With all of this extra time and social distance on our hands, a lot of men are choosing to grow out their beards…
And for good reason. You probably didn’t stroll into your home office this morning and get an angry look and stern lecture from your boss about shaving and looking professional for work…
For some, this is their first ever opportunity to grow the beard they’ve always wanted, without having to worry about the personal grooming expectations of bosses and co-workers during that untouched growth stage.
For others, it’s a chance to try out whacky new styles or simply avoid the hassle of shaving every day or two.
Whatever the case, finding the right method for keeping your beard sharp and clean can be a challenge, especially if you’re not used to having so much extra hair to take care of.
Lucky for you, we’ve gathered a few tips to help you crawl out of quarantine with the best beard of your life. A beard your boss might even be jealous of when you get back to work…
Is My Beard Sanitary?
The outbreak of COVID-19 has reignited the age-old debate surrounding just how clean the average beard is.
Some critics worry that beards might increase a man’s chances of contracting or transmitting the disease…
Others are afraid of germs in beards and how long they can live there…
But these fears are unfounded. As a whole, beards tend to be just as clean as smooth-shaven skin, if not cleaner.
Not to mention, microbes of any kind are nothing new to your body. You have millions of them making a home of your body right now.
The only connection between beards and germs and the role they could both play in the transmission of a disease would be if the beard was somehow exposed to droplets of fluid from an infected person. But the same risk exists for those without beards too.
There may be a couple of exceptions to this rule though: healthcare workers and those who have a habit for touching their face a lot.
The healthcare issue is pretty self-explanatory: certain parts of the face might need to be smooth for a N95 mask to seal properly, which can be hard to achieve with ample facial hair. That being said, it’s by no means impossible with a little extra careful grooming.
And if you’re one to fiddle excessively with your beard, the best way to combat this is of course to train yourself not to touch your own face so much because doing so only encourages the spread of germs from hand to mouth.
It’s an easy fix. Once you’ve learned how to keep your hands busy with something else, you should be fine.
Pick up the guitar or start using some tools to get some work done around the house. Anything that keeps your hands away from your face.
Keeping It Fresh
So your beard isn’t necessarily a health hazard—that’s great news! Regardless, just like the rest of your hair, it’s going to take some work to keep your beard clean and healthy.
The first step to doing this is—no surprise—washing it regularly. Washing your beard and applying conditioner on a regular basis not only keeps your beard sanitary, but it also helps it maintain its luster, free from matting or flyaways.
The only caveat is that shampooing your beard every single day can deplete its natural oils. This can cause it to dry out. Experienced face-gardeners recommend 2-3 shampooings a week for optimal comfort.
Finally, make sure to use beard shampoo since the skin and hair on your chin are very different from the skin and hair on your head. They require a different formula to stay healthy. Wild Willies Progro Shampoo is specially formulated to fuel healthy facial hair growth all while keeping your beard squeaky clean.
If you’re still worried about keeping your beard clean, we recommend trying to use a beard balm. Not only does the butter keep your beard feeling soft and smooth, but it’s also packed with antibacterial properties to ensure that nothing unwanted gets into your whiskers (except maybe the fingers of some dazzled admirers).
Of course, we recommend Wild Willies Beard Butter with Cool Mint so you can kill a couple birds with one stone, looking and smelling fresh all at the same time.
Styling And Shaping
Everyone’s beard is different, and so are individual tastes. That’s why it’s important to listen to both your heart and your beard when determining how to style and trim.
One important thing to note is the natural shape of your beard.
Some people have a naturally thick mustache but little hair around their cheeks and sideburns…
Others have a sparse mustache and thick chin hair…
Still others are bushy all the way from their cheekbones to their collarbones…
Whatever you’ve been blessed with, the way your facial hair naturally comes in is going to have a huge effect on which fashion works best for you.
To get started, it’s probably a good idea to invest in some beard-care equipment, assuming that you don’t have some already.
If you’re at a loss for what style best fits your own face, don’t be afraid to experiment. Especially since you’re probably stuck at home anyways with no one to make fun of you if it turns out a little funky…
On a cleanliness-related note, shorter beards and mustaches do tend to hold less dirt and grime (ie. food, dust, dead skin, etc.) than longer, bushier beards.
While this doesn’t mean that a longer beard makes you more susceptible to infectious diseases, it does mean that a shorter beard might draw less attention at a time when everyone’s focused on hygiene.
But it also might draw less attention from admirers once we’re all allowed to go out again… Like we said, there’s never been a better time to grow that well-groomed beard!
Don’t Forget To Take It Easy!
Some studies have indicated that stress can negatively affect beard growth, so don’t forget to use some of this extra time to relax and have some fun.
If you’re worried about finding the right products to take care of your new-found beard, don’t be! Kick back and let the professionals at Wild Willies do the job for you. Visit Wild-Willies.com today for the best natural products designed for growing the healthiest and best-looking beards a man can have!
