The Stages of Beard Growth!

Four Beard Growth Stages You Should Know About

“The what? There are stages in beard growth? I thought you just, you know…let it grow?”

Many think growing a beard is a very simple process, where you just let it grow, and that’s it. Well, they’re right in a way….BUT! There are multiple stages most beard-growers will inevitably go through in the process.  And every beard growth stage comes with its fair share of challenges. In this article, we’ll brief you on what you should expect in these upcoming weeks, and what you can do to make it easier for yourself. So, here’s your road map to full-on hairy success!

 Beard Growth Stage 1
Stubble and More Stubble (week 0-2)

At first, it feels liberating. Yay, time to stop shaving! But before you grow out of the stubble phase, it will take a few days depending on how fast your facial hair grows and your hair colour. The darker it is, the faster it grows. You’re a Blonde Viking God? You’re probably looking at a two-week waiting period to start seeing any semblance of a beard. Remember, beard growth is mainly dependent on your genetics, not everyone grows at the same rate, just be patient. Oh yeah, did we tell you? Be patient.

This is the beard growth stage where your face will be the itchiest! Time to start using that good beard oil, and a boar bristle brush to calm that scratchy sensation. Use the brush five minutes before you get washed to remove dead skin, exfoliate and stimulate blood flow to your beard. Once you’re in the shower, wash your beard with a good beard wash, formulated without sulfates (which is a type of sodium), that will leave your skin well-hydrated.

Apply the beard oil after the shower to lock-in moisture on your skin, soften your beard and make sure you smell great, too!

Beard Growth Stage 2
Growing Gains (week 2-5)

This is the tricky one, and the phase where most guys give up. Your beard looks awful. Patchy, itchy, weird. It’s the point where the hair still touches your face and scratches you. The best remedy for this is using your new best friends, your beard oil and your boar bristle beard brush.

This is also when you will have the dreaded temptation to give in and shave it all off because ‘you can’t grow a beard’. Wrong! You can and you will. Just give yourself some time. You might notice that you have patchier areas, but rest assured, most men have patches in their beards, you just have to let your beard grow to work around them.

 Beard Growth Stage 3
The Shapening (week 5-8)

You stopped shaving, dealt with the itch by using great products, and overcame the weird patchiness. But now you have to go back to the razor.

Why? Well, beards are kind of a fashion statement and, as such, they need to be groomed to look great! So now’s the time to start giving some kick-ass shape to that new beard of yours. Essentially, how far do you want your beard to grow down?

Trimming the neckline is a bit tricky because you want it to look as natural as possible. According to our Brave & Bearded pros, the best length is one inch above the Adam’s Apple to the outer edge of your side-beard under the ends of your jawline under your ears. Once you have found your sweet spots, shave off all the hair below that neckline and you’re set!

You might also have rebellious hairs that stick out all over the place, the best practice would be to use a trimmer by going down perpendicularly to your beard to remove those hairs. Beard balm will also help in keeping it all in shape, thanks to the beeswax.

 Beard Growth Stage 4
Maintenance, Man (week 8-12)

Tap yourself on the back, bro. You have a beard now! Although the worst is behind you, you’re not out of the woods. Yet.

The next stage is all about upkeep. Because in the next few days, some areas of your beard will end up looking a bit wild. And the only way to deal with that is with proper maintenance.

This is where the beard balm and boar bristle brush are most useful. Brush in the direction your hair grows after applying your beard balm, if not, you’ll find yourself with even more rebellious hair, crying out to the forces that be to bring some order in your beard. The hairs usually grow slightly backward, therefore brush in a 45-degree angle in the direction the hair grows for the best results.

If you're having trouble untangling your beard with the bristle brush, have no fear, Excalibrush is here! This brush is made with both synthetic and boar bristles. It's designed to untangle any type of hair and condition it at the same time. 

If you’re one of those who can grow in a few weeks what 7 people can grow in a year combined, then a little trip to the barbershop could be very useful. Obviously, go see a barber you trust that has a lot of experience with beards. Mention you’re in the process of letting it grow, and all you want is for him or her to set you up for beard success. Be wary, we’ve heard too many stories of majestic beards being taken back a few stages because of beard butchers.

 FAQ's about beard growth

Many people have written to us over the years about different aspects of beard growth. We've selected a few of the most recurrent questions in hopes they help you: 

How much beard growth happens in a week?

This is a question we often get but don’t have a set answer for. It really depends on your genetics and your lifestyle (food, sleep, exercise, smoking, etc.). On average, men will grow about a ½ inch per month, so about 3+mm per week. Some men can grow much more than that, and others less. In order to maximize your beard growth, pay attention to how well you treat your body, and care for your beard. That means not using damaging products, like shampoos that contain sulfate, or beard oils that contain silicone, which can clog your pores.

Having healthy facial skin is very important because your beard follicles won’t function as well when your skin is dry or dirty. Therefore, use beard oil daily to give your beard and skin the nutrients and hydration they need, a boar bristle beard brush to help stimulate blood flow to your follicles, which brings more nutrients to your beard, and a high-quality beard shampoo.

When to trim when growing my beard?

Usually, the telltale sign that you must trim your beard is when you start having stray hairs all over your beard, no matter how much you try to comb or brush, it still looks messy. Some hairs grow faster than the rest, making your beard uneven. The best thing to do would be to use a trimmer to equalize your beard to your desired length, or even to go see a trusted barber if it’s REALLY out of hand.

Do acne scars prevent beard growth?

Not at all, your beard follicles might not even be damaged from the acne scars, meaning you can still grow a nice full beard. If you have patchy regions due to those scars, letting your beard to grow will allow you to hide those areas. If you can’t grow a beard, it’s probably not due to the acne scars, but mainly because of your genetics. Not every man CAN grow a beard.  

Do beard growth products work?

It all depends on which type of product that’s in question. Some companies might try to sell to you their “magical beard growing pills” and other such products, however, to put it plainly, they don’t work. These pills have vitamins in them that can be beneficial for your beard growth, but if you’re eating a healthy and balanced diet, you don’t need those vitamins. What dictates beard growth is your genetics, you simply can’t go against mother nature. Beard oils can help make your beard grow faster, thanks to the cocktail of natural oils contained in them which are great for the skin and hair, but they can’t make it grow fuller, nor fill your patchy areas.

The best things you can do to help promote hair growth is taking care of your body (healthy diet, frequent exercise, proper sleeping schedule, etc.), and your facial skin with high-quality beard oils. The ingredients in our recipe are all chosen for their benefits to the hair and skin, allowing your beard follicles to function properly and keeping your hair healthy. A boar bristle beard brush can also be very useful, as it stimulates blood flow to your beard follicles, bringing more nutrients.

Does shaving increase beard growth?

Spoiler alert: nope.
We wrote a detailed article on this subject, which you can find here. Shaving your beard makes it seem like it grows back fuller, but that’s an illusion. When shaving, you’re cutting your hair at its thickest point, therefore when it grows back, it seems thicker. But hair is naturally tapered (thinner at the end) and will taper out after a few days after shaving.

Do steroids help with beard growth?

Steroids can potentially help with beard growth, due to the androgenic effects. However, we REALLY do not suggest going down that path for beard growth. If you’re using them solely for beard-growing purposes, you should take a look at the side effects of using anabolic steroids: severe acne, liver and heart disease, altered moods (depression, suicidal tendencies, etc.), and worst of all (according to the objective of beard growth), hair loss.

Do multivitamins help with beard growth? 

Your body needs multiple vitamins to nourish itself in order to be able to generate new cells, grow hair, etc. Multivitamins can help with beard growth if your body doesn’t receive the vitamins it needs to function properly, but if you have a healthy and balanced diet, they won’t be as useful, since your body already has all the vitamins it needs. In short, it all depends on your nutrition.

Which beard styles are right for me? 

Choosing the right beard style for you amongst the infinite amount of beard styles is quite difficult. It mainly depends on the shape of your face. If you have a round face, choosing a round beard style might accentuate your facial features, and that might not be something you want. You would want to choose something a bit squarer, like the short boxed beard, since the cleanly shaved lines will add definition to your features. In our Ultimate Beard Growth Guide, you'll find at the beginning a list of 27 beard styles, each with their own explanation on how to groom and maintain them. Take a look to find out which beard style suits you best! 

Patience is key

Remember, growing a nice beard takes a lot of patience and care, but you’re now on your way to beard success! If you ever have any questions about your beard or your growth stage, don’t hesitate to write to us, we’ll be more than happy to help you out.

Because you got to the end of this article, here's a 10% off coupon code to use at the checkout with any of the products listed above. Simply use the code: Stages10.

Stay bearded, brothers!    

Max