Has Your Beard Stopped Growing?

There’s an eerie silence as your reflection stares back at you.

You feel judged.

You’ve been suspicious as of late but today it’s as if the confirmation has slapped the beard off your face...

… and at this point, it may as well do. Your beard is lifeless. Not a nanometre of growth in weeks. The end of the world has never felt so nigh.

“What is the source of this phenomenon?!”, you declare.

Breathe, beardy, breathe. Although not commonly known, there are a number of things that can hinder or even halt beard growth in its tracks - but it’s not the end of the world... And in this article, we’re going to show you how to tackle these issues head-on.

We’re not mad. We’re just a little disappointed. Why are you treating your pride and joy like this? Just like your cat, your beard needs to be looked after.

“Why is my beard broken?”, you whimper.

NEGLECT. Is the answer.

Your beard has been suffering from any or all of the following tortures:

Head shampoo is not meant for the face. Facial skin is far more sensitive than the scalp.

Dyeing your beard to hide greys allows the colouring into the shaft (lol) of your cuticles. This is weakening your beard at its foundations.

All kinds of beard products can help you here. Beard shampoos, beard moisturisers, beard oils and beard balms are all made to repair, protect and maintain your beard.

Whether it’s the use of beard straighteners or just too much time in the sun, that heat is drying out your beard. Heat compromises the protein bonds that provide strength - resulting in weaker, more ragged hairs.

We recommend avoiding heat altogether. Straighteners and high-heat hair dryers are a nono. If you’re lucky enough to be in the sun, make sure you’re keeping the beard topped up with oil (check out our oil buying guide here) to help replace the moisture that those UV rays strip away.

Diets that don’t provide all of the vitamins that your beard craves could well be contributing to the failure of your facial fleece. There are a set of specific vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body requires to support its hair growth mission. Let’s have a look at ‘em:

Vitamin A is essential for all your body’s growth-related activities, inclusive of your hair, of course. You know when les femmes complain of oily skin? That oil is called Sebum and is created naturally by your skin to help keep it moisturised. When you grow a beard, the hairs steal this moisture to keep themselves hydrated instead. The more vitamin A, the more Sebum. Add kale to basket.

More specifically, B7, aka b-b-b-Biotiiin *airhorns*. Our bodies tend to produce plenty of Biotins but when it’s so efficient in hair growth, the more the merrier. Biotin can be found in a lot of your favourite foods, from meat and fish to nuts and grain.

What isn’t Vitamin C good for tbh? One of its many benefits is the production of a protein you’ve probably heard of called Collagen. Collagen is integral to the structure of your beard hairs. Vitamin C also helps with the absorption of iron - a mineral necessary for hair growth. Stock up on fresh fruits or take advantage of the bounteous supplemental options.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that actively prevents oxidative stress (where free radicals outnumber antioxidants). Natural antioxidant effects reduce hair breakage and promote stronger, thicker, faster growth.

One of the best sources of this vitamin is avocados, so whip your limes out and start smashing the avocado and poached eggs on toast. Mission Beard's range of natural beard oils are packed with Vitamin E too, so maybe go ahead and check those out.

Facial follicles are nurtured by blood flow. Circulation delivers all the necessary nutrients to your beard to aid growth and encourage it to thrive. Here’s a couple of ways to improve your circulation:

Water. Drink it. It’s that simple. It may seem like a chore to go out of your way for water but. You don’t have to keep track or try to hit goals necessarily, but just be sure you’re getting in at least a few glasses.

Most of us like a drink or twelve. Mission Beard was founded in a bar, so we’ll be the first to admit it. However drinking too much, as you probably know, is not good for you. It reduces circulation and can lead to several health complications, including a dead beard.

There are a few ways to do this. You could simply rub your face, but for best results, we recommend using a beard brush. Not only does it aid circulation, but also exfoliates, grooms, and tidies.

If you’ve considered and tried all of the above and there is still no sign of life, your beard may have reached its terminal length.

It’s not quite as scary as it sounds - your beard isn’t gonna rot away.

It simply means your follicles have reached the end of their life cycle.

What’s my beard’s terminal length? 

This is decided by your genes. Your ability to grow a beard always comes from the genes of your father. However thickness, position, colour and growth rate can come from either side of the family. Check both sides of the tree to try to determine what you’re aiming for.

“My dad’s got a massive one!”, you exclaim regrettably.

On average, your beard will grow 0.5 inches a month for anywhere between two and six years. Once a follicle has reached the end of its life cycle, it will fall out and a new one will grow in its place.

Time is the key ingredient in any beard growth journey. That and a well-stocked cupboard of beard care products. We sell these. From beard oils and balms to boar bristle brushes, the Mission Beard store has got what you need. Take a look now.