How To Clean Up A Patchy Beard

Patchy beard growth can be frustrating. Uneven facial hair and beard gaps 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?

Your hormones and your genetics can each play a role in how likely you are to experience a patchy beard. The male hormones testosterone and dihydrotestosterone play a key role in hair growth. Low levels of either of these hormones may impact the speed and thickness at which you can grow facial hair, and may even cause facial hair to stop growing in some instances, resulting in beard gaps.

Genetics can also influence your likelihood of a patchy beard. However, it's important to remember that just because your dad or uncles have thick, full beards, this doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to grow a rival one – genetics are complex and these abilities can sometimes skip a generation or two.

bearded man with his bearded dad

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 King C. Gillette Beard Trimmer to keep on top of them.

You can use our Braun-powered beard trimmer 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'll 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 our King C. Gillette Transparent Shave Gel to your face and neck to hydrate your facial hair, 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 up by applying a beard oil or beard balm to keep your remaining facial hair as well-groomed as possible

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 any beard gaps are positioned 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. The King C. Gillette Beard Trimmer 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!

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 beard care products to help you from King C. Gillette.