Beards have been a fashion statement and a symbol of masculinity for hundreds of years, yet they are not as low-maintenance as they appear to be. If you’ve been pacing back and forth in front of the shelves at the neighborhood beauty supply shop, then you’ve likely seen beard oil. Guaranteed to be essential for every man with a beard, some say that they can actually encourage your beard to grow more. Does beard oil help your beard grow? We’ll talk about beard oil today and if it really grows your beard or if it does something else.
Does Beard Oil Assist With Growth?
To answer the million-dollar question right off the bat: no, beard oil will not give you a beard. The notion that applying beard oil somehow magically will make new hairs sprout is pure myth. Does beard oil help growth? The answer is rooted in biology. Beard growth is genetic, hormonal, age-based, and health-based—not a function of what you apply to your face.
Biologically, hair follicles responsible for the beard are regulated by testosterone and its more powerful byproduct, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). A product such as beard oil is not going to interfere with the biological process, so it is not going to perform miracles to fill in patchy spots or make your hair grow faster.
All things being equal, beard oil cannot be discounted. It is not a growth stimulator, perhaps, but it is included in the process of beard care, and that can be the perfect condition where growth can follow through.
How Beard Oil Indirectly Encourages Growth
Although the beard oil is not directly creating new growth, it is assisting indirectly by removing the common issues that could be preventing growth.
Moisturizes the Skin
One of the greatest benefits of beard oil is that it can moisturize the typically dry skin beneath your beard. Dry skin equals itchiness, flakiness, and beard dandruff (or “beardruff”). With healthy, smooth skin, you’re providing your beard hair with a healthier platform to grow from.
Beard oil usually offers carrier oils like argan, jojoba, or almond oil that are the same as the natural oils your skin produces. They moisturize all of it so you don’t experience dryness and itchiness that will make you shave the whole thing off with the razor. If you’re serious about taking care of your beard, you may want to book your appointment with a professional barber to keep it in optimal shape.
Prevents Breakage
Just as the hair on your head, your beard hairs are also prone to breakage, particularly if they are brittle. Broken hairs thin out your beard and discourage further noticeable growth. Beard oils usually contain moisturizing properties that fortify the hair shaft so that it will be less prone to having split ends or breaking off.
A healthy beard will also not split as much and will be able to grow to its full length, which also helps with the appearance of growth. Use beard oil to promote growth by keeping your beard hydrated and strong.
Reduces Skin Redness and Inflammation
If you’ve ever experienced the annoyance of bumps or redness under your beard, inflammation is to blame. Some of the oils contained within beard oil, like tea tree or eucalyptus, contain anti-inflammatory agents that calm irritated skin. By warding off inflammation, beard oil allows the hair follicles a cleaner, healthier area to do what they were designed to do without blockage or irritation.
Although it will not grow new hair, a content and relaxed base encourages healthier growth throughout the rest of your beard. In the long run, using beard oil for growth can make a noticeable difference.
The Final Choice Between Beard Oil and Growth
Beard oil is not a beard-growing miracle serum, nor are its virtues merely cosmetic. It moisturizes skin, conditions hair, and calms irritation, so your beard can, in the long run, be healthier and fuller-looking. Beard grooming is a marathon, not a sprint, and a healthy, well-groomed beard will always outshine a scrawny one, regardless of whether it’s growing fast or slow.
If you’re looking to optimize your beard, utilize beard oil to increase growth as part of an overall strategy. Employ it in combination with good grooming, a healthy diet, and proper hydration methods to help facilitate healthy growth. And above all, be patient.
Invest in your beard’s well-being, and you’ll find after a while what a difference a small bottle of beard oil will make—not as any sort of magic growth formula, but as part of maintaining your beard in its optimal state.