Introduction
Whether you’re in the process of growing your facial hair or already have a fully-grown beard, beard care is an important part of personal grooming. It’s your responsibility to keep your beard looking neat, healthy, and sharp. Once you are familiar with beard styling, the next thing you need to learn is to maintain that stylised beard. After all, what’s the use of putting in so much effort to make your beard look great if you can’t maintain it for a few more days or weeks?
And though your dad would’ve taught you to shave when you were a teen, nobody really gives you beard maintenance tips or teaches you how to grow and style one. And that’s also because having a well-grown and groomed beard was not considered fashionable or good-looking a few years back. But since it is now, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t grow a beard and look great doing it!
In this blog, we are going to discuss five very important beard maintenance tips that can come in handy the next time you decide to grow out your beard.
3 Beard-growing Myths : Busted
There are a lot of misconceptions around beard growth or facial hair growth in general. Most people keep believing these myths and centre their routine based on these “facts”.
Here are the 3 most common myths about beard growth and maintenance
Myth 1: Certain foods help beard grow faster
There is no specific food or vitamin that causes the beard to grow faster. However, in order to grow hair, we require amino acids or protein in our diet. For example, anaemic men frequently experience beard thinning. But there are not any types of foods or supplements that can instantly help your beard grow faster or better.
Myth 2: Shaving makes beard grow back faster and thicker
Shaving has no effect on the rate at which your hair grows. Shaving is a surface activity that has no effect on the hair follicle. Since it is coarse, the hair that grows back after shaving feels thicker. It isn’t actually thicker in real. So if you keep shaving in hopes of faster an thicker beard growth, you need to stop now!
Myth 3: Beard oil can help in beard growth
This is half-true. There will be no beard if there are no hair follicles (roots). It’s mostly down to genetics, and beard oils won’t help. However, beard oils can help if the causes of poor beard growth are dryness, lack of nourishment, or damage. A good beard oil can soften, protect hair from damage, nourish, and keep the under-skin healthy and moisturised.
5 Tips to Maintain Your Beard
Check out these tips to maintain a well-grown and groomed beard:
1. First and foremost, wash your beard regularly
Every day, dirt, oils, germs, pollution, and dead skin cells accumulate on your beard and skin. If you don’t wash them away everyday, they can clog your pores and irritate your skin. Forget a clean and neat beard, this can quickly escalate into a skin problem.
Keep your facial hair looking and smelling pleasant by shampooing it when you shower and adding a touch of conditioner if your hair is coarse or rough. You can invest in a good beard wash and conditioner.
For the best results, shampoo or cleanse your beard with lukewarm water. Apply your cleansing product to your beard and skin and massage it in. Make sure to rinse off your beard thoroughly to remove all product residue.
2. Next, trim your beard often
Trimming is an important part of beard grooming. Beard trimmers are simple to use and speed up the process with their measured length guards.
Make sure to follow the natural contour of your face when trimming your beard. For the best appearance, maintain a rounded shape with all hairs at a uniform length.
When it comes to beard care, the general rule is that the shorter the hair, the more frequently it needs to be trimmed. Make time every other day to maintain your closely-trimmed style. If you have a full beard, once or twice a week should suffice.
3. Use the right beard care tools
You should have the appropriate beard care equipment, just as you would select specialized cosmetics for your skin and hair. Some tools have lots of features that allow you to perform multiple tasks with the same device. Make sure you do some research, trial run a few products and choose the tools that suit you the best.
On that note, here’s a list of beard care products and tools you need to invest in:
- Beard wash/shampoo
- Exfoliating scrub
- Beard conditioner
- Beard oil
- Moisturizer that contains an SPF (while your beard grows in)
- Moisturizer without an SPF (after your beard has grown in)
- A soft and clean towel
- A beard comb and a beard brush
4. Moisturize your beard
Moisturizing hydrates and protects the skin beneath your hair. Skin and hair that are well-hydrated feel softer, itch less, and appear healthier. You can choose your moisturizer just like how you will choose your regular shampoo or conditioner.
For acne-prone skin, a beard conditioner can be a good choice. Try a beard oil on normal or dry skin. And for sensitive skin, use a fragrance-free, noncomedogenic moisturiser.
For the best results, apply the moisturizer immediately after washing your face and beard, when your beard is still damp. Make sure to use the product minimally in order to avoid any kind of build-up in the hair or a greasy look.
5. Commit to the process and stay healthy
Growing a beard takes time, and caring for it goes beyond shampooing and combing. Maintaining your overall health is the first step towards keeping your beard healthy. To grow and maintain a healthy and neat beard, follow these:
- Get plenty of rest.
- Avoid using tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and other harmful substances.
- Consume a well-balanced diet that includes all of the vitamins and nutrients your body requires. Vitamins B3 (Niacin), B7 (Biotin), D, and E are important ones that help in healthy hair growth.
- Consider taking a vitamin supplement if you feel like you are lacking any nutrients.*
*Consult your doctor before taking any supplements
Toni&Guy to your rescue!
Toni & Guy provides the best grooming services. We have you covered for everything from great haircuts to attractive beard trims. No matter what stage your beard is in, our haircare professionals will analyse your needs and give you the best tips and advice on what kind of beard and hairstyle will suit your face shape and look.
Book an appointment or visit your nearest Toni&Guy outlet for some amazing results!
Conclusion
Remember that genetics play a large role in how your beard grows. So, while you can’t control some aspects of your facial hair, you can take care of your beard and keep it looking great every day. With the right beard care tools and a consistent beard and skincare routine, having the beard of your dreams is not as hard as it seems!
Finally and probably most importantly, wear your beard with pride! After all, a lot of effort went into it!
