What Age Beard Stops Filling In: [No BS, The Truth]

Poets and authors have described the magnificence of a full flowing beard for ages. However, not all of us are lucky enough to enjoy the benefits of a full and amazing beard in all its glory.

A patchy beard can, not only physically single you out for stares and comments, but it can also be a source of mental agony. Genetics, age, and hormones all play an important role in determining the kind of beard that you’ll have.

Most teenagers and young men are obsessed with questions like these…When does my beard stop filling in? At what age, does my beard stop developing? At what age do beards grow fully? And much more…

A beard normally stops filling in by the age of 30. In fact, many men can’t even develop a reasonable beard before the age of 23. Most men start growing facial hair in puberty, around 13 years of age but this process continues for many more years.

Also, keep in mind that just because your beard is not thick and complete by the age of 20, it doesn’t mean the game is over. Stay positive and patient.

Here in this article, we will try to answer all your questions regarding how to grow the perfect beard. In short, if you don’t have much time, my answer to your question is that if you are not yet around 30 years old, your beard can still thicken. This is the truth.

But, if you wanna learn more details keep reading!

I will help you understand the science and the art behind growing a beard so that by the end of this blog post you’ll have gleaned valuable information that you can put into action straight away. 

When does my beard stop filling in

At What Age Is Your Beard Fully Developed?

There are three stages of hair growth in the human body. They are called anagen, catagen, and telogen. 

In the anagen phase, there is a rapid growth of the hair. 

In the catagen phase, hair growth is dormant. This is also the stage where your bread stops thickening or growing. 

In the telogen phase, new hair replaces older or dead hair to kick-start the process of hair growth once again. 

Depending on your age, race, and genetics, the above phases will occur differently in different people. 

All of this stuff is written in books and I have personally read a lot of books, studies and posts before I was able to form an opinion on the topic.

We have also made a detailed analysis on posts from Q and A sites like Quora, Reddit and Tapatalk.

We were searching for posts that men clearly answer the question of at what age their beard stopped developing. Here is what we have found.

beard growth stop
testosterone decrease graph
This Graph is not by any means reviewed by doctors therefore it may not be 100% accurate. The testosterone stats are from the ”Androgen Decline In The Aging Male” chapter of this Urology book, Medicalnewstoday.

But what do all of these numbers tell us?

  • There is a clear correlation between testosterone levels and beard growth
  • Facial hair has stopped thickening by the age of 30 in 75% of men according to them.
  • Everyone is different and the results vary a lot.

There is a significant number of men that have developed a thick beard later on. So, if you are still a teenager or a young adult and you are desperate about growing a beard, just keep in mind that hope is not lost.

And let me also tell you something else.

The men that have stated that their beard has stopped developing at age 18-20 were still young and I am very unsure if I can trust their opinion.

Obviously, their beard growth rate might be lower than before but that does not mean that no more new hairs grow after 18 or even 20 years of age.

Our take on the topic is this.

If you are younger than 30 years old there is a good chance that your beard will thicken. There are even some exceptions as you can see in the graph that we’re able to grow a thicker beard after the age of 30!

So, don’t lose your hope too early!

Does your beard stop growing or grows slower as you age? 

If you were curious to know about this, the answer is facial hair tends to grow slower. While hair never completely stops growing, the rate at which hair grows does change with age. 

Over or under-active hormones can be responsible for affecting hair growth, while factors such as genetics and ethnicity also play a role in how sooner or later will your beard stop thickening. 

Don’t think, however, that your beard will grow slower by the age of 30-40. Your facial hair will grow at a slower pace after at least 50-60 years of age as your testosterone levels will dramatically drop.

You will have maximum beard growth and thickness by the age of 25-35. This will be your peak as far as your beard growth is concerned.

At What Age Does Beard Grow Fully?

Your genes are one of the critical factors that determine how much time your beard needs to grow fully.

It is as if there is a program in our genes that determines whose hair will grow at what rate and what thickness. It is our genetic code that includes information about everything such as appearance, height, skin color, etc…

Therefore, everyone has a different quality of growth. Hairs grow at an average of ½ inch per month, and depending on your genes and also on how long you want it to grow, it could take anywhere between a few months to a few years. 

Ethnicity also plays a role. For example, it is seen that people from the Mediterranean region grow thicker beards than other people across the world. 

However, that is not all. Beard growth could also be affected due to illnesses such as alopecia areata. For example, the condition of a patchy beard is more often than not due to alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata is a condition where the body’s immune system thinks that hair follicles are not good for the body and starts shedding them. While the causes behind this illness are still unknown, doctors think that stress could be one of the main factors that lead to it.

The short answer to the above question is that the time taken grow your full beard is dependent on many factors such as age, your race, and your genetics.

In general, most men have maximum beard growth during the ages of 25 to 35. However, the belief that as you grow older beard growth decreases is a misconception, and hair never truly stops growing but the rate at which they grow does change. 

How to make your beard thicker

How To Make Your Beard Thicker? 

There are varied ways of making your beard grow thicker. We will look at some of the most potent ways here which have been proven to give positive results. 

In short, these are the things you can do to make your beard thicker:

Supplements
Diet
Exercise
Beard Products
Beard Transplant
Micro-Needling
Hormone Therapy
Minoxidil Treatment

Taking supplements 

Taking supplements is a very good way of increasing the vitamins and nutrients in your body to accelerate beard growth.

Supplements can also tackle the problem of a patchy beard. However, one downside of taking supplements is that the results will vary from person to person. But nevertheless, supplements can help grow beards. 

Vitamins such as Vitamin B, C D, and E along with copper, zinc, and magnesium can help grow thicker beards. They also help activate dormant hair follicles and also condition the hair. Two such supplements that work well are biotin and niacinamide. 

Biotin is a common component of many hair growth products. Biotin is naturally found in the human body, but a deficiency in Biotin can lead to alopecia in the body. Usually, a daily biotin supplement can increase hair growth after 90 to 180 days. 

Nicotinic acid or niacinamide is also a Vitamin B3 that increases the density of hair follicles and helps to create keratin, the main component of human hair. It is also available in specific hair care products. 

Diet

One of the most important but neglected aspects of growing a thick beard is a healthy diet. We are firm believers in the many advantages of a natural diet.

The vitamins and nutrients that you need are all contained in natural foods. Eating healthy food helps you to maintain a healthy weight, and the best part is that weight loss increases testosterone, the hormone that has a significant impact on facial hair growth. 

Choose foods that are rich in proteins, such as fish and lean meat, rice, and beans. Omega 3 fatty acids are also good for the overall growth of the beard. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fatty fish such as salmon. 

Exercise 

This might seem weird or odd but regular exercise does have several benefits for growing your beard. Some of these are: 

Exercise helps blood flow and stimulates the growth of hair follicles. 

It boosts metabolism and testosterone growth which can trigger beard growth. 

Exercise increases the blood circulation rate which again helps to stimulate hair growth by adding vitamins and nutrients to reach your hair follicles. 

Beard Oil and Butter

Let us make one thing clear at the outset. 

Beard oil and beard butter will not technically help to make your beard longer or thicker but it creates conditions that can help to make the beard thicker. That is why we have included beard oil here. 

Beard oil essentially acts as a conditioner for the beard and the skin. Beard oil helps in treating issues related to weak beard follicles and helps you comb your beard and help it grow in the right direction.

Beard butter can also provide some soft styling and brushing. It is not like wax but it is definitely better than just oil.

Beard transplant

Let us look at the last option for many – a beard transplant solution.

For men who have tried all methods and still failed to grow their beards, often the beard transplant is a last resort.

Hair from another part of the body is taken and transplanted on the face. Beard transplants are a relatively new process but the results are positive. The resulting beard looks natural and in no way looks artificial.

However, having said that a beard transplant is expensive and can’t be afforded by everyone. A transplant could cost you anywhere between $7000 and upwards of $15000.

Micro-needling 

Another recent development has been micro-needling whereby you stimulate hair growth on your face by pricking your face with a roller that has hundreds of tiny pins attached to it. If you think this is some grotesque medieval torture mechanism, relax, it’s not.

The science behind it is that when you use the roller over your face, the pins come in contact with your skin and create tiny punctures.

Your body treats that as injuries and immediately starts taking repair measures. It sends hormone rich blood to your face. This creates a new and healthy layer of skin from which facial hair can grow.

Hormone therapy

We have mentioned how testosterone deficiency can lead to problems with beard growth. Another modern way to increase your beard growth is hormone therapy also known as testosterone replacement therapy.

This therapy can be done in various forms such as tablets, capsules, injections, and hormonal creams. 

Minoxidil or Rogaine

Minoxidil was first introduced for the treatment of high blood pressure, but it was discovered that it had an unfortunate or in this case, a fortunate side effect. It also led to hair growth in people who consumed the drug.

However, many people didn’t find this side effect. So, in 1988 minoxidil was approved by the FDA for use as a hair growth product. 

But, remember this product has to be used long term. Don’t expect immediate results.

Keep in mind you don’t want to buy Minoxidil for 1 month and then buy again. This way you will waste money for shipping 2 times or more. Minoxidil therapy is a long-term therapy so grab a larger supply to save money.

It may sound obvious but trust me for some people it is not.

How Long Does It Take To Grow A Beard?

How to make your beard grow faster

Growing a full beard is possible, and with dedication, it is possible to get a great-looking beard. 

Development of a beard can take place when you allow it the time to do so.

This means that you develop the patience necessary to nurture the growth of your beard. It also means following a well-rounded diet and adopting positive lifestyle changes. 

A full-grown beard in all its glory can take up to 30 + weeks to develop. This means that the average age for a full beard is somewhere between 8 to 9 months.

You need to have the necessary patience, determination and willingness to achieve the same. 

Protein, fruits, vegetables and supplements are important for facilitating the growth of your beard. Take them in ample amount. Spinach, raisins, potatoes, nuts, and oranges are also good for your beard.

Adopt lifestyle changes such as exercise and try to reduce stress. These changes will also help your overall health, make you happier, more confident with better and thicker facial hair.

You are sure to see faster beard growth and thickness.

Conclusion

Knowledge is the precursor to fulfilling goals and, in this article, I have tried to provide you with some of the most time-tested ways of growing a great beard. There might be challenges on the way but when you stick to it, you’ll have a better chance of achieving your goal.

To sum up, at what age does your beard stop filling in?

Beards don’t stop filling in before the age of 30, so if you are younger than that do not lose your hope. Also, if your relatives have grown decent beards you have a very good chance of growing a beard too. If not, chances drop.

The most important factor that affects beard growth and thickness is genetics.

However, there are some additional factors and some things you can do to help the process. We discussed a lot of stuff which should be more than enough.

I tried to tell you everything I know, as simply and fast as I possibly could.

Let me know what you think of the methods and which are the ones you have used personally to grow your facial hair. I am confident that the above information will help you grow the kind of beard that you have always wanted. 

Let your endeavour for a magnificent beard continue. I am there to support you on your journey forward. If you have any questions or comments, let me know in the comment section below, I would love to help you.

Are you ready to grow a thick and healthy beard? Stay positive and patient.

Until next time,

Stay Safe and…Let It Grow!

Tasos.

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