Calico beard - what to do?

[jtyson]

My mixed heritage is wildly apparent in my beard. I keep it relatively short - 1/2" to 1" at the very longest. I've got mostly brown beard hair, but a good amount of red, blonde and even some black here and there. If I were to let it grow in and keep it long, I imagine it would look rather reddish brown, but I don't like getting things caught in my hair and looking like a fool when it is time to eat chicken wings or spaghetti.

I've got a spot on each cheek that looks like I can't grow hair there. However, I do grow hair, just finer blonde hair. Same story in the middle of my mustache. Upon recommendation of someone on another site, I've been scrubbing my face with a fairly coarse boar body brush and the hair in the patchy looking areas is getting a little darker. Better circulation is what I was told.

Anyway, is there anything else I can do to try and get things a more even color without having to dye it? Or am I doomed to look like a cat? Maybe some sort of supplement? Or another routine like scrubbing?

 

[Shave_Rat]

Sadly, I'm pretty positive nothing short the dyeing will really make much difference at this point. That, or waiting till it all goes grey/white. lol

 

[jtyson]

Lol I'm hoping the grey holds off for a while! At least another 20 years. Guess I'll just deal with it. I don't think I could live with myself knowing I dye my hair, whether beard or otherwise. I'll embrace the grey when it comes, but I do hope it doesn't show up for a while.

 

[Shave_Rat]

I hear ya. If there were ways outside of dyeing to affect hair color, they would have been discovered centuries ago and women today would pay to have them done. lol

 

[jtyson]

Yeah I guess that is a good point.

 

[lemisanthrope]

You obviously don't like it, but I think that sounds awesome, and I'm kind of jealous I don't have a calico beard. I too have a reddish brown mix of red, brown, black, and blonde hairs, but they're fairly uniformly scattered. I get lots of compliments on the color of my beard. Although the whites and grays are creeping in more and more now...

 

[jtyson]

I guess I probably described it a bit extreme. I don't literally look like a calico cat, just have multicolor hair on the entirety of my beard, with a couple patches that are primarily one color. Not quite as extreme as I guess I made it sound. As for compliments, my brother's girlfriend has made a mention of it, and my grandmother has said it reminds her of my father and her uncle, who they called "Red" a Scot with fiery red hair and beard. I don't think I'll mind when the grey comes calling, but I do hope it waits for a while. Nobody wants to be grey in their 20s!

 

[Deltaboy]

Just for men is the only cure I know for that issue.

 

[tarrant]

Just own that crap. Like a Boss.

 

[nomex]

My buddy has a calico beard and when he grew it out for November, he looked like a Saint Bernard. It was awesome, but he had never grown it out before because he didn't like it. Grass, greener....

 

[yardie]

Embrace the beard.

 

[jtyson]

Very well! Owning it is the final decision.

 

[ZombieBeard]

I have a calico beard also and had a full beard for the past 2 years until recently. How mine was is my mustache is a light golden brown, my cheeks were brown/red, goatee dark brown and under my chin/neck was dark brown/black. After it gets some length *2" plus* it all seems to kind of meld together. I actually got compliments on it all the time. Also keeping beard oil in slightly darkened the lighter hair and made it more uniform looking. I miss my beard, but it is a hassle to eat/drink and having to deal with bad beard days is horrible lol.

 

[ZombieBeard]

But please don't dye it... lol just embrace your beard. Mine was pretty cool in the sunlight which gave it a fiery red appearance but otherwise looked brown/black. Also I don't know if your bear grows straight or wavy/curly but mine was very wavy, which blended in the thinner spots nicely so if your hair is the same it will look better the more length you have. I kept my beard at a well trimmed 7-8" and it was very nice looking!

 

[jtyson]

I don't generally let mine get longer than an inch, so I have no idea what it would look like at 8". I've always got a little grossed out with long beards because they tend to be a catch all for food and what not.

I won't be dying it. I'll just be dealing with it. Maybe I'll see if I can let it get to 2 or 3 inches. My hair is sort of wavy and straight. Some wavy, some straight. The longer it gets, the more wiry it tends to look, so I try and keep it shorter. I haven't got into the oils and waxes and such. Just a comb.

 

[ciderguy]

Don't dye it. Just own the beard! Frankly, I'd grow it out for a few months if you haven't tried it. It might look awesome.

 

[hydro-magic]

I used to have black hair on my head and a lot of that red-brown in my beard. Of course I never grew the beard out for more than a few days since I was on active duty. After retiring I realized all that red-brown in my beard is gray now. So enjoy it while you've got it!

 

[jtyson]

Apparently my life laughed when I made that grey in 20 years statement. Found a completely grey hair on my chin this evening. Not blonde, but pure silver. It has just barely been 3 months since I said that too. So at this rate, maybe I'll be a silver fox by the ripe age of 30.

 

[RustyHammer]

Don't worry, one day, it will all match! (Gray)

 

[Mischief]

Apparently my life laughed when I made that grey in 20 years statement. Found a completely grey hair on my chin this evening. Not blonde, but pure silver. It has just barely been 3 months since I said that too. So at this rate, maybe I'll be a silver fox by the ripe age of 30.

Started going white at 25! Mostly a white beard by 40.
Now people ask me if I'm rich to have such a young wife. She's only four years younger.
Had a Doctor ask "why do you bring your daughter with on your appointments." She's not my daughter this is my wife, and no I do not have dementia.

You're well on your way to my life!