Perhaps you’ve finally joined the beard club? Maybe you’ve been in the club for years, but have no clue as to how to properly care for your beard? In either case, you’re in the right place.
In this guide, we’re going to explain everything included in proper beard grooming, helping you to make your beard as hygienic and as attractive as possible.
Ready to perfect that face fleece, Abe Lincoln? Then let’s begin!
What Does Proper Beard Grooming Entail?
Proper beard maintenance requires you to complete a number of different tasks on a consistent basis. Those tasks are as follows.
Trimming
There’s a fine line between a smooth, impeccable beard and a scraggly, unkempt one. All that it takes for your beard to spiral out of control is a few days of unregulated growth.
For this reason, you need to trim your beard on a regular basis. Trimming your beard will even out the individual hairs, giving them uniform length throughout the entirety of your beard.
There are, in general, two trimming options available to you. One option is to use scissors. The other option is to use a specially designed electric beard trimmer.
While both of these methods can get the job done, it’s generally easier to complete the task with a beard trimmer. A trimmer will allow you to establish a single length setting, thus allowing you to drag it across your beard without fear of miscues. In other words, beard trimmers are foolproof.
Scissors, on the other hand, require a steady hand and extensive attention to detail.
Shampooing
The only difference between the hair on your head and the hair on your chin is its location. In other words, all hair is the same and needs to be treated with the same level of hygiene. What this means is that you should be shampooing your beard on a regular basis.
Many beard sporters have a tendency to use normal body soap on their beards. While this will work to clean the beard, it will also work to dry it out and rid it off vital natural oils.
How do you remedy this problem? By using shampoo instead of body soap.
As beard culture has progressed, more and more beard-centric shampoos have hit the proverbial shelves. These shampoos are specifically designed to soften and replenish beard hair, ensuring that beards are clean, yet still in possession of all the necessary oils.
It’s generally recommended that you shampoo your beard every 2 to 3 days. However, if this is making it feel too dry, you should scale shampooing back to every 4 or 5 days.
Conditioning
While beard shampoos will go a long way in softening and replenishing your beard, they aren’t the only part of the equation. In fact, quite a few beard care products are needed to maintain a beard, one of which is a beard conditioner.
Just like with shampoos, there are plenty of beard-centric conditioners available on the market today. These conditioners are specially formulated to cater to the needs of beards, softening them up, providing them with a shine, and giving them a bit of shape.
You should use beard conditioner just about as often as you use beard shampoo. Applying it every 2 to 3 days should do the trick.
Oiling
One of the things that many beard wearers fail to do is apply oil to their beards. While you could definitely live your life and look presentable without a beard oil, you would be falling short of your optimal look.
Beard oil is important because it can take a soft, healthy beard and make it an even softer, even healthier beard. It replenishes not only the hair of the beard but the skin under the beard, staving off dandruff and allowing the beard to shine. This oil can also be used to provide shape and style to the beard, reigning it in and taming it.
There are all kinds of beard oils on the market today, each of which has a different scent and different consistency. Check out this site to see some beard oils for yourself.
Brushing
As was noted above, beard hair is essentially the same as the hair on your head. As such, it needs to be treated like the hair on your head. What this means is that it needs to be brushed every once in a while.
Brushing benefits the beard in two ways: 1. It loosens tangled hair, and 2. It improves blood flow to the face. In essence, it allows for more consistent and healthy hair growth.
Ideally, you will brush your hair once a day, and no more than once a day. Overdoing it can cause damage to your hair, causing your beard to look broken and brittle.
When brushing, it’s ideal to use a specialized beard brush. These brushes contain soft bristles and can be dragged through beard hair without tearing and pulling at it.
Balming
If your beard is trimmed relatively short, you can get by with a bit of shampooing and conditioning. However, if your beard is on the long side, you are going to want to go the extra mile and apply a beard balm.
Beard balm acts as a disinfectant, ridding beards of any clingy bacteria which may be residing within them. After all, beards are rife with bacteria due to their hot and moist nature.
Beard balm also works to soften the beard, providing it with a nice aesthetic shine. Not to mention, it smells fantastic.
If you’re going to balm your beard, it’s recommended that you do so on a daily basis, preferably in the mornings when you’re getting ready for the day.
Treat That Beard Right
It is our hope that you take this beard grooming guide to heart. After all, the world is a better place when its beards are in good shape.
Looking for more aesthetic maintenance information? If so, you might be able to find it right here at View the Vibe. Our site has all types of information on style and beauty.
Check out some more of our style and beauty articles.