Options for a Thin Beard: What to do and how to fix it

Finer Beard Hairs

Not everyone grows thick coarse facial hair; some of us are dealt the hand of finer hair growth. Finer hairs, even if you have plenty of hair will usually appear significantly thinner than other types of hair. Fine hair is common in the early years of beard growth, but some men may always grow fine facial hair. There are some tricks to make your beard appear thicker, and we’ll share some of these in a little bit.

Patchiness

Facial hair, like all other hair, grows at varying rates. If you have just started your beard life, you may find there are areas of your beard that are thinner than others. You may even have some areas where hair just will not grow. This is often referred to as a patchy beard.

A patchy beard can be dealt with in several ways, depending on where the patches are located and the style of beard you wish to achieve. A common way to deal with patchiness or bald spots is to grow the surrounding hair to cover the spot. This idea is similar to hairstyles that are designed to cover balding or thinning hair on the head.

Another option is to style and trim your beard to incorporate the patchiness. This is especially helpful when the patches are located on the cheek or neck areas. It may be as simple as lowering your beard line to accommodate the areas of thinner growth.

Lighter Colored Beards

Fairer haired individuals will know that lighter colored beards can easily appear thinner than similar beards with darker hair. If the only reason your beard appears thin is due to color, you may consider dying your beard slightly darker to make the beard look thicker. You can also use some of the tips below.

Excessive Hair Loss

All hair grows in cycles. At the end of the hairs cycle, the hair falls away allowing new hair to take its place. Some people notice that their hair may be falling away at a higher rate than usual.

Genetics

Some men are genetically predisposed to a thinner beard.Similar to the finer beards described above, genetics can cause your beard to grow in a thinner, leading to patchiness, bald spots, or even limit beard length. Genetics play a big role in the life cycle of our beard hair. Take a look at the men in your family if you think genetics may be playing a role in your thin beard.

Over Drying (Heat)

One of the most common reasons for sudden thinning is the result of using excess heat when styling a beard. While it is ok to use a small amount of heat to style and shape your beard, avoid using high temperatures, and limit the heat styling.

We recommend never using a hair straightener on your beard, as the heated compression can be severely damaging to the beard hairs. Instead, use a blow dryer on a lower heat setting and be careful not to hold it on one area for an extended period.

Product Use

Overusing products, or using products that contain harmful ingredients can cause your beard to become thinner, dry, and brittle. The natural cycle a hair goes through may be quickened by some products or excessive dryness causing them to ‘die off’ more quickly.

Look for products that include on the highest quality natural and organic ingredients to prevent damage, and use the motto “Less is More”, using the smallest amount of product needed to achieve the results you need.

Too Much Brushing

While we recommend brushing your beard, due to its many benefits, too much can be damaging to the hair and hair follicles. You should limit your brushing to 1-2 times a day to prevent over brushing. You will also want to make sure to invest in a quality natural fiber beard brush. Synthetic and plastic bristly brushes may snag or pull at the hair causing it to fall out prematurely; the last thing you want if you are fighting thinness.

Stress

Not surprisingly, high levels of stress can cause hair loss from all areas of the body, including your beard. Stress raises the level of cortisol in your body, which lowers testosterone and DHT; both essential for facial hair growth. Taking just a few minutes a day to relax and recoup from life stresses have been shown to have a drastic effect on cortisol levels.

Health Issues

There are several health issues that can cause your beard to become thin. In some instances, the result may even be irreversible. Some of these include:

• Skin Damage or Infection – The skin beneath your beard must be in good shape to grow healthy hair. Anytime the skin becomes damaged, or if you suffer from an infection, such as fungal dandruff or beard ringworm (Tinea Barbae), there is a potential for slower growth and thinning of the beard.
• Alopecia – Specifically alopecia barbae is a health condition that results in the beard hair follicles being attacked. The hair follicles then fail to produce hair. Alopecia can occur with no warning. The hair loss will often cause small circular bald spots to appear in as quickly as a few days. Alopecia is incurable; however, the symptoms can often be treated successfully.
• Chemotherapy – Any intense chemical medical treatment can cause sudden changes in body chemistry that may lead to hair loss, or thinning. After treatment is concluded, the beard may return to the original state, change in thickness and texture, or may even fail to regrow.
• Radiation – Similar to the results of chemo, radiation treatment is the single biggest cause of hair loss in cancer patients, including facial hair. Exposure to other types of radiation can also cause similar issues. Like chemo, after treatment or exposure,the long term effects can vary.
• Iron Deficient Anemia – Iron is an important component of strong healthy beard hair and solid hair growth. Therefore, individuals that are afflicted with iron deficiencies may experience differing levels of hair loss. If this is the only cause of hair thinning or loss, then proper treatment should eliminate the condition and healthier beard growth should resume.
• Additional conditions are too numerous to list, if you know of a condition that you believe should be included here, please let us know.

Poor Grooming Habits

Bad hygiene and poor beard grooming habits can lead to several conditions that may result in a thinner beard. The best action to take here is to establish a good, regular grooming routine that thoroughly cleans and conditions your beard. For assistance on developing a routine, refer to one of our many articles on beard care, such as The Best Products for Beard Growth or 3 Months to a Great Beard.

Shorten Your Beard

We know that the idea of shortening your beard is probably not what you want to hear. However, if you have extra thin or sparse beard hairs the longer you allow your hair to grow, the more noticeable it will appear. Trimming your beard shorter until you are able to improve the growth of your beard may be one way of making your beard appear thicker, or at least not as thin.

Add Texture

We’ll use a throwback from the 80s here, carefully teasing your beard hair is a non-product way to add instant volume. There are several products that can be used to texturize your beard. Here are the most common.

• Dry Shampoo – Dry Shampoo applies a thin, slightly sticky layer of powder to your beard that adds volume, making your beard appear thicker instantly.
• Sea Salt Spray – Sea Salt spray is used by some to attain the textured beachy waves in head hair. This product can also be easily used to do the same for your beard.

A note of caution, both dry shampoo, and sea salt spray can be drying to your beard and skin. If you decide to use either of these products, be sure to thoroughly clean and condition your beard each day to avoid excessive dryness.

Blow Dry Your Beard

I know you are thinking that over-drying can cause thinning, but using a blow dryer correctly will not only add texture and volume to your beard but will not damage your beard. If you are worried, use a quality heat protectant any time you use a hair dryer to lock in moisture.

Use Hair Fibers

One way that some men are camouflaging their thinning beards and even patchiness and bald spots are using hair fibers. Hair fibers are tiny keratin fibers, very similar to hair, that are statically charged to ‘stick’ to your existing beard hairs. The result is a thicker appearance that may fill in thinner areas of your beard.

Take a Biotin Supplement

Men that are not able to get enough biotin from the food they eat may want to consider taking a biotin supplement. Biotin has been scientifically linked to hair growth. You can take a supplement that includes biotin, such as a quality multivitamin, or take biotin by itself. Most beard supplements are high in biotin.

Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, so you will natural excrete any excess biotin naturally.

Condition, Condition, Condition

Did I mention the condition? Making sure your beard and the skin beneath it is getting enough care from excellent conditioners is key to growing a thicker fuller beard. The biggest obstacle to a healthy beard is dryness. When your beard and the skin beneath are dry, the hair follicles will struggle to battle the dryness and do their job of growing hair. This process speeds up the hair cycle, leading to a thinner beard.

Use a Beard Brush

A beard brush should be the primary tool in your beard arsenal. A quality natural fiber beard brush helps to stimulate hair follicles, distribute products and natural oils throughout the beard hair and can be used to train your beard. A beard brush can also be used to gently exfoliate the skin, which removes dead skin cells and improves blood circulation for healthier skin.

Develop a Great Grooming Routine

This tip really includes both the previous tips, but finding a great routine is important to growing a thicker, healthier beard. When you keep a regular routine, your skin and hair follicles are not having to consistently readjust and are able to work the way they should, growing stronger, healthier hair.

Not only is grooming your beard important but also taking great care of your skin helps to improve the overall health of your skin and beard. However, there is no need for fancy or complicated skin care products. Just focus on finding simple products with quality ingredients that are easy enough to use that you will be more likely to incorporate into your regular routine.

1. Dukes Beard Derma Roller & Growth Serum

Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5.0

View on Amazon

When it comes to growing a thicker beard, sometimes the biggest obstacle is adequately stimulating the hair follicles. Using a derma roller help this by directly stimulating hair follicles as well as increasing blood flow to the skin. This set includes a titanium roller, featuring safe 0.3mm needles, and a nutrient-rich growth serum that provides essential vitamins for improved hair growth.

This simple to use roller just needs to be thoroughly sanitized between uses to prevent bacteria from developing on the needles. Safe and effective for even the most novice individuals.

Check Price

2. Prophet and Tools Beard Oil

Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5.0

View on Amazon

This beard oil from Prophet and Tools is one of the best beard oils on the market that is specifically designed to deal with many of the most common issues that lead to a thinning beard. Whether your issue is excessive dryness, lack of essential nutrients, beard dandruff, or just slow growth, this oil is sure to help.

Made from only the finest, vegan, nut-free, and kosher ingredients, this oil is packed with tons of nutrients to grow a thicker healthier beard. As an added bonus, each bottle comes with a beard comb made from peach wood. The oil is also unscented, so you don’t have to worry about any weird scent combinations

Check Price

3. Bossman Complete Beard Kit

Editor’s Rating: 4.8/5.0

View on Amazon

Men looking to up their grooming game are going to love this complete kit from Bossman. This kit includes Bossman’s unique jelly beard oil, an intense conditioning cream, a soothing and relaxing beard balm, and Bossman’s own MUDstache training wax.

This kit has everything you need to get the perfect grooming experience while providing your skin and beard with tons of rich moisture. The jelly beard oil is a great option for new beard growers they might tend tooverdo traditional beard oils.

Not only will this kit help you groom and maintain a great looking beard, but all of the products also provide all of the necessary ingredients to provide the best atmosphere for improved hair thickness and growth.

Check Price

4. Aliver Beard Growth Oil

Editor’s Rating: 4.3/5.0

View on Amazon

Another great option is this beard growth oil from Aliver. This oil is made of only all-natural and organic ingredients, making it a great option for all beard wearers, especially individuals with skin sensitivities. This rich formula is absorbed deeply into the hair follicles to repair them allowing them to become reactivated to grow thicker, healthier hair.

This oil works as both a skin and beard conditioner to combat dryness, without excess weight or causing your beard to become greasy. Simple to use and will not stain your clothes or linens. For best results, apply in the evening before going to sleep.

Check Price