Taming Those Locks

Posted on: 14 January 2016

For many men, growing facial hair is an easy process. However, genetics or changes in hormones can prevent some men from achieving the facial hair they desire. Medical treatments or lifestyle modifications can help you achieve the luscious beard or mustache you want.

Check Your Hormones

Hormones play a significant role in your ability to grow facial hair. If you have always had a difficult time growing facial hair or notice a sudden change in growth rate, have your hormones checked. It is normal to experience a decline in androgens as you age, which can contribute to a decrease in hair growth. However, other conditions, such as endocrine disorders, can also cause a similar effect. Your doctor will likely want to test your thyroid function and testosterone levels to rule out hormone-based problems.

Increase Testosterone

Decreased testosterone or increased estrogen can stifle the growth of facial hair, even if the changes in hormones are not significant enough to warrant treatment. You should consider ways your diet and lifestyle are potentially affecting your hormones and make modifications. Some lifestyle factors that can drastically affect hormones are excess alcohol consumption, smoking and illicit drug use.

If you are overweight, you should consider the impact of excess body fat on your hormones. Excess body fat is linked to increased estrogen in men. As more testosterone is converted into estrogen, you may also notice additional effects, such as fat accumulating in the chest area. In addition to decreasing extra pounds, increased muscle mass can improve testosterone levels. Try establishing a strength-building program which targets large muscle groups. The extra lean body mass will help you burn fat more efficiently and by focusing more on large muscle groups, you will build muscle faster.

Practice Good Skin Care

Establishing a good skin care routine can help facilitate hair growth. One component of your skin care routine should be using products that encourage blood circulation to the hair follicles. If your skin is not sensitive, consider using skin care products with a tingling sensation. Face masks containing peppermint often have this effect. The tingling sensation stimulates blood flow to the targeted area. You should also massage your face to help stimulate blood flow. Once or twice per day, use your fingers to gently massage your face using circular motions.

Eucalyptus and castor oils are often used to increase hair growth. However, it can be difficult to incorporate oils into your skin care routine without causing breakouts and clogging hair follicles. When using oils or products containing oils, try them at night. This will give the product a chance to work and you can thoroughly wash your face in the morning to minimize obstructions to your hair follicles. Exfoliate your skin with a gentle facial scrub approximately two or three times per week. If you incorporate oils into your skin care, lightly exfoliate more often. This will keep dead skin cells and oils from inhibiting the growth of facial hair.

Consider Hair Growth Treatments

Although the popular hair growth treatment, minoxidil, is not used to grow facial hair, it can have the added benefit. Try using the treatment, as directed, on your scalp. The ingredient used to regrow hair on your scalp often has the side effect of increasing hair growth in other areas because it is absorbed into the skin. If you experience increased facial hair while using minoxidil, you will need to continue using the product indefinitely to maintain the results.

Increasing the amount of biotin in your diet can also help. Most people who take biotin use supplements, but eggs are a popular food source. Unfortunately, biotin can have the undesired effect of increasing breakouts. To help combat breakouts, slowly increase the amount of biotin you take until you can tolerate the full dose. Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water while taking biotin. Most people who experience an increase in breakouts while taking biotin find extra hydration helps minimize or eliminate breakouts.

Fortunately, there are several options to increase facial hair. Enhancing your levels of testosterone and working on your skin and hair from the inside out can improve the growth of facial hair. Visit a site like beardvitamin.com for more information.