Growing a beard is fairly simple. All you have to do is avoid shaving. Eventually, you’ll have a beard, right?
The problem is that, without proper grooming, you may end up looking like a hobo or Tom Hanks from Castaway when he really started to lose it.
Lucky for you though, I’m going to share with you some simple tips on the best way to groom a beard and have you looking sharp as a needle and as suave as an international spy.
Know your Face
Before we even get started with the actual grooming process, I want to make sure that you know about having the right kind of beard for your face. See, the great thing about beards is that they can enhance your good features while also hiding you’re weaker features.
While women would need to apply makeup for this, men just need to style and groom what naturally grows on their faces. You could say our facial hair and the way we groom it is like our makeup!
The general rule is this:
- If you’ve got a Square Face, keep your beard short on the sides and fuller on the chin.
- If you’ve got a Round Face, keep your beard fuller on the sides and longer at the bottom.
- If you’ve got a Rectangular/Oblong face, keep the sides fuller and thick at the bottom.
- For those lucky enough to have an Oval Face, any of the above will work decently enough.
If you’re not quite sure how to identify your face shape, check out this awesome guide by Birchbox. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to the actual grooming!
Get a Grooming Kit
While you can groom a beard with just a simple trim using a pair of scissors and a fine toothed comb, if you really want to groom like a pro you’ll need to get a few tools or invest in a grooming kit.
If a grooming kit is too pricey for you, you can always buy what you need separately. The great thing about a groom kit is that you’ll have everything you need when you need it and they last an incredibly long time.
All the items are durable and don’t need to be bought again once you have them, with the exception of the oil. So, what makes up a professional groom kit?
- A large comb
- A pocket comb
- A moustache comb
- Hair Brush
- Trimming Scissors
- Beard Oil
- Beard Trimmer
In regards to the combs, it all depends on what you prefer to use and what type of beard you have. I personally just use a good pocket comb made from sandalwood and my beard is fairly long.
If you have a really big beard and a long mustache, you may want to have the other combs.
5 Steps for the Best Way to Groom a Beard
Step 1 – Shampoo and Moisturize
Beard is hair, plain and simple. If you would shampoo your hair you would need to shampoo your beard. Don’t use your everyday hair shampoo for your beard though. Invest in a good beard wash that has jojoba oil and other oils. Not only will it give it a great fragrance but it will also help keep your beard healthy and prevent it from drying out.
Wash and moisturize your skin as well. Face wash does a decent job at doing this. Apply face wash to your skin twice a day.
Remember, your beard grows on your face! So there’s no point keeping a beard clean if your face is full of oils, dust, and dirt.
Step 2 – Comb it
The same reason you would comb your hair before going out, is the exact reason you should comb your beard. It removes tangles and keeps the beard looking neat.
This is best done after showering and patting your beard dry. It doesn’t need to be soaking wet.
With the large comb, comb downwards without digging so deep that it scratches the skin.
Next, do the same with the pocket comb. Remember to include your moustache in your downward strokes. If you have a particularly large moustache, you can use a moustache comb afterwards to untangle and tidy up the parts the large comb couldn’t reach.
Finally, use your hair brush and brush outwards and to the sides. Don’t worry about how messy it’ll look. After brushing your beard outwards and to the sides, brush downwards again using smooth and slow strokes.
Step 3 – Trim it
Trimming is the best method to properly shape a beard and you’ll want a good set of trimmers to do it.
Remember what I said about the shape of your face and how it determines what kind of beard would look great on you? Well, if you found that you’ve been sporting a beard that doesn’t quite match your face then a nice trim will solve that problem.
Remember to do this after you’ve combed, brushed, and dried your beard. Trimming a wet beard can be problematic as the hairs start to stick together and you may get rid of more beard growth than you intend. So, dry your beard first then start trimming.
Here’s a tip – if there’s not much to trim you can just use the trimming scissors and a pocket comb. Then, as you comb your beard, slowly trim off the extra hair that pops up between the teeth of the comb using trimming scissors. This will give your beard a neat and sharp look.
If there’s more beard growth that needs trimming, you’ll need the beard trimmer. Let’s use the example of a square face that has too much beard growth on the sides and not enough at the bottom.
Your beard trimmer will have a comb attachment to it. The thicker the beard and the more beard growth you want to get rid of, the larger the comb attachment needs to be.
Now, trim the sides to reduce the growth and be sure to take your time with this.
Rule of thumb – try and trim the hair so it blends in to the length of the hair on the sides of your head. This will create a nice fade from beard to head.
Trimming is like decorating a beard, it’s not shaving. So take it easy.
When you’ve trimmed the sides you will already have accomplished making the sides shorter than the bottom! You can make the bottom of your beard look fuller and longer just by trimming the sides, and vice versa.
If you want to shape the bottom of your beard, you can use your comb and trimming scissors to shape and style to your liking or even use the trimmer to free-hand any hairs sticking out.
Step 4 – Beard Oil
Once you’ve trimmed your beard and combed it, apply beard oil. Beard oil does two things, it hydrates the beard and provides the beard with essential nutrients that promote hair growth and reduces itching. There’s no fancy way to apply it, but since you’re applying it after combing, be sure to apply it with your hands in a downwards motion.
Step 5 – Diet & Vitamins
Everybody loves to diet, right? It’s a boring grooming tip but the good news is it’s not a weight-loss diet. You don’t need to live off celery and mineral water for the rest of your life to maintain a groomed beard.
You need to focus on a healthy diet of proteins, vitamins, and staying hydrated. Have you ever wondered why bodybuilders or regular gym goers tend to grow amazing beards? Because their diet provides everything a beard needs.
Maintaining a diet of lean meats, vegetables, and plenty of water is good enough to keep your beard, and yourself, healthy.
Your body gets essential vitamins from a balanced diet so if monitoring what you eat isn’t your cup of tea, you should at least invest in a good beard vitamin to make sure your body is getting what it needs.
Conclusion
So there you have it, everything you need to know to achieve your best beard. Follow these steps and you’ll have a well-groomed beard in no time.
Remember, you have to maintain your beard as well! Do these steps regularly, otherwise it won’t matter. Your beard deserves love and attention, so take care of it and it’ll take care of you.
