How to Fix a Patchy Beard

Patchy beard growth can be frustrating. Uneven facial hair can stop you from looking as smart as you’d like, even when your outfit and your hairstyle are on point.

But with some clever styling and the right tools, you can fix a patchy beard and disguise uneven beard growth to make sure you’re presenting the very best version of yourself at all times.

Here’s our advice on how to fix a patchy beard:

Why Does My Beard Grow Patchy?

Many men experience patchy beard growth, and there can be lots of reasons why. If your beard is light coloured and quite fine, any patches will look more noticeable – and some men have patches on their face that don’t grow any hair at all.

You’re not alone in this – the rate and thickness at which your facial hair grows is usually linked to genetics, and to how sensitive your hair follicles are to the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). If your body produces a lot of DHT, it can build up in your hair follicles, stopping your facial hair from growing properly.

But if you learn the best way to style your facial hair, you can cleverly disguise and potentially even fix a patchy beard for good.

How to Grow Out a Patchy Beard

Growing your facial hair out can be the key to fixing a patchy beard. If you can get away with it at work and don’t have any formal occasions coming up, try not to shave for a month to give your beard plenty of time to grow out.

If you let your beard grow, it will eventually start to intertwine in the space where you experience patchy growth, looking thicker as a result. If some areas are growing faster than others, stop them from becoming too wild by using our Gillette All Purpose Styler beard trimmer to keep on top of them.

You can use the All Purpose Styler to trim, shave and shape a beard, which is exactly what you need when you’re trying to cover up uneven patches of growth.

When you’ve finally managed to even your beard out, razor bumps will be the last thing you want, so always follow these tips for a smooth, neat shave:

Rinse your beard trimmer and blades after every use – you might even need to wash your blades in between every few strokes to prevent a build-up of shaving gel or foam
Keep checking for symmetry as you shave – remember that it’s better to take your time as you can always take more off, but you can’t put hair back
Apply a shaving gel or foam to your face and neck to hydrate your hairs, keep your razor glide smooth and reduce your risk of razor bumps
Shave both with and against the grain for the ultimate smooth, neat finish
Always follow a post-shave routine

Beard Styles for a Patchy Beard

There might be fewer facial hair styles available to you when you have a patchy beard, but there are still a few options to choose from.

Think about what will suit your face shape best and where your balder patches are before you start shaving. Here are a few of our top recommended styles for a patchy beard:

Chin Strap Beard

Get a chin strap beard by shaving all of your facial hair off, apart from a thin strap that runs along your jawline up to your sideburns. Our All Purpose Styler can help you to shape your beard into a clean line easily.

Goatee Beard

If you’ve been growing out a patchy beard, shape it into a goatee by separating your beard from your moustache with two clean lines. Make either your beard or moustache fuller depending where you experience balder patches to balance out your look.

5 o’clock Shadow

The 5 o’clock shadow was traditionally something that just happened to men whether they wanted this look or not, but many now choose to style their beard in this way. Find out how to maintain a smart but effortless-looking 5 o’clock shadow here.

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

Everyone’s beard growth is different – you might have patchy facial hair in places other men don’t, so there isn’t a universal solution.

You might have to persevere with patience and experiment to find a style that suits your patchy beard growth – and you might have to put up with some unflattering styles along the way!

Regardless of how long it takes you to fix your patchy beard, make sure you’re using the Gillette All Purpose Styler with our Fusion5 or Mach3 razor blades for a precise, clean shave.

And if you decide that you’re fine with a bushy beard to cover up less hairy patches, that’s fine too – embrace what makes you unique, and you’ll come across as more confident, no matter how much facial hair you have.

Just remember to keep your beard hydrated, moisturised and trimmed to encourage healthy growth so you can carry on looking and feeling your best. Find shaving products to help you here.