Why beards turn grey.
If you have a beard, you have probably found the odd grey hair, which would have brought in the reality that you are aging. We all want to look as youthful as we can, but it is crucial to understand why beards turn grey and how we can slow the process down and look after the beard once the inevitable happens.
Beards just turn grey because of age though, right? While age does come into it, that is only one factor among a list of activities that impact the pigment of your beard. As you age, the hair produces less color, so when a hair does fall out and is replaced, it comes back with less color than before. Typically, this starts to really happen from the age of 35 onwards, but your genetics will play a massive role in this. If you aren't getting enough vitamin B12, that can have an effect on the color of your beard too, so having a well-balanced diet will do well for your beard care.
Quite a common myth that is talked about is stress. Scientists have found no correlation between stress and grey hair, so don't worry about trying to be relaxed all the time to ensure that the color stays!
What can you do?
While it is inevitable that your beard will go grey eventually, there are some things that you can do or not do to slow it down. Smoking is linked to hair growing faster. The faster hair grows, the quicker it will come out of the follicle and replace it with a new hair-producing less color. Not only will you have the health benefits from quitting, but your beard will also thank you too!
As previously mentioned, diet is also a factor in hair growth. We aren't saying that you should be on keto or anything like that but ensure that your diet is full of antioxidant-rich food. Ensuring that you eat a lot of iron will have a positive effect in strengthening the beard hair and keep it looking fuller for longer.
If you would consider yourself well-groomed, you probably pluck hairs out of place to give yourself the sharpest and best look. By pulling the hair out of the follicle, you are forcing your body to regrow a new hair to replace the lost one. We know it's tempting to pluck that singular grey hair out to try and give the illusion that you are eternally youthful, but you are doing more harm than good. Remember, every hair you remove will regrow with less color, therefore becoming more prominent and easier to distinguish from the rest of the beard.
If your man mane is lengthy, you may have the habit of pulling on the beard. It may not be intentional, or you could be trying to look pensive and thoughtful, but this can tear out more hair causing further issues. The hair can become thinner, which is then more prone to falling out. Get a stress ball or something of the sort instead.
Reversing the grey hair.
It is possible to reverse the grey hair, but you will need to have a rigid beard care routine and stick to it. Firstly, massage the beard with essential oils. You may have a beard oil that you are currently using and applying daily, but it may not have all of the nutrients your beard needs to keep the grey away. Regularly massaging with essential oils can boost the production of melanin. For dark brown or black beard hair, you can use peppermint, ylang-ylang, rosemary, lavender, tea tree, sandalwood, or cedarwood. Ensure that you aren't just applying essential oils straight onto the beard, though, as they are pretty concentrated. Use a carrier oil such as argan oil or pumpkin seed oil to dilute the essential oils helping everywhere get the nutrients they crave.
There are some wonderful foods that you can add to your diet, too, that will do you well in reversing the grey hairs. Aloe Vera juice will help keep your skin and, in turn, your beard well hydrated, which is necessary for the beard's overall care. You can also boil a few curry leaves in 100ml of water and drink that every day as curry leaves are rich in antioxidants, helping remove dead hair follicles. The beta-carotene within the curry leaves will also help prevent thinning and hair loss.
Lastly, protect your beard from the sun as much as you can. The sun's UV rays can trigger oxidative stress in the body, which then brings on grey hair. To keep the beard protected, drink water, wear a hat or use hair sunscreen. If you are taking a dip in a pool, wet the beard before entering and apply beard oil or balm. By doing that, the chlorine and sun won't have as much of an effect on your beard.
To dye or not to dye.
Of course, if you feel as though the above is too much work, you can purchase some beard dye and color the beard to hide the grey hairs. While this may seem like the easier option, it isn't permanent and will need continuous work to keep the beard looking fresh and youthful. It is still vital to not pluck or pull at the beard. Otherwise, the grey will rise again.
If you are determined to use a beard dye, try to use a more natural hair dye such as a henna dye, as it won't contain as many chemicals that will damage the beard in the long term. Most importantly, avoid any chemicals or alcohol in products that will cause a bad reaction to the skin.
I'm keeping it.
If you are going to embrace the grey, good for you! A lot of people find grey beards attractive but make sure that you look after them. Having a grey beard that is left untamed isn't doing anyone any favors. Keep the beard in shape with clippers or a razor, and make sure that you keep it in line. With grey beards, a little beard oil goes a long way; the same can be said for beard balm. Just make sure that the oil or balm you are using is lightly colored; otherwise, it will be pretty noticeable once applied.
The last word.
Going grey is a fact of life, but we can take action to slow it down. Whether you decide to try and get rid of the grey hairs naturally, dye it or embrace it, we hope that we could help you in your decision.
Have any additional questions on going grey? Contact us at hello@beardswag.com. We are always happy to help.