Some call it art, others call it a lifestyle, but one thing you are sure about beard grooming is that it is a statement. A statement about who you are and your characteristics.
If your beard is trimmed and neat, it makes a statement that you are meticulous, orderly, and detail-oriented.
Meanwhile, if your beard is a little rough and disheveled, it means you are either a free spirit who lets things be or you don’t have the time for your body. As mentioned, beard grooming is a statement.
Beard grooming works well if you are the type that doesn’t conform to societal rules of what but defines theirs on their terms. Therefore, if you want something new, a facial experiment on how you will look with a scruff on, you are in the right place.
I would be telling you the As and Bs of beard grooming from home and how to maintain a good trim without having to go to a barber.
Beard Grooming Tips
1. Be Patient
This is for the first-timers who just started growing their facial hair. You have to be patient and let it grow for at least four to six weeks. Avoid the need to trim and style it few weeks after growing. Moreover, if you leave it the hair will grow evenly or close to it.
2. Wash Your Beard Regularly
Just because you have to leave your beard out for weeks doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wash it. Washing your facial hair is important at the early stages because the new hair trapped in the skin will feel itchy when they get out.
In addition, your skin could get bumps and dandruff from not washing. Make sure to use a special shampoo and conditioner for beards.
3. Be Sure to Use Beard Oil
Try as much beard oil as possible until you find the right one for your beards. Getting a good oil can be tricky but if you have the one that perfectly matches your thick, dry, or oily beard, you are good for some nice beard growth.
4. Know When to Trim
This is all about knowing when you think your beard is full enough. You have to prune it well to suit your facial structure. You can choose a style that would complement your face.
If you aren’t sure about when to trim, you can keep it long then work your way down until you find the right length for your face.
5. Train Your Beard
Trimming is good and will get you your chosen style, but training your beard will help you keep it tamed, especially the wild hairs. Training the wild hairs by combing them downwards will keep them in place.
You have to brush and use beard wax on it every day and keep it neat. The area you should focus on is the upper lip, between the nose and the mouth.
6. Keep a Close Eye on Your Mustache
Your mustache is just as important as your beard. Facial hair scissors work well for trimming and spot-checking the mustache. You can also snip the stray that hangs over the lip.
7. Trim When Dry
Always make sure to trim your beard when dry because that is what people will see when they see you. Furthermore, trimming when dry is the real length of your beard. It would have either shrunk or elongated to its normal length.
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What Is Beard Grooming?
Growing facial hair is natural, it can’t be taught. But keeping one and making it look as neat and trimmed as you want, is learned, either by trial and error experience or by getting to know the know-how like this, through research. So what is beard grooming?
Beard grooming is how you tame your facial hair and care for it on a regular basis. This includes trimming it, oiling it, washing it, and keeping it in general.
It’s a known fact that facial hair just like the hair on our heads doesn’t grow within their bounds; they are always all over the place.
That is why you need to tame it and keep it secured within a beard style that suits or fits your facial structure. This is all grooming is about; keeping the facial hair tamed in an aesthetic way.
SEE: Beard Style for Men: 25 Exclusive Beard Styles for Black Men
Beard Grooming Tools
If you want to grow your beards and keep them tamed, you need the right tools to get you that look you want. Whether you are maintaining the length or cleaning up the area, you need to have these grooming tools in hand.
A beard comb
You’ll need to comb the hair out and easily get to the roots. A beard comb is not your usual comb. It has soft edges that will work through the facial hair to pull out the folded or shrunk hair, letting you see the full length of it.
Facial hair scissors
After the comb, comes the scissors. There will be certain tresses that are longer than the rest. The facial scissors get to work on those, keeping the hair even or close to it. This way a long strand won’t get caught in the clippers and make the trimming process hurt.
A beard trimmer
Whatever product you decide to use to trim your beards, make sure you are getting the best out of it. The beard trimmer should have numerous guard heads for shallow, deep, or light trimming.
Your edges will also be detailed and defined with clean cuts and lines. A beard trimmer with numerous mouth guards can also easily reach the hard-to-clean places.
Beard products
Just like your hair needs nutrients to keep it moist and healthy, so does your facial hair. You need to feed your hair to keep it from becoming brittle or dry and itchy or dandruff-ridden.
Washing it is not enough; you have to apply conditioners, beard oils, nourishing balms, and styling gels to your facial hair of varying lengths. This will help your beard stay hydrated, soft, and tamed.
SEE: Try the Best Products to Improve Beard Grooming
Beard brush
This is not like the beard comb. The beard brush is essential for grooming because it helps to spread the oils or products throughout your beard. Whether they are applied oils or natural oils from your skin, the brush disperses them all over your beard area.
Additionally, you need the brush to exfoliate the skin under your beard, which keeps dandruff can keep out of it. The beard brush also helps in keeping the missed debris by the comb out of your hair more effectively.
Shaving cream
You might think you are done with shaving cream but you still need them. The shaving cream is essential for keeping smooth skin, especially for the neck and cheeks area or you are finally cleaning house – sad – and want a clean-shaven face.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you groom your beard without using products?
No, you can’t. You can groom your beard naturally, but you need products to keep it clean, bacteria-free, and neat. If you want to groom your beard, you need to at least use scissors to trim and shampoo and conditioner to wash your beard and keep it moisturized.
Furthermore, not using products would dull up your beards appearance, making it unsavory.
How long does it take to grow a full beard?
4 months. A full beard takes about 4 months to grow. However, you would need to trim and groom your beard while your beard grows.
As a result, your beard could take longer to grow to your desired length.
Conclusion
If you want to try growing your facial hair, you have to be ready to groom it. Grooming will keep it neat and styled the way you want.
Get the tools necessary to groom your beard and follow the tips and the end result will be a smooth and elegant finish that will bring out your features. As mentioned, beard grooming is a statement that speaks of your style.
Africana Fashion provides beard grooming articles suitable to improve your beard game and lifestyle.
