Whether you've been growing a beard for years or you're ready to start your journey, you've come to the right place. Today, we're going to cover beard care for beginners. You'll learn everything you need to know to cultivate a full, stunning beard with ease.
There is so much misinformation out there that has men wasting their time and money - without getting the results they want. We're going to clear up these common misconceptions for you and just provide you with the information you need to grow and care for a beard you're proud of. Here are a few things you'll learn:
- What you can do to grow facial hair faster
- How to keep your facial hair healthy and soft
- What to do if you have a patchy, uneven beard
- And much, much more!
As you can see, we've got a ton to cover today. Let's not waste any time - we're going to dive right into our guide to beard care for beginners. To kick things off, let's talk about why you should grow a beard in the first place:
To Grow A Beard, or Not To Grow A Beard?
If you're still on the fence about growing a beard, here are some reasons to consider doing so:
- You'll look younger: A properly groomed beard helps you look younger. Why? Well, that facial hair protects your skin from the sun's harmful rays. Plus, it can help reduce the damage that is done over the course of time from close shaves.
- Beards convey power and confidence: The reason most men grow beards? To convey a sense of power and boost their confidence. No one really understands why, but a full, well-groomed beard will have you looking more powerful and confident.
- Covering up imperfections: If you don't love the slight double chin you have, or you have some form of scarring or acne on your cheeks, this can crush confidence. But, you can easily cover these imperfections up with a beard!
All this considered, there is no doubt about it - growing that beard is the right choice. But how do you get started? What can you do to grow facial hair faster? Here are some tips and tricks that will help you along the way:
Beard Care For Beginners: Why It Matters
If you're hoping to grow a soft, healthy, full, glorious beard, beard care is not something you can afford to overlook. We know what you're thinking - can't I just stash the razor away and let this thing grow untamed?
Yes - you can do that.
But if you don't care for the facial hair along the way, a few things are going to happen. First and foremost, you're going to end up with dry, itchy skin - and potentially, beard dandruff. Gross, right?
But that's not all. Those who fail to follow our guide to beard care for beginners will also end up cultivating a patchy, uneven mess of a beard. You will end up with split ends, stray hairs, and look like a mess. Remember - a beard only looks good if you take care of it. Otherwise, you just look like a lazy, unkempt man in dire need of a shave. With all that said, let's not delay any longer - it's time to unveil our guide to beard care for beginners!
Beard Care For Beginners: How To Grow A Glorious, Full Beard
Over the coming paragraphs, you're going to learn tips and tricks that will help you keep your beard hair healthy and growing. You may not need to follow all of these to achieve whatever beard perfection looks like to you - but the more serious you take this journey, the better your results will be. We're going to cover beard wash and beard oil, trimming and shaping, diet, dermarolling, and even filling in your beard.
But the first step to proper beard care? It comes down to understanding the science behind facial hair growth. Let's talk about the role genetics plays in your beard journey.
Accept What You Cannot Control
There are things you can do to increase the growth of your facial hair. There are even things you can do to mask the appearance of a patchy, uneven beard. However, there are some things you physically cannot do, as well. One such thing you have no power over is controlling your genetics.
Your genetics play a key role in your facial hair growth. They affect the color of your facial hair, how thick it grows in, and most importantly, where it grows in. Maybe you've spent months trying to get your mustache to connect to your beard and cannot - don't be discouraged. Or, perhaps you find that your beard line is much lower on one side than the other - there isn't much you can do about that without using a beard filler.
The point is, you're going to have to work around your genetics. The tips and tricks we're going to share with you will help you maximize the genetic potential of your facial hair. Beyond that, you'll have to accept the reality of your situation and look for other solutions - like using a beard filler or changing the style of your beard.
Don't Neglect A Good Beard Wash
You wash your hair pretty regularly, right? Some of us shampoo daily - others, every other day. But what about the hair on your face? How often do you wash your beard?
We have a feeling many of the men reading this guide don't incorporate a beard wash into their routine. This can be the cause of many issues. First and foremost, it allows excess oil and bacteria to accumulate in your hair follicles and on your skin. This can lead to acne or worse, infections.
So you know you need to wash your beard. Great - can you just use the shampoo in your shower? While that is better than nothing, that is still not ideal. Your scalp hair is much tougher and can withstand harsh ingredients. You'll want to invest in a quality beard wash. These are specifically formulated for the more delicate facial hair and facial skin.
We encourage you to find a natural product that uses ingredients like jojoba oil, coconut surfactants, aloe, etc. These ingredients work wonders to gently cleanse your beard hair and the skin underneath. They also provide nourishment and hydration that your beard desperately needs - this can help encourage a healthy beard that grows faster.
Make Moisturizing Your Beard A Part Of Your Daily Routine
Along with cleansing your beard hair with a wash, you need to add back that moisture after. You strip away essential oils when shampooing your beard - even when you use a gentle formulation. To add those back in, you have a few options: beard conditioner or beard oil. Beard conditioner is great because you can apply it in the shower and be done with it - but even those who use a conditioner should take things a step further and routinely use good beard oil.
Contrary to what certain manufacturers would have you believe, beard oil isn't going to transform your beard overnight. You're not going to grow a glorious, full, natural beard by switching to new beard oil.
However, if you don't use beard oil, your chances of growing a healthy beard that looks as good as it feels on your face are slim to none. These are crucial for restoring hydration to your facial hair and the skin underneath. A dry, irritated beard doesn't just itch - it also looks scraggly and unhealthy.
These oils are typically going to feature powerhouse ingredients like jojoba oil, coconut oil, argan oil, and other essential oils. Don't overthink your beard oil - just make sure you buy a natural, clean formulation. And if the company claims it will do anything drastic like regrow in your beard patches fast, it's probably best to steer clear.
In terms of applying your beard oil, we recommend it right after your shower. This is when your beard will likely be its most dry, and in dire need of moisturization.
What About Beard Balm?
You may be familiar with beard balm - does this play a role in beard care? Yes, as a matter of fact, it does. While some people use these just for styling purposes, they play a key role in moisturizing your facial hair too. They're a two-pronged approach to proper beard care. You'll use these to lock in the oil that you just applied - helping your beard stay soft and hydrated over long days.
But as your beard starts to grow a bit longer, past the stubbly phase, beard balm will help you manage your beard better. You can style your beard to get the hairs laying down flat - or better yet, to cover up thin patches here and there.
So, you know that you need a beard balm - how do you use it? And which balm is right for you?
Like choosing a beard oil, you should stick with ethical companies that don't make outlandish claims. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Look for quality ingredients like shea butter, beeswax, and essential oils. You can apply the beard balm after you apply your beard oil.
Comb It Out Daily
Another essential step in any beard care routine is combing or brushing the beard. A beard brush or beard comb will actually be one of the most important tools in your arsenal. And not for the reason you may think. Instead of being used for styling purposes, the beard brush or beard comb is imperative for hydration and exfoliation purposes.
Once you've applied beard oil or beard balm yourself, you'll understand how difficult it can be to evenly disperse it throughout your beard by hand. That's where the beard brush or beard comb comes in. You can apply the oil or balm by hand to your beard and then brush it or comb it out - this will get the hydrating ingredients distributed evenly throughout your beard. It also helps get those ingredients to your skin.
So, should you go with a beard brush or comb? It comes down to personal preference. If you have thick, coarse facial hair - a stiffer beard brush might be better. But, if you have thin, straggly hairs a typical beard comb will work just fine.
Wait - What About Trimming The Beard?
We haven't even talked about trimming yet - but a beard trimmer will also play a role in proper beard care, too. It should go without saying that if you want to grow a long, full, healthy beard - you don't want to shave often. All you'll do is routine trimming with the right attachment so you can just clean up the split ends on the end of your hair.
In fact, using a beard trimmer every so often may even help encourage beard growth. As the end of the hair, strand is chopped off, it sends signals to push new growth. Above all else, though, the beard trimmer is essential for keeping your beard even and managed. You may find that your chin hair grows way faster than your cheek hair - you can get everything lined up so you look neat and put together.
And don't remember to remove the clipper guard - or, grab a straight razor - and line up the beard on your neck and cheeks properly too, getting rid of any stray hairs.
Additional Tips To Help You Grow Your Dream Beard
Following the advice we've outlined above will be more than enough for most men to grow their dream beard. Keeping it clean, hydrated, styled, and neat is really all it takes to convey the sense of power and confidence you're growing a beard for in the first place.
But what if things aren't going as well as you'd hoped? Is there anything you can do to speed up beard growth, fill in patches, etc.? Remember - a lot of your beard woes are going to be due to your genetics. However, there are a few things you can do to increase facial hair growth.
First and foremost, take a look at your diet. You may not realize it, but some of the foods you're eating on a regular basis can be detrimental to not just beard hair growth - but hair growth in general. Avoid inflammatory foods that can create free radicals and toxify your blood. This will prevent vital nutrients from getting to your hair follicles.
You can also consider derma rolling your beard line. This is a practice that involves tiny needles poking your skin - you'll roll across the areas you want to encourage growth. The idea is that this stimulates blood circulation while actively exfoliating clogged pores that can prevent hair from growing. It can be a bit uncomfortable, but there is no doubt about it - it works - it just takes months, even years to see results.
Aside from these two tactics, you'll have one final tool in your arsenal - learn how to fill in a beard. That’s right, you can fill in your beard line and achieve natural-looking fullness in seconds. Sounds too good to be true? It's not - in fact, men around the globe use this tactic daily. And you'd never know it - because it looks that natural. Some of the most glorious, full beards you've laid eyes on are likely the result of beard filler pencils or a beard filler pen kit. The results speak for themselves - so if you're struggling to fill in patches and get the type of beard you've always wanted, give it a try!
Final Thoughts On Beard Care For Beginners
There you have it - our guide to beard care for beginners has come to a close. You now know everything you need to grow a healthy, full beard that turns heads and makes a statement. There's just one thing left to do now - grab all your essentials and start building out your regimen. This isn't something that you'll accomplish overnight - so be patient as your beard grows. Give it a few months before you try and make any changes.
In summary, here are the steps to essential beard care for beginners:
- Wash your beard
- Moisturize your beard (beard conditioner, beard oil, and/or beard balms)
- Style your beard with a brush, comb, and/or balm
- Trim your beard to clean things up and look classy
- Assess your diet if hair growth isn't up to your standards
- Consider derma rolling to speed up hair growth
- Fill in your beard to achieve natural fullness in seconds.
So, what are you waiting for? Bring your dream beard to life today!