FTM Facial Hair Growth Pros and Cons

There is so much information on FTM beard growth all over the internet, it’s so easy to get lost in all the articles, blogs, and posts in forums! That is why we prepared an article on transman facial hair - to answer the most frequently asked questions, discuss minoxidil and FTM beard growth stimulation, suggest some of the most suitable FTM beards hairstyles, and much more, so let’s get into it!

FTM facial hair growth stimulation: let’s talk about Minoxidil

First things first - what is minoxidil FTM and what it is used for? To put it simply, minoxidil is a medicine, mainly used for hypertension treatment. This medicine is also known for effectively treating baldness and preventing hair loss. There are a lot of myths and on minoxidil in the transmen community, so let’s discuss the pros and cons of using this product to stimulate FTM facial hair growth.

PROS:

✓ Minoxidil is proven to stimulate hair growth in areas, where you already have hair. So, using this product will help you if you’re suffering from hair loss. 

✓ There are some positive reviews from the FTM community that minoxidil may aid in FTM facial hair growth (used together with testosterone).

✓ It is completely easy to use - apply recommended amount of the product on the skin and wait a few hours for the product to absorb, then rinse it away and use lotion to maintain the moisture in your skin.

CONS:

✕ Search engines are full of “minoxidil beard shaving”, “minoxidil beard permanent”, “minoxidil beard timeline” and “minoxidil mustache” phrases, pictures of minoxidil beard before and after, although the effect on improving facial hair growth is not scientifically proven.

✕ Minoxidil is often associated with the words “toxic”, “not FDA approved”, “not safe to use” when used on the face. The product was intended to use on the scalp only.

✕ Just like many other medications, minoxidil has a list of side effects, that include fast/irregular heartbeat, weight gain, skin rash & itching, skin dryness, and the list goes on.

You can read more about the side effects of minoxidil usage here.

Overall, since we care about your health and well-being, we would not recommend using minoxidil to stimulate FTM facial hair growth. This product has too many side effects and is not intended to use on the face. Nonetheless, the final verdict of whether it is worth using depends on you and only you.

Journey to perfect transman beard: testosterone and facial hair

Testosterone does wonders in terms of growing facial hair and achieving an overall masculine look. Although testosterone is one of the most effective options, remember, that you’re going to need patience. Even cis guys have to wait for decades until their facial hair starts to come out, so don’t worry about it - maybe not today, but it will eventually facial hair progression will happen. 

You might face many questions, related to using testosterone facial hair growth stimulation - are there testosterone cream for beard growth? Are there any disadvantages of using testosterone? Are there more pros or cons when stimulating facial hair growth with testosterone? Let’s find out:

PROS:

✓ High testosterone levels make facial and body hair grow longer and thicker. We can’t put an equality sign between testosterone and hair, since there are much more processes and aspects involved in hair growth (genes, DHT), but testosterone effects on facial and body hair growth are proven.

✓ Testosterone will help to induce masculine characteristics. Many aspects besides hair growth will change and help you to feel more like yourself. Want to learn more about testosterone changes? Click here!

✓ You can choose the most convenient way to take testosterone - There are testosterone gel FTM, injections, and patches.

CONS:

✕ Just like any other medical treatment, testosterone usage has side effects. Some are quite serious and worth considering before starting the testosterone journey. The main risks are increased risk of dyslipidemia, hypertension, polycythemia, deep vein thrombosis, breast cancer, infertility, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, skin irritations, sleep apnea, clitorial discomfort.

✕ If you’ll choose to inject testosterone, you might experience pain, swelling bleeding, and other unpleasant effects.

✕ Once you will stop using testosterone, some of the feminine characteristics may come back - if you have functional ovaries, your menstruations will come back, if your ovaries are no longer working, most probably you will experience such unpleasant experiences as heat flashes, lower bone mass, etc.

Consider all of these pros and cons and decide whether it is worth beginning the testosterone beard growth journey. To be honest, it’s hard to imagine any better option to grow luscious facial hair. Sounds too good to be true? Check this video and see FTM facial hair timeline:

FTM beard growth and styling - the ultimate guide to facial hair

We discussed FTM beards and the growth stimulation, now let’s overview the possible styles.

 - Sideburn styles

 There are quite a lot of sideburn styles, that can shape and form your face. The style of sideburns is usually chosen according to the face shape. For example, long sideburns are a great choice for those FTM guys, who have a longer chin, meanwhile shorter sideburns can be paired with a weak or short chin. If you have a round face, you should avoid choosing thick sideburns - in this case, it’s best to opt for minimalistic, sleek (but not short!) sideburns. Mid-ear sideburns go perfectly with a square face (be careful, since longer sideburns are not flattering to such face structure). What about a heart/diamond-shaped face? Short and medium sideburns are the way to go. Longer variations may narrow your chin even more. For those with triangle-shaped faces, 2 cm width sideburns are the most suitable option. Having that in mind, you can try various styles and decide which is the most suitable for your face structure and features. The main FTM sideburn style variations are:

- Transgender beard styles

You’ll be surprised how many transman beard styles there are and how they can change your appearance. FTM beards can help to hide feminine chin or soft jawline. In such a case you should choose fuller facial hair patterns - spade beard style, chin curtain, old Dutch, or simply full beards. Dark-colored facial hair can help to hide a weak jawline as well. If you have naturally light hair, have in mind that light-colored beards can result in a softer-looking profile. Additionally, if you have a round, soft face, even a minimalistic beard (for example, anchor or Brett) can help you to look more masculine.

Not sure how many transman beard styles are there? Take a look at the illustration below:

But wait, there are more things that you must know before considering having a beard (if possible) - first things first, having wispy facial hair is literally way much more difficult than it seems. Think about all the constant grooming and trimming, all the products that you’ll need, how time-consuming it will be. If this doesn’t seem like a problem to you - go ahead and experiment!

- Moustache styles

You can get VERY creative with a mustache - wearing a mustache not connected to beard, or a mustache connected to sideburns, having just a small patch just beneath your nose… Moustache can enhance masculinity, but at the same time, it can be quite a dangerous choice, since it can make you like… Borat, or some other funny character. Take a look at the list of the possible mustache styles and let’s go over them all one by one:

1. Chevron

Chevron mustache can be defined as a facial hairstyle that creates an upside-down V shape and usually covers an upper lip. Such famous people as Hendry Cavill, Freddie Mercury, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wore chevron mustaches at some point in their lives. If you have a prominent nose or feel like hiding your upper lip, this might be one of the best choices.

2. Dali

Dali is named after a famous Spanish painter. The shape of the mustache is eccentric and not for everyone’s liking.

How to form such a mustache? If you like this style, we have some bad news - you’ll have to shave around the shape every day, keeping the Dali mustache tidy. To maintain the form, you’ll have to use heavy-hold wax or other fixating product.

3. English

Aristocratic-looking shape with straight-waxed ends. The main indication - the hair should not touch the upper lip.

4. Fu Manchu

A thin, straight mustache that requires daily grooming. This style might look very eccentric on some face shapes.

5. Handlebar

The handlebar also called “imperial mustache”, includes upper cheek hair, curled upwards, as can be seen from the illustration. Training your facial hair to curve upwards might be difficult at the beginning and will require long hours of combing and patience, but it’s all worth it if this style seems exactly what you want. 

6. Petit handlebar

A modest version of the full handlebar. 

7. Horseshoe

Facial hair style, shaped like an upside-down U. The most convenient way to get such a mustache is to grow a full beard, which takes a loooot of time and patience. If you have a square-shaped face, it should be worth the wait - this face shape looks the best with a horseshoe mustache.

8. Imperial

Incorporates upper cheek hair, not shaped to a fine point. This transman beard style should look great on oblong faces.

9. Lampshade

If you wish to form such a mustache, you’ll need to keep the hair off the upper lip. The mustache itself should not be wider than the mouth contour.

10. Painter’s brush

If Ron Swanson from Perks and Recreation is your hero, this is the style for you - it’s a pretty natural-looking mustache.

11. Pencil mustache

Pencil mustache can be described as the same width as mouth, looking thin, short, and a little devilish. It can be parted or solid.

12. Toothbrush

Shaved sides, a small patch of hair above the upper lip… You already know what it is and what does that reminds. What face shape looks the best with a toothbrush? Well… There isn’t one.

13. Pyramidal mustache

There are various possibilities - wider bottom, shorter sides, narrow top. This shape is a life-saver for those with wider mouths. Such mustache shape suits basically any face shape, so feel free to experiment.

14. Walrus

If you’re looking for a mustache style that is easy to groom, that’s it - you’ve found it. Although the grooming doesn’t require a lot of effort, you’re going to need to invest in a beard comb and detangle your mustache often, so that the hair would grow in the right direction.

Learn more about facial hair styling here.

FAQ (frequently asked questions on FTM facial hair)

Can you grow facial hair without testosterone?

If you’re asking yourself “how do I get pre-T FTM for facial hair?”, we have some good news for you - with the help of supplements and various creams - it’s possible. Let’s go through the main 3 options for FTM facial hair growth stimulation pre-T:

1. The very first thing that pops in the head when discussing FTM facial hair growth, is coconut oil. Coconut oil is well-known for making the hair grow faster, stronger, and shinier. It’s quite a cheap option in comparison to other supplements. The best part - it’s completely safe to use on the face, since the product is completely natural, unlike other popular FTM facial hair stimulants, like minoxidil. The application of the oil is super easy - apply a considerate amount of the oil to the areas where you want to see hair growth. The oil itself should be a little warm, or at least room temperature (the consistency should be liquidy). Also, the oil is easy to wash off with mild face wash.

2. “How can I stimulate facial hair growth if I don’t want to apply any products directly on my face?” We recommend using supplements that include biotin. Biotin is used to keep the hair healthy, shiny, strong, and beautiful. Many FTM’s are using this supplement to get more visible facial hair. Does it work? Well, it’s a more trustworthy and effective option than minoxidil. Surely, each body and genes are different and the results might differ depending on these factors. 

Taking biotin as prescribed is completely safe. Otherwise, you can face some side effects - issues related to digestion, skin rashes, kidney, and insulin release problems.

3. If you don’t see any visible results and you’re ready to give up, we have one more thing up our sleeve - beard dye! Surely, you have to have at least some hair on your face to be able to use hair dye effectively, but it works pretty well on the peach fuzz too. Hair dye gives you a more striking, noticeable look. So if nothing else helps, hair dye could be an amazing option to get that masculine look.

Of course, hair dye has some disadvantages as well - it stains the skin, it might look very unrealistic from up close (especially if done not properly), it’s hard to choose the most suitable color (not too dark, not too bright). One way or another - it’s worth giving a shot.

Need more tips? Check out the video below!

How can I darken my face hair naturally?

A) Use beard oil. Beard oil is a must for every FTM who wants to have a beard that will catch everyone’s eyes. The oil helps to make facial hair soft, strong, and moisturized, making it appear darker at the same time. Even more so, your beard will smell amazing 24/7.

B) Cosmetics. Using make-up on your beard is very tricky since it requires so much effort to create a realistic look.

When using cosmetic pencils or beard fillers, have in mind that you must use them with great consideration - be careful and minimalistic. Press it too hard, do a few wrong moves, and it will look patchy or/and super unrealistic. Our recommendation is to practice this procedure at home while using suitable lighting.

You can watch how to create a realistic-looking beard while using a beard here:

C) Protection from UV exposure. As you might already know, being out in the sun for a long period lightens the hair. This is the opposite of what you want, for this reason, you should take special care of your facial hair during summertime or simply on sunny days. The most obvious tip would be to avoid direct sunlight and try to remain in the shade. However, this is not the most convenient way out, so another option would be to buy specialized beard-grooming products that are suitable for reducing UV impact on your facial hair. Try to find beard gels, oils, moisturizers, sprays, that include UV protection.

How long does it take for facial hair to grow FTM?

Sadly, it’s hard to specify a specific period, since it depends on many factors. Each FTM has a different experience with facial hair because of the genes, testosterone dosage, different products, and techniques used.

Usually, the results are somewhat visible after 2-3 months after being on T. Surely, it might take a little longer - half a year, one year, two, five years… Statistically, the facial hair can show up from 2 months to 5 years. So remember, that you might need a lot of patience until you will see any results.

Also, can you grow a beard pre-T? Well, you can use certain products and supplements, but it’s not going to make a significant change to your peach fuzz. Don’t count on “magical” creams that will help to grow Hagrid’s beard. Why? Simply because you do not have enough masculine hormones, and this is the main thing that you need when growing a beard, to put it simply.

Does shaving facial hair help to stimulate growth?

Sadly, no, it doesn’t. It’s a common myth on facial hair growth. There’s simply no evidence that could back it up. Shaving will not make your facial hair thicker or darker, so put that razor down.

So, what did we learn today? Be patient, since growing facial hair will not be easy and fast. Then, choose sideburns, mustache, or beard that works with your face shape and style. Don’t forget to trim regularly (before shower), to look neat and sharp. Treat yourself and buy a high-quality conditioner and hair oil - smell good and feel good. And even if you will not see any results in years, know that you look amazing even without facial hair.