Growing a beard is like growing a garden. It takes time and attention. Sometimes you must add fertilizer to increase its health. Irrigation is necessary to keep your garden watered. If your garden grows dry or brittle, it will become unpleasant. And gardens – like beards – must be groomed from time to time.
Some men have beards that naturally grow fast. Other men have less strong or active hair follicles that grow slower or thinner. What are some options if you’re in the latter category? The ultimate truth is that it really depends on what specific issue you are facing with your beard. Fortunately, there are some good beard growth supplements on the market right now.
What truly improves beard growth?
The right supplements will often improve the speed and density of a growing beard. Hair growth can be improved using a wide variety of vitamins, oils, and supplemental proteins. It’s important to remember that your body utilizes a number of proteins and hormones to produce your hair. However, not all supplements will work and many are scams designed to cheat you out of your money.
In fact, most beard growth pills sold on the market do not help with beard growth at all and are simply fakes. Men seeking to grow their beards will have to read the ingredients and check specifically to make sure that the active ingredients are ones that will help.
For the specific purpose of increasing a beard’s hair density, speed of growth, and thickness of hair, there are primarily three known substances that will achieve this effect. If you’re seeking to assist in the capability of your beard’s speed of growth, you’ll likely require biotin, collagen, or minoxidil.
The Importance of Minoxidil
Minoxidil is a medication used to treat hair loss and high blood pressure in both men and women. It’s available in prescription tablets and over the counter as a foam or gel applied to the skin. It’s important to note that minoxidil won’t make your beard grow faster. It works to awaken dormant hair follicles in your beard. This will increase the density of your mane.
However, if you’re under 21 or you have heart problems, you should pass on minoxidil. Any man under 21 years old shouldn’t expect to have a full beard, anyway. The truth is that in terms of improving your growth, minoxidil really is the best option for helping you.
The Excellence of Biotin
Biotin is also called Vitamin B7. It specifically affects a wide range of metabolic processes in the body associated with fats, carbohydrates, and amino acids. Biotin is closely tied to the production of hair, fingernails, and skin cells. Our bodies naturally produce biotin and a person with biotin deficiency will experience thinning hair or hair loss.
Taking a Biotin supplement will actually increase the speed of your hair growth. That’s why it’s one of the key ingredients you should check for in any supplementary product you buy to increase the length of your mane. Biotin is a well-known, safe, and reliable active ingredient to use.
Collagen
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. One-third of all the protein in our body is composed of collagen. However, collagen production can be damaged by things such as smoking, unhealthy dieting, and too much sun. Our body and, more importantly, our beards require healthy amounts of this substance.
Collagen is placed in hair supplements because it can be used in a variety of ways to improve hair growth. Your body can utilize the amino acids in collagen to build hair proteins and strengthen hair follicles. Collagen supplements may also prevent damage to hair follicles and slow graying.
The 7 Best Natural Supplements for Beard Growth
Here are some options for the best beard supplements that might work for you. It’s important for you to assess what your beard might be most in need of – everyone is individual and different – but here are some supplements to begin with.
7. Hair Thickness Maximizer Vegan Beard Growth Vitamins
If you’re a carnivore like myself, this is admittedly the weakest entry on this list for you. However, Hair Thickness Maximizer’s Vegan Beard Growth Vitamins are 100% natural and will help with hair growth. For a vegan seeking to grow his beard, this is an option optimized specifically for you. Like the other reliable options, it contains biotin along with a long list of natural herbs and oils extracted from plant products.
Pros
- Biotin
- Excellent combination of herbs
- Vegan friendly
Cons
- Made specifically for vegans, so proteins are limited
6. Nature Made Fish Oil
Another 100% natural supplement that will promote hair growth and prevent hair loss. Fish Oil contains Omega-3, which provides essential proteins to hair follicles and skin. Omega-3 also protects cell membranes to prevent beard dryness. This helps with smooth beard growth.
Pros
- Very cheap
- Prevents dryness
Cons
- Will not help your beard grow faster
5. Nutiva Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil
Coconut oil’s lauric acid properties give it a high chance of increasing hair thickness and possibly stimulating new hair growth. Coconut oil is great for fighting dandruff and is a superb moisturizing agent.
If your beard is a garden, then coconut oil is like a refreshing fall of rain. Most importantly, coconut oil will sink into your pores and prevent moisture loss, which will, in turn, prevent ingrown hairs, break outs, and hair damage.
Pros
- Anti-dandruff
- Extremely moisturizing
- Prevents hair damage
Cons
- Not always effective at stimulating new growth
- Not guaranteed to increase thickness
- If you don’t like the scent of coconut oil, it’s impossible to avoid it with this product
4. Regoxide Minoxidil Hair Regrowth
If you’re looking to use a topical minoxidil product, the one from Regoxide has plenty of reviews and is very popular as far as the market indicates. As with all minoxidil products, it shouldn’t be applied liberally, just in small doses.
I’d warn against using this product and others like it if you’re under the age of 21. When you’re young you shouldn’t expect to have a full beard and you shouldn’t try to force it to grow unnaturally fast.
However, for those trying to regain lost hair or simply want a more dense beard, this might be an excellent choice. For those gentlemen who are somewhat advanced in age, a prescription can be obtained from a doctor.
Pros
- Minoxidil
- Will stimulate hair growth for old hairs
Cons
- Must be careful not to apply too much
3. The B.I.G. Beard Oil for Fuller Beard and Moustache
Black Seed Oil serves as an excellent supplement for repairing damaged manes or broken hair. It’s primarily suited for making your beard shiny and healthy-looking. Untangling knots and frills will also become much easier using this. It will not increase the speed of hair growth or increase your hair density.
However, if Black Seed Oil is specifically good for acne-prone skin and will do wonders at preventing your beard from itching.
Pros
- Excellent for acne-prone skin
- Repairs hair and improves shine
- Prevents itching
Cons
- Will not increase beard density
- Will not increase hair growth speed
2. Vimerson Health Daily Multivitamin
If your beard is growing with missing patches or thin hair, then, believe it or not, you might be suffering from a simple vitamin deficiency. Many vitamins, including vitamin B7, go into the production of hair. Four of the nutrients that help produce collagen are Vitamin C, proline, glycine, and copper.
Many multivitamins have these nutrients and plenty more. Often a vitamin deficiency is the result of an unbalanced diet. Eating too much sugar could also negatively impact beard growth. Taking a daily multivitamin could be an easy solution to the problem. Multivitamins are cheap and easily available.
Pros
- Easily accessible
- May increase hair growth assuming vitamin deficiency is the issue
- Cheap
Cons
- No guarantee of increasing hair growth
- No guarantee of fixing patchy beard
1. Wellabs Premium Biotin & Collagen
This is just a little more expensive than the other options, but it delivers much more bang for your buck! Wellabs Premium Biotin & Collagen is considered a very reliable supplement to use for improving your beard. The combination of biotin and collagen in this supplement is terrific for hair growth and health. This may be the best option for growing most beards.
Pros
- Contains both biotin and collagen
- Very good health
Cons
- Subpar moisturizer
- Just pricey enough to make you question how often to buy it.
Conclusion
To grow your majestic and healthy mane will depend on whatever specific problem you might be facing. However, the winning product on this list is the Wellabs Premium Biotin & Collagen. It simply delivers the most for the amount of money spent on it.
Unlike minoxidil, it’s safe to apply liberally and contains an ideal balance of two highly reliable and safe proteins known to stimulate growth. A close second is a daily multivitamin. If your beard is thin or patchy, I’d recommend the Vimerson Health Daily Multivitamin just to see if you may be suffering from a vitamin deficiency.
If that is the case, the multivitamin is the easiest and simplest fix. And, if nothing else, it’s good for your overall health.
