There are a substantial number of indicators swirling all around the western world right now that our society is greatly yearning for a return to times when things were much simpler and easier. A large proportion of expensive and sought-after restaurants & their chefs have chosen the “farm-to-table” model where they grow their own food that they serve in their establishments.
After decades of the food industry making constant global supply chain improvements and deals to ensure that diners can get any type of food, fruit, or vegetable no matter what the season or availability, it is often more popular (and expensive) right now for the top-tier restaurants to have menus that are limited to what they can grow in either their own or local sustainable & organic farms.
The black napkin and white tablecloth hoity-toity five-star restaurants are yesterday’s news, while the picnic table and earthen-clay plates, misshapen silverware, and dirt floors are all the rage to prove that their food is simple, genuine nutrition made from salt-of-the-earth chefs who sport overalls and a massive beard to prove their environmentally-friendly bona fides.
After two years of lockdowns, many urbanites went stir crazy in the big cities who closed everything down and forced people to stay in their apartments. The rural areas are seeing a massive influx of new inhabitants now as those people get out of the big cities as quickly as they can to get their fill of dirt roads, nature, sunshine, and the good old American spirit.
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It’s been nearly a decade since the Hipsters started annoying people all across the country with their ironically-worn old tyme American fashion and exorbitantly long beards, and so many people in our country were so disgusted by these Hipsters who poked fun at a historical culture that they stayed very far away from them and their fashion sense.
But the screeching halt that our rapidly-expanding technologically-driven society and culture took when the lockdowns started have made people take stock of their lives, find their way back into the great outdoors and rural America, and ditched the three-piece suit for the Northface hiking pants or denim to help them put their hands and feet in the dirt and commune with the nature that a city life forced them to forget about.
Large swaths of American men gave up shaving when the lockdowns started and they didn’t have to report to the office in person anymore, and a peculiar thing happened for many of them: they realized they absolutely loved having a beard. Whether it awakened an inner masculinity they had let lie dormant for far too long or their significant other found an attraction to the new facial scruff, beards are back and are no longer a way to pick hipsters out of a crowd so that you can stay away from them.
Some saw the popularity of beards returning to our culture and decided to grow one themselves, quickly realizing that sometimes it’s not quite as easy as simply not shaving. Some of us are built to grow big, bushy beards with little to no effort, while others have a far tougher time at letting their inner lumberjack grow.
Let’s go through some helpful tips to grow a big beautiful beard for those who may be facially follically challenged so we can get you on your way to embracing your face fleece in no time!
Why Can’t We All Grow Beards?
You may have thought when you were younger that facial hair was something that every one could or would have when they get older. But there are several factors tbat have a big impact on a man’s ability to grow anything more than a five o’ clock shadow.
Genetics
Your genetics can play a big role in your ability to grow facial hair, and it all boils down to your genotype and phenotypes. Your genotype is your genetic makeup, a combination of the genetics of your mother and father. Your phenotype is the physical expression of those genes, and whether or not they show up as your physical characteristics.
For instance, your dad may have a big bushy beard but you can’t grow anything more than peachfuzz. This may be because, while you have your dad’s genetics inside of you, perhaps your mother’s father was not the hairy type. If your genotype includes your dad but phenotype is more prone to your mom’s side of the family, that means that you aren’t likely to be sporting too much face fuzz.
Diet
Your diet affects much more than your waistline. It can affect your testosterone levels, your mood, your energy levels and yes, even your beard. If you are genetically predisposed to be clean faced your diet won’t help much, but if your genes aren’t holding you back there are some crucial dietary factors that can help get you on your way to growing one of those sweet ZZ Top mouth mullets.
The following additions your diet may help your face grow more fuzz:
- Lean protein like chicken breast, eggs and fish
- Iron (this can come from supplements, red meat or liver)
- Whole grains and healthy carbs
- Zinc supplements or zinc-rich foods (like nuts)
- Healthy fats (these will also add luster to your beard if you already have one)
- Fruits & vegetables or a daily multi-vitamin that includes B vitamins
Sleep
Many a young man has uttered the mantra, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” And while it may be a lot more fun to enjoy the nightlife in your youth, it may also be holding your body back regarding many different bodily functions. Your body repairs itself and completes a lot of its processes when you sleep. Some studies have even shown that testosterone levels change throughout the day, and are highest in young men at the start of their first REM cycle of sleep and remain at that level until they wake.
Testosterone Levels
There is one part of your body that both regulates your beard growth and is affected by all of the factors listed above, and that is your body’s testosterone levels. Testosterone is a powerful hormone that controls many of a man’s bodily functions – namely all of them that we consider “manly” to include facial hair, lean muscle mass, libido, confidence and metabolism.
If your father and mother’s father are both able to grow gnarly chin ornaments but you are having trouble, the issue may be one of low testosterone. The symptoms of low testosterone are low libido or sexual drive, memory loss or forgetfullness, difficulty adding lean muscle mass, unexplained fat gain (through no change in diet or exercise), fatigue, irritability and potential erectile dysfunction.
Low testosterone is far more prevalent than most people think, but it isn’t a topic that is discussed much because, well, men aren’t well known to talk about things that are affecting them and low testosterone affects only men.
Conclusion
There was a short period where Hipsters began sporting beards as part of their fashion style, and it turned quite a few of us completely off to the idea of sporting one. The lockdowns changed many parts of our lives and society, and now that we’re coming out of them people are craving a connection with nature and their fashion is becoming far more casual as a result.
Beards are finding a new popularity in those men giving up the city life, going far more casual since they’re not in the office every day or some of us who just realized that we (or our significant others) really wanted to try out the fuzzy face.
Whatever your reason, there are a few main factors that may be blocking your path to being a Chewbacca look-a-like. If your genetics, diet, exercise and sleep habits all line up so that you should be able to grow a beard, the thing holding you back may be low testosterone levels.
If you think that may be the case, anti-aging clinics like Prolong Labs can help set you up with an evaluation at no extra cost to you. If you are a candidate for Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), they can prescribe and provide you with the treatment to get your testosterone levels up to normal and your face growing fuzz in no time.
Some men feel bashful about seeing a medical professional about their testosterone levels because they feel it means there is something wrong with them (boy are we are a stubborn sex). The team at Prolong Labs has dedicated their lives to helping men with low testosterone levels reclaim their lives and testosterone levels, and have helped millions of men in the same exact situation.
There’s no reason to hesitate any longer. If your beard is lacking (or non-existant) and you think testosterone is the reason, make the call to Prolong Labs today and they’ll have you looking like like a South American soap opera star full of fuzzy faced machismo in no time!