There are many different types of beard products out there nowadays. Beard oils are one of them. Companies that make beard oil claim that is has many benefits, like the bold statement of beard growth and others including:
Benefits such as relieving itching and getting rid of dandruff seem to be true but does using beard oil help your beard grow, in actuality? Or is this just a simple marketing claim?
Beard hair is just like the hair on your head and your body hair in many ways. Many different factors can affect how quickly your beard grows, how thick the beard hair grows in, and where exactly on your face and neck the hair grows. These factors can be things like:
Other factors for beard growth may be at play as well. The main point is that there are many things, both internal and external influences, that are working together to affect the overall outcome of your beard growth.
Beard oil is actually great for many things, whether or not it actually helps with beard growth.
Some people find that, as they begin growing out their beard, the skin underneath can become itchy and dry. This is commonly referred to as “beard itch” and it can be very annoying. This doesn’t stop as your beard gets longer either and can actually become worse if you don’t do something to soothe and moisturize both your skin and hair. There are different products that can help with this and beard oil is one that many people have found is a good way to relieve any itching or dryness.
Dryness can often lead to dandruff in your beard, just like it can cause dandruff in the hair on your head. Many people also tend to scratch at their skin when it itches, which causes dead skin cells to slough off into your beard. Again, beard oil can help relieve dryness and itching, thus getting rid of any dandruff.
This may not be something that is on your radar but beard hair can get split ends just like any other type of hair. Obviously, if you already have split ends, the only way to fix the problem is to trim your beard. Beard oils can help keep your hair healthy in order to avoid split ends in the first place, though. Don’t fall prey to a common myth, however: cutting your hair doesn’t make it grow faster, and avoiding split ends isn’t a guarantee it will grow faster either.
One problem many people have with their beards, especially if they have long beards, is styling. While beard oil is not necessarily a styling product in and of itself, it can help make your beard smoother and more easily manageable. It can help with frizzy, fly-away hairs so that your styling combs and products can better do their jobs.
Having unclean, dry skin and hair can cause your beard to smell. As beard oil helps with dry skin, messy hair, and itching, this is a good way to rid yourself of any foul beard odors. Many beard oils also contain essential oils that smell good. The scent is usually light and not overpowering. This is a great way to add a little bit of fragrance, even if you aren’t one to wear colognes or perfumes.
In addition to these benefits, which many people find to be true claims, those who make beard oil also claim that beard oil helps your beard grow. They claim that beard oil can fill in patchy areas of hair, that it makes your hair grow faster, and that it makes your hair thicker. But are these claims actually true? Does beard oil make your beard grow? Or are these claims just marketing ploys, designed to make products fly off the shelf?
You’ve already read the list of factors that can help or hinder beard growth, so you may already have formed an answer to this question. Does beard oil make your beard grow or is this a myth?
If the stars are already aligned for you and you have the genetics, testosterone levels, diet, etc., for optimal beard growth, then beard oil certainly isn’t going to hurt anything. But the answer to “does beard oil help growth?” is mostly a “no”.
If your genetics dictate that your beard is only going to grow in certain areas or that your hair is going to be a certain way, beard oil is definitely not going to override those. You can put all the beard oil you want in areas you’re having trouble growing hair but it isn’t going to do much (other than moisturize your skin, which certainly isn’t a bad thing!)
If your testosterone levels are low, beard oil won’t raise them. If your diet is lacking in vital vitamins and minerals or is low on protein, beard oil isn’t going to magically give you the nutrients you are missing. If you are outside of the “prime age” for beard growth and your beard isn’t growing like you want, you may just have to accept the beard that you have.
You can, of course, change your diet and get your testosterone levels checked and see if either of those things help. Nothing can really be done about the age or genetics, though (at least right now).
Sometimes, the thing affecting your beard growth is dry, unhealthy skin. If this is the case, you may notice that your hair is growing in better after using beard oil. This doesn’t necessarily support the claim that “beard oil makes your hair grow”. It just means that you had many other optimal factors for beard growth and the one thing stopping your hair from growing in was that dry, flakey skin. If that’s your only problem, beard oil can help.
Even though beard oil isn’t going to magically make your beard grow, it’s still beneficial to use it. As mentioned, it’s a great product to add to maintain the health and look of the facial hair you already have. Even if you aren’t able to grow your beard as long or as thick as you’d like, that’s okay! A short, well-trimmed beard that is moisturized and free of dandruff and split ends is a perfectly good beard too.
There is no magic product or pill out there that is going to make your beard grow if you just don’t have all the factors needed for optimal beard growth. Again, you can’t change your genetics. You can’t change your age. You can change your diet so that you are getting more vitamins A, B,C, and E, biotin, zinc, protein, and magnesium. This isn’t going to guarantee your facial hair is going to grow exactly as you like but that’s okay. You’ll still experience some benefits from the added nutrients.
Does beard oil help your beard grow? Not really, no. But can it help with the overall health of your facial hair? Absolutely. The thickest, longest, most luxurious beard isn’t going to look that great filled with dandruff and split ends. You may feel great about your beard but beard itch and dry skin is certainly going to put a damper on any joy you might experience with facial hair.
Don’t expect beard oil to have magical beard-growing properties, but do see if it might help with your overall beard and skin health