You’ve probably noticed in recent years that beards are back and in a big way. This time, however, beards are a bit different and require a little more grooming and beard maintenance.
Gone are the unruly facial decorations of the 20th-century beard. The 21st-century beard style is a more modern affair that is more sculpted, immaculate, and luscious.
Needless to say that maintaining such pristine facial hair is not a walk in the park. After all, your beard says a lot about you. Therefore, an effective beard grooming routine will require two things: the right knowledge and the right tools.
That’s why you need the ultimate beard grooming guide.
Read on down below to find out more about the best beard grooming tips you will need to turn heads, wherever you go.
The most important step in maintaining an impressive beard is keeping it clean. Nobody wants to see morsels of last night’s dinner in there, right? Not to mention the potential build-up of dirt, dust, and dead skin.
A regular and effective cleaning regimen is non-negotiable. Here’s the best way to keep your beard hairs and the skin beneath it clean:
Wet your beard hair with water and then apply beard shampoo. Gently work into a lather and rinse off with water. Make sure to use a specially formulated beard shampoo, which will be gentler on your skin than standard shampoo. This is important because the skin on your face tends to be more sensitive than your scalp.
After rinsing off the beard shampoo, apply conditioner to your beard. Leave the conditioner on your hair for around 5 minutes before rinsing it with water. Again, you should use a specially formulated beard conditioner. These conditioners are designed for coarser, more wiry beard hairs. They will also moisturise the skin under your beard which will help alleviate beard itch.
Once the conditioner is completely rinsed off it is a good idea to brush your beard with a beard brush while the hair is still damp. This will ensure that you avoid any troublesome knots forming.
While you should wash your beard regularly, be careful not to wash it too frequently. Overwashing can strip away the natural oils and dry out both your beard and the skin underneath. The facial oils that you naturally produce are useful for moisture retention and shouldn’t be stripped away unnecessarily.
For most people, washing their beards two or three times a week works well. However, everyone’s different, so you’ll need to experiment to find your own sweet spot.
Beard oil is a must if you want to maintain a healthy and well-groomed beard. There’s a wide range of different oils on the market, but the main idea of them all is to keep your beard and skin well moisturised and manageable.
Without beard oil in your beard grooming regimen, you may find hair becoming brittle and wiry. Along with dry skin this can lead to a bit of an itchy and scratchy nightmare. That pesky dry skin can even lead to flaky “beard dandruff” which nobody wants to see.
Unlike regular facial moisturisers which can end up making a goopy mess, just a few drops of beard oil will seep through the beard hair and nourish the skin beneath.
There are a few things you need to consider to make sure you find the perfect beard oil. Of course, everybody’s different, so this will take some experimentation.
The most obvious thing you need to think about is the length of your beard. For shorter stubble, you might want to consider oils that contain vitamins E and K which will moisturise and soothe the dry and itchy skin associated with this stage of growth.
If you have a long beard, you may need heavier oils to keep the hair under control and in the desired style. You’ll also want to think about the type of beard hair you have. What works on someone with a full beard of coarse, wiry hair most likely won’t be a good fit for someone with soft, supple growth.
With beard oil, less is more. You only need 3 or 4 drops of oil for each application.
Again, this is down to personal preference, but most guys will apply oil to their beard at least once a day. That should be enough to keep your beard looking on point and your skin feeling healthy and well moisturised.
Another product available to the modern beard owner is beard balm. You might be wondering: how’s that different from beard oil? Well, like beard oil, beard balm moisturises your skin and helps to keep your beard soft and in proper beard shape.
Beard balm is thicker in texture than beard oil. That means it takes longer to absorb, but it consequently gives deeper moisturising and nourishing benefits. Therefore, beard balm should be your go-to if you have particularly dry and sensitive skin.
The thicker viscosity also makes balm a good option for those with longer and more unruly beard styles as it gives extra control for styling.
Using beard balm is a bit like using styling wax or clay for your regular head hair.
Take a pea-sized amount on your finger and then rub it together between your fingers. Next, apply the balm through your beard, making sure it spreads evenly. Now style your beard just how you like it.
You can use beard balm every day to keep those facial follicles looking sharp.
No beard grooming guide is complete without some advice on the best beard grooming tools. Here are some of the most important weapons in the modern beard-man’s arsenal:
Beard brushes are essential for managing a thick beard of wiry, tangled hair. It’s also a godsend for working beard oil and other products into your beard.
When you need to add a bit more precision to your beard grooming, the beard comb does the business. Perfect for achieving that sharp, chiseled look on almost any beard style.
You’ll never have a hair out of place if you can learn to use your own beard scissors for beard trimming. Using beard scissors to trim your beard will help you gain precision in your beard shape by cutting away any stray hairs.
For quicker, more even trims these are a trusty tool. Just make sure you know how to use this type of beard trimmer, though. One slip can have pretty severe consequences for your precious facial hair and beard line!
When you’re thinking about how to groom a beard, the first thing you need is patience. Your beard needs to be at the right length before you even think about picking up those scissors. Once your beard growth has gotten to that stage, you can start styling it however you please. Here are some of our best tips for beard styling.
Take time to think about what style of beard will work best for your features. If you’re unsure, consult your barber. They’ll be able to point you in the right direction.
If you want to keep growing your beard out further, make sure you trim regularly to keep it looking shipshape in the meantime. Failure to keep on top of this will lead to a frayed and scruffy look.
If you’re pruning your own beard, remember the old adage: measure twice, cut once. You can always trim off more, but when it comes to growing it back…that’s gonna take a while!
Using the information in this guide on how to groom a beard, you should be able to take your beard game to the next level. A reminder, here are the key takeaways:
Regular washing with beard shampoo will keep your beard looking and feeling fresh.
Give your beard hair follicles a daily dose of goodness to keep your beard and skin well moisturised.
Keep on top of your beard grooming with regular pruning and trimming. Find the right style for your face and enjoy looking like a million dollars.
If you’re finding it tough to grow the beard you want, you might want to consider a beard transplant. Not all types of beard bald spots and hair loss are suitable for transplantation (such as alopecia barbae). However, a consultation at a UK hair transplant clinic can tell you if you’re a good beard transplant candidate.
Check out our beard transplant before and after gallery to see how we’ve transformed our patients’ facial hair, giving them a look they love.
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