Alcohol and Hair Growth: Are they Connected?

For some men, growing a full beard is an easy task and they are often plagued with a 5 o’clock shadow by the time the day is done. For others, facial hair grows slow, sparse and sometimes even patchy, making the idea of growing a beard little more than a distant dream.

But whether you grow facial hair fast or slow, the process of growing out your facial hair in order to achieve that rugged look can be a hassle and if there are ways to make the hair grow faster, many men would be eager to give them a try.

The rate of facial hair growth a man experiences, depends greatly on genetics and the level of testosterone he has, but there are things you can try to speed the process along.

First, they say that it’s important to keep your body healthy by eating right and getting the proper amount of sleep to promote hair growth. This is because your facial hair, like all other parts of your body, will respond positively to the overall health of your body.

To get that hair growing thick and strong, eat a protein rich diet, get a good night’s rest and manage the stress levels in your daily life, for stress can in turn cause hair loss.

You can clean your electric razor with alcohol.

It’s also important to supply your body with the necessary minerals it needs to increase hair growth. Try taking:

• Biotin
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin C and E
• Beta-carotene
• Nettle oil
• Flaxseed oil

Does alcohol make hair grow faster?

It’s said that there is an ingredient in all alcoholic beverages called keretinol that can potentially cause increased hair growth.

There is also a theory claiming that the consumption of alcohol will also speed up hair growth, especially facial hair and there may just be some real merit to this claim.

Some believe that drinking alcohol can cause an increase in testosterone levels in certain subjects, which could also be responsible for the increased aggression that many males experience while intoxicated.

In fact, Dr. Robert H Purdy and his colleagues from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, found that alcohol caused a quick increase in testosterone in the brains and blood of certain male rats.

Following this logic, this surge of testosterone could in fact increase the growth of facial hair, since facial hair is a predominately male attribute.

Growing a beard

But once you decide to grow out your facial hair, be sure to stick with it. Many men tend to give up on growing their beards the instant that they feel and itch and yes, if you decide to grow out your beard, you will most likely feel a bit itchy and uncomfortable until the hair grows out completely.

So fight the urge to shave and with time, the hair will begin to soften and the itch to subside.

Of course, if a beard isn’t for you and you prefer a clean shave, you might want to avoid alcohol and the extra shot of testosterone that it brings.

Instead, keep your face baby smooth by giving yourself a good shave on a regular basis. Lather up your face with a quality shaving cream, keep good, sharp shaving razors on hand and rid yourself of unwanted facial hair.

While there is some speculation surrounding the connection between alcohol and hair growth, there is a good chance that drinking alcohol will in fact speed up the process. So if you are trying to fight that 5 o’clock shadow, perhaps you should pass on that next drink and just stick with water.