Growing a beard is very easy because you only need to avoid shaving it for a while. However, knowing how to maintain a beard is the harder part and although every man wishes to have perfect facial hairs not all of them achieve it.
Beard maintenance is not as hard as some people would like to believe because you only need to know how to do it, when to do it and most importantly what to use and what to avoid.
Men have always kept long beards and those that maintain theirs well always seem to earn a lot of respect and a high social status.
This guide will take you through everything that you need to know about beard maintenance including the various common types of facial hairs.
And so you should never have to worry about keeping these important strands looking elegant and polished because it is not only very easy but you will also enjoy doing it.
Contents:
Why Every Man Needs a Beard
Why You Should Maintain Your Beard
What do You Need to Start?
How to Trim Your Facial Hairs
Common Beard Types/Styles
Grooming Your Beard
Cleaning Your Facial Hairs the Right Way
Avoiding Split Ends and Making Your Beard Softer
How to Make Your Beard Thicker
Choosing the Right Products
Why Every Man Needs a Beard
If you are among the few men that like to have a clean shaven face, then you probably don’t know the importance of having a beard. Since ancient times, men have always kept long beards and in some society, this was a sign of maturity and masculinity.
Despite the many changes in the society and culture, this mentality has never changed and so any man with a long and well-maintained beard is still considered masculine and bold.
Although several other things may determine how people view you, your looks always make the first impression. And so if you want to show your masculinity and confidence as a man you should have a long and neat beard.
Apart from just showing your masculinity, there are other reasons why you should have a beard. Although most of them may be personal, others are also very practical.
According to research, Men have always had long facial hairs for three main reasons that are warmth, protection, and intimidation.
Hair is one of the natural body shields against the elements, and so men keep long strands to protect their faces against these natural elements especially cold. And it is very obvious the longer your beard, the better insulated your will be.
Protection may not be a very straightforward reason why you should keep a beard but in the ancient world, it was very practical. Although it will not cushion you from the impact of a blow or punch it will reduce its severity significantly.
The intimidation reason is more self-explanatory than the others, and so it should not be a surprise that brave men always have long stubbles.
Even in movies most villains always have long facial hairs as this will always intimidate anyone looking at them as it is a sign of strength, courage and masculinity.
Why You Should Maintain Your Beard
It is one thing to have long stubble, and it is another to have a neat one. Although growing out your facial hairs and leaving them unkempt still makes a trendy look you still need to maintain them if you want a gentleman appearance.
Proper maintenance of your facial strands also makes them look neat and healthy which is vital for your image. A neat beard will determine how people see you and if you walk into a business meeting looking sharp and elegant with a well-kept stubble then people will respect and take you seriously.
However, if you look shaggy most people will not trust you, and this is because most human beings will always judge a person by his or her physical appearances.
Maintaining your beard is part of self-grooming, and it shows that you are a clean person. It also makes you sexy and very attractive.
In fact, most researches done over the years on what ladies find most attractive in men suggests that facial hairs are one of the main things that will draw a woman to any man.
And so if you maintain yours well, by giving it a perfect trim, color, and style then you can be sure that you will be irresistible.
Ladies also associate beard with other important things such as one being a good parent, having a higher social status, power, maturity, and respect. And so this shows that if you maintain your facial hairs well, you will always have a way with women.
What do You Need to Start?
It is easy to say the importance of maintaining your beard, but most people do not know where to start or what they need to do it and without this, it is not possible to do any maintenance.
The first thing that you need to do is to stop shaving. You should have at least a couple of inches of hair on your face if you want to do any maintenance because going a few days without shaving does not necessitate you to do anything with your stubble.
Growing out the hair is the first and most important thing that you will need and for most people this happens naturally. If you have any trouble growing a beard, there are different things that you can do to get one fast.
You will also need beard scissors for trimming hair. Cutting your facial hairs to give them some uniformity or to style them is also a part of maintaining them, and so you should invest in a good pair of scissors for this purpose.
Another thing that you will need is good beard oil, and you have many options since there are several brands on the market. You can also make one at home by combining different ingredients, but the best thing is to keep things natural and go for an organic product.
And it is also highly advisable to buy one from a reputable brand or companies that have been making them for many years as this is the only way to ensure quality.
The last thing that you will need to maintain your beard is a comb and not just any but a special one for combing facial hairs. You cannot make your strands neat and stylish without brushing them, and so you should look for a quality comb with gentle bristles to avoid damaging your hairs.
How to Trim Your Facial Hairs
Beard trimming is something that most men have trouble with, and so most of them will always use the services of a professional.
While this is also a good idea, you may not always have the time to go to a barber to get a beard trim. It is an important part of maintenance you should learn how to do it on your own.
It is also not as difficult as it may seem because you will only need a beard trimming scissors, a mirror, and a comb. Although you can also use an electric machine, it will not give you the natural and appealing finish that you get from the good old scissors.
All in all, how you trim your whiskers matters more than what you use, and so it is important always to choose what you are most comfortable using.
You can cut your strands anyhow you wish and also in any style, but the most important thing is to ensure that you cut in a way that will mimic the natural contour of your face.
The best way to cut the strands is to chop off a small amount at a time when the hair is dry and already styled is possible.
You should also try to give it a rounded shape and also make it uniform as it will look more elegant and neat this way.
Trimming it well also helps you to avoid the frizzy troll look that comes with split ends. And after the trim, you should always comb and fluff it out to see if any hairs are out of place.
Common Beard Types/Styles
There is way much more to maintaining facial hairs than just giving them a rounded shape and uniform level. If you want to keep up with the times, you should also have a good style as this will make you stand out.
And the good thing is that you will never run out of options as there are more than enough available. Whether you prefer something short and neat or a long and elegant one there are still many options for you.
However, it is important to know that the longer your stubble is, the more maintenance it will require. You also need to consider how much time you are willing to spend on your facial hairs before choosing a style.
The style that you can make with your beard will depend on the length. For example, if you want to wear the classic full beard design, the French fork or the mutton chops you should have long strands.
These long styles will require more maintenance because you have to tame the sporadic growth of hair so that you can maintain the design.
However, others like the chin puff, goatee, and soul patch will require minimal maintenance because you will not have a lot of hair on your face.
However, it is also important to note that not every one of these styles will look good on you and so it might be necessary to try out a few before you get something that will work for you.
Even as you choose your style, you should also not forget to use the right products as this will also be vital in keeping a sharp and fashionable look.
Grooming Your Beard
There is a big difference between a guy with a beard and one with one that he grooms well. Grooming is part of maintaining your beard, and it is vital to know how to do it if you always want to look stylish and neat.
And although it sounds like a lot of work it is very easy if you make it a routine thing, and you will only need to spare a few minutes to do it. Below are a few tips that will help you groom your facial hairs perfectly.
· Keep It Neat: One cannot overemphasize the importance of giving your facial hairs regular trims as part of grooming them. Just like all the others on your body, your facial strands grow every day and so to maintain your style you should use a razor to give them a line on the neck and the top.
· Never Trim Wet Hair: Wet hair appears longer than it is and so when it dries you will find that you have cut more than you wanted. And so whether it is a mustache or chin beard make sure that it is dry before you chop it.
· Know when and How to Trim: Pruning is essential for grooming, but you have to know how and when to do it. Even if you want to grow it to wear an Old Dutch or Classic Full beard, you will still need to invest in quality trimmers and also spare some time to learn the technique.
· Moisturize: The skin below your beard should not only be clean but also moisturized as this will affect the health of your beard. You should always use a moisturizer on your facial hairs after every shave to ensure that the skin remains hydrated and healthy and to avoid breakouts.
· Maintain Healthy Diet: Healthy skin means healthy hair and a beard is not an exception. In addition to maintaining a healthy diet, you will also need omega-3 and multivitamins. They will make your skin healthy and this also means that the whiskers that sprout out of it will be healthy.
Cleaning Your Facial Hairs the Right Way
Most men tend to ignore the fact that the hairs on their face are very similar to those on their heads. And so just like you would do with the locks on your head you also need to clean those on the face with a quality shampoo.
You should use an organic one that is also mild because it will be gentle on your skin and it will also not damage your whiskers.
After shampooing the strands, you should also condition them as this will help to make them healthy. You should make sure that you rinse your beard thoroughly to remove all the shampoo and conditioner. If you do not rinse well, then this may cause flaking, and this will be bad news for you.
Another thing that you should know is that a conditioner will not have a lot of effect on your facial hairs because they are very coarse. But, it will make them feel soft, and this is also very nice.
The last thing in cleaning is to dry them by gently patting and wiping them with a dry towel, but you should avoid blow drying even if you have very long whiskers as this can be harsh on your face.
Avoiding Split Ends and Making Your Beard Softer
Soft facial hairs look healthy, but they are also easy to maintain and style. And to make your whiskers soft, you should use a quality shampoo and conditioner.
The good thing is that you can easily find out what will work for you by consulting your barber or any other professional.
However, you should avoid experimenting with your hair because there are some harsh chemicals in some products out there that might cause irreversible damage. It just means that it is not worth ruining your whiskers while trying to make them softer or appear so.
Getting rid of split ends may be the harder part, but it should not be if you have the right information. Split ends are hard to avoid, but you can manage them by trimming the ends of your whiskers using scissors.
You should also avoid trimmers or other electrical shavers when you want to get rid of these ends as they are not very effective. It is also advisable to avoid touching and tugging your facial hairs excessively. This not only ruins your style but can also cause split ends.
It is also important to keep in mind the fact that the health of your beard comes from within and so what you eat will determine how healthy your strands will be.
You should maintain a healthy diet if you want to have a soft hair and also reduce the occurrence of split ends because healthy hair will not break.
How to Make Your Beard Thicker
The thickness of your facial hairs, just like with those on your head will depend on genetics. It might sound like bad news for men who would wish to make their beards look thicker than they are but the good thing is that there are still many ways to achieve this look.
The reason why making your whiskers thick is important is that it makes them look neat and well maintained. And so if you have thin strands you should do everything you can to make them appear voluminous.
With long hair, this should not be a problem as they will always appear fuller than they are. The style will also determine how thick your whiskers look, and so you should also be keen on your choice of style if you want your hairs to look voluminous.
There are many ways you can achieve this look, but one of the most efficient of them all is to fluff your hair. You can use your fingers to fluff your facial hairs if you want them to look natural but you can also use a comb because it will do it fast.
However, you should be careful not to make the whiskers look ridiculous by overdoing things. Another simple way to achieve a thick appearance is to wear dark clothes as this helps to hide any patchiness in your facial strands.
You should also avoid bright light as this can also reveal patchiness. The last idea is to use beard oil to add some volume to your strands. You should take a small amount of beard oil and rub it in your fingers before applying to your whiskers.
Once you have enough, you should then run your fingers through to fluff them and then finish by smoothing down your facial hairs to give them a dense and thicker appearance. Avoid using too much oil on your strands as this will make them look overdone and very artificial.
Choosing the Right Products
Choosing the right products is an important part of maintaining a beard and it is as vital as anything else. It is one of the things that most men will find most challenging because they are not good at choosing hair products.
However, everything is as straightforward as it can get as you only need to avoid anything that will be harsh on your whiskers and also on your skin. You should go for a mild shampoo and conditioner as they are safer on your beards.
Keeping your selections to natural and organic product is also a good idea. You should ensure that the product you use has no chemical additions for color or strength as they will do more harm than good.
For moisturizing, you can use beard oil and others that contain Shea butter, almond oil, and beeswax as they are the perfect combination.
You should also use an all-natural soap to clean your whiskers. It will help you to get rid of all the germs and leave your skin looking healthy and glowing.
Beard oil is the most important product that you need for your facial hairs, but the good thing is that you do not have to buy very expensive brands since you can make yours at home.
It is very easy to make one as you only need to know the right ingredients and how to combine them. And the best thing is that it is as good as what you find in stores if not better.
To make this oil at home, you will need essential oils, carrier oils, bottle for holding the final product, measuring equipment and a mini-funnel. The first thing that you will need to do is to measure your primary carrier oil such as jojoba or argan and add in the secondary one for texture.
You should then mix in the essential oil to give it a beautiful scent and other vital properties. The last step is to store it in containers. Refer to the Infographic above for more details on the exact measurement and directions on how to make your homemade beard oil.
Even if you have all the information on how to maintain a beard the most important thing is how you do it. Knowing what you should do and how to do it is one thing doing it is another.
And so if you want to have a masculine thick and soft beard that will turn heads everywhere you go then you should follow the guidelines above. It is also important to know that there are still many other things that you need to do, but you will discover them as you go along.