The major factors that affect beard growth can be broadly summed up to:
- Genetics
- Personal Health
- Grooming Routine
- Diet
Unfortunately, Diet is something a lot of us overlook. When we are grocery shopping, usually we only think of how that food will affect our body. Although many of us think popping a multi-vitamin covers all the bases, remember that the vitamins found in food come with tons of nutrients not found in pill form.
Supplements a not a substitute for a good diet, and there is no excuse for having a diet good for your body and for your beard. Also, eating a delicious and nutrient rich diet is ten times better than taking a multitude of pills every morning.
If you want to keep your beard looking awesome, then you need to understand the links between what we eat and how facial hair grows.
What to eat for fast and healthy beard growth
We are going to break down what you need to be eating to ensure a healthy beard. We encourage you to have a read-through and patch up the holes your diet.
Lean Protein
Your hair grows when your body processes amino acids. These are made by protein, so it’s important to make sure we eat enough. Try to choose lean, healthy proteins to keep your beard looking good and growing fast.
All of your hair is made up of a protein called keratin. Your head hair, body hair and beard hair all grow the same – each requires a diet rich in protein for the best growth and health. Protein is also linked to testosterone production – along with being good for your muscles it is also proven to have an impact on the speed your beard grows.
Lacking proper protein in your diet can make your beard dry, brittle and easy to split. It will hit the brakes on your beard coming in full and thick. What to eat: Lean meats, fish, eggs and beans
What to eat: Lean meats, green yogurt, fish and peanut butter
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that serves a myriad of beard growing benefits, including aiding in the skin’s production of sebum, and the growth and reproduction of cells.
Since hair is one of the fastest growing cells in the human body, it’s not hard to see why vitamin A is critical to maintaining a healthy, fast growing beard.
What to eat: Eggs, skim milk, orange/yellow fruits and dark leafy greens.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B gives your body a jump start on protein processing. And in turn, it speeds up the building and growth of hair follicles. Luckily, most of the foods that contain protein are full of B Vitamins as well.
More specifically, B5 helps takes care of turning the food we eat into usable energy and nourishment for all your cells, including the ones that make up your beard hair. Along with zinc, Vitamin B can also slow down the graying of hairs and in some cases reverse the process entirely.
What to eat: Lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts, brown rice and oatmeal.
Vitamin C
Your body produces natural oils to moisturize and protect your hair, keeping it full and thick. This oil is called sebum – it is produced more rapidly if we have enough Vitamin C in our diet. It helps your body produce natural collagen, keeping your skin smooth and hydrated.
Also, Vitamin C is a super powerful antioxidant that protects your hair from damage at a cell level. There is no drawback to the inclusion of Vitamin C in your diet for the effects on both your body and beard.
What to eat: Dark leafy greens, tomatoes, nuts, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, spinach and fruits.
Vitamin E
A powerhouse of an antioxidant that destroys bacteria and protects your hairs deep down at a cellular level.Vitamin E’s link to the increase of testosterone in your body helps your hair grow faster. Often overlooked, it should be a staple piece of any beard grower’s diet.
What to eat: Vegetable oils, peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, leafy veggies.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
A part of your hair is literally made from these fatty acids. There are already present in the cells of your skin, and the oils your skin produces – upping your intake of Omega 3 boosts your bodies natural ability to keep your skin and hair hydrated and healthy.
This nutrient encourages growth and protects your hair from getting dry and brittle.
What to eat: Salmon, halibut, pumpkin seeds, eggs, kale
Zinc
This is what your body uses to help repair your body and encourage tissue growth. This keeps your beard healthy and ensures the skin under your mane is invigorated and helping hair to grow.
It helps regulate the testosterone in your body, keeping that beard growing steady. It can even help slow down those patches of grey hair (sometimes even reversing the loss of color!).
With all of this, there is no reason to overlook the amount of zinc in your diet. It’s the ultimate boost to how your beard looks.
What to eat: Legumes, nuts, eggs, whole grains
Iron
Iron is something all of us need to look at, lacking iron in your body can lead to serious health risks – it is linked to hair loss. Iron plays a big role in producing hemoglobin which carrys oxygen around your body, repairs cells and keeps your hair growing at optimum speed.
What to eat: Green veggies, nuts, beans, grains and dried fruit
If you are serious about your beard, then you need to think about what you are feeding it. There is no downside in eating healthy, nutrient rich foods. You will feel better and increase your overall health. Add a good diet to a beard grooming regime, and you can be assured your beard will look simply glorious.
Just like what you put into your mouth, we here at JC Grooming only use natural, organic ingredients to make our beard oils, butters and balms.
- If you want to give your beard the same quality of nutrition you give your body, check out JC Grooming’s line of beard products!
- If you want a more guided look on exactly what to eat to ramp up your beard growth, we wrote a guide on it here.
- To see an example of the beard grooming routine we use at JC Grooming, check our video on YouTube here.
