Why Can't I Grow A Beard? 5 Reasons, Plus Beard Growth Strategies

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5 Reasons Why You Can’t Grow a Beard

Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — Written by Daniel Yetman on April 27, 2020

Genetics
Age
Ethnicity
Alopecia areata
Low testosterone
Growth strategies
Takeaway

For some, growing a beard can be a slow and seemingly impossible task. There’s no miracle pill for increasing the thickness of your facial hair, but there’s no shortage of myths about how to stimulate your facial hair follicles.

Many people mistakenly believe that shaving makes facial hair grow in thicker. In reality, shaving doesn’t affect the root of your hair beneath your skin and has no effect on the way your hair grows.

Another common misconception is that those with thicker beards have more testosterone than people with thinner beards. Even though testosterone does play a role in the growth of facial hair, low testosterone is rarely the cause of sparse facial hair growth.

In this article, we’re going to examine the five most likely reasons why you’re having trouble growing out your beard. We’ll also look at some ways you can maximize your growth.

1. Genetics

The thickness of your beard is primarily determined by your genetics. If your father and grandparents have thick beards, you’ll likely be able to grow a thick beard as well.

Androgens are a group of hormones behind masculine traits like a deep voice and the ability to grow facial hair. An enzyme in your body called 5-alpha reductase converts the androgen hormone testosterone into another hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

When DHT binds to receptors on your hair follicles, it stimulates the growth of facial hair. However, the strength of its effect is also determined by your hair follicles’ sensitivity to DHT. This sensitivity is largely determined by your genetics.

Conversely, even though DHT stimulates beard growth, it inhibits the growth of hair on your head.

2. Age

Men often experience increased facial hair coverage until around age 30. If you’re in your early 20s or teens, it’s likely that your beard will continue to get thicker as you age.

3. Ethnicity

Your race can have an effect on your facial hair growth. People from Mediterranean countries tend to be able to grow thick beards compared to people from other regions.

According to a 2016 study, Chinese men generally have less facial hair growth than Caucasian men. Facial hair growth in Chinese men tends to concentrate around the mouth while Caucasian men tend to have more hair on the cheeks, neck, and chin.

According to the same study, the diameter of human hair can vary from 17 to 180 micrometers, which can be a contributing factor to beard thickness. Thicker hair leads to a fuller-looking beard.

4. Alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition where your body attacks your hair follicles. It can cause the hair on your head and the hair in your beard to fall out in patches.

There’s no cure for alopecia areata, but your doctor can recommend several treatment options that include:

minoxidil (Rogaine)
dithranol (Dritho-Scalp)
corticosteroid creams
topical immunotherapy
steroid injections
cortisone tablets
oral immunosuppressants
phototherapy

5. Low testosterone levels

In some cases, low testosterone may be the cause of poor beard growth. People with extremely low levels of testosterone have next to no facial hair.

Unless your testosterone levels are clinically low, they probably aren’t impacting your facial hair growth. If you have low testosterone, you’ll likely also have symptoms like the following:

low sex drive
erectile dysfunction
fatigue
trouble building muscle
increased body fat
irritability and mood changes

Is it true that some men can’t grow any facial hair at all?

Not every man is able to grow facial hair. The most common reason some men can’t grow a beard is genetic factors.

Some men who have trouble growing beards have turned to beard implants. Although beard implants are now available, they’re expensive and are a surgical procedure. So careful evaluation of the risks and benefits should be considered.

Methods you can use to grow a beard

There’s no shortage of beard growth formulas available on the internet that lack scientific evidence backing their effectiveness. The majority of these products are little more than snake oil.

Unless you have a medical condition limiting your beard growth, the only way to make it thicker is through lifestyle. The following lifestyle changes can maximize your genetic potential for facial hair growth:

Eat a healthy diet. Eating a balanced diet can help you get all your essential nutrients and avoid micronutrient deficiencies that might negatively impact your hair growth.
Be patient. If you’re a teenager or in your 20s, your beard might continue to get thicker as you age.
Reduce stress. Some research has found that stress may cause loss of scalp hair. Stress may also affect beard thickness, but the link isn’t clear at this time.
Sleep more. Sleep gives your body a chance to repair itself and can improve your overall health.
Avoid smoking. Smoking can have a negative impact on both your skin and hair health.

Takeaway

Your genetics are the primary factor that determines how thick your beard will grow. You can’t change your genetics but living an overall healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced diet can help you maximize your beard growing potential.

Many men’s beards continue to get thicker into their 30s. If you’re in your teens or early 20s, you’ll likely notice that growing a beard will become easier as you mature.

Looking at your father and grandparent’s beard can give you an idea of what to expect for your facial hair.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Chen X, et al. (2020). Dihydrotestosterone regulates hair growth through the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway in C57BL/6 mice and In Vitro organ culture. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2019.01528
Can’t grow a full beard? There’s an explanation for that. (2019).https://health.clevelandclinic.org/cant-grow-a-full-beard-theres-an-explanation-for-that/
Maurer M, et al. (2016). The male beard hair and facial skin – challenges for shaving. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/ics.12328
Peters E, et al. (2017). Hair and stress: A pilot study of hair and cytokine balance alteration in healthy young women under major exam stress. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175904
Trüeb RM. (2015). Effect of ultraviolet radiation, smoking and nutrition on hair. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1159/000369411
Urysiak-Czubatka I et al. (2014). Assessment of the usefulness of dihydrotestosterone in the diagnostics of patients with androgenetic alopecia.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4171668

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Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — Written by Daniel Yetman on April 27, 2020

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