How Long Does It Take To Grow a Beard? A Realistic Timeline

Many men at the start of their facial hair journey find themselves wondering, “How long does it take to grow a beard?” Alas, there’s no Miracle-Gro for your facial hair. Growing a beard is a slow, sometimes awkward process that takes several months — there’s no way around that. However, there are a few subtle ways to keep your facial hair looking and feeling healthy along the way. It takes patience, a steady routine, and a bit of expectation management. But eventually, you can grow the beard you were destined to have.

How Long Does It Take To Grow a Beard?

It takes 3 months, on average, to grow a full beard. That’s based on the standard facial hair growth rate of about 0.5 inches per month. So, if you stop shaving today, 3 months from now, you can expect to have a full beard — whatever that means for you. That’s the caveat; your 3-month beard will look different than everyone else’s. Growth speed differs for everyone, just like your growth pattern.

Beard Growth Stages

As you make your way toward your 3-month beard and beyond, prepare to head through several growth stages. Some men blast through the stubble stage in less than a week, while others hover there for a while. On average, though, here are the stages every man goes through, along with a general beard growth timeline.

The Stubble Stage (Week 1)

From day 1 to just about week 2, you’ll begin to notice little hairs are cropping up like rows of corn in a freshly sown field. You may notice that these hairs feel sharp or pokey, and you may experience occasional discomfort as the hairs make their way out of your skin.

The Awkward Stage (Weeks 2–4)

Your facial hair doesn’t all grow at the same rate, so between weeks 2 and 4, you may have a patchy beard. It’ll look like the first time you mowed a lawn: uneven and rough. That’s normal, and it’s the reason many men avoid growing a beard in the first place. But those who persevere will be rewarded in the next stages.

The Short Beard Stage (Months 1–3)

The short beard stage is generally months 1 through 3. With a 2-month beard, you have just enough to grab onto, and the hairs start to relax downward. This is when you can really start trimming and maintaining your beard to shape it. You can pick a beard style to try out, and let it naturally grow out into the full beard stage.

The Full Beard Stage (Beyond 3 Months)

After about 3 months, you’ll have what you can confidently call a full beard. It’ll keep growing, of course. But it’s at this point that you can really shape your beard into the style you chose during the short beard stage.

5 Factors That Affect Beard Growth

For the most part, your final beard look and fullness is a product of genetics, age, and nutrition. A healthy beardsman whose grandpa was a member of ZZ Top might have a long beard in his 20s, while it takes other men well into their 30s to get that kind of growth. Here are 5 factors that go impact your beard growth:

• Genetics: You can’t change your DNA (at least not yet). It’s the genetic code that tells your whiskers how dense and fast to grow, which determines your facial hair type.

• Age of puberty: Your genetics also determine when puberty starts, though it’s usually between the ages of 9 and 14. Facial hair often appears later in that process and continues into your late 20s or early 30s, so all you can do is wait. 

• Hormone levels: Beard hair follicles pull in testosterone from your blood stream and convert it into a supercharged hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone). That conversion turns soft baby hairs into thick beard hairs during puberty. But genetics determine how much testosterone your follicles can take up, as well as how efficiently they can convert it into DHT, which impacts your total beard thickness. 

• Stress and sleep: The majority of testosterone release happens while you’re sleeping, so anything that disrupts your sleep has the potential to reduce your levels. Prolonged stress can both impact your sleep and inhibit testosterone release, which can cause changes in your facial hair.

• Nutrition: Hair follicles have high metabolic activity, so you need adequate calories, especially protein and carbs, to keep them growing. Vitamin intake is also essential: Iron carries oxygen to your hair follicles, while vitamin D plays a role in stimulating the growth cycle.

How To Support Healthy Beard Growth

While you can’t control your genetics, age of puberty, or hormone levels, you can control your lifestyle. Here are a few ways to support healthy beard growth:

• Follow a balanced diet with plenty of protein, carbs, and vitamins.

• Get proper sleep with a comfortable bedroom environment and minimal distractions. Consider keeping your phone out of the bedroom to avoid the 2 a.m. scroll.

• Exercise regularly with moderate cardio and weight lifting to improve your overall circulation and support a healthy metabolism.

• Manage stress by meditating, making time for hobbies, or reaching out to a therapist.

• Maintain a consistent beard care routine with beard oil, combing, and regular trimming to train your beard.

All of this is biology you can't buy your way around. What you can control is how you look after the beard you've got.

Beard Care Products That Support Your Grooming Routine

A consistent beard care routine will help you keep up with maintenance and keep your follicles feeling their best. Start by washing your beard so you have a nice clean slate to work with. Then, select your care products. Here are a few suggestions.

Shave Butter

A natural shave butter includes nourishing ingredients like glycerin and shea butter that’ll keep your facial hair feeling supple, even when you choose to shave. When you decide to grow it out, shave butter provides slip and lets you see where you’re shaving so you can get crisp lines while shaping your beard.

Post-Shave Care

After a good trim or shave, treat your skin with a post-shave balm. It may help soothe skin after shaving while softening coarse facial hair. Plus, with masculine scents like Wood Barrel Bourbon and Fresh Falls, you’ll get the added benefit of smelling great.

Beard Comb or Brush

Be picky about what you use to brush your beard; your facial hair isn’t the same as your head hair. A boar bristle beard brush helps distribute your natural beard oils evenly and shapes everything nearly. Meanwhile, a beard comb glides easily through longer beards to gently remove knots and manage length without pulling or causing breakage. 

Beard Oil

A natural beard oil made with a mix of vitamin-rich oils and liquid waxes can help tame flyaways, add a natural shine, and enhance texture and definition. Add a drop or two while you comb through your beard to gently detangle.

Complete Your Beard Care Routine With Dr. Squatch

Waiting for your beard to grow out requires patience and consistency. Between shaving, trimming, and caring for those whiskers, it can be a lot to add to your routine. To top it off, the awkward stage can leave you feeling like giving up on the whole endeavor. 

But while you can’t avoid that dreaded middle stage, you can make it a bit more bearable by treating your beard right with Dr. Squatch. Whatever shape your beard takes, we’re here to help. Our Shave Collection features easy-glide shave butter, soothing post-shave balm, and a safety razor for easy grooming. Finish off your routine with a natural beard oil to keep your beard looking and feeling great through every phase of growth.