Growing a Beard “The New Facial Hair League”
Embrace fall and the cold weather ahead with a beard to enhance your personal style. Here are a few grooming tips to help you grow your best beard ever. These tricks will keep your facial hair looking resplendent and feeling super soft. In addition to growing a beard, many men find it hard to find the right hairstyle to go with their new facial hair. This is because your old haircut may not go with your new beard. For that super masculine “Brawny” look then look no further than our “Cut Makes The Man” guide to find the best hairstyles. Below are some of our picks of the best bearded looks for fall to help you become a full fledged member of the facial hair league.
Be Patient
First and foremost you have to have patience. A truly epic beard is the product of self-restraint and good nutrition. When you first start growing a beard, resist the urge to trim it and leave it untouched for the first 4 weeks. This will allow your beard to grow out evenly. Then pick a style that suits the length and thickness.
Match Your Beard to Your Face Shape
Like any wild animal, a beard should be in-tune with its surrounding environment. Consult this handy chart after the first month of growth, to choose a style that complements your face shape. Distinct face shapes call for different beard styles. These rules will help you achieve what we like to call an “optimal beard.” Your beard will look better, and so will you.
Know When to Trim
A beard is an earnest and natural expression of masculinity and health. However, pruning is essential to a well-groomed beard. Invest in a quality trimmer, and find the right technique to suit your master plan. Here are two tutorials, one for those growing it long, and those keeping it cropped.
Wash It Regularly
You don’t have to wash you hair everyday, but you do want to wash your beard almost daily. This is especially important in the early stages of growth, when trapped food and skin cells can exacerbate the itchiness. Scrub your beard several times each week with a glycolic cleanser, like Billy Jealousy Beard Wash. Gently pat it dry afterwards: Overzealous toweling can lead to frizz and split ends.
Beard Oil Is A Must
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Nothing tames a beard like regular use of beard oil. There are many varieties to choose from, in a range of manly scents, but all of them will condition hair to make them softer and shinier. If you want to smell like a woodsman, Mr. Natty Frank’s Beard Elixir is a tried-and-true favorite or a lightweight oil like jojoba or grape seed oil, to supplement your natural oils.
Train Your Beard
A regular trim will maintain the shape, but it’s not the only way to keep your beard in line. A daily combing with a comb or beard brush will help tame stubborn unruly hairs, and train them to grow in a downward direction. You can even up the ante with a soft-hold styling cream, like Kielhs or a scented pomade which lends extra sculpting control while taming flyways.
Master The Mustache
Unless you’ve chosen to grow just a chinstrap—growing an epic beard also means growing a mustache. To keep it looking neat, trim the area around and under your nose with a pair of grooming scissors, and keep it naturally sculpted with a medium-hold wax, like Beardbrand Mustache Wax.
The Building Blocks
You can’t build a house without bricks, and the same applies to facial hair. Your beard is made from protein and fat, but it’s also heavily reliant on Vitamins B5, B3, and B9. That means eating lots of lean meats, nuts, egg yolks, milk, and plenty of leafy greens. If you’re seriously committed, you can also round out your diet with a supplement like Vitabeard.
