Do you want your facial hair to grow evenly, but you have patchy beard growth? If you’re struggling with patchy beard, then top 5 ways to fix patchy beard is here for you! Do not do a search on Reddit or any other website for how to get rid of patchy beard.
Read this detailed guide to learn how to fill them in, how to create amazing styles for uneven beard.
5 Way to Fix Patchy Beard – How to fill in a patchy beard?
Transitioning from a patchy to a thick beard can indeed be a grueling process. You may have found yourself repeatedly lamenting, “My beard just is not growing!” However, that refrain will cease once you’ve discovered these 5 tips to fix a patchy beard.
1. Vitamins for Patchy Beard
You could potentially improve the thickness and fullness of your facial hair by incorporating vitamins and minerals into your routine.
For example;
- Biotin,
- Vitamin D,
- Zinc,
- Saw Palmetto (Prevents the conversion of testosterone to DHT),
- Ashwagandha,
- Testofen,
- Collagen.
These nutrients play roles in promoting healthy beard hair growth and could address deficiencies that may related to patchiness. While Saw Palmetto prevents the conversion of testosterone to DHT, Biotin ( vitamin B7 or vitamin H) promotes even facial hair growth by stimulating keratin production and the strength of hair follicles.
2. Diet for Patchy Beard
To boost your beard faster, you can try eating foods that contain certain vitamins. Foods that have a stimulating effect on your beard are the things below:
- Increase the testosterone level;
- Have the vitamins necessary for hair growth;
- Stimulate and activate your testosterone and DHT levels.
If you want to find out how to fill in a patchy beard, start by consuming these nutrients and watch the change take place:
- Spinach
- Fish, chicken and turkey
- Cheese and eggs
- Almonds, quinoa, brown rice, and oats
- Fruits and vegetables
- Beans, lentils, and chickpeas
3. PRP Treatment for Patchy Beard
Platelet rich plasma – PRP therapy is one of the top 5 ways to fix patchy beard. It is the part of people’s blood that has a large concentration of platelets and leukocytes (white blood cells).
An effective way to treat beard hair loss includes these steps:
- Your surgeon will take a blood sample and separate the PRP from the other components of your blood.
- Then, they’ll use it in conjunction with a beard transplant to promote healing by increasing blood flow to the injured tissue.
Safe and suitable for men with patchy beard growth, hormonal imbalances, or scarring.
4. Minoxidil for Patchy Beard
As a topical application, Minoxidil (Rogaine) is designed for treating hair loss on the scalp, but over time, it also became used for the treatment of patchy beards.
- Patients typically apply it twice a day to the lower face.
- The results may be visible after 4 to 6 months.
- The most common side effects of the medicine are dryness or redness of the skin, rapid heartbeat or dizziness.
- Scientific research indicates that its effectiveness for beard growth is limited.
Please mind; Studies on the effect of Minoxidil on beard loss are still ongoing.
5. Facial Hair Transplant for Patchy Beard
Facial hair transplant surgery for patchy beard is the best solution with %97 to %98 success rate between top 5 ways to fix patchy beard. Below are the types of beard transplant techniques;
- FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction): The hair follicles are extracted one by one and then placed in a special solution until the extraction is complete. Your surgeon will then make micro-incisions on your scalp in the recipient area and place the collected follicles. It is known as the best method for beard hair transplant.
- DHI (Direct Hair Implantation): This involves taking your natural hair follicles from the hairy area and implanting them into the bald areas via a Choi needle. It is also preferred for mustache transplant.
In order to find out the detailed information, you can check out our comprehensive guide to beard transplantation.
What are the causes of a patchy beard?
A patchy beard on the face of a man can be caused by genetics or can develop for a number of reasons including diet, lack of protein, stress and hormonal imbalances.
8 Causes of Patchy Beard
Below we have listed the 8 main causes of sparse and patchy beard. While you learn how to fix patchy beard, the underlying causes can help you develop a treatment plan.
1. Alopecia Areata
Beard alopecia is called alopecia barbae and causes small circular patches of hair loss. It affects not only the beard area, but also your neck, jaw and cheeks. It can spread to the whole lower part of your face.
2. Genetics
Genetics largely determine facial hair patterns and beard growth. Conditions such as Alopecia areata barbae (AAB) and Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) may have genetic causes. For example, specific genes can have an effect on the shape and density of hair follicles.
3. Stress
Higher levels of stress and anxiety affect your male hormones. This makes it difficult to grow a beard under stressful conditions. Men with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) tend to have low testosterone levels, high cholesterol and early hair loss, including beard patches. However, if you’re feeling an urge to pluck your beard hairs, then this could be a sign of trichotillomania, a type of OCD.
4. Dermatological conditions
Dermatological procedures can help you to get rid of beard acne, dry and itchy skin structure, beardruff, in-growing hairs, uneven and patchy hair growth cycle. Your dermatologist may suggest using minoxidil, corticosteroid creams, or antimicrobial medications for seborrheic dermatitis.
5. Hormonal Imbalances
The key hormones that lead to beard loss include androgens, especially testosterone (T), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), as well as their prohormones like dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and androstenedione (A). They affect the growth of terminal hair in sex-specific areas like chin and jaw region.
6. Age
Typically, the early stages of male pattern baldness occur in the 30s, as does facial hair loss. At this age, testosterone production and DHT levels decrease by 1-2% per year.
7. Scars
Hair follicles do not naturally regenerate in scar tissue, making it difficult for hair to grow in these bald spots. In such cases, a facial hair restoration may be necessary to implant healthy grafts into the scar tissue. Your surgeon typically harvests hair grafts from donor sites on the scalp and transplants them into the beard area.
8. Poor Diet
Poor diet can cause beard hair loss by depriving the body of essential nutrients such as lean meats, fish, eggs, salmon, walnuts, berries, and spinach. Thus, an unhealthy diet promotes inflammation that disrupts the hair growth cycle, and leads to hormonal fluctuations, resulting in decreased beard hair density.
Beard Styles for Patchy Beard
What if you made peace with your patchy beard and adopted a style that suits you? When you think of a patchy beard, it’s hard not to picture Keanu Reeves, the iconic star of The Matrix. But can you still look charismatic with a patchy beard? Absolutely! Many men from the Hollywood industry have great beard styles despite having patchy beards. Below we have collected the beard styles used by celebrities with patchy beards.
Goatee Beard Style
Growing beard on the chin that is not connected with mustache.
Chin-Strap Beard Style
Required to shave all facial hair except for a thin strap from the ears along the jawline.
5 O’clock Shadow Beard Style
To camouflage bald patches, create a short stubble look.
Circle Beard Style
In Breaking Bad, you might recall Walter White’s iconic circle beard. Perfect for those with patchy cheeks, it’s the choice for men who declare, “I am the one who knocks”.
Van Dyke Beard Style
Trim the goatee and mustache to a similar length and keep the sides of the beard clean-shaven. It has short and long patchy beard versions.
FAQs about Patchy Beard Fixing
Will my beard be patchy forever?
No, you can have a permanent bushy beard using methods such as hair transplants, topical medications or injections.
How long for a patchy beard to fill in?
You may notice new hair growing in a few weeks after a successful FUE beard transplant.
Is a patchy beard a sign of low testosterone?
Yes, although this is not the only reason, it is one of them.
Do derma rollers work for patchy beards?
Yes, by stimulating blood flow to the follicles and promoting collagen production, it can improve healthy growth and thickness.
How do you trim a patchy beard?
First wash and dry your beard, then use a beard trimmer to create a uniform length. Define the beard’s shape by trimming around the edges.
References
- Cervantes J, Fertig RM, Maddy A, Tosti A. Alopecia Areata of the Beard: A Review of the Literature. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2017;18(6):789-796. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-017-0297-6
- Gruber R. How to explain the beneficial effects of platelet-rich plasma. Periodontology 2000. Published online April 10, 2024. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/prd.12565
- Kaiser M, Abdin R, Yaghi M, Gaumond SI, Jimenez JJ, Issa NT. Beard Alopecia: An Updated and Comprehensive Review of Etiologies, Presentation and Treatment. J Clin Med. 2023 Jul 20;12(14):4793. doi: 10.3390/jcm12144793. PMID: 37510908; PMCID: PMC10381635.
- Suchonwanit P, Thammarucha S, Leerunyakul K. Minoxidil and its use in hair disorders: a review. Drug Design, Development and Therapy. 2019;Volume 13:2777-2786. doi:https://doi.org/10.2147/dddt.s214907
- Almurayshid A. Review of Topical Therapies for Beard Enhancement. | Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences | EBSCOhost. openurl.ebsco.com. Published December 16, 2020. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A1%3A9262161/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A149438742&crl=c
- “Hair Transplantation.” Wikipedia, 3 Nov. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_transplantation.
- Grymowicz M, Rudnicka E, Podfigurna A, et al. Hormonal Effects on Hair Follicles. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020;21(15):5342. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155342
Article Review By: Dr. Jyothi Shenoy V
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MBBS, MD – Obstetrics & Gynaecology, MRCOG(UK)
23 Years Experience Overall