What to do when your beard is going grey?
Ok, don’t panic. First and foremost, there are those that like the grey and perhaps see it more as silver and distinguished. Also it is worth remembering that all hair goes grey at some point in life, so there is no getting away from it. In fact your facial hair can grow in any hair colour, even if it doesn’t correspond to what is on your head. You can get the odd grey hair in your beard in your 20’s, in fact look a bit closer at your beard and you may see lots of different coloured hairs.
If you are not feeling the grey however and you want to do something about it, here is the Bear Grooming guide to get you through:
Why has my beard turned grey?
This all boils down to the ol’ lottery of life, genetics. Men’s beards, and hair for that matter, can go grey at any age. However, the average or most common age for your beard to start noticeably getting a bit grey is in the thirties. This happens because after a certain number of years your genes will instruct your body to stop producing melanin, the substance that gives skin and hair colour. Since this is genetic, it is inherited, so if you are unhappy with what you’ve been left with – blame your ancestors!
In fact, as a man, you can often look at your father’s and grandfather’s hair to get a reasonably good idea of when your hair will start going grey.
It is not all down to genetics however. There are reported cases of men who’s beard follicles produce excess levels of hydrogen peroxide, which removes the pigment from your beard hair. Research has yet to discover why some beard follicles will produce more hydrogen peroxide however it is believed that stress ad dietary habits have a large impact. Therefore living healthy could have a noticeable impact or even reverse the process – check out some more of our blogs to get some tips on achieving your goals, staying healthy and more.
What can I do about my grey beard?
Well the first thing we would suggest, if you don’t already, is learn to love it. It is a good look, particularly on an older man. Does the term Silver Fox mean anything to you?
Of course just like any other beard you are going to want to keep it neat and groomed, there are not many things worse than a wild and messy beard! A neat and well groomed beard can make you look younger and certainly more attractive! Short styles are of course easier to maintain but beard grooming products should be the top of your list if you really care about what your beard looks like – a decent beard wash, beard oil and a moustache wax are a must have.
The beard wash will help keep your beard clean, soft and more malleable. The beard balm will keep it looking smelling great and soft to touch. The beard oil will add that finishing touch. And the moustache wax will ensure you can keep that moustache in check if you happen to have quite long facial hair, it can also be quite good for keeping the odd beard hair in check!
Alternatively, if you are really against the grey beard you can always go for a beard dye. Beard dyes like hair dyes work very similarly, just make sure you get that colour match right! We recommend maybe taking a section of your beard at the bottom that is expendable and dying that first to see how the colour matches up to your hair and face. Just be careful and start with something easy to wash out!
