While a jet-black or dark brown beard looks masculine and adds to the self-confidence of a guy, a blonde beard can make men suffer as it even makes full-grown men look like they are going through puberty.
It is obvious for people with blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes to grow a blonde beard. But do you wonder “why my facial hair is blonde”, as a dark scalp haired guy? Also, would you rather have different colors of hair in your beard that make it look like it is growing in weird patches and it is impacting your self-esteem as a man?
If your answer is yes, it is time to stop worrying. Let us discover the reason behind the unusual growth of blonde hair in your beard along with the methods to deal with it.
Understanding the reasons behind blonde facial hair can help alleviate concerns and guide you in addressing it effectively.
Table of Contents:
- Part 1: Why is My Facial Hair Blonde?
- Part 2: Is Blonde Facial Hair Normal?
- Part 3: Managing Blonde Facial Hair
Part 1: Why is My Facial Hair Blonde?
Once you know the factors that are causing your facial hair to turn blonde, you can have an idea about which type of management technique will work for it. So, here are the reasons that will help you find “why is my facial hair turning blonde”.
1. Genetic Factors
Two main genetic factors determine the color of hair on your face and head. These are given as,
Genetic factors play a crucial role in determining the color of your facial hair, influenced by inherited traits from your parents and ancestors.
Family History
Have you noticed how our facial features resemble our parents, grandparents, and even other ancestors in our family tree? Your facial features and hair color are the result of a genetic combination from your father’s and mother’s side of the family.
Therefore, if people in your extended family have had blonde facial hair, it is likely that your got genetic combinations similar to them resulting in a light beard.
Family history can provide insights into your genetic predisposition for blonde facial hair, suggesting a connection between your lineage and hair color.
Inheritance Pattern
There is a single gene that determines the pigmentation of hair on your body. It is the MC1R gene that influences facial hair color through the production of melanin, a pigment that gives facial hair a light color.
The MC1R gene is essential in this process, affecting how much melanin is produced, which directly impacts the pigmentation of your facial hair.
Although the gene works equally on all hair follicles, any mutation in this gene can lead to the production of blonde hair on your face while the color of your head hair is dark.
Mutations in the MC1R gene can lead to variations in hair color, explaining why you might have blonde facial hair even if your head hair is dark.
2. Hormonal Influence
One of the major factors that determine how many, how coarse, how dense, and which color of hair your beard is going to grow is the level of hormones and their balance in your body.
Hormonal levels are significant in determining the characteristics of your beard, including its color, density, and coarseness.
The Way Hormones Influence Facial Hair Color
Hormones control the level of melanin in the hair. It is because these hormones stimulate the production of eumelanin and eumelanin, in turn, causes the hair to become dark. The hormones involved in this include,
Hormones affect melanin production, with specific hormones stimulating the creation of eumelanin, which darkens hair color.
- Testosterones
- Progesterone
- Estrogen
- Cortisol
Therefore, the high level of cortisol and other hormones can give you a dark beard while their reduced level might be the reason why your beard is blonde.
Hormonal fluctuations can significantly influence facial hair color, leading to variations like blonde beards.
How Puberty Influences Hormones and Thus Beard Color
The level of androgen hormones is low before puberty leading to light hair colors. However, as men hit puberty, the hormone peaks and darkens the blonde hair. However, it is not always true as the hair might also turn light due to aging as the melanin distribution on the hair is reduced.
3. Environmental and Lifestyle Factors
Below are some environmental and lifestyle factors that can cause facial hair discoloration.
Environmental factors such as pollution and lifestyle choices can also play a role in altering the natural color of facial hair.
Sun Exposure
While exposure to the sun and thus UV radiations darken the color of the skin by increasing the release of melanin from the melanocytes, the opposite is true for the melanin in the hair.
Sun exposure is known to darken skin but can lighten hair, creating a contrast in color for facial hair.
UV radiation causes the breakdown of melanin molecules present in the hair. Consequently, hair turns blonde.
UV radiation not only breaks down melanin but can also lead to a lighter hair color over time.
Diet and Nutrition
A healthy diet is essential for the health and color of the hair as well. This is because the deficiency of nutrients including minerals and vitamins in the diet results in decreased formation of hair pigment by the hair follicles.
The vitamins and minerals involved in the maintenance of hair health include,
Proper nutrition is essential for healthy hair growth, and certain vitamins and minerals play a crucial role in this process.
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B complex
- Zinc
- Copper
Stress
Last but not least, physical or mental stress can also cause greying or lightening of the patches of hair in the beard. First of all, stress influences the level of hormones in the body which affect melanin productive.
Managing stress is important, as it can significantly impact both physical and mental health, including hair color.
Furthermore, stress increases the level of oxidants in the blood. These oxidants break down melanin and make beard hair blonde.
Understanding oxidants in the blood can help in recognizing how they may contribute to changes in hair pigmentation.
4. Role of Melanin and Pigmentation
You must have noticed that whatever the indirect factor is, it is melanin that directly affects the pigmentation of the hair. So, let us discuss its role here.
There are 2 types of melanin the balance of which determines the color of the beard hair. These are eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin gives the beard a dark color which might be brown or black.
Melanin plays a crucial role in determining hair color, and understanding its types can help explain the variations in facial hair pigmentation.
On the other hand, pheomelanin lightens the beard hair color making it become light brown, ginger, or blonde. Now, the quality and production of both eumelanin and pheomelanin are under the influence of genetics, lifestyle, and hormones as discussed earlier.
Part 2: Is Blonde Facial Hair Normal?
We hope that you got your answer to “Why do I have blonde hairs in my beard”, let us now find out if other people also have blonde beards or if you are the rare one.
Normal Incidence and Variations
Although the most common facial hair color around the world is black or dark brown and several people also have red or ginger beards, blonde facial hair is not normally seen.
While black and dark brown are the most prevalent colors for facial hair globally, blonde facial hair is less common, making it a unique characteristic.
However, depending on ethnicity and genes, it is not too rare to have blonde facial hair. Furthermore, here are some variations of facial hair.
Blonde facial hair can occur across various ethnicities, suggesting that genetic factors influence its presence among individuals.
- Dark scalp hair with a blonde beard
- Patches of blonde and red hair in the beard
- Light brown scalp hair with brown beard
- Dark hair in childhood and blonde facial hair in adulthood
- Blonde facial hair in childhood and dark in adulthood
This combination of dark scalp hair with a blonde beard illustrates the diversity in hair pigmentation that can occur within individuals.
Variations like these reflect the complex genetics of hair color, showing that different shades can coexist in facial hair.
This is another example of how facial hair can differ from scalp hair, emphasizing the unique pigmentation patterns people may have.
When is it Not Normal
If your ancestors have had blonde hair, you can have it as well. However, here are some cases where blonde hair signifies a health problem and might be the reason behind “Why is my mustache blonde”.
Genetic factors can influence hair color, but significant changes in facial hair color may also indicate underlying health issues.
- Albinos have blonde facial hair due to lack of pigment
- Stress, unhealthy lifestyle, and lack of nutrients in the diet can turn facial hair light
- An imbalance of hormones also leads to blonde facial hair
- Frequent exposure of a patch of facial hair to the sun makes that patch lighter in color as compared to other facial hair
Albinism is a genetic condition characterized by a lack of pigment, which can result in blonde facial hair among other features.
Overall health plays a crucial role in hair pigmentation; poor diet and lifestyle choices may contribute to lighter facial hair.
Hormonal imbalances can influence hair characteristics, leading to unexpected changes in facial hair color.
Sun exposure can lighten facial hair, creating noticeable differences in color between sun-exposed areas and shaded ones.
Part 3: Managing Blonde Facial Hair
Now that you know the causes and incidence of blonde facial hair, you must be aware that factors other than lifestyle are not under your control.
Understanding the factors that contribute to your blonde facial hair can help you navigate your grooming options more effectively.
Therefore, here is how you can manage unwanted blonde facial hair by yourself.
Managing unwanted blonde facial hair can involve various techniques, ensuring you feel confident and comfortable with your appearance.
Embrace the Blonde Facial Hair
The first thing you can do to manage the blonde hair is do nothing at all for the discolored patches of a full beard of light hair. Rather, tell yourself that you are unique and so is your light-colored beard.
When everyone in the crowd has that same typical brown or black beard, it is not bad to stand out with your blonde facial hair. You can be yourself and find pride in your natural facial hair color by embracing the beauty that lies in the blonde beard.
Furthermore, accepting your unusual hair becomes easier when you have a full and thick beard no matter what color it has. For this, take good care of your beard with high-quality beard care products and style it in a way that looks appealing on your face.
Dye the Blonde Facial Hair
While you can totally flaunt your natural blonde beard, there is nothing wrong with wondering how brown/black facial hair that matches the hair on your head will look on you. Therefore, if you also want to have that dark beard once in a while, you can simply dye your beard.
While dyeing facial hair, here are some points you should keep in mind so that your hair dyeing experience does not end in a mess.
Proper preparation is key to achieving the desired results when dyeing your facial hair, helping to avoid common mistakes.
- Use a dye made specifically for facial hair
- Apply an even layer of dye on the facial hair
- Follow pre and post-care routine
Using the right products is essential, as facial hair is often more sensitive than scalp hair, requiring special care.
Even application of dye ensures consistent color and minimizes the risk of patchiness, leading to a better overall look.
Following a care routine can enhance the longevity of your dye job and maintain the health of your facial hair.
Removal the Blonde Facial Hair
Last but not least, if you cannot accept your blonde beard and would rather get a clean shave than have a beard with hair of different colors, you can get rid of the beard altogether. For this, you can shave your facial hair. But, the regrowth of the hair, especially blonde hair can distress you, right?
Thus, we suggest you go for a semi-permanent facial hair removal with Ulike Air 10 IPL hair removal handset. In the past, IPL devices were ineffective for light hair colors like red, grey, and blonde hair. However, the modern technology of Ulike Air10 allows it to remove blonde facial hair flawlessly.
Also, learn how to shape your beard with IPL here.
Conclusion
Blonde hair in the beard results from a combination of reversible and irreversible factors. The reversible factors include environmental and lifestyle changes while genes and hormones are not under control.
Recognizing both reversible and irreversible factors can empower you to make informed decisions about managing your facial hair color.
Although having a few strands of light hair in your beard or even a whole blonde beard might impact your self-esteem adversely, let us tell you that it is pretty normal. You can totally rock light facial hair by styling it suitably.
However, to look handsome with blonde facial hair, you have to embrace it fully. Furthermore, there is no restriction that you ought to have a blonde beard as you can always go for a beard dye and even a clean shave look.
