The answer, as with all things, is really that it depends—and we’ll explain in a minute. But you’re a busy gentleman, and you don’t have time for “it depends”. That’s fine. So here’s a quick answer: to get your full beard can take anything from two months up to sevral years. But keep reading, and you’ll see why.

Factors That Affect Beard Growth Time

Now, obviously, the first thing that beard growing time depends on is the length of your final beard. If you simply want to sport a dashing, close-cropped ‘office’ beard, then it will hardly take a few months to get to where you want to be.

But if you desire a glorious, full-strength tapestry of gentlemanhood—well, that’s something that will come with time. And if maximum length is your object, your limit—and the time it will take—will be mainly determined by your genetics.

Facia Hair Grow Phases

Allow me to explain. The life of every hair follicle in your beard (as well as anywhere on the body) can be divided into three phases:

1. anagen (growing) phase
2. catagen (maturing & separating) phase
3. telogen (shedding & recovering) phase

Every hair begins in the anagen phase, grows until the catagen phase, and then falls out in the telogen phase. And therefore, since hairs are only growing during the anagen phase, your beard is only growing during that phase too. In other words, however long the anagen phase lasts for the hairs in your beard is how long your beard will grow for.

Months or Years?

Well, you ask, just how long does the anagen phase last for? Fine question. It turns out that it can last for between 2-7 years, depending on the person. And therefore, bearded-sir-to-be, your future beard will reach its maximum length between two to seven years.

Remember, we’re discussing the maximum length here. A very handsome beard can be achieved in as little as two months, and with proper usage of a good beard trimmer, it will look just great. But if the length is your goal, prepare to be in for the long haul.

Now, since the length of the anagen phase varies from person to person, this also simply means that, for better or worse, some men can just grow longer beards than others.

But note this caveat: since follicles grow until the catagen phase, if your beard is not yet consistently shedding hairs, don’t give up. Hairs may fall out here and there, and some at different lengths to others: but until your beard is consistently dropping hairs, you haven’t yet reached your maximum potential. Hang in there.

Can I Do Anything to Help?

Unfortunately, there are no tricks to make your beard grow faster. So, tip your hat to the next full-bearded man you see: that beard was crafted through dedication and patience.

However, there are things you can do to help your beard grow as quickly as it can—and a dedicated bearded man will always strive to his utmost to pay attention to them.

Tip #1. Healthy Lifestyle

Firstly, a bad diet or unhealthy lifestyle will hinder good beard growth. Factors such as weight, poor eating choices, lack of sleep or no exercise are all detrimental to not only your beard, but also the skin beneath it.

So not only for the sake of your beard — but also for the sake of a long, pleasant life to enjoy it — ensure you lead a wise, healthy lifestyle. It’s not easy, but then again, being a gentleman of class never was.

Tip #2. Proper Beard Care Products

Another tip that will greatly help your beard growth is to use proper beard care products to protect and nourish the follicles as they grow, and moisturize the skin beneath to avoid irritation. At Mister Shaver, we recommend using the finest beard oils and balms for just this purpose. Using a few drops of beard oil a day, even from an early stage, will go a long way to ensuring smooth, comfortable beard growth.

A Final Word

It’s easy to be intimidated by a figure of several years to grow a beard. But regardless of its ultimate length, remember, you can be sporting a beautiful beard in just one to two months.

From there, it’s just a matter of going from a good beard to a great one. And given a good diet, a healthy lifestyle, and proper quality beard care to nurture your beard along the way, you too can soon enjoy a beard that’s the envy of all your acquaintances.