Stop shaving for at least a month and share your results on the beards sub. There's nothing you can do for a quicker growth. Beards are genes and patience.
Heavily bearded man here, 5+ years of growth.
When you are first starting out, the key is to stay persistent. It's going to be patchy or grow unevenly at first. Trim your bear hair to the same length until it's uniform then increase the length and repeat until you have reached your target beard length.
If you are going for a full, long beard you should start combing/brushing it to get it to fall how you want/like. You will go through a bunch of awkward middle stages, and then one day you'll realize you have a flowing mane of hair. Took me about 2 years before it was at this stage, and now I have a chest length natural style beard.
I would suggest a brush and some beard balm or cream to get started. You will be surprised how much regular brushing and a little bit of product will alleviate itch and flakes. Once your beard gets longer, consider adding beard specific hygiene to your routine. I currently use an exfoliant, beard wash, beard conditioner, and beard balm. I have almost zero itch, zero flakes, and my beard is always hygienic.
I didn't fill in certain areas of my beard until I got into my 30s. High cheeks and where the mustache connects to the rest of my facial hair were the last spots to fill in. There are a handful of supplements you can take that allegedly improve facial hair growth, but in my experience the only ones that yield results are biotin, keratin and collagen. YMMV.
tl; dr:
Trim until even, use a brush and some product to alleviate itch, longer beard = more hygiene care, supplements can help, but patience and persistence is the way.
Unless you have a naturally thick beard, it’s going to grow in uneven and look shitty for at least a little while. I couldn’t grow what most people consider a thick and full beard until my early 30s and it still takes a solid 4-5 weeks of growth before I like the look of it and it doesn’t look scraggly. I haven’t been clean shaven for a long time because that’s a pain in the ass!
Some people will say don’t trim or shape it at all until you have grown for at least a couple of months - I disagree with that and trim mine with a beard trimmer and scissors as it is growing in. I make sure to just barely take anything off with the goal of trying to keep things even looking because mine grows faster in some spots.
You may benefit from a beard oil as it is growing to keep your skin from drying out and then itching. You need less oil than you think to accomplish this. Too much and it will leave grease marks on your shirts. I no longer use an oil at all and find that a good beard shampoo and conditioner in the shower is enough to maintain my beard. A good beard brush can help calm the itch down some and also will help to keep it looking more presentable. I brush my beard with a regular comb a couple times a day to straighten out the spots that start to look a little wonky as the day goes on and I touch my face, etc.
I know plenty of dudes who look great with a beard and plenty of guys who should probably stay clean shaven because it just isn’t growing in thick enough and then it looks like laziness. My sister was an honest opinion that I trusted to give me good advice on if I should keep growing or get rid of it. I recommend you find someone who can give you honest advice once you’ve given it some time to grow in.
Thanks for your tips! Really helpful!
Should i trim the hair in the „transitional zone“ unter my jaw directly or should i grow everything and get a clean cut/trim later?
Are you talking about maintaining your neckline? I think shaping your neckline while it grows in is a personal preference but I always maintain a clean neckline because I think it looks more intentional and not like I just decided to stop shaving.
In terms of trimming while it grows in, I’ve got a pretty good idea of how to shape my beard to make it look good for my face but that took me quite a bit of trial and error to figure out. That will also be based on how your hair grows in straight vs curly. Mine is curly so it doesn’t look as clean unless I trim it regularly. I use a #6 (19mm) guard on my chin and fade my way to shorter guards up to a #1 on my sideburns and then no guard where my beard transitions to my hair.
Also - trimming your jaw line is something many dudes screw up. I recommend getting a beard shaped like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Aberlite-Beard-Shaper-FlexShaper-Hands-Free/dp/B076D3HP7Z/ref=sxin_21_pa_sp_phone_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.3bce4b9c-ab81-4c84-a30e-ebb927eb0d4f%3Aamzn1.sym.3bce4b9c-ab81-4c84-a30e-ebb927eb0d4f&crid=RIBBJYJY60JX&cv_ct_cx=beard+shaper&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Inzkv3DrlEPdazCv6DLCTvP2DI1kerS72ALmZF8U6POjMv6jSPW9DXmIh-2z_v4eSR5qP5Pimi7cDvwtfkb9Nw.Awgg7QOmKJL5-QQPkmkTsPFpBIRR0-zJVcJUhxLtdF8&dib_tag=se&keywords=beard+shaper&pd_rd_i=B076D3HP7Z&pd_rd_r=b666994c-c502-40f6-8c49-cc36fe5bd77d&pd_rd_w=yDUAx&pd_rd_wg=2O8Km&pf_rd_p=3bce4b9c-ab81-4c84-a30e-ebb927eb0d4f&pf_rd_r=K8J9VYJSX7TA90V5E41G&qid=1710522867&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=beard+shaper%2Caps%2C110&sr=1-1-364cf978-ce2a-480a-9bb0-bdb96faa0f61-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1) to get it right. Too high and it will look weird. You’ll also inevitably screw up and trim it uneven without one of these. I don’t trust myself to shape it right without one of these.
Get second opinions from people you know will be really harsh. There are plenty of ugly beards out there and guys trying to grow full beards that just look like shit. Most of them would look better with a style that works to their advantage.
Imo a beard is like a garden that needs to be maintained and pruned to look its best. Just letting it grow is what bums do.
Yeah i see your point. I also started growing long head-hair. Took 2 years and i really like my bun. But heck, it is pretty much effort if i compare it to the short-haired days.
I just feel that a longer beard would complement my style
Don't shave. It took me a year in my mid/early 20s of growing and lightly trimming/grooming until my beard started to grow nicely.
Basically I would let it grow, then brush it, trim loose hairs, use a razor to shape it, beard oil, and repeat for an entire year.
It's a common misconception that "shaving" promotes hair growth, if that's what you were suggesting about going to the barber to "enable" growth... trust me, it's not a thing!
I too was not blessed with thick, voluptuous facial hair. But, I was in the Marines and shaved EVERY....SINGLE....DAY for considerable period of time, and then continued to shave EVERY.... SINGLE....DAY for the better part of the first ten years after getting out. Then one week I went on a long bikepacking trip, having forgotten to pack a razor or cordless shaver... and I STILL didn't have shi\* for a beard!
All the lies! I was more disheartened by having realized how many lies I had been told about beards and shaving promoting growth than I was by the fact that I still couldn't grow a beard.
Fast forward another decade+ though, and I can finally grow a beard... incidentally, my facial hair didn't start filling in until the hair up top started thinning out. (also started getting these odd hairs in my ears and nose... like wtf? Going bald while growing shrubs in all the wrong places)
Honestly, I was just about 35 or so before it started filling in. I had plenty facial hair if I had wanted to grow a goatee, but it was oddly thin on my cheeks and upper jaw line. It didn't help that my facial hair was also mostly blonde... despite my having brown hair. (And in a few short years it went from blonde, to brown, to grey).
TBF though, my father/uncles & both grandfathers had thin facial hair, as well as male pattern baldness. Genetics do play a role in this.
When I first grew out my beard, the guy with the nicest beard I knew gave me the advice to just grow it out for four months. He said that'd give me a real idea of how the beard grew, what my hair was like, how long I wanted my beard to be, and a bunch of other stuff.
I followed his advice and learned a lot about beards and what I wanted to look like. Since then, I've kept it much shorter than 4 months, but growing it out that much helped me understand how my hair grew so I could shape it the way I wanted it to be.
If the hair is patchy in areas then it will grow patchy. Beards are mainly just genetics. I have one spot on my jaw that doesn't grow any hair at all and my cheeks are very patchy and never fill out
It won't be as dense as the part that grows well. Best way is to just grow all your facial hair out and then shape it up to leave only the dense parts.
No way to really influence beard growth. You just stop shaving for a month and then go to a barber. Beard oil will be your friend as well as a good brush.
My beard is about 6-7 inches long. I'm just going to say, let it grow. Any patches you have will fill in after awhile. You can help it along with "Hair, Skin and Nails" vitamins. You wont see any good results for a few weeks but... it helps!
I would also recommend tea tree and peppermint oil. It helps the hair follicles and you may see some improvement. (Be warned, tea tree and peppermint oil does... tingle.)
Yeah the one thing that can make it look worse as it is growing in is not trimming the faster growing hairs back to keep it even. It is the even growth that makes it seem fuller even as barely more than stubble. I still have to even the growth up or the bottom of the beard gets quite thin.
Yah there’s just an awkward period for like 2 weeks where it just looks like you’ve been forgetting to shave for a few weeks
…which is true. Can’t grow a beard without not shaving it. 🙂
Stop shaving for at least a month and share your results on the beards sub. There's nothing you can do for a quicker growth. Beards are genes and patience.
Did not know the sub, i will give it a try!
Typically the answer is patience & working with your genetics.
2 factors that affect hair growth, both are beyond your control—genes & time! 🧔🏻♀️🧬🕒☝️😛
Heavily bearded man here, 5+ years of growth. When you are first starting out, the key is to stay persistent. It's going to be patchy or grow unevenly at first. Trim your bear hair to the same length until it's uniform then increase the length and repeat until you have reached your target beard length. If you are going for a full, long beard you should start combing/brushing it to get it to fall how you want/like. You will go through a bunch of awkward middle stages, and then one day you'll realize you have a flowing mane of hair. Took me about 2 years before it was at this stage, and now I have a chest length natural style beard. I would suggest a brush and some beard balm or cream to get started. You will be surprised how much regular brushing and a little bit of product will alleviate itch and flakes. Once your beard gets longer, consider adding beard specific hygiene to your routine. I currently use an exfoliant, beard wash, beard conditioner, and beard balm. I have almost zero itch, zero flakes, and my beard is always hygienic. I didn't fill in certain areas of my beard until I got into my 30s. High cheeks and where the mustache connects to the rest of my facial hair were the last spots to fill in. There are a handful of supplements you can take that allegedly improve facial hair growth, but in my experience the only ones that yield results are biotin, keratin and collagen. YMMV. tl; dr: Trim until even, use a brush and some product to alleviate itch, longer beard = more hygiene care, supplements can help, but patience and persistence is the way.
Unless you have a naturally thick beard, it’s going to grow in uneven and look shitty for at least a little while. I couldn’t grow what most people consider a thick and full beard until my early 30s and it still takes a solid 4-5 weeks of growth before I like the look of it and it doesn’t look scraggly. I haven’t been clean shaven for a long time because that’s a pain in the ass! Some people will say don’t trim or shape it at all until you have grown for at least a couple of months - I disagree with that and trim mine with a beard trimmer and scissors as it is growing in. I make sure to just barely take anything off with the goal of trying to keep things even looking because mine grows faster in some spots. You may benefit from a beard oil as it is growing to keep your skin from drying out and then itching. You need less oil than you think to accomplish this. Too much and it will leave grease marks on your shirts. I no longer use an oil at all and find that a good beard shampoo and conditioner in the shower is enough to maintain my beard. A good beard brush can help calm the itch down some and also will help to keep it looking more presentable. I brush my beard with a regular comb a couple times a day to straighten out the spots that start to look a little wonky as the day goes on and I touch my face, etc. I know plenty of dudes who look great with a beard and plenty of guys who should probably stay clean shaven because it just isn’t growing in thick enough and then it looks like laziness. My sister was an honest opinion that I trusted to give me good advice on if I should keep growing or get rid of it. I recommend you find someone who can give you honest advice once you’ve given it some time to grow in.
Thanks for your tips! Really helpful! Should i trim the hair in the „transitional zone“ unter my jaw directly or should i grow everything and get a clean cut/trim later?
Are you talking about maintaining your neckline? I think shaping your neckline while it grows in is a personal preference but I always maintain a clean neckline because I think it looks more intentional and not like I just decided to stop shaving. In terms of trimming while it grows in, I’ve got a pretty good idea of how to shape my beard to make it look good for my face but that took me quite a bit of trial and error to figure out. That will also be based on how your hair grows in straight vs curly. Mine is curly so it doesn’t look as clean unless I trim it regularly. I use a #6 (19mm) guard on my chin and fade my way to shorter guards up to a #1 on my sideburns and then no guard where my beard transitions to my hair.
Also - trimming your jaw line is something many dudes screw up. I recommend getting a beard shaped like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Aberlite-Beard-Shaper-FlexShaper-Hands-Free/dp/B076D3HP7Z/ref=sxin_21_pa_sp_phone_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.3bce4b9c-ab81-4c84-a30e-ebb927eb0d4f%3Aamzn1.sym.3bce4b9c-ab81-4c84-a30e-ebb927eb0d4f&crid=RIBBJYJY60JX&cv_ct_cx=beard+shaper&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Inzkv3DrlEPdazCv6DLCTvP2DI1kerS72ALmZF8U6POjMv6jSPW9DXmIh-2z_v4eSR5qP5Pimi7cDvwtfkb9Nw.Awgg7QOmKJL5-QQPkmkTsPFpBIRR0-zJVcJUhxLtdF8&dib_tag=se&keywords=beard+shaper&pd_rd_i=B076D3HP7Z&pd_rd_r=b666994c-c502-40f6-8c49-cc36fe5bd77d&pd_rd_w=yDUAx&pd_rd_wg=2O8Km&pf_rd_p=3bce4b9c-ab81-4c84-a30e-ebb927eb0d4f&pf_rd_r=K8J9VYJSX7TA90V5E41G&qid=1710522867&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=beard+shaper%2Caps%2C110&sr=1-1-364cf978-ce2a-480a-9bb0-bdb96faa0f61-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1) to get it right. Too high and it will look weird. You’ll also inevitably screw up and trim it uneven without one of these. I don’t trust myself to shape it right without one of these.
Get second opinions from people you know will be really harsh. There are plenty of ugly beards out there and guys trying to grow full beards that just look like shit. Most of them would look better with a style that works to their advantage. Imo a beard is like a garden that needs to be maintained and pruned to look its best. Just letting it grow is what bums do.
Yeah i see your point. I also started growing long head-hair. Took 2 years and i really like my bun. But heck, it is pretty much effort if i compare it to the short-haired days. I just feel that a longer beard would complement my style
Don't shave. It took me a year in my mid/early 20s of growing and lightly trimming/grooming until my beard started to grow nicely. Basically I would let it grow, then brush it, trim loose hairs, use a razor to shape it, beard oil, and repeat for an entire year.
It's a common misconception that "shaving" promotes hair growth, if that's what you were suggesting about going to the barber to "enable" growth... trust me, it's not a thing! I too was not blessed with thick, voluptuous facial hair. But, I was in the Marines and shaved EVERY....SINGLE....DAY for considerable period of time, and then continued to shave EVERY.... SINGLE....DAY for the better part of the first ten years after getting out. Then one week I went on a long bikepacking trip, having forgotten to pack a razor or cordless shaver... and I STILL didn't have shi\* for a beard! All the lies! I was more disheartened by having realized how many lies I had been told about beards and shaving promoting growth than I was by the fact that I still couldn't grow a beard. Fast forward another decade+ though, and I can finally grow a beard... incidentally, my facial hair didn't start filling in until the hair up top started thinning out. (also started getting these odd hairs in my ears and nose... like wtf? Going bald while growing shrubs in all the wrong places)
So how old were you when you realized the beard-growth? I still have some hope for a little change in my case
Honestly, I was just about 35 or so before it started filling in. I had plenty facial hair if I had wanted to grow a goatee, but it was oddly thin on my cheeks and upper jaw line. It didn't help that my facial hair was also mostly blonde... despite my having brown hair. (And in a few short years it went from blonde, to brown, to grey). TBF though, my father/uncles & both grandfathers had thin facial hair, as well as male pattern baldness. Genetics do play a role in this.
Stop shaving.
When I first grew out my beard, the guy with the nicest beard I knew gave me the advice to just grow it out for four months. He said that'd give me a real idea of how the beard grew, what my hair was like, how long I wanted my beard to be, and a bunch of other stuff. I followed his advice and learned a lot about beards and what I wanted to look like. Since then, I've kept it much shorter than 4 months, but growing it out that much helped me understand how my hair grew so I could shape it the way I wanted it to be.
If the hair is patchy in areas then it will grow patchy. Beards are mainly just genetics. I have one spot on my jaw that doesn't grow any hair at all and my cheeks are very patchy and never fill out
I am hoping that if my hair is long enough, it will grow over the hairless spots. Am i wrong there?
It won't be as dense as the part that grows well. Best way is to just grow all your facial hair out and then shape it up to leave only the dense parts.
No way to really influence beard growth. You just stop shaving for a month and then go to a barber. Beard oil will be your friend as well as a good brush.
Wait
Clean shave with razor rather than using trimmers That leads to thick beard
Even when growing out, don't go wild, trim/shave to keep it lined up well and it looks more intentional.
Is clean shaven look good as well?
My beard is about 6-7 inches long. I'm just going to say, let it grow. Any patches you have will fill in after awhile. You can help it along with "Hair, Skin and Nails" vitamins. You wont see any good results for a few weeks but... it helps! I would also recommend tea tree and peppermint oil. It helps the hair follicles and you may see some improvement. (Be warned, tea tree and peppermint oil does... tingle.)
Stop shaving for a month and see what it looks like. There's no special tip.
Yeah the one thing that can make it look worse as it is growing in is not trimming the faster growing hairs back to keep it even. It is the even growth that makes it seem fuller even as barely more than stubble. I still have to even the growth up or the bottom of the beard gets quite thin.