Steroids often refer to the buffing up anabolic supplements often sold online, at some clinics, or in a bunch of gyms. There are a ton of types with amicable nicknames like Halo, Primo, and Winny.
These anabolic-androgenic steroids, or AAS, are also used by some folks to boost masculine features. So, do steroids make your beard grow faster? Here’s the answer!
Steroids often increase muscle mass, deepen the voice, enhance general physical performance, and speed up the growth of facial hair. That’s because they stimulate the growth of hair follicles, which results in heavier beards. There’s a catch though, this effect can be reversed at any moment.
The medical prescription of steroids to cure certain health issues is typically regulated and given under close monitoring by a physician. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with online and gym varieties which are completely unregulated.
In this article, we’ll talk in-depth about the uses of steroids to enhance a masculine appearance, and whether or not there are associated side effects to that approach.
How Do Steroids Affect Beard Growth?
To understand how steroids achieve that much-coveted outcome, we should first get to know a little bit more about that magic substance.
What Exactly Are Steroids?
There are three occasions when you’d hear the word ‘steroids’:
- Adrenal steroids: Which are biological steroids secreted naturally in the human body. These are closely attached to pain, stress, and inflammation. And keeping their levels in check is critical for enjoying good health.
- Corticosteroids: These are synthetic drugs used for treating a host of health issues, most often related to autoimmune diseases. Corticosteroids are typically used with caution.
- Anabolic steroids: Are derived from human hormones, and prepared in a super-concentrated form. These drugs often have a high impact on the body.
The last type, anabolic androgenic steroids, is the type that we’re addressing throughout this article. That’s because it’s the drug that often gives people who use it an extra masculine appearance, plus a bunch of other perks.
Anabolic steroids are typically prescribed for certain medical problems related to puberty. Taking the right dose for a specific period of time should rebalance the levels of testosterone in a late bloomer. These meds are also prescribed for severe muscle loss associated with chronic illnesses.
In real life, anabolic steroids are often sold at gyms to accelerate buffing up, increase endurance, and decrease recovery time between workouts. These prescriptions are usually non-regulated, and often way beyond the safe dosage.
How Do Steroids Stimulate Beard Growth?
Steroids are admirable little boosters that give superpowers to biological organisms. They aren’t too selective. So this super concentrated testosterone usually acts on various parts of the human body.
Beard growth is mostly dependent on hereditary factors, and supplements usually have limited effects on its richness and how quickly it grows.
Introducing steroids is a game-changer though, as it stimulates the growth of new hair follicles. This in turn allows more hair to grow. A consistent supply of the drug is like fertilizing a plant, you can usually see significant changes overnight.
Would a Man’s Beard Grow Indefinitely With Steroids?
This almost never happens, and there’s a good reason for that. Going back to the fertilization example; you rarely see a plant growing like Jack’s beanstalk. Even if you smother a tree in the strongest types of nutrients, there’s a limit to how much it could grow.
Most of the folks who have used steroids are aware that it enhances their manly features. It’s not a magic elixir though, and like most other drugs, it has some serious side effects.
The Downside of Using Steroids to Grow a Beard
Sporting a heavy beard is certainly an attractive look. And many folks put in a lot of effort to achieve that dashing appearance. However, there should be rational limits to how far a person would go.
That’s why it’s crucial to know the potential risks associated with using anabolic androgenic steroids.
These Meds Are Mostly Unregulated
This might be a shocking fact to many users, but most of the commercially available steroids aren’t supervised by any medical boards or legitimate organizations. The drugs that they get online, or from a gym cafeteria aren’t screened for safety.
Additionally, the suggested dosage and scheduled usage are often arbitrary. The cycling, pyramiding, and stacking routines aren’t based on scientific research. Usually, this is just a fitness guru playing it by ear.
Clearly, this isn’t the best way to deal with personal wellness. And there have been some tragic incidents that warrant far more caution while using these substances.
Steroids Could Have Serious Side Effects
For a person using steroids to grow a heavy beard quickly, there’s one side effect he should be aware of: excessive usage of steroids could make men lose their facial hair!
Here are some of the known side effects of taking anabolic steroids:
- Cardiovascular problems leading up to heart attacks
- Decreased sexual performance, testicle shrinking, and low sperm count
- Getting gynecomastia, which is an increase in breast size
- Bad joints due to collagen degeneration and possibly osteoporosis
- Liver and kidney dysfunction
- Aggression, anxiety, and radical mood swings
- Teens could suffer from stunted growth
Withdrawal From Steroids Is Tough
Steroids are very strong hormones that affect the body intensely. It’s not surprising that the different organs get used to receiving that dose, and become adjusted to that boost. Getting off these substances cold turkey subject the body to unnecessary distress.
In a medical setting, doctors typically prescribe a weaning schedule with ever-decreasing doses. The transition is far less severe, and the corticosteroid treatment safely achieves a positive outcome.
This isn’t the case with commercial anabolic steroids, where such measures aren’t taken. The withdrawal problems could discourage many users from stopping.
Related Questions
Q1: Do oils and creams help with growing a beard?
Healthy skin promotes the growth of beard hair. Clean skin free from dermatologic issues is certainly more conducive to hair growth than clogged skin plagued by dandruff. Additionally, skincare enhances blood circulation, which in turn increases the hair-follicle potency.
It’s worth mentioning that cosmetics containing hyaluronic acid are believed to help with beard growth.
Q2: Is a beard transplant necessary to get heavy growth?
Beard transplants are among the last resort alternatives to fill up a flimsy or patchy beard. That’s because they involve a medical procedure, and not too many people are enthusiastic about such prospects.
These procedures are often quite successful though and that’s why they’re gaining more popularity.
Q3: Are there easy ways to grow a beard fast?
Beard quality, color, and pattern are pretty much genetic attributes. However, a healthy lifestyle is often an effective way to reach the full potential of these hereditary factors. Here are the best ways to get a full beard within a few months:
- Nutrition is of paramount importance, so make sure to get a balanced diet full of high-density nutrients.
- Sleep well consistently. It’s best to adjust your sleeping environment by keeping it cool, dark, quiet, and free from electronic gadgets.
- Avoid stress and anxiety. Mental well-being goes hand in hand with a healthy appearance.
- Play sports regularly, and if possible, pump iron.
- Maintain a skincare routine for your face and beard.
Conclusion
Many people hit the gym, and they couldn’t possibly ignore how some of the guys buff up, get heavier beards, and even their voices deepen in a short while. It’s no secret that anabolic steroids contribute to all these outcomes.
However, there are some serious risks associated with using commercial steroids. Thus, we always recommend consulting a medical doctor before heading off to unregulated substances.
It’s also worth noting that the effects of steroids might not be sustainable. And occasionally, they could be reversible. A better approach would be to lead a healthy lifestyle, which would also reflect positively on your general wellbeing.
On a final note, you could also consider using Minoxidil to make your beard grow faster.