I Grew A Beard For 100 Days, Here's What Happened

When I shaved my beard off it was with the intention of immediately growing it back and documenting the process.

It was an emotional experience filled with both regret and excitement, and the last few months have certainly been a fun journey.

It had been nearly a decade since I had seen my face, and growing a beard out from fully shaved was something I hadn't done in so long I had to relearn, or at least re remember a lot of the in between steps that come with growing a beard.

In this blog post, I want to walk you through my 100 day process and what I experienced, what products I used and when, and how I trimmed along the way to keep it from looking a mess.

My hope is that it'll help you in one way or another.

1 Month Beard Growth

When you put the razor down and let it grow, there isn't a lot you need to do in the first week or so...

But one thing I experienced right away was how dry my face got after shaving. Immediately following the big shave, my skin felt super tight and dehydrated.

I wanted to experience what would happen if I ignored it as most guys do, even knowing it wouldn't be good, so I didn't apply Beard Oil or lotion to my face for the first couple of days.

BIG MISTAKE.

My face was so dry and irritated that I couldn't take it, so I pulled out some Beard Oil and eliminated the irritation quickly.

The reason your skin starts to get irritated as you grow your beard out is because your beard hairs are pulling all the oils away from your face to keep the hairs moisturized.

Your body can't produce enough sebum oil to keep both your face and beard hairs moisturized so your face suffers.

If left alone, this will cause "beard itch", irritation, and flaky skin.

Simply apply Beard Oil daily to your skin as you grow you beard out and you'll avoid this from happening. Plus, you'll create an optimal, healthy environment for your beard to thrive from. It really does make a huge difference.

Boars Hair Brush

I found the Boar Brush super helpful during the super early stages of beard growth.

The thousands of bristles help bring circulation and blood flow to the surface of your skin, which can help with beard growth.

This will also help train your beard hairs to grow in the same direction which will prove helpful as they grow out.

Outlining My Beard

One of the big early turning points of growing a beard happens when you shave or trim an outline shape of your beard.

When you do this is up to you, but the 2 weeks mark is a good loose target.

When you first grow a beard, you know you've committed to making it happen but the world doesn't. To everyone else, it's unclear if you've been lazy, or just getting back from a long vacation.

You want to have some intention and outline your beard to define the shape and make it clear that you're growing a beard.

I shot a video walking you through how I do this which is here for your convenience.

2 Months Beard Growth

When you come into the second month, if you followed the outline rules from the video above your beard should be starting to come in nicely.

While we all grow a beard at slightly different rates, it's pretty common that we all have areas that grow faster than others.

For most guys, the hairs on the neck grow a lot faster than the chin and cheeks. During the second month this will start to get pretty noticeable.

I was starting to get an area that looked bad from the side profile, so I trimmed it off and shot a video to show you how to do the same.

Beard Butter

As your beard grows into the second month, you'll have some unruly flyaway hairs that want to stick straight out to the side.

You want to power through and not trim these down, but you'll need something to help tame them.

That's where Beard Butter comes in.

Not only will it help the hairs lay down, but it's a deep conditioner that will soften your beard hairs and help you avoid the "it's so scratchy" comments notorious for shorter beard lengths.

Trimming Your Sideburns and Cheeks

If there is one area I'd recommend trimming as you grow your beard out, it's the sideburns and cheeks. If this area is left untrimmed, you'll quickly get a round looking face which can make you look heavier than you are.

It's amazing what just a little trim can do, so I shot this video to walk you through how to do it using your MT-1 Beard Trimmer!

3 Months Beard Growth

As I got into the third month of beard growth, my handlebar mustache came back!

And boy was I glad! At this stage in my beard growth I felt like "me" again.

I started using Mustache Wax to train the hairs to pull away from my mouth and flip up, and with a few tricks it came back as good as ever before.

Here's a little video I shot to show you how you can separate your stache from your beard to make it pop.

How Long Does It Take to Grow a Full Beard?

To grow a full beard, you're looking at about 2 to 4 months to really see that full shape come in. Just know that we all grow facial hair at slightly different rates. In my experience, the beard started looking solid around Month 2, but it wasn't until Month 3 that I really felt like "me" again with the handlebar stache coming back. The biggest thing is patience-you have to power through that first month without touching the razor!

What Is the Difference Between Beard Oil and Beard Butter?

I learned this one the hard way during the first week! Think of Beard Oil as essential for your skin. It replaces the oils your beard wicks away and stops that nasty itch and irritation right at the source. Beard Butter, on the other hand, is really for the hairs themselves. Once you get some length (around month 2), the butter acts as a deep conditioner to soften the bristles and tames those unruly flyaways so you don't look a mess. Read our guide on Beard Oil vs Beard Butter to learn more.

When Should I Start Trimming My Beard?

You want to be careful not to take off too much too soon, but you also don't want to look lazy. I recommend putting in your "outline" (the neck and cheek lines) right around the 2-week mark. This shows the world you have the intention to grow a beard. As you get into the second month, that's when you want to start maintaining the sideburns and cheeks to keep your face from looking round while the length comes in. Read Beard Trimming for Beginners to learn more.

How Do I Fix a Beard That is Growing in Patchy?

If your beard is growing in patchy don't panic. This is super common. Like I mentioned in the post, my neck hair grows way faster than the hair on my cheeks. If you have areas that are growing faster, just use your trimmer to dial those back slightly so they match the slower-growing areas. Don't shave it all off! Just give the slower patches time to catch up. It's all part of the journey. Read How to Fix a Patchy Beard to learn more.

How Does Sleep Affect Beard Growth?

When you are deep in sleep, your body actually does the heavy lifting for your beard growth. This is because testosterone and growth hormones reach their peak levels while you sleep. If you are skipping out on sleep, you are basically cutting off the fuel your hair needs to grow as thick and healthy as possible.

How Does Stress Affect Beard Growth?

Stress can be the silent beard killer. When you are constantly stressed, your body produces cortisol, which can actually lower your testosterone and even cause hair to fall out or grow even slower. You really have to manage your stress and get your solid eight hours. Taking care of your mind and body will help you reach your goals and see the progress you want. To sum up, better rest and less stress will help you strengthen your growth naturally.

Will Trimming My Beard During the First 100 Days Slow Down My Progress?

The short answer is no. Trimming your beard will not slow down your actual hair's growth rate. Your hair grows from the root under your skin, so cutting the ends doesn't change how fast your body produces new beard hair. In fact, a little maintenance can actually look better.

Final Thoughts

Once you've made it this far, you're really in the home stretch!

If you're looking to grow longer, regular maintenance on the sideburns and cheeks will keep it clean while the length comes with time.

As for me, I've been playing around with some different lengths and look forward to having some fun and mixing it up!

If you have any questions about anything you read or watched here, or need help with something else, don't hesitate to reach out to support@livebearded.com and we're glad to help.

Leave a comment and let me know if you found this helpful and which length you think suits me best!

Thank you for your support, it truly means the world to all of us.

Live Bearded, Brother!