Beards choose you, not the other way around. I’m sorry, but not all of them are good enough. That’s why many guys think it’s about as easy to grow a beard as it is to farm in the Sahara. If you’re not one of the picked and aren’t naturally good at growing beards, you can still get there with the right amount of smarts.
You can quickly go from looking smooth and clean-shaven to looking weird and rough with different types of beards. It will take some work at first, but it’s worth it. But where do you start? How can you tell if you should go for full-on beard glory? You’ll get there if you do these things.
WHY GROW HAIR ON YOUR FACE
IT’S NOT TOO ROUGH ON THE SKIN
It’s terrible for you to pull too hard on the razor. Tony Glenville, who wrote Top To Toe: The Modern Man’s Guide To Grooming, says, “Face hair comes in handy here.” Beards can make you look different, say something mean, or draw attention to your face.
IT CAN HIDE GROSS FAULTS
Face hair can hide flaws like acne scars and uneven skin tone, just like busy patterns make you look more prominent, and baseball caps can shorten your hair.
The shape of your beard or stubble also makes your jaw look more extensive and, because of the color difference, draws attention to your teeth, which is excellent for showing off your pearly whites.
IT GROWS UP BABY FACE
Though it’s not good, men with smooth chins look and feel a few years younger. This is because having hair on your face is one of the most evident signs that you are getting older.
If people ask for your ID to remove that baby face, they say you should grow a beard or stubble, not bum fluff.
YOU LOOK BETTER IN IT
Do women like men who have beards? That’s how it looks. Most likely, men feel the same way. Northumbria University psychologists did a study where they rated guys based on how they looked. Women who were asked thought that guys with stubble would make great partners because they saw them as more masculine, rugged, and potent than guys without stubble.
What caused it? A body language expert, Allan Pease, says his mustache grows faster when a man’s testosterone level is high. In other words, a beard that is three days old is a solid outward sign of manhood.
HOW TO GROW HAIR ON YOUR FACE
SHAVE OFF
It’s essential to ensure everyone has the same chances before you start getting hair on your face. Shave then. Clean shave properly with hot water, new blades, and pores that have been steamed. This makes healthy, steady growth possible and will be the base on which your soon-to-be-man will be built.
If you want to treat yourself, go to a barber and get a hot towel shave with straight-edge razors. They might even rub your head. It will help you grow a beard and make you look and feel like a million bucks.
PROMOTE GROWTH
Changes in your growth will depend on your testosterone level (from 0 for Justin Beiber to 10 for Jon Hamm). It could be slow or fast. You’re in stage one when it turns into a sharp beard. Good job, beardsman! Your welcome package is on its way.
It would help if you still kept up the hard work, though. Unfortunately, you can’t change your genes, but regularly cleaning does help the skin underneath grow. Also, pay attention to what you eat. To grow, you should have a lot of water, iron, copper, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B and C, and a forest on your face.
PICK OUT A BEARD STYLE
If you get the shape right, the right beard style can make your mouth look more prominent and manly in your profile picture. Facial hair should be well-balanced and in the right place to look its best. This goes for everyone from Light Stubble to Gandalf.
A good beard can change the shape of your face or make it look better with the shape of your face. A stronger jawline will make you look like you have longer hair around the chin and face if you keep it tighter under the neck. Keep this in mind as you grow it out. If you’re not sure, ask a barber.
CARE FOR YOUR FACIAL HAIR
TRIMMING WITH GREAT CARE
To keep your beard at the right length, whether you want a full bushy beard or a stylish stubble, you will need a good beard trimmer.
Some trimmers have accuracy settings that make you more creative when precisely shaping things. Using one of these makes you look like an expert on hair growth and lets you shave off your chin, cheeks, neck, and jaw. You can also leave a little length if the latest trend in facial hairstyles, the beardstache, is more your style.
DO NOT BE SCARED OF PATCHES
You might think that the beauty gods are out to hurt you when you grow facial hair, and it starts to look like crop circles.
To use a figure of speech, you’re not “follicular effed.”
Denis Robinson, in charge of creativity at the Ruffians barbershop mini-chain, says, “Now that beards are more acceptable in formal settings, so is stubble. It’s especially popular with men who can’t jump on the beard trend because their growth is not uniform.” After a certain point, stubble can still look better than a beard.
TAKING CARE OF YOUR HAIR
You now have some kind of facial hair style. You still have work to do, though. Taking care of your beard correctly can make or break your look, just like tiny curls don’t make a handsome face rug.
After taking a shower, blow dry long hair toward growth to make it straight and show how long it is. Be careful when you use beard oil.
This is important for those wanting to grow a beard without acne. It feeds the hair and skin underneath. It has a healthy shine that makes people without hair jealous and scares their enemies—just the right amount (you don’t want it to look greasy).
DO NOT OVER-SHAPE
Not all beards need to be styled with precision, but most look best when left alone, significantly if you’re growing one to look rougher.
To do this:
- Don’t make lines that are too sharp.
- Just cut off the extra hair under your eyes to get instant cheekbones.
- If you want to grade the hair below your chin, use clippers of different sizes. Suppose you want to trim your facial hair.
HEAD OFF INGROWING HAIRS
That’s when ingrown hairs appear when you least expect or want them to. They hurt a lot, whether on your face or in the yard.
Ingrown hairs are called pseudofolliculitis barbae in the medical world. Sally Penford from The International Dermal Institute says that the easiest way to avoid them is to clean regularly to lift hairs.
DO NOT DRY OUT
What’s underneath can worsen when you grow a beard because the hair pulls wetness away from your face, making the skin dry out faster.
If you want to keep your beard short, use a regular moisturizer instead of the oil. Before shaving, use the same way, but pay extra attention to the longer hairs near the skin and on the neck. These hairs are more likely to get dry and sensitive.
HIRE PROFESSIONALS
Few beards are ever perfect because they vary in color and thickness. Let a pro lead if you want to get close is often best.
Daniel Davies, who runs Pall Mall Barbers as general manager, says, “The best barbers will know how to make it look its best.” “At the consultation, they will look at your face from every angle and get a sense of what shape and definition looks best over time.” As soon as it’s been “lined out” and trimmed, you can clean it from the safety of your bathroom.
