Just when you think sporting a long beard is a thing of the past, you are wrong. In fact, it is still as popular as ever. Even popular celebrities including Hollywood actors and world-renowned sportsmen are getting into the trend of beard-growing. In other words, a beard can make a man more masculine, modern, and stylish.
On the other hand, growing a beard can be considered an art. It takes more than just simply growing it all over your face. Rather, it requires proper maintenance and complimenting your face shape to make a beard work. The longer you will grow your beard, the higher the maintenance level it will need. Here are some tips to help you:
1. Let your beard grow.
Obviously, this is the first step in achieving your dream beard. This is to determine how long and how much facial hair you can grow. Likewise, you can also determine which part of your face grows hair the most. Is it on your neck, your cheeks, or both?
By knowing this, you can have an idea what facial hair style will work for your hair growth.
2. Trim your facial hair.
Okay, so you might think this step is contradicting to the first one. However, this step is necessary to prevent split ends. Split ends can result in untamed facial hair and slow hair growth.
On the other hand, trimming your beard can promote faster and healthier growth. Trimming your facial hair is also recommended if you have grown your beard long enough to be cut.
3. Create your own regular facial care regimen.
Facial care is not just for women, it’s for men, too! More so, facial care is important if you are sporting a beard. Putting facial products works best after you shower. According to experts, it is because your pores open up right after showering.
Beard creams are available in beauty stores and should be applied before bedtime. Such products serve as a beard conditioner and help in hydrating your facial hair and making it softer and stronger.
4. Wash and clean your beloved beard.
In case you don’t know, your beard can be prone to accumulating dirt and other pollutants. Like most of us wash our hair on our heads regularly, so should your beard to remove dirt collected on it.
Usual shampoos can work, but make sure to avoid those with harsh chemicals that can make your beard coarse and prone to damage.
5. Moisturize your beard.
Beard moisturizers should be used not only when you already have a long beard. Rather, it should also be used as soon as there’s the presence of facial hair. Beard oils and beard creams are available in beauty stores which you can use.
Beard oil and creams can help soothe itching due to new hair growth. Likewise, these products can also help condition, soften, and remove dirt from the pores.
6. Train your beard into the direction you want it to grow.
Comb or brush your hair daily to tame it and even help in its growth. Combs and brushes specially made for beards are available for better results. These also help in removing hair debris and make your beard smoother. Furthermore, a proper diet and exercise can also help in having a healthy facial hair growth.
7. Be extra careful with your every move.
Assuming that you already grew a long beard, your normal routine may change. For example, your long beard may get caught in your coat zipper or dipped into your food when you lean forward to eat.
With that said, it is important to adjust to these changes so it won’t spell disaster for your beloved beard. After all, the last thing you want is some loose hair in your soup.
8. Patience is the key.
On average, facial hair grows around half an inch per month, and around six inches annually. However, it may vary among males, as well as other factors such as growth rate, stress, and diet.
With that said, it is useless to compare your facial hair growth with other men. Growing a long beard is not a race – it’s the quality of its growth that should matter more.
9. Determine the right facial hair style for your face shape.
As mentioned earlier, you should not compare your beard with others’. There are some facial hairstyles that may work on other men but not yours. That is why it is important to know which beard style will suit your face shape. You can consult your local barber for more tips about beard styles.