Your beard says a lot about you, and it can influence how you are perceived by those around you. [1] Facial hair is highly on trend in the UK, as 54% of men [2] wear it. So, having beard bald spots can understandably make you feel self-conscious and leave you looking for a fast and effective treatment.
Suddenly developing smooth, round bald patches in your facial hair is most often caused by alopecia barbae, a variety of alopecia areata [3]. However, other factors, such as genetics, stress or dermatological conditions, can also lead to growing a patchy beard. This article will tell you all you need to know about how to fix your beard bald spots, such as:
When hearing about smooth, round bald spots in the beard, a trichologist’s first thought goes to alopecia barbae. This is a form of alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition which makes your white blood cells attack your hair follicles [4-5]. Alopecia barbae has also been linked with higher likelihood of developing other autoimmune conditions, including thyroid disorders and type 1 diabetes [6].
As its name reveals, alopecia barbae only affects the beard area (the neck and face). It usually manifests with developing smooth, round bald patches where hair used to grow normally. Looking closely at your beard area, you may also notice yellow dots on the skin and short, broken hairs. Some people may even notice pitted, brittle nails alongside this condition.
If you have alopecia barbae, there is some good news: alopecia areata has high rates of spontaneous remission [7]. In many cases, the hair will regrow by itself without any treatment within 6 to 12 months. While this does mean you’ll need to wait a while for your hair to regrow, this type of beard hair loss isn’t usually permanent.
If your hair doesn’t regrow spontaneously, or you want to speed up your beard hair growth, there are several treatment options available:
Like your hair or eye colour, beard density is an inherited trait. This means that if other men in your family have patchy beard growth, you might as well. This is often caused by your sensitivity to male sex hormones like testosterone and its byproduct, dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
While an excess of DHT can cause male pattern baldness on your head, it helps stimulate thicker, fuller facial hair growth in men with more sensitive androgen receptors in their beard follicles.
In some men, the genetic inability to grow a full beard manifests as diffuse sparseness. However, others cannot grow hair in certain areas of their beard, leading to bald spots. Sometimes, these thinned-out areas are on the cheeks; at other times, they are around the soul patch.
However, while their hair density is lower, they will rarely be completely smooth and regular-shaped like the bald spots caused by alopecia barbae.
If you have patchy beard growth caused by hormones, the effectiveness of topical solutions is fairly limited. Minoxidil, platelet-rich plasma therapy, and low level laser therapy for hair growth have all shown some success in treating patchy beard hair [12,13]. See Minoxidil beard growth before and after photos to see the effectiveness of this treatment.
However, a beard transplant is often an extremely effective way to treat a genetically sparse beard. A surgeon will simply harvest some hair follicles from the back of your head and implant them in your beard bald spots. While the strands on your head are not identical to those in your beard, surgical facial hair restoration is often very successful and most beard transplants look natural when performed by experienced surgeons at excellent clinics.
Most men who struggle with beard hair loss are experiencing alopecia barbae or naturally sparse facial hair. However, other conditions can occasionally lead to beard bald patches, such as:
Also known as tinea barbae, this type of beard hair loss fungus is very similar to ringworm, which affects the scalp. It is often passed to humans from animals such as livestock, but you can also get a milder strain from another infected person [14].
Symptoms: An inflamed, red, circular rash in the beard, sometimes accompanied by pus discharge or kerion-like crusts; pain, tenderness and itchiness; localised beard hair loss, which can become permanent if the area gets severely infected (it can develop scarring alopecia) [15]
Treatment: Depending on the type of the strain and the severity of the condition, antifungal shampoo (e.g. shampoo with ketoconazole and selenium sulphide) and/or systemic antifungal medication (griseofulvin, itraconazole, fluconazole).
This autoimmune condition can manifest anywhere on your skin, including your beard area. And since it produces inflammation, it can lead to localised hair loss during a flare-up.
Symptoms: Thick, inflamed, red or pink plaques in the beard area, with silver flaking; itchiness and tenderness; temporary hair loss in the affected area [16].
Treatment: Psoriasis flare-ups normally resolve independently with time, and no permanent cure exists for this condition. However, steroid creams or injections can help reduce the inflammation, hair loss and discomfort caused by this condition.
Seborrheic dermatitis is produced by the overgrowth of a fungus called Malassezia furfur [17]. While it is accompanied by inflammation, most of the hair loss it produces is caused by hair breakage which occurs as you vigorously scratch the scalp itch caused by this fungal infection.
Symptoms: white or yellow, greasy flakes or plaques; reddish, inflamed skin, itchiness and sometimes tenderness
Treatment: medicated shampoo (e.g. with ketoconazole, coal tar, salicylic acid, selenium sulphide, etc.); if needed, systemic antifungal medication.
Applying tension to your beard roots, such as tying it tightly for extended periods of time, can damage your beard follicles and temporarily cause your strands to fall out in the affected area. Braiding your facial hair or constantly pulling on it can have the same effect.
Symptoms: hair loss where tension is usually applied (e.g. around the chin area); short, broken hairs; small bumps or yellow dots on the skin
Treatment: Traction alopecia resolves in a few months, provided no more tension is applied to the beard. If it doesn’t, using Minoxidil, PRP treatments and/or red light therapy for hair growth may help improve beard growth.
Periods of intense physical or psychological stress can lead to diffuse hair thinning all over your scalp and sometimes in your beard. Anything from sudden trauma to systemic illness, medication side effects or even a vitamin deficiency can cause hair loss. This type of alopecia does not normally cause bald spots, but if your beard is already patchy, it may make some areas look balder.
Symptoms: diffuse facial hair loss without discolouration, discomfort, lesion or inflammation.
Treatment: Facial hair loss caused by telogen effluvium usually resolves 3-4 months after the triggering event. Minoxidil or platelet-rich plasma treatments may help chronic forms, but more evidence is needed.
Understanding the cause of your beard bald patches is essential for finding the right treatment. That’s why it is always a good idea to see a hair doctor if your facial hair suddenly falls out or you can’t grow a full, healthy beard. An experienced specialist can perform a thorough assessment using specialised instruments and provide you with an accurate diagnosis.
However, until you can see a specialist, you can get some idea of what is causing your beard bald spots by checking for the following elements:
Looking for a quick fix for the bald patches in your beard? While shaving your facial hair can’t make it grow back quicker, there are some ways to cover up your sparse beard in a pinch:
If you have patchy facial hair, you may keep it as short as possible to make the bald spots less conspicuous. However, letting your beard grow longer can actually help fill in some of the thinning patches, especially if you have more textured strands.
It doesn’t take long to grow a beard full enough to provide some coverage for your dwindling areas – you should be able to achieve about 7 cm in 4-6 months. However, this only works well for mild to moderate facial hair loss.
The same hair thickening spray that covers up a receding hairline can also mask beard bald spots. It contains dye and hair fibres that stick to your existing strands, giving the impression of facial hair fullness. This cosmetic product best fills mild to moderate gaps in relatively dense beards.
Oftentimes, a bad beard style can emphasise your bald spots and make your look more unappealing than it needs to be. There are some more forgiving ways to trim your beard (e.g. a goatee or a brett beard) which can work around any patchiness and bring out your facial hair strengths.
Creating the appearance of stubble can be achieved with beard micropigmentation. This works in a similar way to scalp micropigmentation. Tiny dots are tattooed on your beard area to reduce the colour contrast between your bald spots and your beard strands, creating a more even appearance. It’s a popular treatment choice for those with chronic alopecia barbae.
To this day, no specific clinical trials have been performed to test the efficacy of home remedies for alopecia barbae or genetic beard loss. However, it can be assumed that some of the treatments for alopecia areata may also work for beard alopecia (just be sure to stay away from remedies which inhibit DHT production, like rosemary oil for hair growth, which contains natural DHT blockers).
Some clinical evidence suggests that vitamin E hair supplements can stimulate hair growth in those with alopecia areata by reducing oxidative stress[21]. However, be aware that taking high doses of vitamin E in supplement form can lead to dangerous conditions like stroke and blood clots, as well as further hair loss — so don’t overdo the supplements.
Keep in mind that most of the best hair growth oils also contain antioxidants. So trying a relaxing lavender oil or soothing peppermint oil for hair cannot hurt your beard, and it may even help (if nothing else, they will moisturise your strands, preventing brittleness and breakage). Furthermore, black seed oil for hair seems to work well to curb telogen effluvium on your head, so it may also work for your beard (although more evidence is needed).
Eating a good diet for healthy hair and giving up smoking may boost beard growth. Plus, if you’re sleep-deprived, improving your sleeping pattern can increase your beard hair count [22].
It should be noted that proven home remedies for bald spots in your beard are few and far between. Therefore, if you’re serious about improving beard hair growth, it’s best to speak to a hair loss specialist.
The answer to this question largely depends on what is causing the bald patches in your beard. If you have alopecia barbae, surgical hair restoration isn’t usually suitable, as hair transplants for alopecia areata rarely work. That is because the inflammation caused by this condition can prevent graft survival or lead to further facial hair loss down the line.
Other conditions, such as fungal infections and psoriasis, can be easily treated and controlled with medication. Either way, a hair transplant cannot be performed on damaged or inflamed skin. Traction alopecia and telogen effluvium normally resolve themselves, with no intervention needed. While it is possible to treat advanced traction alopecia with hair restoration surgery [18], this is a rare occurrence for beards.
However, if your sparse beard is caused by your genes and hormones, you may absolutely be a good candidate for permanent facial hair restoration. Beard transplant surgery has seen a rise in popularity lately, for its high success rates and considerable patient satisfaction. And an experienced surgeon can make a world of difference for your beard’s appearance.
If you have decided to fix your beard bald spots once and for all, book a consultation today with one of our excellent surgeons. They will provide you with a professional diagnosis of facial hair loss and determine whether you can benefit from a beard transplant.
If you are eligible, you can look forward to finally putting your sparse beard behind you because just like a hair transplant is permanent, so is beard restoration surgery. This means that while beard transplant costs may be higher than non-surgical treatment, you can enjoy your youthful, manly appearance for decades to come. See the beard section of our before and after hair transplant gallery to get a better idea of what you can expect.
Beard bald spots from alopecia barbae can occur anywhere, chin included. As can fungal infections. However, if you have no patchiness in the rest of your facial hair and no symptoms of a dermatological condition, you may want to take a look at your beard grooming habits.
Do you tend to tie your beard tightly under your chin? Or do you absent-mindedly twist or pull on that part of your beard when concentrating or when stressed? You may be developing traction alopecia or even trichotillomania.
If so, the best thing you can do is to leave your beard alone and stop touching the balding area (putting a bandage over the thinning spot can help). It should typically start growing back in a few months.
Having beard bald spots does not necessarily mean you have low DHT, even if your facial hair sparseness is hormonal in nature. Your body may produce an average amount of this androgen, but your beard follicles can simply be less sensitive.
Since DHT stimulates beard growth [23][24], this can prevent you from growing a thicker, coarser and fuller beard. However, getting the right non-surgical treatment for your condition or a permanent beard transplant can help solve this problem.
While it can be very effective against androgenetic alopecia, Finasteride will hinder rather than help beard growth. That is because it works by reducing the levels of DHT in your blood, and this male hormone is responsible for making your beard grow fuller and thicker.
If you are struggling with sparse facial hair, you will get no benefit from Finasteride, but your beard may become even patchier over time. If you are still determining what treatment works best for your beard bald spots, ask a trichologist for a personalised recommendation.
Unfortunately, while promising in treating hair loss, Rosemary oil is ineffective for beard growth. That is because it likely works by blocking DHT, which is needed for healthy facial hair growth. However, you can try other effective natural ways to fix a patchy beard. And if they don’t work, you may want to see a specialist for some beard growth medication.
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