Learn to take care of your long beard so it stays as long and proud as possible.
In this article:
- Resist the Urge to Trim
- Train Instead of Trim
- Use Beard Oil and Beard Balm
- Develop Your Own Care Routine ASAP
- Brush, Brush, Brush Away
- Be Very Patient
- Resist Judging and Comparing Your Beard
- Keep Track of Growth Progress
- Figure Out How to Feed Yourself Properly
Long Beard Growth is Achievable With These 9 Easy Tips
1. Resist the Urge to Trim
If your goals are primarily length-related, then tuck your favorite trimmers into a small blanket and let them hibernate in your bathroom drawer. Your first and foremost concern is to give your beard enough time and space to grow as long as it possibly can.
A long beard takes a lot of patience to grow out. There may be moments when there are some growing-out pains. You will be tempted to trim it just a little bit, but take a deep breath and leave it alone.
Ideally, you should avoid trimming any part of your beard, even your cheeks and neckline. Keep in mind that by not trimming, you allow your beard to grow in full. This creates a solid enough long beard base, as well as helps you see what you’re working with. Only after then should you bring out your beloved trimmers.
2. Train Instead of Trim
Growing a long beard is all about setting the right base and foundation. If you’re coming from the clean-cut territory and sauntering over to long beard styles, you have to make sure you train your facial hair early on.
Everyone assumes that it’s fine to trim away bits and pieces of a long beard and mustache. But the ticket is to start using wax. This is to train your facial hairs to grow in the direction you want.
You can train your facial hair to grow in certain directions by simply molding them with the wax. You can start by training them to grow away from your mouth, unless you prefer beard hairs straying in there every time you talk or breathe or eat.
3. Use Beard Oil and Beard Balm
We can’t stress enough the benefits of beard oil and balm. They work by moisturizing the skin under your beard. This helps remove dead skin cells and other debris.
Beard oil and balm also function as a conditioner for your facial hair. They make your hair grow faster and healthier and also double as a styling agent. Beard oil is geared towards shorter beards and those looking to give their beards a matte finish. Beard balm, on the other hand, is ideal for a long beard as it takes longer to absorb and lasts longer.
4. Develop Your Own Care Routine ASAP
People who want to learn how to grow a long beard often neglect the proper care and preparation needed in maintaining one. Long before you grow one, you have to figure out a facial care regimen that you can stick to every day.
Ideally, a routine goes as follows: Face wash, facial toner, beard brush, then oil/balm. A great time to start your routine is after you shower, and before going to bed so you don’t have to think about setting aside a separate time for your beard.
RELATED: Use These 7 Beard Growth Supplements For A Longer, Thicker Mane
5. Brush, Brush, Brush Away
When growing out your long beard, you may notice some odd curves and bends here and there. This is just a normal part of the growing phase, so don’t go reaching for your trimmer just yet.
Giving your beard a daily brushing combined with oil/balm helps condition and train your facial hair to stay put the way you want. When the hairs stay put, you won’t even think of trimming. The longer your beard gets, those weird little bends and curves will smooth out and settle down.
Using a boar bristle brush is ideal for any man with facial hair. Its stiff bristles provide gentle but fastidious exfoliation for your skin. It scrapes away all the dead skin, gunk, and debris that cause irritation, ingrown hair, and breakouts.
6. Be Very Patient
As with growing anything, you have to be prepared to wait. Sometimes you may have to wait a long time. Hairs on different parts of the body grow at different rates, and facial hair has an average growth rate of only about half an inch a month.
There will even be times when you feel like your beard doesn’t seem to be growing. But then, there will be times when it looks like it sprouted two inches overnight. Celebrate growth and progress, but don’t be too hard on yourself if nothing happens.
7. Resist Judging and Comparing Your Beard
Facial hair has different growth rates, as well as patterns. Your beard may be stalling a bit or may look limp and sparse on some days. Don’t beat yourself up about it or resign to shearing it all up in resignation.
Just because your beard doesn’t seem to grow in the same way as your buddy’s does, don’t fret. Your beard is unique and should be judged solely by its own merit.
8. Keep Track of Growth Progress
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You can keep track of your long beard by taking regular selfies or by measuring. Charting your progress helps you keep track of how your beard is doing.
Once you have steady progress going, you can refer back to it to learn more about patterns in growth. You can even check to see which seasons your beard does well. This way you worry less about the times when your beard doesn’t seem to be doing well.
9. Figure Out How to Feed Yourself Properly
Eating is second nature to any functioning adult, so why pay attention to it now? Feeding yourself won’t be the same way it was when your face was free of facial hair.
Eating carelessly may lead to having beard hairs pulled out. Crumbs and other food debris can also fall into your beard damaging it and causing your skin to be irritated and dry.
People may joke about beards and mustaches being “flavor savers.” That can’t be any further from the truth, though. If it can trap food bits, it can also trap moisture and not-so-nice smells. Sometimes those smells can even attract foraging wildlife like ants and mice. So unless you want your beard to shelter storybook staples, better up your eating game.
Here are some facts why women like men with beards in this video by Boldsky:
Long beards may personify peak masculine ruggedness and carefree nature, but growing and maintaining one actually takes a lot of work. Simply not shaving just isn’t going to cut it if you want to grow a gloriously long beard. Take the time to care for your beard, and you’ll get only the best results.
Do you have any special grooming tips for your beard? Let us know in the comments section!
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