Genetics May Be Responsible for Patchy Beards

Hair, whether on top of the head or anywhere else, is just as unique as the person it grows on. There are a wide variety of factors that influence how fast, how coarse, how long, and how dense beards grow. Some of those factors are internal, like nutrition and genetics, and some are external, like a good skin and beard care regimen. 

While there is value in a wide variety of beard types, many men complain about having a beard that is patchy. Patchy beards have more density in some areas than others. Is there anything that can be done to prevent a patchy beard? Let’s get down to the root of the issue!

What Do Genetics Have to Do With Beards?

There are several reasons a man may have a patchy beard. Some men have beards that have always been patchy. Other beards get more patchy with age. Regardless of how the patchiness shows up, beards of varying density may have a cause that has nothing to do with the way a man cares for himself. 

The LNX1 gene is located on the fourth human chromosome, and it is a significant factor that determines whether or not a man will have a patchy beard. Genes can factor into the shape of a hairline. For example, some guys have a widow's peak, and some of us start out with a hairline that is farther back than others. Beards have a similar relationship with genes. Some men have beards that are naturally denser than others. Other men have beards that are prone to patchiness. 

What to Do About a Patchy Beard

If your beard is patchy because of genetics, you may not be able to grow as dense a beard as your more genetically well-endowed counterparts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try hard. Making sure your hair beard is clean, conditioned, and introduced to the right nutrients can address some of the non-genetic factors that can cause or contribute to patchy beards.

Use beard oil on a regular basis. Facial skin is the foundation of the beard. Think of your chin skin as the soil from which a plant grows. If the face is dry, dirty, or just generally neglected, the beard follicles that sprout out of that skin will not fare very well either. Washing and moisturizing the face is not a lesson that the average grown man needs to learn, but growing a beard for the first time (or the first time in a long time) can change the way you need to take care of your face. 

Applying the oil is only half the battle. Evenly distributing it is part two of a healthy skin and beard care regimen. Be sure to focus application on the skin itself. Reach down under the hairs of the beard to give the skin the nutrients it needs. Smoky Mountain Beard Co. beard oils have vitamins A and E, which support healthy hair and skin. 

Regular combing also helps to evenly distribute beard oil. Combing the beard from root to tip (after you’ve already combed from tip to root to get out tangles) encourages sebum from the skin down the shaft of the hair follicle. Sebum is oil that the body naturally produces, and it is some of the best hydration for a healthy beard.

If you have a patchy beard, remember it may not be your fault at all. Great-granddaddy’s patchy beard genes could be the cause of the issue.