Beard Growth Guide for Men – Shape, Condition, and Care

Beards are trendy these days. Everywhere you look, men both young and old are growing out their facial hair, and the ubiquity of beards is matched only by the stunning diversity of the different styles worn by today’s men.

If you’re curious about growing a beard, but don’t know much about the maintenance, treatment, and shaping of beards, this is the perfect article for you. We’ll take you through the basics about beards and beard care, as well as recommend a few products that may make your journey towards a thick, full beard simpler, easier, and more fun.

STEP 1. GROW THE BEARD

Easy enough, right? The first step to beard growth is to, well, grow it! Stop shaving every day, stop trimming down to stubble, and let mother nature take her course. If you’ve never grown your beard out before, you may not even know what you’re working with when it comes to facial hair, and that’s an important thing to understand when you’re trying to grow a beard. Just like the hair on your scalp, facial hair types are wildly different, and different kinds of beards require different kinds of care.
And just like the hair on your scalp, beard hair requires care and conditioning. You shampoo and condition your hair, and while you don’t really need to shampoo a beard (unless you get it muddy for some reason) your beard does require conditioning.

STEP 2. CONDITIONING AND CARE

Once you’ve grown your beard out to a length where it’s more than just stubble, you’ll need to start conditioning it. Your beard does produce its own oils from the hair follicles on your face, but generally these aren’t enough to keep your beard healthy, due to oil loss from showering and shampoos.

Once your beard is long enough, you’ll want to invest in some kind of beard conditioner – usually scented, natural oils that you’ll use after showering, or in the mornings to help keep your beard shiny and healthy. If you’re just getting started and looking for an all-in-one package specifically designed for new beard growers, we recommend this Ultimate Beard Grower’s Kit by Beard Farmer:

It comes with a beard growth oil, a beard balm, beard wash, vitamins tailored to beard growth, and a natural wood comb perfect for keeping your beard in check.

If you’re looking for a full-package shampoo and conditioner specifically for beards, we recommend Polished Gentleman Beard Growth and Thickening Shampoo. While shampoo for a beard isn’t necessary for all, if you’ve got a long beard, it’s useful to have the total package of beard care, especially if your beard has a tendency to get dirty:

For shorter beards that are still growing, we recommend Beard Grow XL, a facial hair supplement;  it contains essential vitamins needed for beard growth:

 

Beard Grow XL

And Beard Fuel XL, a powerful fragrance-free beard oil, it helps maintain and condition your still-growing beard:

 

Beard Feul XL

Once your beard has grown to a length you like, you might want to discontinue using those sorts of growth supplements; and focus on a pleasant-smelling, easy to use beard balm such as The Manskape Co.

– Beard Balm Conditioner for Men.

This beard balm is organic, natural; and helps tame, shapes your beard with its unique conditioning formula that tames split ends, reduces coarseness; and makes your beard easier to care for, comb, and style.

STEP 3. TRIMMING, SHAPING, AND MAINTAINING YOUR BEARD

You’re not going to want to continue growing your beard forever. Well, okay, those among you who are going for the full lumberjack look may; but most people will want to stop growing their beard; and begin maintaining it by trimming it and shaping it.

For shorter beards, just a simple electric trimmer, such as this offering by Panasonic will be perfect for you. Find a length that you like on the trimmer, set it; and then run it over your entire beard for a uniform length look. This trimmer supports beard lengths from 0.5mm to 20.0mm, making it a great shaping tool for shorter beards. You can trim your main beard with the longest lengths; and take it down short to shape and cut away unwanted hairs on your cheeks and neck.

In that same vein, if you plan on doing a lot of shaping due to a unique look desired (or unruly hairs sprouting all over your face) , you may consider a shaping tool such as The Beard Bro. This tool helps you trim your beard with perfect symmetry; and guide your razor or trimmer; and supports a huge variety of beard styles. Never worry about having an asymmetrical cut, or ruining your beard by trimming it incorrectly.

For longer beards, an electric trimmer won’t cut it, so to speak. You need to invest in a kit like The Beard Kit by Dapperganger with a comb and specialized beard scissors; and get used to trimming down unwanted hairs one by one. This kit comes with a comb, beard wash and oil, beard balm, a comb, trimmer, and a convenient dopp kit.

Now, trimming your own beard with shears takes practice. To learn more about technique, we recommend visiting a local barbershop when you’re still growing your beard; and asking the barber for a beard trim. Observe what he does, and ask him questions about his technique and his tools. It’ll help you learn how to trim and maintain a long beard in the future.

That’s It!

Growing a beard is as simple as it is complex. Healthy growth requires care and attention, and it’s not a “set-and-forget” task. If you actively maintain your beard and encourage it’s growth, you’ll be rewarded with a thick, healthy set of facial hair. If you ignore it, you may grow a beard, but it’ll never live up to its full potential. Hopefully this short guide has given you a good place to start when it comes to growing a beard.

Happy bearding!

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