When you first decided to grow a beard, you might have been a young boy proudly admiring the scraggly hairs sprouting from his chin. You dreamed of the day they'd become a full, luscious beard that made you look irresistibly distinguished and refined. Fast-forward and you have a patchy beard with bald spots that never seem to fill in no matter how many different ways you wait, trim and try to shape your facial hair into the beard of your dreams.

Whether you've just started wrestling with patches or have been looking for solutions for years, we're here to help you finally figure out how to fix a patchy beard.

How Can I Fix My Patchy Beard Naturally?

You don't need to take supplements or expensive hair growth products. Instead, it's all about discovering the right products and grooming routine to suit your beard and natural hair growth pattern. Taking a look at your personal lifestyle is always the first step. When you take a closer look at how your diet, sleep and even hormones are affecting hair growth, you'll be able to stop wasting time on quick fixes and make lasting changes.

You'll also need to find some helpful tricks and beard styling tips that'll help you fix a patchy beard. Your top priorities in this case will be volume, coverage and texture. This can be done easily with the right products and grooming routine that enhance beard growth.

Why Do I Have a Patchy Beard?

When you're trying to figure out how to grow a better beard, you can find yourself trying to figure out why you've been cursed with yours. Is there a problem with your beard hair? Is your beard growth normal? The fact is that a ton of men have nothing wrong with them, and their facial hair is perfectly fine. They're prone to growing patchy beards, it may even have some natural bald spots, and there's nothing wrong with that.

You can even learn how to style a patchy beard with the right tricks, tools and products. We'll give you some of our top suggestions later in the article, but first, let's tackle some of the most common reasons you can't grow a full beard.

Reduce Stress

Higher stress levels impact your hormones, and you could find it hard to grow a beard if you're constantly stressed out. Men who deal with chronic stress also tend to have lower testosterone levels, higher cholesterol and premature hair loss, including beard patches. Finding healthy ways to relax, like exercising and meditation, are the best way to restore your body's balance. It's also important to recognize stress for what it is. Rather than pushing it down until you explode, learn the signs that you're reaching your limit and choose some coping strategies that help you come back down to a neutral state.

There are several steps you can take toward leading a less stressful life. You have to do what works for you, and if you're finding it hard to do that solo, consider talking to a therapist. Taking care of your mental health could be the best thing you do for your beard and body.

Eat Less Junk Food

Take-out and snacks are convenient, but they're not good for your health or beard. The physical impacts of a poor diet span far beyond weight gain, too. You can find yourself dealing with oily skin, which clogs hair follicles, more breakouts and, you guessed it, a thin, patchy beard with bald spots.

Rather than immediately hopping on the supplements bandwagon, address your diet from the most basic level. Are you getting enough vitamins and nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables every day? Is your protein coming from lean meats and eggs? You'll also want to rule out high sodium, which can sneak up on you even if you're eating well. Switch to healthier snacks, too, like sunflower seeds, which are packed full of iron and other minerals that make your beard grow faster and fuller.

Your journey to a fuller beard can also help you reassess your diet. This can lead to a much healthier lifestyle that ultimately benefits you in more ways than you realize.

Talk to Your Doctor

In some cases, medical conditions affect hair growth. You might not be able to grow a beard if you have a hormonal imbalance, especially low testosterone levels. The sex hormone impacts everything from your energy levels to how your hair grows. Your doctor can order a blood panel that checks your testosterone DHT and other hormonal levels. Once you know what you're working with, it's time to find out how to boost any low level and improve blood flow.

Your circulation impacts how hormones and nutrients are distributed throughout the body. This affects skin cells and hair growth, which play a large role in the development of patchy spots.

Alopecia areata or alopecia barbae can also lead to patchiness and balding in beards. You'll need to figure out exactly what's going on in each hair follicle to develop potential treatment options.

Talking to your doctor is always a great step. They can rule out any potential medical causes of your beard patches, offer suggestions and give you recommendations on ways to stimulate hair growth.

How Can I Make My Patchy Beard Look Good?

Now, we're on to the most important part of this guide. You want a full beard, but it's going to take time to get there. How can you make yourself look and feel great in the meantime?

Don't Overtrim

First off, you'll want to stop trimming. That's right. You don't want to overtrim a thin beard and risk worsening its patchiness. The biggest mistake guys make is hyper-focusing on every spot and hair. Beard patches need time to fill in, and you may actually prevent that from happening if you're always trying to trim the surrounding areas.

Let your beard grow naturally for at least a month. This will allow you to see the pattern of hair growth and figure out exactly what areas you need to concentrate on. Patchy beards will have different growth stages on different parts of the face. It can be difficult to hold off on trimming the longer beard hairs, but try styling with beard oil instead. This will allow the hair follicles that are working properly to grow more hair, lengthening your existing beard and adding some volume that can be brushed over thin areas.

Choose the Best Beard Style for Your Face Shape

Every man and beard are different, and just because you're wrestling with patchiness doesn't mean you should give up on styling. Guys can style patches with essential oils, good wax and some styling tips. It'll take some time to figure out the right way to style your facial hair, but if there's one thing we believe, it's that every man can sport a decent beard.

Your patches might be a natural part of who you are. One option you have for managing your patches is embracing your look. This doesn't mean you forgo any type of quality care or products. But you do find grooming tips that suit your facial hairs organic state.

We rounded up a variety of looks and photos from men of all ages in our guide to 23 beard styles for every face shape. No one wants to be stuck with patchy spots on their face forever, but you can embrace your current look while you work on your beard growth.

Get the Right Products

Men need the right products to keep their beards healthy and improve the rate of hair growth. The Bearded Chap has all the essential things you need for the best beard care. A beard oil will keep the skin underneath your facial hair moisturized; beard balm is a product that helps you smooth and shape your beard into the right direction, which can help you cover patches more easily; a formulated beard wash will lead to an extremely smooth, clean beard without stripping away the natural oils your skin needs. Last but not least, you'll also want to get yourself a good beard brush. Strong bristles designed for facial hair help you brush beard hairs in the right direction and prevent breakage.

Our products have zero soaping agents to prioritize natural growth. Regular shampoos and body washes dry out hair and can leave a beard feeling brittle and wiry. We make sure that each product keeps your facial hair looking fantastic, no matter the rate of your hair growth.

Patchy Beard Before and After

Beard growth that started out patchy

Take a look at these bearded chaps. They went through the same struggles and managed to achieve the beards of their dreams. They always looked great, but now they're sporting a look they're truly proud of. No matter how long you've been trying to be able to grow a beard, there's hope!

Often, patches do fill in if you're patient and take care of your beard!

A patchy beard that filled in over months

Will a Patchy Beard Eventually Fill In?

There are many things that you can do in your pursuit to fix a patchy beard. One important step is to make sure that your hair products suit your unique hair texture and skin type. Avoid looking for pseudo-fixes, like biotin supplements and minoxidil oils. Instead, opt for natural solutions, like products with essential oils. The Bearded Chap's range of all-natural beard products will help keep your beard in top condition.

The right set of beard care products will lock in moisture while giving your beard a fuller, cleaner and healthier sheen. Combined with the right grooming, you can style your look in a way that feels clean, sleek and professional even when hair is sparse. The bottom line is that patchy beards are nothing to be ashamed of. You can still find a way to rock yours in the interim of growing a more voluminous one. Stay hopeful, and keep striving toward your ideal style while exploring different options.