Looking for the Beard Life

Looking to start “No Shave November” a little bit early? Ready to bury your fear of the beard? Or maybe you’ve just started a new job as a lumberjack. Whatever the reason, if you’re looking to sport a civilized (or uncivilized) epic growth of facial Hair, then we’ve compiled a few Beard care tips to get you started.

Growing the Beard

Growing a full-growth, Duck-Dynasty-worthy beard takes time, so the first important detail is patience. However, there are a few things to note that will make this stage less daunting.

• Look for biotin or a good multivitamin for hair growth and health. Growing healthy hair starts from the inside out.
• Don’t touch the hair for about 4 weeks, except to trim the neck. Don’t try to “even it up” or smooth it out”; it won’t work. Just get a good growth of beard started so that you can see the form of your beard and how it will look. After a few weeks, you’ll see that your growth naturally begins to cover areas with thinner coverage. This is a good sign.
• It WILL itch. Unfortunately, it is going to happen. When it does, a good beard oil will help. Using a beard oil will help to nourish those new strands as well as the skin underneath to calm the itch and promote excellent growth. Or use a daily conditioning treatment, like Bluebeards, to enhance your new growth.

Maintaining the Beard

Now comes the fun part. You’ve put in the hard work of growing all that hair, now you get the joy of showing it off – and enjoying it. Too often facial hair gets a bad reputation as coarse, unruly, and wiry. It doesn’t have to be the case. There are so many wonderful products designed just for the growth on your chin.

• Invest in a good beard brush. Yep, you need to keep that face forest untangled. Boar brushes are excellent for this as they have a nice coarseness and backbone to tame those facial hairs. When you groom, brush up first and then down to smooth it.
• Wash your epic growth daily. You might think a quick rinse in the shower is adequate – or that the shampoo for your head it suitable for your beard. Unfortunately, the difference in the hair on your head and the hair on your face means they have different needs. Regular shampoo can dry out a beard and lead to breakage. A specially designed beard wash will nourish your strands – and the skin underneath – to prevent beardruff and break outs.
• Find a favorite beard oil or balm. Don’t neglect this step. Finding the right product to continue to nourish those strands, provide moisture, shape your growth, and even scent your beard is essential. A beard oil is a fantastic choice – it cuts down on dryness, tames flyaways and unruly strands, and comes in many enticing scents. Also, a little bit goes a long way. If you have longer growth, you might benefit from a balm. As a thicker substance, a balm will provide more hold to help shape longer strands.
• Don’t toss the razor completely! In order to prevent a downward spiral into disarray, you need to keep your beard lines groomed and straight. A straight edge (or shavette razor) is actually excellent for this. The longer blade helps maintain just the right line.

WCS Recommendations:

Shaping the Beard

• Find the right length. Spend some time thinking about your lifestyle – job, hobbies, relationships – and pick the style that works best. Maybe full-growth, lumberjack isn’t quite your cup of tea. Perhaps, you need more than a Fu Manchu. Maybe you have a hankering for a chin strap, balbo, goatee, Old Dutch, or Hollywoodian. Maybe you’re a trend setter and want to bring back mutton chops or the Van Dyke. Whatever you choose, rock it!
• Get a clipper or trimmer. You might need to get a good beard trimmer/clipper to keep just the right length. Or maybe you find that a comb and good pair of scissors can get the job done just as well. Either way, don’t neglect to maintain the correct length.
• Try a beard wax. Maybe you find that a beard oil/balm isn’t taming your strands the way you would like. Then you might want to purchase a beard wax. Like a wax/pomade for your head, a product like this will provide stronger, all-day hold.

Pro-tip:

This pro-tip is . . . go see a pro. Yep, after you’ve got the initial growing done, and you think you have a style you want. Then check out a local, professional barber who can help you refine the style to fit your face, give you a great shave, and shape those epic strands.

Bearded is Better!

Is bearded sexier? Is bearded more trustworthy? Is bearded more masculine? It is time to find out. Join the beard life – and share your experiences with us. We hope these beard care tips are just what you need to get started on this grand adventure.