You’ve seen one of your friends or someone online rocking an awesome beard, which probably got you thinking about growing a beard of your own. This started your research process, digging through Google, Youtube and other social media for answers to the question of how long does it take to grow a beard. While the question seems quite simple at the outset, as we dive deeper into the dialogue, you’ll learn how the biological process works in letting your facial hair grow, factors affecting beard growth, how long it takes and all you can do to accelerate the beard growing process.
Table Of Contents
How Long Does It Take To Grow A Full Beard?
It takes two to six months to grow a full beard, depending on your lifestyle and desired beard style. Beard hair growth is around a third to about half an inch (0.85-1.25 centimeters) per month. Regardless of where your beard is on the growth spectrum, training and proper dieting can make the growth of your beard faster.
Beard Growth Stages
Here we’ll talk about the three beard growth stages.
1. Anagen Phase
In the anagen phase, commonly known as the growth phase, the cells in the hair’s root divide quickly, increasing the hair shaft. Scalp hair remains in this active stage for at least two to six years. Approximately 80 to 90 percent of beard hairs are in the anagen phase at any given moment.
2. Catagen Phase
At the end of the anagen phase, when your beard reaches its limit, also known as terminal beard length, there is a brief transitional stage called the catagen or degradation phase. The catagen phase is a phase where all your facial hair receives the message that the time for hair growth is over.
3. Telogen Phase
The old hair is discharged after the brief catagen phase, and your hair follicles rest for around three months. Your club hair begins to disintegrate. You typically shed between 50 and 100 hairs each day. Don’t fear hair loss, as it’s just a process to return your hair to the anagen phase. After three months, practically all your hair will be in the anagen phase again.
Factors That Affect Facial Hair Growth
Here we’ll explain the different factors that may affect your facial hair growth.
Genetics & Ethnicity
Your genetics is what will affect hair growth the most. That’s why some people have full beards in middle school, and some don’t have them while driving their children to school.
As for ethnicity, it can also affect beard growth. Mediterranean people have a much higher chance of growing a thicker beard than Chinese people.
Ethnicity also changes how our skin absorbs any care products, so there is beard oil for black men, Asians, Hispanics and so forth.
Age
Adolescent boys see the first signs of facial hair growing when they’re just hitting puberty or are in the midst of it. The biggest reason behind age being a problem is your testosterone level which increases with age.
Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle influences healthy beard hair growth and prevents hair loss. Here are healthy habits to develop:
- Sleep seven to eight hours
- Quit smoking
- A healthy diet with whole grains, natural carbohydrates, vitamins and biotin
- Exercise regularly to increase testosterone levels
- Manage your stress levels
Testosterone Levels
A lack of testosterone can be detrimental if you want to grow facial hair. With exercise and healthy dieting, you can easily keep your testosterone levels over 350 nanograms per deciliter, which is the recommended average if you want to grow a full beard.
Skin Care
Skin care is critical for hair and beard growth. Dead skin cells or dry skin can have a negative effect on hair growth.
Wash your face at least once a day, use a gently exfoliating scrub and moisturize.
How To Grow A Beard
There are many things you should know if you want to grow an amazing beard.
Be Patient & Let It Grow
The first and most obvious tip many people tend to ignore is patience. Don’t give up as soon as you start, you won’t attain the full facial hair you desire overnight.
Use Beard Products
Beard products can stimulate hair growth. Whether it’s by grooming, nurturing or speeding up slower hair growth, there are plenty of things you can use:
- Beard Oil: Using beard oil for your facial hair can help soothe and protect your facial skin and hair. See our beard oil reviews to help you make your pick and check out our guide on how to use beard oil.
- Beard Balm: Beard balm keeps your skin and hair hydrated and healthy. If you’re wondering whether to use the oil or balm you can read more about the comparison on our blog.
- Beard Wash: Beard wash helps with oily beards especially by removing harmful oils and hydrating the skin.
- Beard Butter: Beard butter gives nutrients and works as a conditioner for your facial hair and skin. Some brands of beard wash and beard butter also help stimulate growth.
- Beard Wax: Beard wash is extremely helpful when it comes to styling your beard.
- Beard Conditioner: Beard conditioner moisturizes and conditions the facial hair and skin underneath. It lessens dandruff and makes your beard much smoother. You can check our top picks for the best beard conditioner on our blog.
- Beard Roller: Beard or derma rollers can also help accelerate beard growth.
If you have a patchy beard, the best beard growth kits should be able to help you.
Trim & Shape
You might want to shape up on your way to growing a full beard. Be sure to use a beard trimmer and trim everywhere at the same length. You can trim overly bushy beards down to a more manageable beard length.
Develop Better Habits
Sleeping a healthy amount of seven to eight hours, dieting and working out are all great things to do for your beard hair follicles.
Whole grains influence beard growth. Foods rich in zinc and healthy fats as well as vitamins A, B, C, D and E which you can find in a lot of fruits and vegetables also help the beard. The foods or spices you should specifically target are:
- Potatoes
- Nuts (Peanuts, Raisins, Macadamias)
- Bell Pepper
- Spinach
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Cinnamon
- Orange, Lemon, Lime, Tangerine
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does A Beard Grow In A Year?
A beard grows four to six inches long in a year. The anagen phase lasts for quite a long time and is unchanging, meaning that you’ll get a consistent third to half an inch each month, leading up to a year. For everyone outside the US, you grow a beard anywhere from ten to fifteen centimeters in a year.
How Long Does A Beard Grow In A Month?
A beard grows a third to half an inch long in a month. For everyone outside the US, you grow a beard in length from point eighty-five to one twenty-five centimeters. Don’t freak out or feel bad if you’re below the average – it happens, and you can still grow a full beard even if it grows at a slower rate.
How Long Does A Beard Grow In A Week?
A beard grows from two to three millimeters (0.08 to 0.11 inches) long in a week. If you’re below the average growth rate, don’t fret, it happens. It could be due to a couple of factors, such as hormones, diet, genetics, age and so on. Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean you should shave it off, because the best thing you can do for your beard is give it time.
How Long Does It Take To Grow A Long Beard?
It takes anywhere from six months to over a year to grow a long beard. That being said, how long are we talking? If we’re talking two to three inches, that should take around half a year. You should check for consistent and healthy hair growth, and if you’re seeing problems, just follow our tips above for healthy beard growth.
How Long Does It Take To Grow A Short Beard?
It takes anywhere from one to two months to grow a short beard. It mostly depends on genetics, but you should have a beard of around a third to half an inch at the one-month mark. In two months, it might be as long as an inch. At that moment, you might want to start trimming and maintaining it so it remains a short beard.
Conclusion
So, how long does it take to grow a beard? Well, if you’re just starting a new growth process, it would take around two months if you want a full and short beard. Growing a bigger, longer and grander beard would take anywhere from six months to over a year.
