Category: Lifestyle

How Your Sleep Quality Is Impacting Your Facial Hair Growth

Does a decent night’s sleep elude you night after night? Coincidentally, are you struggling to grow a full, thick beard? If you’ve answered “yes” to both, your difficulties in growing a beard may be anything but coincidental. You may be surprised to learn about the relationship between sleep quality and facial hair growth.

Sleep-Related Factors That Could Impact Facial Hair Growth

Restful sleep is essential to functioning well during the day and vital for your well-being. It’s no surprise that sleeping less or waking up multiple times per night takes its toll on how your body functions physically and how you cope mentally and psychologically in day-to-day situations. With your facial hair a physical part of your body, less sleep can lead to stunted beard growth.

So, what sleep-related factors can contribute to your facial hair growth?

1. Indoor Air Causes Sleep Disruptions

Do you have problems sleeping well in summer? Depending on where you live, warm, humid weather can mean tossing and turning all night long. Besides the indoor temperature, pet dander, pollen and dust mites can cause respiratory issues by attaching to your bed linens, putting peaceful sleep out of reach. Even if it doesn’t disrupt your sleep, poor indoor air quality can result in tiredness and fatigue during the day.

Living in a damp environment can lead to mold, which disrupts your sleep by causing congestion and irritating your eyes, nose and skin. Airborne mold particles are significant triggers for asthma attacks and other respiratory problems that can keep you awake most of the night in aggravated circumstances.

2. Insufficient Sleep Can Cause Skin Problems

Research shows that sleep disturbances impact skin diseases, but the direct correlation remains unclear. Sleeping allows your body to repair and rejuvenate, with collagen production, skin hydration and inflammation reduction among its recognized ways. Without time for these essential repair processes, you will likely be more susceptible to acne breakouts and other skin issues.

Skin inflammation restricts beard growth, and dryness causes flakiness, affecting facial hair growth. If you’re not sufficiently hydrated, your beard hair also becomes more brittle and susceptible to breaking. While shaving with a traditional razor can alleviate these symptoms, you’ll likely want to incorporate top-rate beard care products like a beard wash and beard oil to revitalize your facial hair — and get enough sleep so your body can naturally repair your skin and hair.

3. Stress Levels Affect Sleep

According to Cleveland Clinic, stress-related sleep deprivation can cause a decrease in beard growth. Backed by a 1987 study of 10 men, the reputable health care provider states stress is a primary factor of hair loss, specifying beard growth as being among the hair types affected when coupled with poor sleeping habits and quality.

Genetics, ethnicity, diet and alopecia areata — your immune system’s resistance to hair follicles — are also factors Cleveland Clinic attributes to facial hair loss in men. It is well-known that stress contributes to many human body changes, with poor or interrupted sleep patterns often an indirect effect.

Stress plays another role in stunting facial hair growth during those unwanted poor sleep periods. During highly stressful periods, your body releases more cortisol. This hormone is healthy in small amounts, but its positive input changes in response to chronic stress. Excessive hormones could cause skin conditions like acne and, worse still, can reduce your body’s testosterone to the detriment of your beard growth.

4. Poor Sleep Reduces Testosterone Levels

While the Cleveland Clinic is reluctant to name low testosterone levels as a factor contributing to declining facial hair growth, the Sleep Foundation suggests that regular sleep debt, or sleep deficit — when you begin falling short of your accustomed hourly sleep duration — commonly causes metabolic dysregulation.

A 2019 study indicates that metabolic disorders combined with low testosterone levels through hypogonadism can lead to higher risks of further incident development. Male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a condition where male bodies don’t generate enough testosterone, with the condition existing from puberty or developing later in life, often due to infection or injury.

With sleep debt contributing to metabolic disorders, the presence of male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism could lead to increased risks of facial hair loss through reduced testosterone levels. Your inadequate sleep patterns may be unrelated to stress, but they can still contribute to falling testosterone levels in specific situations.

5. Better Sleep Encourages Physical Exercise

The better you sleep, the more likely you’ll feel like waking up early for a gym session before work or a jog at dusk after a hard office day. How does exercising affect beard growth, though? Research indicates that testosterone levels rise for periods between 15 and 60 minutes after physical exercise, but regular fitness routines four times weekly result in more stable and permanent testosterone increases.

You already know that poor sleep could reduce your testosterone count, but raising it, especially with consistent weight and resistance workouts, will invariably result in better facial hair growth. So, if you’re struggling to grow a beard, concentrate on your deadlifts, squats, bench presses and resistance bands next time you visit the gym — of course, these exercises also have other benefits besides testosterone growth.

Moreover, adding a healthy diet to your training regimen will reduce the chances of diabetes and other factors that could cause metabolic imbalances that affect sleep patterns. When you exercise regularly, sleep will come easier at the end of the day, and your facial hair growth will benefit.

How to Sleep Better

When attempting to improve your beard growth, you can try improving your sleep patterns in several ways.

  • Maintain a regular sleep cycle: Discipline yourself to go to bed and wake up at the same time throughout the week. Avoid sleeping in on weekends.
  • Limit your daytime naps: If you must rest your eyes, keep breaks to a maximum of 20 minutes after lunch. Long daytime naps can hamper your sleep at night.
  • Have a nutritious breakfast: Eating a morning meal will condition your body to wake up at a specific time, creating a daily pattern. Missing breakfast means your energy lowers as your blood sugar drops, which alone can hamper sleep patterns.
  • Control your light exposure: Spend time in natural light during the day, but avoid screen time and late-night television for a few hours before bedtime. Limit exposure to light when sleeping for a less hampered period in dreamland.
  • Exercise: Daily workouts will improve your sleep quality, but avoid strenuous routines three hours before you sleep. Light yoga stretches are perfect for relaxing before you turn in.
  • Eat and drink wisely: Eating too many carbohydrates and sugars at any time can impact your sleep quality, as they promote wakefulness. Caffeine can create sleep disturbances for up to 12 hours after consumption, so choose another beverage in the evening and before bed. Only eat big meals and drink alcohol in the early evening. Reduce your liquid content at night, especially if you have a weak bladder.

These are only some ways to encourage better sleep. A light, healthy snack in a quiet, darkened room before bed can help you wind down, and breathing exercises when lying in your comfortable bed may help you fall asleep. Some people enjoy white noise like nature sounds to calm their minds and enhance relaxation. Whatever you do, set worries and problem-solving aside until tomorrow.

Achieve Restful Sleep to Enhance Facial Hair Growth

Evidence suggests that sleeping peacefully for long enough could improve your beard growth. De-stressing and falling asleep in a peaceful, dark environment after an early evening workout could enhance your chances of growing that full beard you’ve always dreamed of.  

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Understanding Face Paint and Beard Dye Before Super Bowl Sunday

Are you rooting for the AFC or NFC at your Super Bowl party? Regardless of their fandom, some guys like to show their support with beard dye and face paint. These products are part of the fun evening, though it’s essential to understand the risks and how to apply them.

What to Know About Face Paint Before the Big Game

Face paint is easier to apply for kids because they likely don’t have beards. However, adult men must be more careful because of their facial hair. Here’s how you should approach it.

1.   Choose a Good Face Paint

When choosing a paint, consider which one would be best for your skin. You have plenty of options. Start with a water-based paint if you want to get rid of it quickly after your Super Bowl party.

Cream-based products typically last longer and are more suitable if you need all-day color. Your next priority should be getting hypoallergenic and non-toxic face paint to mitigate itchiness or dangerous chemicals. Then, consider trimming your beard to make the application more manageable.

2.   Application

Regardless of the paint you choose, the first priority should be washing your face. Get a clean start by removing oils, dirt and other contaminants in your way. Then, apply the base paint to your face, avoiding contact with your eyes.

Once you have the base, you can start adding stencils, stripes or numbers. For example, a Chiefs-themed face could be red with yellow and white lines on your beard’s edge. Alternatively, you could add your favorite player’s number. Wearing No. 26 on your face won’t make you as strong as Saquon Barkley, but it’s a start.

3.   Aftercare

Face paint is terrific for Super Bowl Sunday, but you don’t want to show up at work the next day with leftover decorations. Start with a makeup remover that’s gentle on your skin. If yours is sensitive, consider coconut oil because it doubles as a moisturizer.

Then, focus on your beard’s needs. If some paint gets in your facial hair, use a beard wash to clean it up and remove any remnants. Most face-paint products don’t have a scent, but a sandalwood beard wash could remove any lingering odd smells.

4.   The Risks

Some football fans try to budget their night wisely after the holiday spending by skipping the decorations or co-hosting. How can you save time and cash in your festivities? Know the risks of face paint before spending money on medicine to care for a rash or bad reaction.

While most products are safe, there are still risks to buying paint with unfamiliar ingredients. These cosmetics could cause an infection or allergic reaction on your face. For example, your face paint may contain heavy metals like arsenic or lead. When consumed in significant amounts, they could be toxic.

How to Approach Beard Dye for Your Super Bowl Party

Your face isn’t the only thing you can decorate on Super Bowl Sunday. With beard dye at your disposal, you can take your pride to the next level. Here’s what you need to know about it.

1. Picking a Beard Dye

First, you must choose what dye you want for the party. Don’t get hair and beard dye confused, as they operate differently. The hair on your head is typically thicker than your beard, thus requiring stronger components to alter the color. Conversely, the dye for your facial hair is gentler due to the less effort necessary.

Another critical consideration is whether you want to get a professional dye or a do-it-yourself job. At a salon or barber shop, you get an expert’s touch, but you can dye your beard at home if you want a quick fix.

2. Application

Some precautions could protect your skin before you apply the dye. For instance, consider testing a small amount of the product on your arm before applying it to your facial hair. This strategy lets you see how your skin reacts and adjust accordingly. If everything goes as planned, you can take the next step with your beard.

Like the face paint, your beard dye requires a fresh start. Wash your facial hair with beard shampoo to remove contaminants and extra oils. Some guys apply petroleum jelly like Vaseline around their beards to safeguard their skin. Then, you follow the box’s directions to ensure you get the most from your dye.

3. Aftercare

Dyeing your beard can negatively affect it by making it quite dry. Therefore, it’s essential to apply quality beard oil in your aftercare. When you want to remove the color, refrain from using bleach or other harmful products. It’s best to let it fade over time until your hair returns to its original color.

If you want a quicker solution, consider trimming your beard or shaving it completely. Other options include going to a barbershop or removing the dye yourself. DIY adventures include mixing baking soda, white vinegar, dish soap and shampoo to remove the color.

4. The Risks

It’s fun to dye your beard for a Super Bowl party — especially if your team is playing — but it comes with some risks you might be unaware of. For example, the American Cancer Society says consistent exposure to dyes has some correlation to an increased risk of bladder cancer.

While less severe, dryness and brittleness are other risks of using beard dye. These products strip moisture from your facial hair, thus leaving coarser textures over time. With weaker hair, you may find split ends and more challenging styling sessions. Another consequence is fading colors, requiring more time to get to your preferred color.

Wisely Decorating Your Face and Beard for the Big Game

Sporting events are about showing your team pride and celebrating wins with your friends. How can you do it in style? Face paint and beard dye are terrific products to put your game face on for your Super Bowl party. Before you change colors, ensure your hair and skin are ready for application.

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How to Care for Your Skin During a Harsh Winter

Winter involves holiday gatherings and relaxing by the fire. However, the cold temperatures can take a toll on your skin if you don’t properly care for it. How can you ensure a healthy, moisturized body during a harsh winter? Here are eight tips to use during the cold season.

1. Use Moisturizer

Moisturizer should be part of your skincare routine throughout the year, but it’s even more essential during the winter. Find a formula that’s best for your skin type. While scent should be a factor, you want to pick the most effective brand to keep your skin moisturized. The optimal time to apply it is after you dry yourself off after a shower.

Dry skin is common in the winter due to the outside conditions. If your skin starts flaking, consider seeing a health care professional for further help. You may get a prescription for extra-strength skin care products. Make moisturizer part of your routine by doing it at least once daily. Typically, guys apply it in the morning and at night.

2. Apply Beard Oil

Guys with beards need an extra layer of protection in the winter, considering they’re susceptible to dry facial hair. Incorporate beard oil in your routine as often as your skin moisturizer. These products work together to keep your integumentary system hydrated and ready for the harsh winters.

When searching for beard oil, find products with high-quality ingredients and pleasant scents. It’s also practical for grooming facial hair and achieving specific looks — and while it’s great for your beard, this oil goes deeper by moisturizing your hair follicles and skin to reduce dryness and dandruff.

3. Remember Your Sunscreen

You may associate sunscreen with fun summer days at the beach. While it’s essential during hot weather, this lotion remains helpful in the harsh winter. Ultimately, it comes down to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Experts say the sun causes up to 90% of visible skin changes despite some attributing them to aging. Therefore, this skincare strategy is essential.

UV levels dip in the winter because of the Earth’s tilt, but they’re still potent enough to affect your skin. This type of radiation is invisible to the human eye, so it’s best to wear sunscreen throughout the year. Wear it between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. if you’re in direct sunlight for prolonged periods.

4. Turn on the Humidifier

Being indoors doesn’t always protect you from the elements. Even your indoor living space becomes drier when the air shifts from humid to arid. These conditions are more bearable when you have a humidifier in your home. Turn it on during the winter to add moisture and reduce the dryness in your beard and skin.

Keep the humidifier at a comfortable level in tandem with your thermostat to ensure your living space doesn’t feel like a rainforest. This appliance sends water vapor into the air, allowing your skin to remain hydrated. In addition to being excellent for your skin, humidifiers keep your living space more habitable during the winter.

5. Monitor Your Appliances

Humidifiers keep your home comfortable and your skin hydrated during the winter. What about your other appliances? All your domestic machines have a role in your body’s health. Maintaining these appliances throughout the year — especially in the colder months — is essential to your well-being. Watch for signs they need extra care.

For instance, heat pumps are crucial for warming your home and mitigating the harsh conditions outside. Within this device, the air filter requires regular examinations and cleanings. This component removes mold and mildew that make you sick but can become clogged if you don’t tend to it. Odd sounds could also indicate your heat pump needs service.

6. Take Colder Showers

When you’ve spent time in the cold, it’s nice to come home and take a hot shower. The warm water feels fantastic on your skin but could adversely affect its hydration. Experts say hot water removes oil and moisture from your body, thus causing more harm than good if you’re concerned about dry skin.

Once winter arrives, mitigate your skin drying with colder showers than usual. While it can take time to get used to, your skin will thank you later. Lukewarm or cold showers are better for your body because they’re better at retaining moisture. Another way to improve your shower routine is by using mild soaps.

7. Eat a Healthy Diet

The air and your skincare products significantly determine your skin’s moisture levels. However, there are a few underrated factors you may overlook. For instance, people underestimate the role of healthy eating in your skin’s health. A 2024 Cureus study found a well-balanced diet supported optimal skin health and influenced dermatological disorders.

Your diet should be specific to your nutritional needs. That said, you can help your skin by following basic dietary principles. Protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats should be at the center of your meals. Increase your vitamin A intake, as experts say this substance protects skin from free radicals. Your shopping list should include sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach.

8. Monitor Your Coffee Consumption

Coffee is a must for many guys, whether they work early or burn the midnight oil. While this beverage boosts your energy, it could harm your skin. Coffee is a diuretic, so it removes moisture from your body and increases bathroom trips. Constant consumption could lead to drier skin, especially in the winter.

When the cold weather arrives, monitor your coffee cups and see how your body reacts. If your skin becomes drier, reduce your consumption and see if it has any effect. Coffee has a role in helping skin, such as treating shaving cuts and constricting blood vessels. Some people use coffee seed oil to increase collagen. However, you should watch how it impacts your body.

Protecting Your Body From the Harsh Conditions

Old Man Winter doesn’t have much sympathy for your skincare routine. This season typically brings snowfall, drier conditions and flaky skin, so caring for your body is essential. Take extra time to moisturize your face and beard. Then, do the little things like eating a healthy diet and taking a cold shower. Ultimately, skincare in the winter requires a holistic approach.

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Dealing With Pollen, Dander and Other Allergens

You grew your beard and kept it because it looked good. Perhaps it gave you that Jason Momoa vibe you were striving for. However, you may have noticed other changes after you grew the old whiskers, especially if you have allergies. Did you feel better or worse or suffer more or less from irritants?

The word on the street is that growing beards can keep pollen, dander and other pesky allergies at bay. Other bearded guys say their allergies have worsened since they added facial hair to their look. So what is the truth? Does growing a beard have an impact on your health?

Growing a Beard Might Help or Hinder Allergy Sufferers

Growing a beard could worsen your allergies or improve your resistance to them. Ultimately, your personal beard maintenance plays the most prominent role in how airborne allergens affect your health through your facial hair. Your beard is a magnet for pollen, dander and other allergens floating around in the immediate atmosphere.

Having a large beard, or even a goatee, might prevent many of these from reaching your nose or mouth to wreak havoc on your sinuses. Conversely, having them caught up in your beard for an extended period means there’s more chance of them eventually finding your facial cavities instead of drifting away in the breeze. You must keep your beard clean and groomed regularly to minimize the chances of the latter.

How to Practice Effective Beard Maintenance

Growing a beard is an excellent idea if you invest time grooming it to keep it looking and feeling good. If not, ignoring your shaver that first time might lead to encountering unexpected problems as your beard grows longer and thicker.

To counteract these problems, especially during the high-allergy months, spend some time and care on the following.

1. Invest in and Use Beard Care Products

Budget for and buy a decent beard shampoo and conditioner and use it frequently to eliminate potentially irritating allergens that have found their way onto your face. Conditioners seal in moisture and protect facial hair from breakage and damage. Ensure your purchase is gentle enough not to cause skin irritation under the beard, or you may have further problems. Don’t use a regular shampoo and conditioner — invest in high-quality products that will remove dirt and sweat from your pores at the same time.

Consider spending more on beard oil or balm for extra care. These products have natural facial hair drying qualities that restrict the chances of pollen, dander or dirt sticking in your beard.  How much time and effort you’ll need will depend on your beard’s type and density, but go for unscented products, especially if you’re an allergy sufferer.

2. Consider Your Pets’ Effect

If you own a dog or cat, the spring and summer are high-allergen months, exposing your household to higher-than-normal dander levels. Pets are one of the most prominent sources of dander, and the more they try to cuddle up to you, the more likely you are to end up with loose fur and allergens trapped in your beard.

As the owner of a magnificent beard, you’ll want to minimize dander in the environment to cut down your allergy levels. Regular grooming will serve double purposes, keeping them cooler, happier and healthier while also keeping their mane under control. Clipping your dogs and brushing your cat removes excess thick fur and improves their natural temperature regulation. It’s a win-win situation for your pet and your beard.

3. Keep It Clean

People commonly recognize mid-to-late spring as pollen season, but pollen can actually be a hazard throughout most of the year. While spring is most prominent for tree pollen, summer sees spikes in grass pollen, while weed pollen is prevalent from around August through November.

If you’re an allergy sufferer who typically showers in the mornings, consider showering at night instead. As you go about your day, stray pollen can collect in your beard. When you go to sleep at night, as you breathe in, the trapped pollen will continue to get absorbed into the airways. Showering before bed can help clear your beard of stray debris, giving you a healthier nights sleep free from allergens.

4. Trim and Shave

Trimming your beard and shaving around it where necessary helps you look neat and confident, showing the world you respect yourself and care about your appearance. It also serves another purpose — it further reduces the chances of unwanted allergens nestling and getting trapped inside your facial hair.

When trimming, you want a sharp and even cut without the chance of blunting the scissors, which can cause discomfort. Invest in a high-quality pair that you can easily hold to provide the required finesse while trimming. Consider a beard trimmer for closer work if you’re struggling with the scissors.

It is best to shave the traditional way. A manual razor provides a closer and more precise shave than an electric one does. When shaving around your beard, you’ll reach the critical areas more easily manually than with an automated razor, meaning there is less risk of removing a crucial part of your look in error.

Whether you prefer a dry or wet traditional shave, both work well and have different benefits. A wet shave is closer, but a dry shave allows for a touch more accuracy. If you’re shaving dry, apply an aftershave balm or moisturizer to restrict your skin’s chances of rashes.

5. Apply Sun Protection

Allergens come in many shapes and forms. Keeping your beard protected from the sun’s extreme heat and harmful rays reduces the hair’s chances of becoming dry and brittle. Loose facial hair is an allergen, and a dry beard can directly cause reactions in the warmer months.

Sunscreen is most effective for protecting your skin if you have a thinner beard, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it if you have a thicker one. Remember, you’re not only protecting your skin from the sun but your beard, too. Applying sunscreen simply requires some extra grooming.

Facial hair’s highest ultraviolet protection factor of 21 doesn’t satisfy the Skin Cancer Foundation. It recommends a sun protection factor of 30 for extended outdoor activities, meaning having a beard doesn’t offer sufficient protection. From skin health and beard safety perspectives, sunscreen is necessary in the hot seasons.

Growing a Beard Can Help Your Allergies

It’s vital to maintain and care for your beard regularly and effectively. Then, while consistently grooming and trimming your facial hair, keep yourself and your immediate environment as clear of dander, pollens and other allergens as possible.

In this way, you’ll successfully restrict your allergies and make your beard an effective aid in the process.

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