A well-groomed beard is no accident. It may take time to get used to the intricacies of your own beard.
Once you know how your beard behaves and what you want it to do, keeping it maintained means a few minutes of care a day.
Whether it’s your own or you’re searching on behalf of your loved one’s unkempt mane, these five beard grooming tips will help get that facial hair under control.
1. Have the Right Tools
You wouldn’t use a chainsaw when the job calls for a chisel. The same goes for beards.
Facial hair scissors are a staple of good beard grooming. Scissors will cut hair without damaging the ends and giving your beard that frayed, fuzzy look.
A beard comb is also important for the grooming process. This type of comb has wider-set teeth on one side for your beard, and close-set teeth on the other for your mustache. A beard trimmer is good to have for keeping your neck trimmed and under control.
2. Wash Your Beard
Of all the beard grooming tips, this one is a no-brainer. You wash your hair, so why wouldn’t you wash your beard? Short or long, those beard hairs collect just as much sweat and oil as the hair on our head.
The good news is you don’t have to worry about buying specialty beard shampoos. The shampoo you already use will do the job fine. Lather up your beard the same way you wash the rest of your hair and rinse it clean.
3. Trim Your Beard
Between trips to your barber for professional sculpting, you can practice good beard maintenance. Once a week or every other week, take a few minutes to evaluate your beard.
It’s important to trim your beard when it’s clean and dry, and use scissors to avoid split ends. Comb it out to see if there are any uneven hairs, and even it out to compliment the natural shape of your face.
When trimming your mustache, use the finer teeth of the comb and keep your face relaxed as you work.
4. Trim Your Neckline
Your neckline will need constant upkeep to avoid the neckbeard look. Place your first two fingers above your Adam’s apple to give you a better idea of where your neckline should be. Use that point as the center and trim up from behind the jawline to the back of your ears.
If you follow your jawline, it will affect the shape of your beard in an unflattering way.
5. Use Beard Oil or Conditioner
To protect your skin and the health of your beard, it’s important to apply oil or conditioner to your beard daily.
If you’ve never used beard oil before and don’t know where to start, this site has a helpful walkthrough.
If These Beard Grooming Tips Don’t Help
There’s no shame in not being able to grow a beard. The ability to grow a beard is based on your genetics, and naturally growing a beard might not be in your stars.
Beard injections are a procedure in which testosterone is injected to stimulate hair growth. If needles make you nervous, there are supplements you can take to improve the health of your hair.
Beard-Stroking Good
Now that you have all these beard grooming tips at your disposal, it’s time to make it happen.
For more tips on how to look well put together, check out our fashion section.
