Countless men have a beard, yet many of these men don’t care for their beards as they should. Bad beard habits negatively affect the health and appearance of facial hair. Split ends, itchiness, patchy spots, and a beard that is dry and brittle result from improper care. What habits need to be avoided?
1. Failing to Moisturize the Beard
Men must moisturize their beard to keep it healthy and gorgeous. Start by applying beard oil regularly to keep the beard and underlying skin hydrated and moisturized. With regular moisturizing, men find they no longer struggle with beard itch or beardruff, the facial hair becomes soft and manageable, and it looks and feels healthy. If a man does nothing else with his beard, never skip this step. Always keep beard care products for men on hand to carry out this task.
One benefit of using beard oil is it helps to prevent beard dandruff, something no man wants to experience. Dry skin on the face contributes to the problem of beard dandruff, which is one reason why keeping the skin moisturized remains of great importance. Stroking the beard can actually make this problem worse.
2. Stroking the Beard
Men (and their significant others) often love to stroke the beard. Although stroking the facial hair isn’t harmful, the oils and bacteria present on the hands are damaging. This oil and bacteria transfer to the beard, exacerbating acne and beardruff. Never stroke the hair with dirty hands. If you want to stroke the beard, wash the hands first, and make sure they are clean before doing so.
The COVID-19 global pandemic made individuals more aware of the need to wash their hands and keep them away from the face. However, any germs on the hands may be transferred through the beard. As the beard is close to the nose and mouth, this puts a person more at risk of contracting an illness, whether it be COVID-19, the seasonal flu, or the common cold. People may walk up and ask to stroke a man’s beard. Don’t allow them to do so without washing their hands first, as no man wants to become ill by accommodating the wishes of another person.
3. Pulling at the Beard
Men frequently pull or pick at their beard, often without realizing they do so. They then wonder why they have bald spots or the hair is falling out. Nobody wants a hole in the beard they put effort into growing. When a hole appears, men might find they need to shave off that portion or remove all the hair from their faces and start again. Pulling or picking at the beard leads to the loss of individual hairs. Over time, this hair loss becomes very noticeable and may cause a bald spot.
Determine when you pick at the beard. This may be while watching TV, reading, when you are nervous or bored, or when you work at your computer. When engaging in these activities, sit on the hands so the beard picking stops or use a beard comb to groom the beard instead. A squeeze ball keeps the hands occupied, and the same is true of a pencil and paper for drawing. Any activity that keeps the hands busy helps keep them away from the beard to prevent picking and pulling.
4. Shampooing the Beard with the Wrong Product
Washing the beard takes no time at all. Simply shampoo the facial hair when you shampoo your hair in the shower, right? Never do this, as products designed for use on hair aren’t appropriate for the beard. They contain chemicals that damage beard hair, as they are created for use on the scalp, which is hardier than facial skin.
Purchase soap or shampoo designed for use on the bread. These products contain essential oils and other natural products that won’t remove natural oils from the beard hair. These products protect and soften the beard while also eliminating beardruff and itch. Don’t wash the beard more than once or twice a week either, as doing so dries the hair out and leads to damage.
5. Neckline Shaping
The neckline of the beard defines the lower portion of the face and beard, and any mistakes in this area appear magnified. Strive to create a neckline that looks natural rather than sculpted and hard. The two-finger rule becomes of great help in deciding where to end the natural neckline. End the neckline of the beard two fingers near the top of Adams’s apple and stop the neckline at the top of the index finger. Don’t overlook the neckbeard when grooming either, as it must be shaved or trimmed and clean for the best appearance.
The overall shape of the beard needs to be considered as well. A round face benefits from a full beard, as this helps balance the proportion of the face. A slim face, in contrast, looks best with a refined, streamlined beard. Before shaping the beard, brush the hair in the same direction. Trim any stragglers or overly long hairs so they blend in with the overall shape and length of the facial hair.
Shape the sideburns before removing any hairs present on the cheeks above the beard line. Finish by touching up the area around the lips and nose. The hairs should never extend over the lips and precision trimming of the nostrils provides a polished look.
6. Never Use a Hair Brush on the Beard
Brushing the beard means more than grabbing the closest hairbrush and running it through the beard. In fact, a hairbrush harms beard hair because the bristles are all the same length. As a result, short hairs in the beard never receive attention. Additionally, a hairbrush cannot disperse oils through the beard and doesn’t remove all dead skin cells and dust from the hair.
Beard brushes come with bristles of different lengths to ensure they groom all hairs. The different lengths also help to disperse oils through the hair while taming, untangling, and softening the beard. Look for a boar hair brush, as men find these provide the best results. The same holds true for beard combs. Never buy a discount comb, as it may do more harm than good. Cheap combs come with tiny jagged edges that pull and snag the hair. A wooden comb works best for this task.
Should you use a beard brush or comb? Beard brushes help when a man wants to condition and clean the beard. The brush removes any dirt and grime trapped in the facial hair. Short beards respond well to a beard brush and help to train the hairs to grow in the desired direction. The bristles on the brush reach the skin under the beard, as well, and help to remove any oil built up under the hairs, along with dead skin cells and loose hairs.
Beard combs, in contrast, work well on beards that have three months of growth or more. The comb also benefits men with a long beard that requires more styling, as controlling a comb takes less effort. The comb detangles the hair and removes knots. Start at the bottom of the beard and work up to the face.
7. Plucking the Hairs
Gray or white hairs appears in the bread as a man gets older. A male might pluck the hairs to maintain a youthful appearance. Leave them alone instead and embrace the color change, as plucking the hairs brings about an irritation, infections, and ingrown hairs. When an ingrown hair appears, they must pluck it, leading to similar issues that quickly become a vicious cycle. Prevent this from happening by allowing the beard hair to grow in naturally, even if it does so in a color you don’t appreciate. Furthermore, plucking the gray or white hair doesn’t mean it will disappear forever. The new hair will grow in the same color, defeating the purpose.
8. Drying the Beard
A blow dryer becomes of great help when you need to dry your beard after grooming it. However, improper drying techniques damage the beard. Monitor the heat coming from the dryer so the hair isn’t damaged. Too much heat drys the beard and makes it brittle. It might even change the color of the beard. However, drying the beard offers benefits, as it trains the beard and makes it easier to style. For this reason, never skip this step to save time.
When drying the beard, use the coolest setting on the blow dryer and keep it a healthy distance from the beard. Start by patting the facial hair with a towel after showering or washing the beard. Allow the hair to air dry until it is three-quarters of the way dry and then use the hairdryer. Use beard oil when doing so and keep the nozzle six inches from the face. Comb the hairs when using the dryer and finish up with beard balm once the hairs dry. Doing so re-hydrates the skin and hair.
Many men look distinguished with a beard. Improper care of the facial hair, however, detracts from the male’s appearance. Don’t make this mistake. Use the above tips to keep your beard looking and feeling great at all times and you’ll look and feel better too.
