the Beard guide
Maybe you ve always wanted to grow a beard but just weren t quite sure how it would look on you. Maybe you ve tried a couple times but abandoned the undertaking once things got itchy or appeared unruly. If you work in a professional environment, or simply if you want to maintain a gentlemanly appearance, growing a beard can be a tricky process. A smooth face is obviously acceptable in any professional environment today, but a well-trimmed and cared for beard can also be appropriate for just about any workplace.
the problems of growing a beard So, How do you grow a beard? 1. Obviously, you have to let it grow 2. After a week, you may start to look like you ve simply neglected your grooming. You re forced to constantly explain to your peers that you re actually growing a beard and not just waiting on an Amazon shipment of razor blades. 3. At about the same time, your face starts to itch, and the whole thing can feel completely foreign to habitual shavers 4. That s the point when most men go back to shaving, but wait! I ll show you the benefits of a beard and explain how you grow one with ease.
Why Should You Trust me? I am a Passionate Beardsman. My name is Nate, and I love fitness, style, and beards. But it wasn t always like that. Up until 2014, I was an auditor and a beard was not an option, or so I thought. Unhappy with my career, I decided to become a professional blogger focusing on the things I love, and so I launched Iron & Tweed. At the same time, I started to grow my beard and today my full beard is my signature hallmark. Today, I can t even think of living without one. I know what it s like to grow a beard from scratch, how to maintain it and I want to help you to make it as easy as possible for you to grow one.
benefits of growing a beard 1. BEARDS = EQUALIZER. Beards seem to be a great equalizer as far as age is concerned they help you look older when you are young, and they make you look youthful when you are older. 2. PROJECTS MATURITY & EXPERIENCE. Younger men, especially those looking to climb the ranks amongst seasoned professionals, can benefit from growing a beard as it projects maturity and experience. 3. MAKES YOU LOOK HEALTHY & TRUSTWORTHY. Similar to having a full head of hair, growing a beard can signal vitality especially when you are older. A beard also projects warmth and trustworthiness. Many men in professions dealing with sensitive information and situations like doctors and therapists choose to grow beards to convey these traits to their clients. 4. MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE A LEADER. Ever sine I have had a beard, I experienced quite a few notable changes in my life. People look to me for leadership more often. I m still the same man as I was before, but people just seem to see me as more responsible and a stronger leader.
5. GREAT CONVERSATION STARTER. It s also been a great conversation starter for me. Strangers come up to me to offer compliments and ask questions on a daily basis. 6. YOU ARE PART OF A COMMUNITY. Similar to the way Jeep drivers feel compelled to wave as they pass each other on the street, bearded men nearly always give each other the nod of recognition. It s extremely encouraging and entertaining to be part of the bearded brotherhood!
how to grow a beard On a basic level, growing a beard is really very simple you just stop shaving. But growing a beard in a way that s comfortable and doesn t interfere with your well-developed aesthetic can be tricky. Here s everything I ve learned from a few subpar attempts and my more recent success in growing a full beard. While I ll mention a few tools, products, and trimming techniques in this article, stay tuned for a comprehensive follow-up article about the products you should take a look at and what to stay clear of.
1 PREPARE MENTALLY AND SET A GOAL If you re used to shaving on a regular basis, seeing yourself with facial hair is going to look incredibly foreign. We identify our face as the center of ourselves and any drastic change is sure to be noticed. Aside from the psychological aspect, physically, it s also going to feel entirely foreign. During the early phase of beard growth, remind yourself that your goal isn t to keep this awkward level of scruff, but to continue until you have the beard you ve set out to grow. It helps to gather a few photos of beards that you really like. Having a visual of your end goal can stop you from picking up the razor blade when you encounter an awkward part of the growing phase. You can also use the photos as guidance when your beard reaches its ultimate length, and you want to begin shaping, styling, and maintaining it.
2 START GROWING OVER A LONG WEEKEND The best time to begin growing your beard is over a long weekend or extended holiday. By the time you return to work, you ll be solidly into beard territory. This means you won t have to explain your burgeoning scruff or shrug off disapproving glances. To capitalize on your time off, actually aim to stop shaving on a Tuesday or Wednesday. In doing so, you ll just be getting to the unacceptably scruffy stage by the time you re ready to leave for vacation on Friday. Facial hair grows at a rate of about 1/2 / 1.25cm per month. A 1/4 seems to be the length when facial hair starts being perceived as a beard. With that figure in mind, you can estimate that it ll take about two weeks to reach the boundary of beard territory.
3 DO IT FOR CHARITY To make the process of growing out your beard downright admirable, grow it out for charity! Not only will you have a community of supportive peers doing this with you, but you ll also be doing it for a great cause. For example, No Shave November asks participants to put down the razor for 30 days and donate the money they save on shaving products. Worst case, if you aren t happy with your facial hair by the end of the month, you can just resume your regular shaving routine.
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4 VISIT YOUR BARBER, OFTEN It s unavoidable growing a beard can make you look unkempt unless you continue to pay special attention to all other aspects of your appearance. When your hair gets longer, you start to look a bit like a male lion. While some may like it, it will be overkill for most men, and I usually find myself contemplating removing my beard altogether if I go more than three weeks without getting a haircut. However, as soon as you walk out the barber shop door with a clean cut, your beard instantly looks like a thoughtful addition to your appearance, rather than a lack of grooming. At that point, you may get your second wind and decide to let your beard grow even longer.
5 IT WILL HELP YOU DRESS BETTER The whole point of growing a beard, at least for style-minded men, is to have it as a well-considered addition to their overall aesthetic. The formula is very simple. If you dress sloppily while growing a beard, the beard will magnify that. If you keep your dress sharp while growing a beard, it will act as a sharp addition to your look. Before growing a beard, all I needed in the morning was a clean dress shirt to look halfway presentable. Now, before showering my beard is in complete disarray and I don t have the liberty of running out for a coffee straight out of bed. My beard forces me to be even more diligent with my dressing and grooming routine, and it will be the same for you a beard will help you to dress better.
ESTABLISH YOUR LINES EARLY 6 AND MAINTAIN OFTEN One of the reasons most men throw in the towel during the early stages of beard growth (myself included multiple times) is the dreaded neck-beard. Some guys are lucky and have a naturally high neck-line. But mine comes down past my Adam s apple, and for many men, it goes even lower than that. This area of the beard, along with the cheek line, can make or break a well-groomed look. One of the best things you can do to make your beard appear intentional is to establish a neck-line early. I would recommend that you start trimming your neck and cheek lines after the first or second week of growth. You ll find that you instantly go from scruffy to bearded. But before you reach for the razor, I have to point out that one the most common beard mistake is shaving the neckline too high, encroaching on the chin. This leaves more of chin strap rather than a full beard.
7 MAINTAIN LENGTH AND SHAPE When growing a beard, some hairs grow faster than others, some fall out, and some are curly while others are straight. Letting the length of your beard go unmaintained will create a silhouette that becomes wispy over time. So the occasional trim is in essential. To achieve a full, dense appearance with your beard, it s important to trim those outliers. When you snip the longer hairs that may be giving the ends of your beard a wispy appearance, you create a solid front a clean outline. For trimming a shorter beard, it s perfectly acceptable to use a pair of hair clippers with the desired guard to maintain your beard, while scissors are more effective on a longer beard. Moreover, you must maintain the proportions of your beard. Most beard styles call for more length near the front and bottom of the face and less up near the cheek line and back toward the ear. Periodic maintenance will help keep your beard balanced.
8 GET SOME SUN This may sound odd to you but after several attempts at growing my beard over the years, I found that short to long stubble just looked better in the summer or early autumn when my skin is at its darkest. If you re growing a beard for the first time, the initial weeks are going to be unfamiliar and awkward no matter what you do. But this stage just looks much more natural when you have a little tan on your face. It seems to communicate, I ve been on an extended holiday and was too busy relaxing and enjoying myself to bother with shaving. Contrast that with pale skin during the winter which appears to say, I ve been defeated by the extreme cold and am preparing to hibernate for the next several months. If you ve naturally tan or darker complexion, you re already in business!
HOW TO DEAL WITH ITCHY BEARD GROWING PHASE Few things in life are as certain as an itchy beard. Your face will itch for a period somewhere between Week 1 and 3 of beard growth. Because of this initial irritation, a lot of men (myself included in years past) end up shaving it all off during this stage. When you get there, keep in mind it is just temporary, and your face will feel completely normal as soon as you make it through the end of week 3. So, what causes the itchiness? Many incorrectly assume it s the action of the hair growing out of your face to be the cause of irritation, but it s the result of your beard hairs becoming long enough to start curling around and poking and scratching at the sensitive skin on your face. But don t worry, it doesn t last very long! Having a beard past a few weeks can be more comfortable than consistent shaving. Once your beard grows out, you ll be free from razor burn, ingrown hairs, and knicks and cuts. Mine doesn t cause any more irritation than the hair on my head bothers my scalp.
That s not to say that the itchy phase isn t uncomfortable, it can be maddening. But I ve been through this itchy phase several times and have found some products and techniques to help make this period as comfortable as possible: 1. USE CLIPPERS FOR YOUR LAST SHAVE Your last shave can have a pronounced effect on the degree of itchiness you experience during the early beard growing days. I ve found that it s ideal to use a beard trimmer without a guard for the last shave before kick starting beard growth, because it essentially chews off the hair, leaving a blunt end.
Contrast that with shaving with a blade, which slices the hair on an angle into a sharp point. I think you ll find that it s much more comfortable to have a more dull, chopped hair poking you in the face than one that s been sharpened like a miniature spear. 2. USE A BEARD OIL While a shorter beard doesn t necessarily require the same conditioning as a longer one, using a beard oil can help with the itchy phase in several ways. First, since adding beard oil to your routine hydrates your beard hairs, they ll be less rigid and sharp and won t cause as much irritation when touching your skin. Second, beard oil will also provide a layer of lubrication between the ends of your whiskers and your face. Finally, beard oil (especially one with tea tree oil) is good for your skin and will moisturize the areas of your face that are no longer being treated with your daily face lotion. 3. KEEP A COMB HANDY I would tell you to avoid scratching your face completely but I realize it s unlikely that you ll be able to consistently stop yourself from the simplest human reaction scratching an itch. A much better approach is to accept the fact that you ll have to scratch your face throughout the day and use the appropriate tool rather than your fingernails.
My preference is to carry a comb in my pocket or work bag. After irritating my skin with cheap, injection molded plastic combs which have rough edges and sharp points, I discovered hand cut and polished acetate combs. They re made of a plant-based plastic which is the same material used in high-end eyewear. They re extremely durable, look beautiful, and are comfortable against your skin. Try to avoid using the comb to dig aggressively or pick at your face. Rather, use it as a tool to gently graze the areas that itch for the short time when you ll be in the trenches of the uncomfortable growing phase. NOW START GROWING YOUR BEARD!
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HOW TO TRIM A BEARD
SHOULD A BARBER TRIM YOUR BEARD? MAYBE! If you re one of the many men who are too busy or simply aren t interested in the intricacies of beard trimming, and you don t mind the money and time spent to have it done, go to your barber for a trim. Trimming your beard just right requires thought, time, and fine tuning, so it shouldn t be attempted by anyone in a rush. However, many men become very particular, almost obsessive, about their beard after they put in the time and care to grow it out. It s this group of men who can be apprehensive about allowing someone else to take clippers or shears near their prized facial hair, no matter how skilled and practiced they may be. I ve gone to my barber a few times for a beard trim, and while he did an excellent job, the lack of control over my beard wasn t something I enjoyed. Unlike learning to cut your own hair on your head by yourself, trimming your beard is a much more manageable task since it s front and center, allowing you to see everything you do. Even if you prefer to have your beard trimmed professionally, there may be a time when you can t get access to a barber because you travel or move and hence it s important for you to learn to trim your beard yourself.
HOW TO TRIM YOUR BEARD YOURSELF NOTE: I m not a beard critic and fully respect any style of facial hair that a man chooses to wear. I only consider and refer to particular aspects of beard trimming as wrong when they don t result in the grower s intended look. WHAT S BETTER A BEARD TRIMMER OR SHEARS? For short beards, a beard trimmer is an obvious choice as it makes beard trimming a breeze. But the real question is what to use for long beards. Well, my barber and many others use clippers. But they re professionals! They have the hand control to skim the clippers around the perimeter of a beard, making short work of what would otherwise be a lot of scissor action. But you will likely only be doing this once or twice per month, and you re still learning. Also, it s incredibly easy to unintentionally move your hand left when you intend to move right while looking at yourself in the mirror. One false move means you ll inadvertently take a chunk out of your beard in a split second if attempting a trim with clippers. So for trimming a long beard yourself, I can only recommend the use of beard shears. Especially while you re still learning.
ESTABLISHING YOUR NECKLINE AND CHEEK LINE A beard can look perfectly gentlemanly, provided it s wellkempt. The two most critical areas in presenting a professional looking beard are 1. Neckline 2. Cheek line A beard that s rough around the edges can give the impression of a lack of grooming while clearly defined lines showcase your beard as a well-considered addition to your overall appearance. Despite the great importance of these two areas of your beard, most men get those wrong. Cheek lines are often too low and unnaturally straight, and necklines are way too high.
cheek line: how to get it right Rather than cutting into the dense portion of your beard and creating a hard line, work your way down from the highest point, clipping stray hairs with a small pair of shears until you reach a point where the hair is becoming denser. Essentially, what you re doing is trimming away the outliers, bringing the cheek line down until you re left with an organic transition from smooth cheek to dense beard. This creates a much more natural looking beard, as if your hair just grows in perfectly, rather that a harsh, manicured line. It s also much less work to maintain a softer transitioning cheek line. When you have the higher contrast between beard and cheek created by a sharp, aggressive cheek line, any amount of stubble instantly stands out.
With a more natural cheek line, going a few days between cleaning up your stubble just adds to the gradual taper. There is a limit to this, of course. I wouldn t advise going more than three days without maintaining your lines. WHAT IF YOU DON T HAVE A NATURALLY STRAIGHT CHEEK LINE? Remember, when clipping unwanted cheek hairs to establish your cheek line, there s no need to go laser straight. Most men have a gentle curve to their natural beard line, and so it s best just to clean up what you have. Further, a lot of men have a gap near their laugh lines, meaning their cheek line does not go straight across from mustache to cheek. There s no need to bring the cheek line artificially low to try to balance this, just do your best to clean up your natural beard shape. In other words, work your way down until you have a cleaned up version of your natural hair growth. Men tend to be hyper-critical of their own beard while glancing over the imperfections of others. For example, Ryan Reynolds, Michael Fassbender, David Beckham, and James Franco are just a few celebrities who don t have perfect beards. Their beards aren t extremely dense, even, and full all at the same time. But it doesn t matter. They trim (or leave it completely natural) in a manner that makes the most of their individual beard characteristics and wear them with confidence.
neck line In an attempt to avoid the dreaded neck beard, (when your stubble extends down past your neck crease), many men cut their neckline way too high. While this is a well-intentioned attempt at sharp grooming and may look appropriate in the mirror, when viewed from any angle other than straight on, it just doesn t look like a full beard. This style much more closely resembles a chin strap or chin curtain style of facial hair than a full beard. Ideally, for a full beard, your neck line will curve down from under your ear to just above your Adam s apple, back up to the other ear. At no point should the neck line go anywhere near your chin. This feels counterintuitive at first and may even appear odd when looking at yourself in the mirror, but it s the most complementary shape you can make. Also, when you see this correct line shape, you know right away that it s the best look. To illustrate this point, hold your hand under your chin with your palm facing and parallel to the floor. Now pat the back of your had underneath your jaw. Anywhere the back of your hand touches while your palm is still facing the floor should be left bearded. Now turn your hand so that your palm is facing the wall opposite you and the back of your hand facing your neck. Much like before, pat the back of your hand on your neck. Anywhere the back of your can make contact with your neck is safe to shave.
how to trim a short beard Trimming a short beard is a completely different task than trimming a long beard. Unlike a long beard, you don t have to worry about proportions, tapering certain areas, or accounting for the curliness of your hair. Cutting each beard hair across your face to the same length will serve you well. This means a beard trimmer is going to give you the fastest and most consistent results. After establishing and cleaning up your neck line and cheek line as described above, you can move on to trimming the length of your beard. When selecting a guard, it s best to take one much longer than you expect you ll need and run it through your beard. If you don t hear it cutting, select the next size down and try again. You can also run just the guard through your beard to quickly assess whether it s near the correct size or not. Continue moving your way down through the guards until you find one that produces the desired length. Use this guard to trim your entire beard, running it against the grain in a long, sweeping pattern. You ll know you have everything trimmed evenly when you don t hear the clippers cutting anymore. Once you have completed the process and you re happy with the length a particular guard produces, just mark it so you can quickly grab the right guard next time you trim. It will save you quite a bit of time.
how to trim a short mustache The only other detail work you ll have to do besides the neck and cheek lines is to trim your mustache if needed. If you re using a guard to trim your beard, it s likely going to be around 1/2-inch / 1.25 cm long. While it is a great beard length, it s not ideal for a mustache. The 1/2-inch / 1.25cm guard will leave your mustache too short to style on the sides and too long over your mouth. So for basic mustache maintenance, just trim the bottom hairs so that they end at your upper lip line. It s best to take off a little at a time and work your way up to avoid taking off too much. You can trim your mustache at regular beard trimming intervals or more frequently to keep your desired length.
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how to trim a longbeard While trimming a short beard is relatively easy, trimming a long beard requires a little more thought and consideration. Not only are the techniques involved more complicated, but the stakes are also higher. Considering the fact that you ve likely just spent six months to a year growing out your beard, you ve more than likely become quite attached to it. Here is everything I ve learned about trimming a long beard. Unfortunately, I made many mistakes, but you don t have to if you learn from mine.
creating the desired beard shape LEFT VERTICAL LINE TRIMMED VS. RIGHT UNTRIMMED There are far too many facial hair styles to choose from to explain how to shape each one in detail. So since this is an article on how to trim a beard, I ll use a standard full beard as a default, and you can adapt the methods and techniques to your unique style.
preparing for beard trimming Before trimming your beard, it s important to go through your normal grooming routine. This is especially important if your beard is at all curly or longer than 1-2 inches / 2.5 5cm. Do's Wash, condition, and dry your beard Apply beard oil as you normally would Wait for an hour or more before trimming your beard Don'ts Trim your beard when it s wet Trim after you ve slept on it Pull the hair taught before trimming Excessively fluff your beard before trimming Essentially, you want your beard in its natural state before trimming. Have you ever had a haircut that looked to be the perfect length when wet, but ended up far too short after it dried? It s the same with your beard, if it s wet or otherwise straightened and elongated, you ll find that you end up taking off way too much when it dries and shrinks up into its normal shape. Likewise, pulling your beard hair taught with a comb and cutting at the perimeter of your beard will result in a divot as soon as
you release the section and it retracts to its resting length (one of the lessons I ve learned the hard way). Go through your normal grooming routine, allow your beard to dry for up to a few hours, and then run a wide tooth comb through it as I would during a midday refresher. This gets your beard into its average shape, neither messy nor overly fluffed out, allowing for the most reliable trim. full beard shape Typically, for a well-groomed full beard, there are a few general shape requirements. In the most simple terms, shape your beard, so it follows the shape of your jaw while being slightly heavier near the front. That means that it s longest near the front and bottom (chin area), and shortest near the top and back (sideburn area). SQUARE IT OFF, THEN ROUND THE EDGES When viewing your beard from the front, start by making your vertical lines on either side of your face, then cut the horizontal line straight across the bottom. Once you have this boxy shape, you can go ahead and round the shape to your liking.
vertical lines When I say vertical lines, I don t mean perfectly perpendicular to the floor. You can definitely cut them straight up and down if you re going for a boxy beard style, but most men choose to add a little curvature or angle to their sides. Feel free to take your beard closer to the skin near your cheek line while leaving more width near the bottom for a tapered look. You ll want to turn your head to the side to get a good look at the area near your jaw muscle. A handheld mirror helps tremendously with assessing this area. Generally, you can trim your beard shorter near the jaw muscles while leaving it a little longer as you move forward. Once you ve cared for the sides, you can bring the shears around the front of your beard, snipping any of the strays or unwanted bulk that project out in front of your beard. Again, a mirror will help you accurately assess your beard from the side.
horizontal line VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL BEARD LINES TRIMMED After the front and sides, it s time to trim your horizontal line. This is what s going to determine the overall length of your beard. As with establishing your cheek line, I find it best to start gradually and work my way up when trimming the horizontal line. I never cut into my beard.
I like to first trim all of the long hairs protruding out of the densest portion of my beard. Then I take a step back to assess the overall length. If I want to take off more, I go back and cut about 1/4-inch / about 0.5 cm from the overall length. Again, taking the time to assess, then repeating the process until I m satisfied with the length. At that point, I ll leave the chin area alone but start taking a little more off the bottom near my neck. This creates my desired slightly front heavy beard.
round the corners VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL BEARD LINES TRIMMED By now, you should have a beard that resembles a cube. Unless this is the look you re aiming for, it s time to round the corners. Or in other words, shape the jawline. There really isn t a lot of technical information to give here. Just gradually trim your beard hairs until you have a natural looking, gentle transition from your vertical to horizontal line.
the patient trimmers method When I had my first professional beard trim by my trusted barber, it looked fantastic! The shape was spot on, it looked full and dense, and there wasn t a single hair out of place. But after showering, applying beard oil, and combing it out, my beard didn t look nearly as good.
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So what happened? My barber obviously did a good job, but it just didn t look the same. I ve found that as you clean, dry, and comb your beard; different hairs will be sticking out in various directions on different days, detracting from the freshly trimmed appearance. After the initial annoyance, I ve found a solution: To get the best possible beard trim, it s prudent to spread the scissor work across a few days. Day 1: Rough out the shape, getting it about 90% of the way to perfect. Day 2: Spend a few minutes trimming any long hairs that poke out from your desired outline Day 3: Spend a few minutes trimming any long hairs that poke out from your desired outline Day 4: Spend a few minutes trimming any long hairs that poke out from your desired outline I ve found that this method takes care of any long hairs that have the potential to poke outside the lines and results in the most full and dense looking beard possible.
beard care & grooming guide: products & tools
PRODUCTS Just as caring for your skin and the hair on your head yields better results when you use the correct wash, conditioner, or treatments, proper beard care products are key to creating a healthy, professional looking beard.
beard oil Beard oil is the most essential beard care product, period. Without it, your beard feels dry and crunchy and becomes prone to snags and breakage while combing. Especially after washing, your beard needs to be re-hydrated. Go with Jojoba Oil The best beard oils are based on lightweight carrier oils such as jojoba, which is the oil that most closely mimics our skin s natural oil. When you wash your beard to remove dirt and sweat, some of the beneficial oil is lost along with the grime. Beard oil simply replaces the natural and beneficial oil that s unavoidably removed when washing your beard. Avoid Olive Oil Budget-range beard oils usually use heavier carriers such as olive oil, which helps bring costs down, but these thicker oils tend to sit on the surface of the hair rather than get absorbed. This isn t the best thing for the health and appearance of your beard and I can say from personal experience, these cheaper oils are much more likely to stain your shirt collar. Fortunately, I learned my lesson after the first ruined shirt. Aside from the carrier oils that provide the base of the product, beard oils often contain other ingredients to provide pleasing scents. It s usually best to look for products that use natural essential oils rather than synthetic fragrance oils, since these products will be applied around your mouth and under your nose.
There are times when synthetic fragrance oils are acceptable, however. Certain essential oils either don t exist, are prohibitively expensive, or are too difficult to blend into the desired scents, so brands will resort to synthetic fragrances for these cases. I still use beard oil with synthetic fragrances, but limit them to occasional use. beard balm & wax If you have a frizzy or hard to control beard, we highly recommend you to look into beard balms and waxes. But keep in mind, there s no industry standard for what constitutes either product, so the terminology can be a little ambiguous.
Most are a blend of natural oils, waxes, and butters in varying amounts. The ratio of the given ingredients causes the finished product to fall somewhere on a wide spectrum, with hold being at one end and conditioning at the other. In general, this category of beard care products are kind of a heavy leave-in conditioner at the light end all the way up to heavy duty styling products on the heavy side. PRODUCTS TO TAKE A LOOK AT If you re looking for a heavy duty conditioning product, look for a balm with a a softer hold like this one from Zeus. If you want more hold and styling power, choose a heavy duty balm like this one from Honest Amish. The level of control will often be listed on the label, making shopping easier. But you may still have to experiment with several products to find the one that works best for your particular needs. mustache wax Generally, longer beards look more balanced with longer mustaches. But as your mustache gets longer, it can get in the way of your mouth. To solve that little annoyance, just use a little mustache wax to tame the hair on your upper lip. There are many types of mustache wax. Some provide a great shine but never harden like Col Conk Model 118. Others, such as Clubman Pinaud, go on as a thin cream and harden within minutes like a hair product. Then you have heavy duty mustache waxes like Can You Handlebar Extra Strength that have a high beeswax content. These waxes have a high hold, but won t ever harden.
When I was wearing a high hold handlebar mustache, I actually wasn t using a mustache-specific product at all. Instead, I was applying multiple thin coats of Layrite Superhold pomade and it worked beautifully. If you prefer a minimalist approach, you can always opt for something like Layrite that can perform double duty. For mustache-specific products, the obvious safe choice is to choose from mustache waxes that are beeswax-based simply to avoid putting petrochemicals right under your nose and around your mouth. But sometimes, synthetic ingredients can greatly enhance the performance of a product. There s a mustache wax out there for everybody. Some will help you achieve just a little control and shine while maintaining a natural look and others will make possible a highly styled handlebar mustache. The choice is yours!
beard wash Since your face produces less oil than the hair on your head, it s best to use a wash specifically formulated for your beard. Washing your beard with shampoo is essentially the same thing as using it as a face wash. I know I ve had to use shampoo to wash my face when it was all I had and my face felt dry and tight afterwards. Trust me on that one: you don t want to do that on a regular basis, so having a wash designed for use on your beard is the way to go.
For shorter beards, using your normal face wash is just fine. But I find a dedicated beard wash lathers, smells, cleans, and just plain feels better than a face wash for my longer beard. Plus, since the majority are made by your favorite beard care product companies, you can often find a wash to match the scent of your beard oil. beard conditioner
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To help restore some of the moisture that was lost during the washing process, adding a beard conditioner can help soften and add shine to your beard. My beard is really coarse and tangly, so I ll take all the help I can get to soften it up. Applying a liberal amount of beard conditioner and letting it soak in for a minute or two leaves my beard feeling much softer. This is a particularly important step during the winter. If your beard is feeling exceptionally dry, you should consider using beard conditioner in place of a wash. You still get a clean feeling and great scent, without over drying your face and beard. tools With the products covered, let s discuss some of the hardware that can help you in maintaining your beard. combs We recommend having separate combs for your beard, mustache, and head hair for several reasons. 1. Using a comb coated in beard oil on your waxed mustache or hair can diminish the holding properties of other products. Let s assume you want a high hold side part for my hair. If you get beard oil on my hair, it tends to sag and fall out of place. To avoid having to wash your comb in-between grooming steps, it s much easier to just have multiple combs.
2. Especially for men with very coarse beards, a regular comb will never be able to make it through your curly beard after it gets longer than an inch or two. For that reason, I like to use this extra wide tooth comb by Swissco. It s made of tortoise shell patterned Italian acetate, fits perfectly in a pocket, and easily passes through my tangly beard. For meticulous mustache styles, consider purchasing a comb specifically designed for use on mustaches. It ll have fine teeth to encourage proper hair alignment and a small design to maximize control. scissors Standard hair cutting shears can do a fine job of trimming your beard and mustache, but they re ultimately designed for regular hair which is comparatively easy to cut. However, beard and mustache hair is very hard and has a tendency to walk out or escape the cutting surfaces of regular shears. Having a pair of small scissors with a micro serrated edge (like these from Dovo) actually grip the sturdy hairs in place so they can be cut accurately. The small design also gives me greater control when trimming my beard as well as my mustache. As recommended before, using scissors to snip unwanted cheek hairs is a much safer option than using a razor to establish your cheek line. The probability of accidentally going too far down is greatly reduced when using scissors than if using any type of razor.
beard trimmer A beard trimmer is a particularly useful tool for maintaining short beards (Wahl make a great beard trimmer). You simply select the guard that corresponds with your desired length and run it through your beard against the grain and you re all set. It s also very useful for maintaining neck and cheek lines (very carefully!). And as mentioned in How to Grow a Beard, they re also great for use on your last shave before embarking on your beard growing experience to create a softer cut at the end of your beard hairs. Equally as effective as a beard trimmer, if perhaps a little unwieldy, is a standard set of hair clippers. If you already have these at home, feel free to try them out before buying a dedicated beard trimmer. The only downside is that they tend to be corded and may not feel as nimble while working the contours of your face.
electric razor An electric razor is a much safer option for maintaining your neck and cheek lines. Once you have your lines established with scissors or a beard trimmer, you take the areas down to a smooth shave every few days with your electric razor (I prefer one by Braun with straight cutter heads for accuracy). With a traditional blade, the risk of butchering your beard is just too high for my own personal comfort level. But an electric razor is entirely dependent on the hairs being short enough to thread themselves through the foil, so the likelihood of accidentally cutting longer beard hairs is nearly zero. shaving brush Just because you give up the razor (perhaps only temporarily) doesn t mean your shaving brush has to collect dust. Keep it on hand for occasional exfoliation when my beard is longer. This can be a great addition to regular washes, helping to remove beard flakes and invigorate the skin. This tool is going to be invaluable to those of you who are used to frequent shaving and exfoliation. The shaving brush will definitely help ease the transition. Since a shaving brush provides a mechanical cleaning effect, be sure to pair it with a gentle beard or face wash to avoid over drying. For a guide about Shaving Brushes, click here. If you want to learn all there is to know about Shaving, then you need this guide.
hair dryer Hair dryers can be extremely useful to the bearded gentleman. They re great for straightening an unruly beard, heating beard oil into the hair, and taming long mustaches. In our experience this Conair hair dryer helps you achieve a handlebar style mustache and you can still use it daily before applying wax to maintain the established shape. You can also use a hair dryer to straighten your beard when it is shorter. To do that, apply beard oil and then hold the hair dryer a few inches away from your beard as you run a comb through it. This technique doesn t work with longer beards but it makes your shorter beard look immaculately groomed. beard grooming routine: putting it all together Now that we ve covered all of the different products involved in beard care and grooming, you may be thinking that it sounds like an awful lot of work. But don t worry, I m going to break down what I do on a daily basis, every few days, and about once per month so you can see just how quick and painless beard care can be.
daily These steps are the ones that I feel are most essential to maintaining the health and appearance of my beard, while also being speedy enough to be a practical part of my grooming routine. wash or rinse Since your face is less oily than your scalp, it isn t necessary to wash your beard every single day. However, it s just fine to do it as long as you use a gentle beard wash and follow up with some type of moisturizer or beard oil to help re-hydrate your face and beard. I wash my beard about every other day and on the days in between, I just thoroughly rinse and massage my beard and face under the shower. However, I do wash my mustache and area around my mouth with face wash on a daily basis.
oil and comb I find it best to apply beard oil right after a shower when the hairs are softened and primed to accept the product.when my beard was shorter, I would only use 2-3 drops of beard oil, but now use 6-8 since it s gotten significantly longer. After massaging the oil into my beard, I ll run a comb through it to help better distribute the oil and align my beard hairs. This helps tremendously with maintaining a respectable appearance with a longer beard. If I just oil and let my beard dry naturally, it crinkles up and looks much more unkempt. hand shaping This step really only applies to longer and especially curly beards, since shorter hairs will be much less willing to change shape. After I ve oiled and combed my beard, causing the hairs to lie in a lengthened position, I use the palms of my hands to gently cup and compact it into the shape I want. This step helps big time in cutting down on the number of strays I have to trim. Also, since the same amount of beard hair is being compressed into a smaller package, it helps tremendously with making it appear more full and dense.
blow dry & wax mustache One of the most annoying things about growing a beard is having your mustache get in the way while eating. So as soon as it was long enough, I started training my mustache into a classic handlebar shape. After my shower, I use a hairdryer on high to shape my mustache from the center out. A comb is useful for holding in place so you don t burn your fingers. The heat makes the hairs nice and pliable. Then, when my mustache is good and hot (after only 15-30 seconds), I press the cool button for a blast of cold air that effectively sets the hairs in place. After I have the general shape established with a hairdryer, I use a beeswax-based mustache wax to add additional control and allday hold. every few days In addition to my daily beard care routine, every few days, I ll add a couple steps to keep my beard looking its best.
trim neck & cheek lines I would advise you to line up your neck and cheek line at about the same frequency as you would shave your entire face. If your beard grows extremely fast and heavy, daily or every other day would be best, but if your beard growth is lighter and slower, twice per week will be fine. Also, the longer your beard gets, the greater the contrast between your main beard length and the spots you maintain, meaning you can go longer between touch ups. When my beard hair is longer than 2 inches, it can take up to 4 or 5 days before my neck stubble is even noticeable. use conditioner There really isn t anything wrong with using a conditioner every time you wash your beard, but I personally limit it to a couple times per week to save time during my grooming routine. Always follow the instructions listed on the bottle. Most manufacturers will recommend that you massage the conditioner into your beard to evenly distribute, let soak in for 30 seconds, then rinse. The process is really the same as with hair conditioner.
trim strays To keep the temptation to majorly alter my beard at bay, I ll snip anything that is outside of my desired silhouette about once or twice per week. This is just enough maintenance to keep it looking good between more substantial trimming sessions. monthly I reserve the major beard decisions for less frequent consideration to avoid impulsively cutting it too short. length and shape About once per month, I ll evaluate my beard s length and overall shape. I ll ask myself how I ve felt about it on a daily basis over the past couple of weeks. If I ve been really pleased with it in general, I ll just trim a few strays and let the length continue to grow. If I ve found myself constantly struggling to get it to look right (bad beard days are real), then I will trim some of the length or work on getting the proportions back in line with my chosen style. If I m just not sure if I should shorten trouble areas, I ve found that hanging in there for a couple more weeks will sometimes help me overcome an awkward stage and my beard will start to behave on its own with time. If I decide it s time for a more involved trim, I follow the steps I laid out in How to Trim a Beard.
take away I know this may sound like a lot of maintenance, but as with anything else, you become very efficient over time. To put it into perspective, if you were to describe all of the products and every step involved in wet shaving, you end up with The Shaving Guide, which is much longer.. On average, I don t spend more than five minutes on beard care during a single day. It really is all about experimenting and developing an efficient routine. Good luck growing your beard!
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