Prince Harry has sparked much conversation over the past week about beards and male pattern baldness after mentioning both in his explosive memoir, Spare.
In his book, which hit shelves on Tuesday, the Duke of Sussex, 38, described the Prince of Wales’s “thinning hair” as “alarming” and noted that it was “more advanced than mine” despite only having two years younger than him.
Elsewhere, Harry opened up about Prince William’s anger at the Queen for allowing Harry to keep his beard for his wedding, even though William had apparently been denied permission to do the same at his 2011 wedding.
dr Furqan Raja, one of the UK’s leading hair transplant surgeons from Harley Street’s The Private Clinic, explained that it’s not uncommon for men not to want to shave their beards for their weddings.
Prince Harry (pictured in September) has sparked much conversation over the past week about beards and male pattern baldness after mentioning both in his explosive memoir, Spare
He said: “Hair, both on the face and scalp, is an important part of a man’s identity and an integral part of his confidence and image.”
The surgeon speculated: “Prince Harry’s thinning hair and progressive hair loss has received a lot of media attention lately and as such it is likely that the attachment to the beard as part of identity will only grow stronger.”
Progressive hair loss is a major problem for men with over 6.5 million affected in the UK alone.
dr Raja described how he often finds that men who suffer from thinning hair and hair loss focus more on beard growth to offset the progressive hair loss on the scalp.
In his book, which hit shelves on Tuesday, the Duke of Sussex, 38, described the Prince of Wales’s (pictured) “thinning hair” as “alarming” and noted that it was “more advanced than mine”, although it was only two years old Junior
Hair transplant surgeon Dr. Furqan Raja explained how men can focus on their facial hair as they thin out on top. Prince William is pictured here in 2008 with a beard
He said: “The facial hair trend is believed to have started around the 2008 recession and while initially dismissed as a passing phase, after more than a decade it is stronger than ever and shows no signs of abating.”
In 2017, a YouGov survey showed that the proportion of British men with some facial hair increased from 37 percent to 42 percent between 2011 and 2016.
Here reveals Dr. Raja on how to encourage hair growth, avoid spotty facial hair and keep beards thick and healthy…
APPLY NATURAL OILS
Consider PRP therapy
“PRP, or Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, works by taking a small amount of blood and separating it in a centrifuge,” explained the hair transplant surgeon.
“The platelet-rich plasma contains stem cells and growth factors that are separated from your blood and injected into the problem areas. The growth factors can then stimulate the activity of the hair follicles and encourage hair growth.”
This is a short procedure and after that there is no significant downtime or scars, claims the expert.
dr Raja said that by the age of six weeks, most of his patients will notice a response that “usually describes thicker and better quality facial hair.”
Hair oiling has been practiced in some cultures for hundreds or even thousands of years, explained Dr. Raja.
It could be beneficial in helping your hair retain moisture, prevent dryness and stimulate growth.
He said: “People use many different types of oil, but I know my patients who use olive oil or coconut oil to good effect – organic options with no chemical ingredients are preferable.”
Oil is not only effective for hair growth and protection, but also moisturizes and protects the skin under the beard.
DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF SHAVING IT TO MAKE IT LESS SPOTLESS
It’s a common myth that shaving facial hair will make it grow back less patchy. dr However, Raja suggests that is not the case.
“Although the hair feels thicker after shaving, it doesn’t actually get thicker,” explains Dr. Raja.
“Facial hair grows out of individual follicles and shaving will not increase it.
“A human hair shaft is thicker at the bottom and thinner at the tip, so removing the tip leaves the thicker base, giving the illusion of the shave becoming thicker.
“Shaving will do nothing to fix the spots.”
Reduce your alcohol consumption
The hair transplant surgeon explained: “Although alcohol itself has not been directly linked to hair loss, it can lead to dehydration, which can also dry out the hair follicles.
“Over long periods of time, this can also increase the acid levels in your body and interfere with protein absorption.
“Together, this can have a negative impact on hair follicles and their health, leading to thinning and loss, which can result in patchy facial hair. Reducing alcohol consumption can help support healthy hair growth.”
TAKE VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS
Health and a balanced diet are important factors in healthy facial hair growth, but many of us are deficient in essential vitamins and minerals because we don’t get enough of them in our diet.
dr Raja believes vitamin supplements can be a good way to ensure you are getting the necessary micronutrients that are essential for hair growth.
He said, “However, it’s important to recognize that these should be tailored to your specific needs, and while supplements can help improve the quality and thickness of your facial hair, it’s important not to expect miracles.”
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