotin | Biotin produces the most notable effects with regards to growing healthy hair. Biotin is a water soluble vitamin that your body cannot store so it needs a regular supply. Most B-complex vitamins contain biotin, making them the most cost effective and beneficial route to getting your daily requirements.

Folic acid | Folic acid helps your body synthesize proteins making it yet another cross beneficial vitamin for both hair growth and building muscle. Maintaining the proper levels of folic acid help grow strong hair and prevent graying.

Omega Fatty Acids | The fatty acids found in fish oils contain both Omega-3 and Omega-6. Both of these antioxidants promote thicker smoother hair growth. As another must-have vitamin for bodybuilders, the benefits go beyond muscle and hair growth to help keep your skin clear and healthy. This however is not a supplement you can cheap out on. Expired or tainted Fish oils have been found to be carcinogenic and can be a detriment to your health. Make sure you have a fresh supply from a trusted brand to reap the benefits from Omega fatty acids.

Vitamin D | Recent studies from Harvard have shown that vitamin D can actually activate dormant hair follicles. This means that not only can vitamin D promote new hair growth, it may actually reverse hair loss as well.  Vitamin D is the most inexpensive supplement that can help stimulate hair growth. 10 to 15 minutes in the sun (using sunscreen) is all it takes for your body to produce the needed amount of vitamin D. Even though vitamin D is one of nature’s only “free” vitamins it remains one of the most common vitamin deficiencies in the world. If your lifestyle keeps you stuck indoors, where the area you live in does not get enough sun good vitamin D supplements are relatively inexpensive and easy to find. Be careful not to overdo your intake of vitamin D. Your body stores vitamin D in fatty tissue unlike most other vitamins that are flushed out when taken in excess. When it comes to vitamins less is often more.

Using these fundamental vitamins and supplements will kickstart that full beard you’ve always wanted.

Check out Part 2 ||| Maintaining A Majestic Beard