How to Increase Facial Hair Growth

Facial hair growth differs for everyone, and some people definitely have more hair than others. While a number of factors can contribute to a lack of facial hair, there are several easy ways to adjust your diet and lifestyle to improve the growth rate of your facial hair.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Developing a Consistent Grooming Routine

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    Set a time to wash your facial hair. Most good habits are obtained through repetition, and personal hygiene is no exception. Whether it’s morning or nighttime, have a consistent schedule in place that leaves you enough time to wash and condition your facial hair often.
    • Don’t wash your facial hair every day. Washing hair too much leaves the skin dry, which will allow more oil to be created. [1]
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    Wash your facial hair with shampoo and conditioner. Lather shampoo into your beard a few times each week to keep the hair as healthy as possible.[2]
    • Your hair and skin types may play a role in how often you wash your facial hair, so aim to wash it at least 3 times per week.
    • While you can lather conditioner into your beard as well, it may be easier to use a leave-in conditioner that doesn’t have to be washed out.[3]
    • Oil-infused conditioners can help to improve hair quality and make your beard smell nice.[4]
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    Don’t pick at your face or facial hair. When you don’t shave for a long time, you will be more susceptible to ingrown hairs, dandruff, and more. However tempting it may be, do your best to refrain from picking or scratching at your skin and facial hair. It will be easier to grow facial hair in skin that is free of extra oil and bacteria![5]
    • Touching and picking at your beard causes more bacteria to get onto your facial areas.[6]
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    Use beard oil as needed. While beard oil is not a requirement for maintaining a beard, it can help in keeping your skin moisturized and comfortable. This will aid in healthy facial hair growth.[7]
    • You can apply beard oil by using your hands to rub it over your facial hair regions. You may want to rinse your face beforehand, so your skin can better absorb the oil.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Trying Supplements and Treatments

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    Consider using minoxidil on your facial hair. While some people believe that minoxidil (i.e, Rogaine) can help increase hair growth on both the head and face, there is no conclusive evidence to support this treatment. If you’re looking into hair growth products, be sure to understand all of the possible risks.[8]
    • If you’re uncertain, consider talking to a professional before using minoxidil.[9]
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    Take additional supplements on a daily basis. If you want to increase your facial hair growth, you should focus on finding ways to increase your testosterone levels naturally. Fenugreek, tribulus terrestris, and ginger are all natural supplements that may help you have better testosterone production.
    • While many products claim to be able to boost testosterone, which aids with proper facial hair growth, some studies have shown that testosterone-boosting products can leave the user with health risks.[10]
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    Participate in red-light therapy. This therapy is a more experimental method that targets the genital regions with a red UV light in order to increase testosterone production. Scientific tests conducted on rodents have displayed positive results, but no official treatment has been approved by the FDA yet. If you are looking into purchasing a red light device, do so with caution.[11]
    • Due to the lack of conclusive scientific support for this item, you may want to consider other methods to increase your testosterone and improve your facial hair growth
    EXPERT TIP
    Woody Lovell

    Woody Lovell

    Professional Barber
    Woody Lovell is the Founder of The Barbershop Club, a gentleman's barbershop-as-social club rooted in 1990's traditional barbering based in the Hotel Normandie in Los Angeles, California. He is also the Founder of his own line of quality grooming products. He has over 20 years of experience in the male grooming industry and has consulted clients including professional athletes, musicians, and A-list actors throughout the Los Angeles area.
    Woody Lovell
    Woody Lovell
    Professional Barber

    Consider a beard implant if you're struggling to grow facial hair. During a beard implant, hair will be taken from your head or other parts of your body. Then, it will be manually placed on your face wherever there are bare or thin spots. It can be an expensive procedure, but it's very effective, and it's become a lot more common in the past few years.

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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

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    Keep a consistent exercise schedule. Make sure that you exercise regularly to keep your heart rate up. Both strength and interval exercises can help to increase your testosterone levels.[12] It can take as little as 15 minutes for your testosterone levels to start increasing.[13]
    • Studies have shown that nighttime workouts are most beneficial for testosterone production.[14]
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    Eat plenty of unsaturated fats. Foods that are high in monounsaturated fats (i.e, avocados, olive oil) can greatly increase your testosterone levels.[15] Polyunsaturated fats and Omega-3 fatty acids have been clinically shown to have testosterone boosting capabilities.[16] Fats are essential to maintaining a steady testosterone production, which will help your facial hair to grow more consistently.[17]
    • Saturated fats (i.e, coconut oil) can also help to raise your testosterone production, but be sure to add them to your diet in moderation.[18]
    EXPERT TIP
    Woody Lovell

    Woody Lovell

    Professional Barber
    Woody Lovell is the Founder of The Barbershop Club, a gentleman's barbershop-as-social club rooted in 1990's traditional barbering based in the Hotel Normandie in Los Angeles, California. He is also the Founder of his own line of quality grooming products. He has over 20 years of experience in the male grooming industry and has consulted clients including professional athletes, musicians, and A-list actors throughout the Los Angeles area.
    Woody Lovell
    Woody Lovell
    Professional Barber

    Be sure to eat a diet rich in vitamins, as well. In addition to exercising, one of the best things you can do to enhance hair growth is to get plenty of vitamin B and C.

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    Consume less sugar on a daily basis. Drinks that contain a lot of sugar will make your testosterone levels lower significantly. [19] Watch out for different types of sugars on your food and beverage labels (i.e, dextrose), as labels will not always present them as sugar.
    • If necessary, add sugar to your own food and drink instead of buying artificially sweetened products. [20]
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    Maintain an adequate sleep schedule. You should be sleeping around 8 hours each night.[21] A lack of sleep causes your testosterone levels to lower a noticeable amount, which will stunt the growth process of your facial hair.[22] Try to get into the habit of developing a set bedtime to avoid any unnecessary exhaustion.[23]
    • Having a set sleeping schedule may also help to improve your quality of sleep.[24]
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    Be aware of your stress levels and manage them properly. Studies have shown that high levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that controls fear, can significantly lower testosterone levels.[25] High stress levels and lowered testosterone production can also have negative long-term effects, such as a lack of sex drive.[26]
    • Meditation and laughter are both effective ways to reduce stress in your life.[27]
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Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How can I stimulate facial hair growth naturally?
    Woody Lovell
    Woody Lovell
    Professional Barber
    Woody Lovell is the Founder of The Barbershop Club, a gentleman's barbershop-as-social club rooted in 1990's traditional barbering based in the Hotel Normandie in Los Angeles, California. He is also the Founder of his own line of quality grooming products. He has over 20 years of experience in the male grooming industry and has consulted clients including professional athletes, musicians, and A-list actors throughout the Los Angeles area.
    Woody Lovell
    Woody Lovell
    Professional Barber
    Expert Answer
    The better shape you are in, the more and healthier hair you are going to have, so you need to exercise, eat right, and take vitamins.
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Things You’ll Need

  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Beard oil
  • Supplements (optional)
  • Red light device (optional)
  • Minoxidil (optional)

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.sciencealert.com/how-often-you-should-wash-your-hair-according-science
  2. ↑ https://www.webmd.com/men/features/beard-care-tips#2
  3. ↑ https://www.webmd.com/men/features/beard-care-tips#2
  4. ↑ https://www.themanual.com/grooming/beard-conditioner/
  5. ↑ https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/beard-mustache-skin-problems/
  6. ↑ https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/beard-mustache-skin-problems/
  7. ↑ https://www.stubbleandstache.com/blogs/blog/five-unconventional-uses-for-your-premium-beard-oil
  8. ↑ http://www.ftmguide.org/facialhair.html#minoxidil
  9. ↑ http://www.ftmguide.org/facialhair.html#minoxidil
  1. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5870326/
  2. ↑ https://prostate.net/articles/can-use-red-light-therapy-boost-testosterone/
  3. ↑ https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/the-best-exercises-to-increase-testosterone
  4. ↑ https://www.webmd.com/men/features/exercise-and-testosterone#1
  5. ↑ https://www.webmd.com/men/features/exercise-and-testosterone#1
  6. ↑ https://www.dailynutra.com/blog/new-truth-or-myth-fats-increase-your-testosterone-levels/
  7. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5312216/
  8. ↑ https://www.dailynutra.com/blog/new-truth-or-myth-fats-increase-your-testosterone-levels/
  9. ↑ https://www.dailynutra.com/blog/new-truth-or-myth-fats-increase-your-testosterone-levels/
  10. ↑ https://medicalxpress.com/news/2009-06-testosterone-decreases-ingestion-sugar.html
  11. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-spot-and-avoid-added-sugar
  12. ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
  13. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3442272
  14. ↑ https://www.sleep.org/articles/design-perfect-bedtime-routine/
  15. ↑ https://www.sleep.org/articles/design-perfect-bedtime-routine/
  16. ↑ https://news.utexas.edu/2010/09/27/stress-hormone-blocks-testosterones-effects-study-shows/
  17. ↑ https://news.utexas.edu/2010/09/27/stress-hormone-blocks-testosterones-effects-study-shows/
  18. ↑ https://news.utexas.edu/2010/09/27/stress-hormone-blocks-testosterones-effects-study-shows/
  19. ↑ http://www.irishhealth.com/askdoc.html?q=5155&qasect=11

About This Article

Woody Lovell
Co-authored by:
Woody Lovell
Professional Barber
This article was co-authored by Woody Lovell and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Woody Lovell is the Founder of The Barbershop Club, a gentleman's barbershop-as-social club rooted in 1990's traditional barbering based in the Hotel Normandie in Los Angeles, California. He is also the Founder of his own line of quality grooming products. He has over 20 years of experience in the male grooming industry and has consulted clients including professional athletes, musicians, and A-list actors throughout the Los Angeles area. This article has been viewed 23,230 times.
18 votes - 81%
Co-authors: 7
Updated: January 19, 2021
Views: 23,230
Categories: Facial Hair | Hair Growth
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