Hacking Beard Growth: Separating Fact from Fiction

For centuries, a full and dense beard has been a symbol of masculinity, wisdom, and rugged charm. Beards represent maturity, help frame the face, and cover up any perceived deficits in jawline. While genetics largely play a role in determining beard growth, there are treatments which show varying degrees of efficacy. In this article, we'll dive into the science behind beard growth and the most effective treatments.

The Science Behind Beard Growth

Before delving into treatments it's crucial to understand the biology of beard growth. The rate, density, and thickness of your beard are primarily determined by genetics and hormonal factors. The beard represents what we call androgen-dependent hair follicles. It’s the male sex hormones - testosterone and it’s downstream hormone DHT which drive their growth.

Testosterone, plays a pivotal role in priming new beard hair follicles (density). In one study of male coeliac patients (who have higher levels of testosterone but low DHT ) they were observed to have denser beards but they grew more slowly. [1]

Conversely, DHT affects rate of growth as well as thickness of the hair shaft. In another study, women with excess facial hair were treated with topical finasteride (a drug which reduces testosterone conversion to DHT), the thickness of hairs and growth rate significantly declined. [2]

Digging Through The Research On Beard Growth Enhancers

1. Hormonal pathway: Clearly the foundation of a strong beard is a healthy amount of male hormones. In one study of men with beta-thalassemia major, a condition that involves low serum levels of testosterone, men treated with a topical 2.5% testosterone gel on their face tripled their beard density. [3] It’s interesting to note that this treatment barely nudged their serum testosterone levels - perhaps not surprising considering that the androgen receptors are localized in the skin as well as the 5ar enzymes which covert testosterone to DHT.
2. Minoxidil: Commonly known a Rogaine, minoxidil has been used by a whole internet sub culture of men to improve their beards. Until recently, the clinical research behind it was lacking as it’s a drug sold for male pattern baldness. But in a 2016 study men using a 3% minoxidil lotion on their face observed significant increases in hair count and diameter. [4] In another study of low dose oral minoxidil (0.25mg), 52% of men reported increased beard density. [5]
3. Microneedling: This technique involves using a derma roller to create tiny punctures in the skin, stimulating blood flow and potentially promoting hair growth. While there's not been any studies done specifically for beard growth, micro needling mono therapy has been shown to increase hair density on the scalp more than 5% minoxidil solution. [6] There is no reason to think this wouldn’t also be the case with facial hair and one could theorize it should be more effective as facial hair doesn’t undergo miniaturization as scalp follicles do.
4. Retinoids: These are frequently prescribed for both acne and anti-aging purposes. There is some evidence that they also encourage hair growth on both the scalp and beard. In one case report, a man using tretinoin on his face for acne noticed a significance increase is his beard density and fullness. [7]
5. Other Hair Growth Promoters: While hormones are the main primers behind beard development, there are other pathways which no doubt play a role in follicle development. Beard hair is still hair at the end of the day. So it’s worth considering treatments which have been proven to be effective on the scalp. For example, the active ingredients in our hair growth serum (melatonin, caffeine and adenosine) work outside the androgen pathway. By reducing oxidative stress and increasing scalp blood flow, these have been show to increase hair count by up to 55% in studies.[8]  In contrast, a review of minoxidil hair loss studies observed density increases up to 14.94%. [9] Applied to ones beard, there’s no reason to believe results wouldn’t be comparable. We hope to conduct our own clinical studies on this in the near future.

The Bottom Line

The truth is that no magical hack can transform your facial hair overnight. Beard enhancement is a slow process. But if you combine some of the treatments suggested in this article, you’ll no doubt notice a fuller beard in the long run.

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7126460/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3969676/

[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17852629/

[4] https://limmerhtc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/jde13312.pdf

[5] https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(19)32737-9/fulltext

[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34714971/

[7] https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Angela-Filoni/publication/310838669_Beard_hair_density_increase_A_possible_role_of_topical_tretinoin_application_Tretinoin_Induced_Beard_Density_Increase/links/5daa0320299bf111d4be6408/Beard-hair-density-increase-A-possible-role-of-topical-tretinoin-application-Tretinoin-Induced-Beard-Density-Increase.pdf

[8] https://juniperpublishers.com/jojdc/pdf/JOJDC.MS.ID.555577.pdf

[9] https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(17)30306-7/fulltext