Simply by being here, you’ve made the third most significant step in beginning your beard grooming expedition. Before this moment, you made the conscious decision to grow a beard and the honourable decision to keep it.
Only if you’ve already bought some beard grooming tools can that first assertion be incorrect, and if you have, we’re more excited for you than you can imagine.
While your uncle may look particularly perplexed at the idea of you having a beard care routine, it will undoubtedly become an essential part of your life going forwards as you notice the benefits will include healthier skin, greater self-confidence, and an extra dose of the happy chemical every time you look in the mirror.
So, whatever your end goal, and whatever your dream beard style may be, the following beginner’s guide will include all the tips you could possibly need to know about growing a beard, maintaining your beard, and loving your beard.
First things first…
Let’s get the potential bad news out of the way, and that’s the very possible impact that your genetics can have on your beard growth and appearance.
Unfortunately, not everyone can grow a perfect beard, and if your father and your mother’s father were both incapable of growing a full beard at your present age, a beard brush, beard oil, and beard shampoo can only assist so much, get the most professional tips and assistance from black men beards website.
It’s certainly not all over for you and your facial hair either, though, as these tools can do a lot in the way of assisting growth, filling in gaps and keeping everything in check.
The first thing to do is set the razor down. Don’t throw it out, as it can still be useful for beard shaping and tidying, but you certainly won’t be fully shaving each morning any more.
Whether you have no problem sprouting fur from your facial hair follicles or you’re looking for beard hair growing assistance, beard grooming is a necessary next step to take, and it comprises a number of tools and techniques.
The Tools – 7 essentials any beginner beard needs
You may have already purchased yourself a beard brush, some beard oil or a beard trimmer – or maybe you had some gifted – but you could still be looking to discover the best way to use these items and why they’re used exactly.
There are many beard grooming products out there, and you could well be wondering what on earth each one is supposed to actually do. So, here’s a rundown of each of the most common beard grooming tools so that you know what to look for as well as tips on how and when exactly to use them:
1. The beard trimmer
If you’re anything but clean-shaven, you’ll likely already have a trusty beard trimmer in your possession – that is unless you’ve let it completely roam free.
While the purpose of beard trimmers is fairly self-evident, there are a variety of types and functions for them.
Choosing the ideal beard trimmer for you isn’t as simple as it may seem. There are numerous businesses fighting for your custom, each offering a diverse choice of models and designs for different purposes. Some are marketed as simple trimmers with a “this is all you’ll ever need” approach, while others are promoted as entire body stylers, and are intended to clean up everything from head to toe.
If you merely want to maintain your beard at a certain length, you’re okay to go as long as your beard trimmer is well-made and has the clip length you want. If you want to style, trim, and tidy your beard regularly, investing in a quality beard trimmer at the high end of your price range might be well worth the investment.
A good barber will always know how to look after our beards, but being able to do it ourselves can save time and money.
2. The beard brush
The beard brush has had a huge rise in popularity of late, and that’s because so many bearded beasts are learning exactly what this absolute must-have tool is capable of.
Like with a hairbrush on head hair, a beard brush is used to detangle and straighten beard hairs, as well as exfoliate the facial skin underneath and remove dead skin cells, providing additional benefits such as eliminating beard itch.
Brushing your beard can also improve blood circulation to particular areas, which means more nutrients are getting to those bald patches and encouraging better hair growth.
While it doesn’t really matter what material a beard hair brush itself is made of, we find wooden beard brushes to be much more sturdy and supportive of the type of bristle they possess.
Both the wood and the bristles of a beard brush come in varying qualities as well. You’ll always find us recommending firm boar bristles attached to a firm, high-quality wood such as cherry wood. If you can, avoid plastic bristle beard brushes, because these can scratch your skin, create split ends on the tips of beard hairs and generally do more harm than good.
As tempting as it always is, it’s important not to brush your beard too often, as it can halt hair growth and undo all of your hard work. When it takes time to grow a beard, you don’t want that. Keep using your beard brush a part of your routine and fight the temptation of giving those extra few strokes.
3. The beard comb
Single stray hairs may drastically detract from your style and, as a result, your self-confidence, thus a beard comb with finer taming skills is critical to your beard grooming regimen.
Beard combs should always be made from wood, as plastic beard brushes are more rigid at microscopic levels and prone to snagging on beard hairs. This damages them, meaning the rest of the hard work put in by you, your beard oils and beard wash is rendered redundant.
Combing your beard is best actioned immediately after using a beard brush, providing the finishing details that complete your beautiful beard.
Make sure there is a beard comb in your beard grooming kit and your whole beard will look much more presentable from the moment the hair grows.
4. The beard oil
While a generally healthy lifestyle can provide some of the vitamins and nutrients required to grow and maintain a healthy beard, good beard oil will always go above and beyond with helping your beard grow and live its best life.
Beard oils that are rich in natural oils, essential oils and even healthy fats, can improve the look, feel and health of your facial hair in just a few days, eliminating beard itch through hydration when your hairs would otherwise pull any moisture out from the skin underneath.
It’s only really within the last few years that beard oil has soared to the heights of popularity, as those that experience it learn of its beard growth and nourishing powers – even for men with more sensitive skin that were a little more sceptical than others to begin with.
As the demand for beard oil grows, they are only growing in quality as well, with new healthy ingredients being included that are proven to aid issues like split ends, stunted growth and damage dealt to the skin beneath.
Beard oil really is imperative for men that are trying to grow a full beard to its full potential – and with so many fragrances available, it’s sure to smell great, too.
Don’t forget the mustache!
