What is Beard hair made of?
Beard hair is made primarily of keratin, a tough protein that also forms the structure of scalp hair, but there are important differences in their composition and growth:
What Beard Hair Is Made Of
- Keratin: The main structural protein in beard hair, providing strength and resilience.
- Amino Acids: Beard hair contains a unique profile of amino acids, with less cystine (which means fewer disulfide bonds and lower elasticity) and more aspartic acid, lysine, and tyrosine compared to scalp hair. [keratin.com]
- Medulla: Beard hair often has a continuous or discontinuous medulla (the central core), which is less common in scalp hair.
- Cuticle Layers: Beard hair has almost twice as many cuticle layers as scalp hair, making it stiffer and coarser. [cosmetic-i...ents.co.za]
- Pigment: Beard hair can be more strongly pigmented, sometimes appearing richer in color than scalp hair.
How Beard Hair Differs from Head Hair
- Texture & Thickness: Beard hair is typically coarser, thicker, and stiffer than scalp hair due to its larger follicles and more cuticle layers. [reddit.com], [cosmetic-i...ents.co.za]
- Growth Angle: Beard hair grows at a steeper angle, making it curlier or wirier, while scalp hair grows more vertically and is generally straighter. [beardbeasts.com]
- Sebaceous Glands: Beard follicles have more active sebaceous glands, producing more oil and giving beard hair its shine and sometimes greasiness.
- Growth Cycle: Beard hair has a shorter anagen (growth) phase than scalp hair, so it doesn’t grow as long. Scalp hair can stay in the growth phase for up to 7 years, while beard hair’s phase lasts months to a couple of years. [beardbeasts.com]
- Hormonal Influence: Beard hair is androgenic, meaning its growth is triggered by androgens (male hormones) during and after puberty. This is why beard hair appears later in life and is often thicker and darker than scalp hair. [beardbrand.com]
Elasticity: Due to lower cystine content, beard hair is less elastic and swells faster when hydrated, making it easier to shave or shape when wet.
