Prince Harry has sparked much conversation about beards and male hair loss in the past week 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’ ‘thinning hair’ as ‘alarming’, noting it was ‘more advanced than mine’ despite only being two years his junior.
Elsewhere, Harry spoke about Prince William’s anger over the Queen allowing Harry to keep his beard for his wedding, when William had apparently been denied permission to do the same at his 2011 nuptials.
Dr Furqan Raja, who is one of Britain’s leading expert hair transplant surgeons of Harley Street’s The Private Clinic, explained that it is not unusual for men to not want to shave their beard for their weddings.
Prince Harry (pictured in September) has sparked much conversation about beards and male hair loss in the past week after mentioning both in his explosive memoir Spare
He said: ‘Hair, both facial and scalp, is an important part of a man’s identity and is integral to their self-confidence and image.’
The surgeon speculated: ‘Prince Harry’s hair thinning and progressive hair loss has received a great deal of media scrutiny recently and so it’s likely that the attachment to the beard hair being a part of the identity becomes even stronger.’
Progressive hair loss is a huge issue for men with over 6.5 million sufferers in the UK alone.
Dr Raja described how he often finds men who are experiencing hair thinning and loss focus more on beard growth, as a way of compensating for the progressive scalp hair loss.
In his book, which hit shelves on Tuesday, the Duke of Sussex, 38, described the Prince of Wales’ (pictured) ‘thinning hair’ as ‘alarming’, noting it was ‘more advanced than mine’ despite only being two years his junior
Hair transplant surgeon Dr Furqan Raja explained how men may focus on their facial hair if they are thinning on top. Prince William is pictured here in 2008 with a beard
He said: ‘The trend for facial hair is believed to have begun around the 2008 recession and despite being dismissed initially as a passing phase, more than a decade on it’s stronger than ever and showing no signs of waning.’
Indeed, in 2017, YouGov research showed that between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of British men sporting some facial hair had risen from 37 per cent to 42 per cent.
Here, Dr Raja reveals how to help hair growth, avoid patchy facial hair and keep beards thick and healthy…
APPLY NATURAL OILS
Hair oiling is something that has been done for hundreds or even thousands of years in some cultures, explained Dr Raja.
It could be beneficial for helping your hair retain moisture and prevent dryness as well as stimulating growth.
He said: ‘People use many different types of oil however I’ve known my patients to use olive oil or coconut oil to good effect – organic options without chemical content are preferable.’
Not only is oil effective for the growth and protection of the hair, but it is also moisturises and protects the skin beneath the beard.
DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF SHAVING IT TO MAKE IT LESS PATCHY
It’s a common myth that shaving facial hair will make it grow back less patchy. However, Dr Raja suggests that this is not the case.
‘Whilst hair may feel thicker after it’s been shaved, it won’t actually grow thicker,’ explains Dr Raja.
‘Facial hair grows out of individual follicles and shaving will not increase these.
‘A shaft of human hair is thicker at the bottom and thinner at the tip so when the tip is removed the thicker base remains and that’s what gives the illusion of shaving making it thicker.
‘Shaving won’t do anything to address the patchyness.’
REDUCE YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE
The hair transplant surgeon explained: ‘Whilst alcohol itself hasn’t been directly linked to hair loss it can lead to dehydration which can also dry out hair follicles.
‘Over prolonged periods of time this can also raise the acid levels in your body and affect protein absorption.
‘Together this can have a negative impact on the hair follicles and their health resulting in thinning and loss which can lead to patchy facial hair. Reducing alcohol intake can help to support healthy hair growth.’
TAKE VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS
Health and nutritional balance are important factors in healthy facial hair growth, however, many of us are lacking in essential vitamins and minerals because we don’t get enough of them in our diet.
Dr Raja believes that vitamin supplements can be a good way of ensuring you’re getting the necessary micronutrients that are essential for hair growth.
He said: ‘It is important, however, to recognise that these should be tailored to your specific needs and whilst supplements can help to improve the quality and thickness of your facial hair, it’s important not to expect miracles.’
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