Last updated on August 4, 2020
Question:
Both my grandparents and father all had beards at my age. I have a little bit of growth on my chin. My first question is: am I ever going to be able to grow a full beard like my dad? And my second question is: are there any creams or pills to take to speed up my beard growth?
Answer:
While things like hair growth generally follows the same pattern as your lineage, it isn’t set in stone. Each person is an individual. Since full-facial hair appears on both your paternal and maternal sides, let’s assume you will have a full-beard eventually.
Facial hair starts out slowly and scraggly at the beginning as individual hair cells kick in. Generally the hair follicles on the upper lip and on the chin start first, followed by the hair follicles near the ears (creating sideburns). The follicles on the cheeks come last. It will be several years from time you first need to shave until you have enough hair growing to form a thick beard. For many men, a full beard can’t be grown until their early twenties.
There are no creams or pills that will speed up the process, though I’m sure there are many hucksters willing to sell you dreams. Patience is what you need.