A patchy beard is annoying. When you’re a teenager and your facial hair starts to sprout, it’s never usually all at once. At this stage, you have hope the patches will one day fill themselves in. But, more often than not, and by the time you’re considered a fully-fledged adult, the patches are probably still hanging around. It’s completely normal but as we said, really bloody annoying.
There’s nothing wrong with having a few patches in your facial hair, of course, but if you’re keen to fill in these bald bits, there are a few things you can try. Be warned, none of these would be considered to be quick fixes. We hate to break it to you, but there’s actually no such thing as a quick fix in the world of facial hair — or hair growth in general.
And before you even go there, don’t bother with any sort of beard oil or serum that promises hair growth because as far as we’re aware, none of these has been substantiated by science. Until the day researchers discover a “magic pill” that cures hair loss or encourages hair growth, it’s best to employ a few more trusted methods.
Give it time to grow
Yes, it sounds obvious, but patience isn’t a commonly held trait and sometimes, you’ve just got to give it time. Hair growth can be pretty slow and as Beardbrand points out, it takes longer for certain parts of your facial hair to grow than others.
Give your hair some time to grow out before deciding it’s a lost cause. According to Beardbrand, the longer your facial hair gets, the more equally distributed it will appear to be. If you’re still working from home, this is the perfect time to experiment with your beard and let it do its thing. The growing out process might be awkward but stick with it to see what’s going on.
Consider a beard transplant
The same hair loss conditions that affect the hair on your head can also affect your facial hair. Gro Clinics points to alopecia, male pattern baldness and thinning as possible causes of patchy facial hair but this can be rectified with a beard transplant.
Much like a hair transplant, donor hairs are taken from your scalp and implanted across the bottom half of your face to achieve a luscious beard, or you can have the hairs inserted in certain spots to fill in patches.
A non-invasive procedure like this one is particularly great for those who have alopecia barbae, which is a health condition that causes hair loss. It’s an autoimmune disease, which according to Healthline, mistakenly attacks healthy cells including hair follicles. Alopecia barbae usually manifests in small circular bald patches in the facial hair.
Rock shadowy facial hair
If you’re experiencing patches in your beard and you’re not willing to A) rock the patches or B) get a beard transplant, it might be time to take a trimmer to your facial locks. Try styling your facial hair into a shorter style à la Keanu Reeves, who has some patchiness in his beard but thanks to its style, isn’t really noticeable.
Ditching the beard altogether and trying your hand at a five o’clock shadow means you’ll still be able to achieve that just-rolled-out-of-bed look without needing to worry about shaving every single day.
At the end of the day, the patches in your facial hair are largely down to genetics and as much as you might wish to change these, there’s not much you can do without forking out some money for a transplant. Patches or no patches, rocking facial hair confidently is the most important part.