Nourish Your Beard from Within
Beards aren’t just whiskers on your face that appear and disappear: they are part of the way a man presents himself. To grow a good beard and maintain it requires enhancing your internal health first. Ensuring that the right nutritional balance is achieved by consuming a nutritious diet is just the start. Adding essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamin B, Vitamin C, calcium and iron to your meals is essential for growing a healthy beard.
A well-balanced and comprehensive vitamin and herb supplement can help keep your body nourished properly. For example, biotin, which is a type of B-complex vitamin is known to help strengthen hair and promote healthy skin and nails.
Hydration does wonders for your health, period. Keeping the body hydrated is essential for allowing hair follicles to begin to grow and nourish properly. Staying hydrated also helps promote overall health, including the skin and hair that may coincide with a good beard.
Beard Care
Beard care is an important factor when it comes to growing a good beard. Doing the basics such as trimming, washing and conditioning is key to successful beard maintenance.
To trim a beard for shape, use a purpose-made electric beard trimmer or normal hairdressing scissors. If you want a longer beard, trim along the bottom of your chin. To stop it becoming bushy, keep the sides short. When trimming, an optional step is to use depilatory cream or tweezers to get rid of unwanted hair.
Be sure to wash a beard regularly, whether with a facial scrub, a mild shampoo or natural oils like jojoba oil which is a great source of vitamin E which helps strengthen and protect hair follicles. Conditioning is also key for maintaining a beard, as massaging a good quality conditioner restores moisture, smoothes out split ends and promotes growth.
Avoiding barbers’ windsor knots or over-pulling hair as this can lead to breakage with the potential to affect overall growth.
Trim With Style
A key reason a man’s beard may appear unappealing is due to the lack of style. When it comes to styling a beard, the idea is to think of a beard as one’s own lifestyle. This can be explored by experimenting with different beard styles or facial hair that corresponds with a particular fashion statement.
Using a razor, a facial moisturizer can also be useful as it helps maintain the perfect shape of the mustache or beard by nourishing and hydrating the skin underneath. A shaving cream is also important for getting a clean shave and a softening effect on the skin. As men groom their beards, balms, oils and beard wax is also useful for adding texture and a degree of control.
Do Not Overthink it
Growing and styling a good beard can take time. Mindful awareness and patience is key. Struggling to create the ‘perfect’ beard can cause irritation, so liberate yourself of the pressures associated with ‘beard perfection’ and enjoy the process at a pace you’re comfortable with.
Many men face problems such as uneven beards and sparsely grown beards. Don’t overthink it— patience is the biggest part to growing a good beard. Trim here and there and be careful not to cut too much or trim hairs that are too short, because once they are removed it may take a while to grow them back.
Visit the Grooming Experts
An alternative to doing the job yourself is to visit a local barber. They have an arsenal of expert knowledge and tools to make sure that your beard is well trimmed and groomed, whilst also offering advice on what is best for both the growth of your beard and its overall appearance.
Be sure to inform your barber if you’re not comfortable with the results immediately, and don’t overlook the barber shop’s great manly qualities that make for a great addition to the experience.
Meditation & Stress Reduction
Growth patterns of beards are strongly linked to stress levels. According to experts, beards are affected by the body’s production of hormones; in particular, growth hormones like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone.
Stress has a direct impact on one’s body production of hormones, as it upsets the balance of hormones. As such, reducing stress through practices like yoga, mindfulness and other forms of calming practices can play a role in the growth and maintenance of a good beard.
Besides the physical effects of stress, it is important to address the psychological effects as well. During periods of stress, the brain may often forget the basics of proper hygiene, diet and exercise. These basics, however, are essential for keeping a good beard.
Beware of Unnecessary Fussing
Just as stressing about a beard can lead to uneven growth and patchy facial hair, so can man’s continuous and ultimately unnecessary fussing about it. Avoid the temptation to obsess over each and every strand of whisker, as the facial hair needs time and space to grow healthy.
Fussing a beard is like an unintentional form of pressure to that unnecessary force placed on the beard when man’s hands run through it. A good beard needs to be groomed, but it also needs a certain degree of love and care.
Combat Dryness
Beards are in constant contact with the elements, exposure to sun and wind can lead it to dryness, especially in colder climates. It is important to combat this drying process: avoid excessive heat and exposure to the sun, and use a quality moisturiser to keep hair healthy, hydrated and nourished.
For long beards, use a detangling brush to keep your facial hair tame. Brushes are also great for fighting frizz and helping to keep the beard tidy. A beard comb may help as well and there are products specifically designed to keep a beard in shape.
Take Time to Smell the Roses
Beards need time to flourish, and the man with the beard needs to accept it coming in stages. While trying to grow a beard, it is important to realise that it is a process rather than an overnight event. A man may not reach his desired beard goals overnight, so it is essential to practice patience, and to remember to enjoy the journey.
Beard oil is also very beneficial in ensuring that the beard stays soft, shiny, and well-groomed. Select an oil that is appropriate for the chosen facial hair style, but also for the desired look if you ever plan to colour it.
Beards aren’t just a fashion statement: they are a man’s trademark. A good beard is one that has been well-maintained, groomed and nurtured. When men are putting in the time and energy to grow an amazing beard, they should pay attention to the care and nourishment both from the outside and the inside in order to succeed.
