We get a lot of questions from customers on how they can grow a thicker, healthy beard. So we've put together a list of the secrets that gentlemen use to help them grow thick healthy beards. 

Can Everyone Grow A Beard?

Unfortunately not everyone can grow a beard. There are numerous reasons why, some of which you can work around, and some you're just stuck with. So even though we can tell you how to grow a beard, we can't actually perform miracles.

When growing a beard, time is a factor, and so is age. If you're in your teens or twenties, you might just need to wait a while. Stress, poor diet and lifestyle all weigh in on your chances of growing a beard. However some genetic factors mean men either cannot grow a beard, or may grow patchy uneven beards. And certain ethnicities will struggle to grow a beard at all.

Sufferers of alopecia will also be unable to grow beards. Unfortunately, genetic science hasn't been focussed on solving the beard problem, but our tips can still be useful for many, even those who struggle to grow a full beard. If your beard growth is slow, patchy, or not as thick as you'd like, there are many things you can do to help.

Do Beard Oils Work?

Yes, they do! Beard oils work to keep your beard well groomed. Use a good quality beard oil like our original beard oil, to moisturize and keep the skin under your beard nourished and supple. Keeping your beard clean is also super important. Make sure you are using a beard wash specifically designed for the face as normal shampoos and body washes will strip all the oils from your face and beard, damaging the hairs, leaving your beard weak and prone to breakages. Combing your beard with a quality comb like Kent Combs will keep your beard looking tidy and remove any dead beard hairs. It also helps exfoliate your skin underneath and encourages blood flow to your face, which will help the hair absorb nutrients that will make your beard thick and healthy. See a barber's recommendations for top beard grooming products in our latest guide.

What Stimulates Beard Growth?

Exercise Can Promote Beard Growth

Start working out on a regular basis. We're not talking about going for a nice stroll down the road. We're talking about sweating your ass off, lifting heaving weights or playing an intense sport. Not only will you be shredding that excess weight and feel great, but exercise increases your blood circulation around your body, which supplies your hair with all the nutrients your beard hair needs to grow thicker and stronger. Testosterone levels also increase, which promotes healthy hair follicles and hair growth. Doing compound exercises involving the legs, which are the largest muscles in your body not only burn the most calories but create the most testosterone. So get off the couch and get moving!

Eat Well

You've all heard of the term you are what you eat. Now you are exercising regularly your body will need good fuel to make sure you have the energy to exercise hard and get the best results. Think of it like putting 98 Octane fuel in your car vs old Leaded Fuel, what is your car going to run better on ? 98 octane right! Eating a balanced healthy diet of meats, vegetables and fruits will ensure that all the blood your pumping around your body when you exercise is full of all the nutrients that your hair needs to make it strong and healthy.

Stop Smoking

One of the side effects of smoking is hair loss. Nicotine reduces the body's ability to absorb nutrients needed for hair growths and constricts your blood vessels, lowering your blood circulation. Stop smoking and watch your beard quality improve!

Stress Less

Cortisol is the chemical released when you stress, and is a massive negative impact on testosterone development. You want more testosterone! It also constricts your blood vessels, reducing the blood flow to your beard cutting off the nutrients it needs for thick healthy hair. Try Things like regular meditation, yoga or just go for a run with no music and concentrate on your feet hitting the footpath (you're killing two birds with one stone with a run as you're exercising too!)

Sleep More To Promote Testosterone Production

Sleep encourages testosterone production as it replenishes after exercise. 8 hours is the optimum amount of sleep to maximise testosterone production. Sleep also reduces your stress levels too! If you are sleeping 5 hours or less, it can actually reduce your testosterone levels by up to 15%! Get into that bed!

Have More Sex

We won't complain about this one! Not only is sex great exercise, but it is a massive Testosterone booster also! The more sex you have the better! Oh and it releases Melatonin, the chemical that helps you sleep, increasing the quality of your sleep which in turn helps you maximise testosterone even more! Oh, and it is scientifically proven that the more sex you have, the more sex you get. Natural pheromones are released from your sweat glands that attract females to you subconsciously!

How Can I Grow A Beard If I Can't Grow A Beard?

You can take supplements & vitamins to support beard growth. In addition to your well balanced diet, supplements can be added to maximise your beard's potential. Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, copper, zinc and magnesium play crucial roles in growing thicker healthier beard hair. Most men are lacking in the majority of these vitamins so adding them into your diet can have a very quick positive impact on your beard.

Is There A Proven Way To Grow Facial Hair?

Even though beard growing as an art is as old a mankind itself, some of the science is a little, ahem, patchy. If simply letting your beard grow isn't yielding the desired results, and you feel like you've tried everything, you might want a proven approach. The tips above have been shown to work for many, but unfortunately, studies on growing a beard are thin on the ground.

What's sure is that there is no grow-beard-in-a-day quick fix. The most effective way to grow your beard is to give it time, look after yourself, keep your nutrients topped up and look after the growth that you have!

How Do I Fix My Patchy Beard?

If your beard grows patchy at first and, take heart in the fact that in most cases a patchy beard will fill in - if you simply let it grow. It's natural that facial hair grows at different rates in different areas, so as you grow it out and trim back the longer sections, the rest should catch up. Use a beard trimmer regularly. You might be surprised how quickly things even out. A longer beard can also help hide any patchier sections, and a beard comb can be used tactically to cover up. In fact, good beard grooming can fix most patchy beards.

If your beard is still patchy once you have grown it, and it doesn't ever seem to even out, one approach is to keep it short, so the patchiness doesn't stand out. This isn't beard growing so much as maintaining stubble, but you can still pull off a strong look. As stubble is supposed to look natural, the patchiness could even add to the feel.

Supplementing your diet, getting more exercise and having more sex could all help even your growth out, and will have many benefits besides growing a beard to be proud of. In extreme cases, testosterone supplements can be used for those with a natural deficiency, but you should always consult your doctor before taking a step like this. And for the super committed, beard transplants can solve patchy beards for good.

How Can I Fix My Patchy Beard Naturally?

Before leaping to such extreme measures though, it's worth considering a more natural approach to boosting (and evening) the growth of your facial hair. Of all the products available, natural beard oils can work wonders for patchy beards, and on more than one level.

First, natural oils moisturise the skin, keeping it healthy and promoting fresh growth. But they also help to control and style your facial hair, making thinner patches appear fuller an allowing you the control to style your beard to minimise patchiness and give the illusion of a thicker, fuller beard.

Add to this the fact that they smell great, add shine and lustre to your beard, and keep it free of dandruff, and there's a pretty convincing argument for using natural oils to help grow beards fuller.

Do Beards Get Thicker With Age?

Give it time - practice the one month rule! Most guys become too impatient and trim or cut their beard after 2-3 weeks. Sometimes because beardruff becomes an issue (which can be rectified with Beard Oil) or they are not happy with the way it is growing. Just have patience and let it grow for 4 weeks before you get stuck into it and you'll be surprised how dense your beard can become. We all know that some of you guys out there are facially hair challenged and if you fall into that category, then no amount of time will improve your beard. sorry :-)

If you are one of the lucky ones, from even a tiny amount of growth a beard can be fostered which will make you proud. Just give it time. By looking after yourself, supplementing your diet, eating well, and looking after your facial hair with The Bearded Chap's natural oils and beard wash, you can grow a thick and healthy beard.