Some men find that they are unable to grow a beard evenly across their faces. This raises the question “Why Does My Beard Grow More on One Side?” There are several reasons for this which include both environmental factors and genetic causes.
The fact that a beard grows more on one side than the other can be caused by many reasons or combinations of reasons, which include nutrition, stress, what exercise you take part in, and any medications you are taking.
In this article, we will discuss all the possible causes that make you have a non symmetrical beard.
This is a very common problem that men have, so be sure that there are thousands of other men in your situation and don’t feel bad. No one is perfect.
The problem of uneven hair growth is part of a wider problem, which is the overall rate of hair growth. We need to understand why hair will grow faster or slower more generally before we can sensibly identify why your beard not symmetrical.
Why some men are more able to grow a beard than others?
Genetic or Evolutionary Reasons
The first reason for some males being less hairy is where they live on this planet. There is obviously a genetic cause or evolutionary adaption that results in Men in the tropical regions of Africa and East Asia to grow less facial hair.
According to the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, sub-Saharan Africans together with South East Asians from tropical zones are less likely to have facial hair. Whilst there are a few individuals from these places that can grow facial hair, if we consider the whole population, there is a clear trend.
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You may be programmed by your genes to have little facial hair. You inherit genes from both parents and your father’s beard may give you an indication as to whether genes may be the problem, as could the beard of your maternal grandfather.
Testosterone
It can be very frustrating waiting for a beard to grow. Younger men may be very aware of this when they reach puberty and the first facial hairs start to grow. They take forever to develop and they are spaced very sparsely on the face and uneven.
The growth of a beard is fueled by testosterone, a hormone. Having low testosterone can reduce facial hair growth, If you have a clinically low level of testosterone then you may be given supplements.
If your testosterone is in the normal ranges and you still do not grow facial hair then taking supplements will be a waste of time.
Research has shown that the rate at which a beard grows may be affected by how much dihydrotestosterone (DHT) your body produces. This is a by-product of testosterone. This substance is activated by the enzyme contained within the oil glands of the hair follicles.
If your hair follicles are not sensitive to this dihydrotestosterone, then quite simply hair will not grow. There is nothing you can do to change this. Based on an interview with Dr.Jennifer Chwalek in Business insider.
Once your hair growth pattern is set, you will probably find that your facial hair will grow at a rate of around 1/2 inch per month.
Nutrition & Beard Growth
While ultimately it is the genetics and testosterone that is going to decide how well your beard is going to grow, once it has started growing nutrition is going to have an effect on how thick the hair is, and how strong it is.
This can make thin hair growth look a little thicker. The following substances can play a part in the health of your facial hair.
Vitamin A and Beta A Carotene
These substances help you with the repair of skin tissue. This is usually found in sweet potatoes, the yolk of eggs, and vegetables (kale, carrot, and spinach).
Vitamins C and E
These two vitamins encourage something called Sebum to be produced. This is a naturally produced oil that lubricates and moisturizes our hair. You can find Vitamins C and E in Citrus fruits, peanut butter, and the seeds of sunflowers.
Protein Consumption
Consuming proteins is great for the hair and helps to produce Amino Acids which are used to create Keratin (the basic building block of hair). You can get protein from fish, poultry, and eggs.
Vitamins B6, B12 and Biotin
These vitamins are used for the promotion of new cells and hair. By reducing stress, they also have an effect on hair loss. You get these vitamins from poultry, eggs, nuts and brown rice.
So, having looked at factors that affect hair growth generally, we can now move on to why facial hair grows unevenly, why the beard is thicker on one side.
Related Post: When Does A Beard Stop Filling In?
Why Does My Beard Grow More on One Side?
A beard thinner on one side can be the result of several factors. Obviously, the uneven growth is more obvious where overall the hair is thinner, caused by the reasons given above. But, what are the reasons for this?
First of all, is the problem really that the hair does not grow so quickly on one side or is it that you are losing hair from one side faster than the other, or the hair is not growing so thick?
Read Also: How To Keep Beard Hairs From Tangling
There are quite a few possibilities once you consider how you can end up with more hair on one side of the face.
Blood Supply
Every hair follicle has its own individual blood supply. The blood vessels on one side of the face may not be so developed as those on the other side of the face, Consequently, more blood may be delivered to one hair follicle than another.
If a follicle gets more blood then it follows that it also gets more nutrients and oxygen. This would make the beard grow faster. This factor may be an aspect of genetics. Does your brother or father have the same problem? If they do then it looks like it comes down to genetic causes.
Sleeping
Many people tend to sleep on their side, I know I always do. I also have a favorite side that I favor by default. As soon as I hit the bed, one side of my face is pressed close against the pillow. This has two effects.
1. There is friction on the hair that side of my face. The hair gets rubbed up and down the pillow causing damage to the individual hairs. This can show as an imbalance betw