Does Weed Make Facial Hair Grow?

There are rumors that weed can help you grow a beard and mustache. If you’re a stoner with a well-pronounced beard, you may agree. If you don’t have facial hair and really want it, you may be tempted to reach for your bong more often. But does weed make facial hair grow? Here’s what we know. 

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Does Smoking Weed Make Facial Hair Grow Faster?

Some people believe that weed makes your hair grow. However, we weren’t able to find that smoking weed would give you longer locs. What we did find, are people using hemp-infused hair products saying their hair health has improved. At the same time, we found others saying the hemp-infused products caused them hair loss. 

So, the jury is still out on whether or not weed makes your hair grow faster. But what about facial hair? There is no evidence that weed makes your facial hair grow faster. 

The main reasons facial hair grows are genes and testosterone. Interestingly, weed use is linked lower testosterone levels. Therefore, it’s pretty unlikely that using weed will make your facial hair grow faster. 

However, maybe weed could indirectly make your facial hair grow faster. 

For example, according to Healthline, having a good night’s rest can help your beard grow. The rationale is that adequate sleep can result in better testosterone levels. Healthline says, “The testosterone in your system is primarily released during sleep. Not getting enough rest, sleep apnea, and fragmented sleep can all adversely affect this process.”

Therefore, the idea is that weed helps you to sleep then technically it could help your facial hair grow faster. On the flip side, a study found that testosterone levels reach their peak when men enter the first stage of REM sleep. There is evidence that THC may decrease time spent in REM sleep. We’re not sure how that affects testosterone levels and facial hair growth but it’s something to think about. 

In addition to that, some hair loss is linked to stress therefore according to Healthline reducing stress may help your facial hair grow. So being zen from weed may be a plus. 

Does Weed Make You Grow Facial Hair?

If you notice that you’re suddenly growing facial hair it probably isn’t from weed use. We haven’t been able to find any studies that show that weed makes you grow facial hair. However, if you suddenly notice facial hair, this could be caused by a variety of factors.

For example, it may be simple genetics. Healthline says that your genes usually determine how quickly your beard grows as well as how full it gets. If you didn’t have a beard as a teen and now as a stoner in your 20s, you wonder if it has anything to do with weed. It could just be genetics again. Healthline says, “Some men see their full beard come in when they’re as young as 18 or 19. Others may continue to have sparse areas of growth until their mid-to-late 20s or even later.”

In addition to that, you may be growing facial hair due to a hormonal imbalance. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that can cause excessive facial hair growth in people who have ovaries. According to the National Health Service (NHS), in addition to excessive hair growth, PCOS can cause irregular periods or no periods, weight gain, hair loss, acne, and fertility issues. Therefore, if you suspect you have PCOS, you can see your doctor to discuss treatment options. 

Besides genetics and PCOS, you may have unwanted facial hair due to certain medications. Medline Plus says medication such as danazol, glucocorticoids, and minoxidil.

Tips on Growing Facial Hair 

Even though genetics and testosterone are largely responsible for the type of facial hair you have, there are other things you can do to promote facial hair growth. Besides exercise and sleep, Healthline suggests having a healthy diet. They said, “Certain nutrients, such as zinc, may also be beneficial for testosterone levels. A healthy diet won’t override genetics, but it may help your existing hair grow healthier and more lustrous.”

Healthline says to include lean proteins, fruits and veggies, healthy fats, whole grains, and iron in your diet. You also have to take supplements if you’re not getting enough nutrients from your diet.

In addition to that, you can improve the appearance of your beard. Healthline suggests:

• Exfoliating your beard
• Keeping your beard clean
• Moisturizing your beard

Finally, you can try exercising. Healthline says that exercising may be able to stimulate hair follicles through increased blood flow. In addition to an increase in blood flow, certain exercises such as weight lifting could increase testosterone temporarily. 

Even though these tips may help some people, not everyone will benefit. Some people will never naturally grow facial hair or get the full beard they want. If it’s something you really want, you can look into beard implants. 

Takeaway

Does weed make facial hair grow? There are no studies that imply that. However, from inferring what we know about weed and facial hair growth separately, weed may indirectly help with hair growth. At the same time, weed could hinder facial hair growth if it decreases testosterone levels. But, we are waiting on more scientific research on this topic to give a concrete answer.