Why Is My Beard a Different Colour?

  • By: BeardForDays
  • Date: August 11, 2021
  • Time to read: 3 min.

Why Is My Beard a Different Colour?

Whether you are someone who has had a lush chin warmer for quite a while already or someone who is just getting the journey started, there is one question that might be bothering you. Why is my beard a different colour?

We’re an affiliate
We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Thank you if you use our links, we really appreciate it!

Scientifically speaking, each hair follicle has a different mixture of black, brown, red, and yellow pigment. Your head hair and beard simply have a different combination of these ‘shades of paint’. The sun can also change the colour of your hair and make it lighter (and we don’t have a beard hat to prevent this).

If you want to become a real expert in the question, then keep on reading.

Why is my beard a different colour? A scientific explanation.

First of all, all the hair on your body doesn’t have to be the same colour. And it’s absolutely normal if it’s not.

All our hair follicles have natural pigments. Eumelanin is the most common type that is responsible for brown and black shades. Pheomelanin can make your hair yellowish and reddish.

Even though we all have eumelanin and pheomelanin in our hair follicles, the ratio of those is different not only from person to person but also from one part of the body to the other.

But it doesn’t stop there. The combination of pigments can be different in every single follicle. That’s exactly why some of us might have small patches of hair of a different colour.

Your personal hue depends on genetics. As a result, you might end up having a red beard and brown hair on your head (thanks to mom, dad, and MC1R).

In a nutshell, the follicles of dark-haired people contain eumelanin; blonde humans have less of that pigment, while redheads have mostly pheomelanin.

Why is my beard a different colour? A few other reasons.

As with a lot of things in life, you can’t blame only genetics in this situation.

Love to spend plenty of time in the sun? The hair that has been overexposed to the sunlight will become lighter. Not a lot of fellas know about the existence of hair sunscreen, so no wonder our beards can become damaged during summer.

If you have noticed that the face blanket started changing its colour relatively fast, it might be because of vitamin deficiency. Yes, nutrition affects the state of our hair, so make sure to give your body enough of the good stuff.

We all know that your hair will change colour as you age. But stress can also make your beard turn gray. Nerve-racking situations affect our stem cells that are responsible for regenerating hair pigment.

Conclusion

Having a beard that is a different colour from the hair on your head is totally normal. If you stick to a healthy diet and wear protection in the sun, then you should be fine.

However, if this fact is bothering you and causing a lot of stress (hello, gray hairs!), then there is always beard dye. Or a shaver.

References

https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/mc1r/

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-stress-causes-gray-hair#:~:text=Stress%20can%20cause%20hair%20to,stem%20cells%20and%20tissue%20regeneration.

Are Beards Just a Trend?

Previous Post

Are Beards Just a Trend?

Featured Article

Edit in Customizer > Popcorn Options > Post Settings