We checked out the impressive (and not-so-impressive) range of other beard growth supplements available today, and then decided to take a much closer look at Zhou Nutrition Iron Beard. This is what we found.
Here’s Zhou’s take on Iron Beard: “There are many reasons why your beard may not be reaching its potential, and one of the most common is nutrient deficiency. While it’s difficult to get all of the nutrients to fuel your beard from food alone, this advanced complex helps make beard care easy.”
And our take? It’s not at all difficult to get those nutrients from food alone – all it takes is a little research, a bit of patience, and the ability to get through that awful itching stage every self-respecting beard owner has to face. And keeping the skin beneath that beard well looked after throughout the process isn’t such a bad idea either.
However, Zhou have bundled up a lot of B vitamins – useful for hair growth in general – plus a few other ingredients which don’t look so useful from here, and mixed them all up to create this supplement. So even though there’s potential for some unpleasant side effects (which we’ll look at in more detail later), there might just be some benefit to investing in a course of Iron Beard.
You mean apart from excess facial hair? We checked the ingredients and found they could bring on anything from acne right where the beard is growing, to other skin problems, digestion issues and liver problems, and even hair loss.
The price looks pretty constant wherever Iron Beard is sold. For $21.99 you get 60 capsules (30 servings), but of course you’re advised to take it for at least thirty days. Given that it can often take 6-8 weeks before a beard is full enough to trim down to a decent size and shape, you could find yourself investing just under $44 before your beard gets to that stage. And then there’s the option of continuing with Iron Beard to keep your beard in shape from there on in.
So you want to grow a beard. And you want to grow it well, but you can’t wait those six-to-eight weeks or so it’s going to take before it’s full enough to trim back properly.
Those six-to-eight weeks work out to two bottles of Iron Beard, which, with all its B vitamin content, does look like it could help that beard grow a little quicker.
Iron Beard could possibly give your existing beard growth process a nudge in the right direction, but then again, so would keeping an eye on your diet, keeping your facial skin scrupulously clean, and enjoying the right amount of exercise and rest.
We’d would however suggest you take that $44 you’d save by not buying it to speed up beard growth, and treat yourself to a trip to a barber once your beard is ready. He might talk you through beard care during your initial trimming and shaping session, and then you could put the rest of that money you’ve saved towards a suitable beard trimmer you can use yourself at home.
Overall, we do not recommend Zhou Nutrition Iron Beard to our readers.
Looking through the ingredient list, we find many B vitamins, which are known to be useful when it comes to hair growth. We also find pantothenic acid, which helps to increase testosterone production – as does the zinc in Iron Beard.
What concerns us about Zhou Nutrition Iron Beard, is the saw palmetto and pumpkin seed extract we found. Both are more often used for men’s sexual health problems – as is the nettle root extract, and none of them seem to be used for hair or beard related purposes. We read elsewhere that saw palmetto may – repeat, may – block a particular enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT, which is a molecule linked to hair loss. But on the whole, saw palmetto is used to deal with issues elsewhere.
Saying that, there actually is a part of the nettle plant that has been used for hair loss – and that’s the part of it above ground level. But there’s none of that part of the plant is in Iron Beard, from what we can see.
Suggested Use:
The vitamin A content in each serving is 160% of the recommended daily value, and that’s not including the vitamin A you’d get in your everyday diet. Too much vitamin A by itself – or even combined with other antioxidants – is known to lead to hair loss.
According to Zhou Nutrition,
Whether you’re new to the majestic world of facial hair growth and beard products or are a veteran man-beast, Iron Beard ™ is formulated to help support healthy hair growth for a more even, fuller beard you can be proud of. Ideal for beards and hair on the scalp, as well as mustaches, goatees, and sideburns.
From what we can see, it’s got some potential to speed up the initial beard growth process. Then again, so does looking after your facial skin (which could be hard work, considering the amount of acne-inducing biotin in Iron Beard). And so does including magnesium, copper, silica, and iron in your diet, and getting the right amount of exercise and sleep. And then there’s the good possibility of keeping your beard well maintained afterwards.
Iron Beard doesn’t contain any gluten, soy, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or preservatives. What it does contain is:
We looked up what kind of side-effects individual ingredients could bring on, and this – very briefly – is what we found:
Vitamin A – digestion problems, jaundice, irritability, liver problems, birth defects, lowered bone density, and hair loss.
Vitamin C – digestion problems, headache, faintness, and skin warmth and redness.
Vitamin D – kidney stones, digestion problems, extreme thirst (and frequent urination), weakness, bone pain, and confusion.
Vitamin B-1 – digestion problems, tightness in the throat, warmth and sweating, restlessness and allergic reactions which could include facial swelling and breathing difficulties. Serious side effects can include chest pain, chest pains, stools which could be black, bloody, or tarry, and coughing up blood or vomit.
Vitamin B-2 – digestion problems and discolored urine.
Niacin – skin itching, warmth or redness, sweating or chills, digestion and problems, dizziness, muscle pain, and leg cramps.
Vitamin B-6 – digestion problems, tingling skin, headache, and sleepiness.
Folic Acid – digestion problems and abdominal cramps, sleep disorders, irritability, confusion, and excitability and behavior changes.
Vitamin B-12 – nervousness and anxiety, headaches, itching, swelling, and uncontrollable movements.
Biotin – acne on the chin and jaw line, allergic reactions, increased urination, digestion problems, interaction with other drugs, and raised blood glucose levels.
Pantothenic Acid – digestion problems.
Zinc – digestion problems, damage to the kidney and stomach, and a metallic taste in the mouth.
MSM – digestion problems, fatigue, sleep issues, headache, and concentration difficulties.
Collagen Hydrolysate – changes in appetite and allergic reactions (depending on the source).
Fo-Ti powder – laxative effect, changes in blood sugar levels, and liver problems.
Saw Palmetto – digestion problems, reduced sexual desire, tenderness in the breast area.
Pumpkin seed extract – sexual problems.
Nettle root extract – increased urination and lowered blood pressure.
Caution:
Do not exceed recommended dose. Pregnant or nursing mothers, children under 18 and individuals with a known medical condition should consult a physician before using this or any dietary supplement.
Indeed there are. We visited Amazon for a more balanced sample of reviews than the collections we tend to find on product sales pages, and discovered there were 641 positive reviews versus 79 negative ones.
Most of those reviews were submitted between January and May 2018, but then we ran those reviews through Fakespot.com – a website that analyses reviews on Amazon to see how genuine they are – and this is what it said: “Our engine has profiled the reviewer patterns and has determined that there is high deception involved”.
It told us that Amazon had scrubbed reviews for Iron Beard, and that it had its suspicions about 44.4% of those reviews which it labeled as “low quality”.
Higher-quality (as in critical) review statements included:
This product gave me rash instead of hair growth. My face became full red and very itchy.
Wanted to give it a good trial so used Iron Beard for six weeks so far… don’t really see any difference from my normal beard growth… Can’t say as I’d recommend product…
But after taking this for less than 2 weeks, my scalp has become noticeably bald.
It does. This is what they say:
ZHOU’S MONEY BACK GUARANTEE: We’re so confident that Iron Beard ™ will help you achieve the facial hair you’ve been looking for, we’ll give your hard-earned money back if you’re not thrilled with your purchase. Simply contact Zhou Nutrition DIRECTLY for a refund. No tricks, no excuses. Just the best guarantee around.
You can buy it from Amazon, but as always we have to warn you to be on your lookout, because what you think you order doesn’t necessarily mean it’s what you’re going to receive.
And you can buy it from Zhou’s website, but be careful when you’re clicking “Add to Cart” that you’re not automatically signing yourself up for a subscription. The way that page is set up, it looks like it’s very easy to do.
The Muscle Watchdog does not recommend Zhou Nutrition Iron Beard.
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Disclaimer: Our reviews and investigations are based on extensive research from the information publicly available to us and consumers at the time of first publishing the post. Information is based on our personal opinion and whilst we endeavour to ensure information is up-to-date, manufacturers do from time to time change their products and future research may disagree with our findings. If you feel any of the information is inaccurate, please contact us and we will review the information provided.
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