If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you’ve decided to grow a beard. Firstly, congratulations and secondly, welcome to the club.

Although the biggest step is deciding to grow a beard, it isn’t always as cut and dry as you might think.

Don’t worry, though. We’ve compiled this article to show you how to grow a beard the right way. We’re going to take you through a bit of beard background, then give you the tips to grow a beard that’ll blow people away.

Why Should You Grow a Beard?

When the norm is clean-shaven smoothness, why not bend the rules a little? Growing a beard can be a great way of expressing your character and setting yourself apart from the hordes of other males.

George Clooney With vs. Without a Beard

Like a well-tailored suit, growing a strong beard will be an essential part of your style arsenal and it can really help you to define yourself as a man. Best of all, whereas suits are going to set you back hundreds of dollars, a beard is basically free. All you need is a face.You’ll command masculinity, push yourself into the alpha mindset and also, women absolutely love them.

Read on to uncover the 6 essential steps on how to grow a beard. You’ll be chopping down trees and throwing babes over your shoulder in no time.

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The 6 Key Steps to Growing a Beard

1

Set a Start Date

Although most men can start growing a beard whenever, it’s always best to time it well. Why? The first few days of the beard-growing process are probably going to have you looking like an extra from an apocalyptic future movie. It’s an unfortunate truth, but sadly not all men can work stubble like Brad Pitt.

If you’re particularly self-conscious, or have a boss who commands especially high standards, you might want to time your beard-grow around being out of the office. This doesn’t mean shutting yourself away in a log cabin – starting on a Friday before the weekend will do. By the time Monday rolls around, you’ll hopefully have collected enough facial hair to look tidy.

Another great time to start on your beard-growing quest is right before a vacation. This will hopefully give you at least a week to let your facial hair run wild, without having to worry about work or personal commitments.

You shouldn’t focus too much on other people’s reaction to your beard, either. Once you’ve started the grow, the process has begun and most people are probably going to like the end product anyway.

2

Commit to the Process

If you’re lucky enough to be blessed with the gift of good beard genes, you should embrace it, not hate it. Prior to starting the grow, you need to ensure that you can commit. That means sticking with it no matter how scruffy you might look, no matter how displeased your boss looks, and no matter how itchy your face may be.

The main reason that there aren’t a huge amount of beards on faces isn’t because men can’t grow them – it’s because most crumble within the few days and don’t follow through. Although they know it’ll ultimately end up looking great, it’s very easy to second-guess it and quit.

Because of this, many beards die off before they’re even born. If you see a man with impressive facial hair, you know that he’s sat down, thought about it and committed to the process.

Now, thats a beard that took some commitment!

If you’re wondering how to grow more facial hair, it’s largely down to genetics and sadly, there’s not much you can do to change that. If it takes you longer to grow facial hair than other people, though, there’s nothing preventing you from trying. As long as you’re prepared to commit a bit more time to getting your facial hair to the right length, there’s not much that’s going to stop you.

Everyone should try out a beard at least once in their lifetime and the best time to do it is when you’re young. Believe it or not, those hormones pumping through your veins play a large part in how quickly facial hair grows. By capitalising on them, especially if you have difficulty growing facial hair, you’ll be able to get an added boost.

How long you grow for and how long you stick at it is completely down to you, so why not give it a go? Who knows, you might even be pleased with the result. Above everything else, you’re making the calls. If you don’t try, you’ll never know whether your beard would have made you look great. At the very worst, you’ll look like Grizzly Adams’ homeless Uncle and can just shave it off.

If you can weather the disapproving glances from colleagues and loved ones during the first week, you’ve got nothing to lose. Dedicate yourself to the cause and stick at it – you’re probably going to look awesome by the end.

3

Stop Shaving

Once you’ve decided on a date to start and have committed to the beard-growing process, the next – and pretty simple – step is to stop shaving. As mentioned, you might feel a little self-conscious during the first few days, as many men struggle with pulling off stubble that’s only a few millimeters long. For that reason, you’ll do well to start your grow before a weekend or vacation.

When you stop shaving, stop for good. No matter how tempting it may be to tinker and play around with your facial hair, at this stage you’ll probably do more harm than anything. It might look simple, but styling a beard whilst it’s still growing to its intended length is a challenge that most can’t pull off.

Instead, leave the styling until your beard has been growing for at least 4 weeks. By this time you’ll probably look like Tom Hanks in Castaway, so not only will you have a good idea of what you want to do with it, you’ll also be aching to get styling.

4

Resist the itch

When growing a beard, especially if you’re used to a regular clean-shave routine, your face is going to be pretty confused about having so much excess hair.

Ordinarily, this can lead to itching and discomfort for a lot of men. Don’t be disheartened and resist the itch.

If you experience it, you can often get rid of itchiness altogether by shampooing your beard once every other day. Just work it into your daily shower routine, but be sure to only use sensitive shampoo. If you go for a heavy-duty strengthening one, you could end up making things worse.

Whilst your beard is still growing, don’t worry about specialist products too much. We’ll get to those later on. As long as they’re suitable for sensitive skin, a sensitive hair shampoo and moisturizer will help to keep your face happy.

5

Set a Target Date

When men lose faith in the beard-growing process, it’s usually because they haven’t created any goals. For that reason, once you’ve got used to the sensation of having excess hair on your face, set a target date for when you’ll stop growing your beard out.

This can be anywhere from 3-6 weeks after your start date, but usually 4 weeks on will give you a good canvas to work with. Once again, regardless of the temptations, commit to not shaving before that date.

Setting a date for grooming your beard also gives you a long period of time to plan what products you’re going to require. Spend some time researching around and settle on the best products for your needs. We’ll talk a bit about these products below.

Once you’ve reached that point in time, you’ll probably have an idea of what you want to do with your facial hair. Whether it’s shave it off or style it to perfection, that’s where the next step comes in.

6

Shave Time

After weeks of dedicated beard-growing, you’re now ready to shave.

The first step, if you haven’t already done it, is to invest in a beard trimmer. This doesn’t have to be overly expensive, as you can usually pick up one that’ll do the job for around $40. Although some people choose to keep their beards in shape using scissors, with a beard trimmer you’ll be able to maintain precise lengths all over and craft your facial hair to perfection. 

When starting styling your beard, you’ll usually want to craft a strong neckline at the base. Although you can do it yourself, the first time around it’s best to go to a barber or stylist. Cutting your own hair in a mirror isn’t easy and all it takes is one slip.

Give your beard a border

Generally speaking, you’re going to be best off leaving the upper part of your beard around your cheeks alone. Most men have a natural hairline that stops around their cheek bones and it’ll look great as it is.

Although they’ve got the tools that they need, a lot of men destroy would-be strong beards by shaving strange shapes into their cheek lines the first time they style them. After that, the easiest option is to shave the beard completely, so it’s easy to get disheartened. If you do need to trim it, do it slowly and be careful to maintain clear lines on both sides of your face.

Many beard trimmers come with adjustable heads that allow you to select the length you want to trim to. These are the trimmers that you want to look out for and purchase. You can easily make your beard look well-kept by picking a length you’re comfortable with, then picking another length that’s a few millimeters shorter.

Shave your whole beard with the trimmer set at the longer length, then go over the outer portions of your neck and cheek line with the shorter length. It’ll give you a professional-looking, graded effect which can help to take the weight out of the beard.

If you’ve got weaker features, you can also use this technique to accentuate them. For example, maintaining slightly longer hair around your jaw will give you the appearance of having a stronger jaw. Strong jawlines are typically associated with alpha masculinity, so this might be something you want to try out.

Key Products to Step up Your Beard Game

Once you’ve got your beard, the next step is looking after it. Although standard shampoos and moisturizers will work, why settle for second-best? Take it to the next level with some of these products.

Beard Shampoos and Conditioners

If you’re not careful, regular hair shampoos can actually worsen any discomfort you’re experiencing, as the chemicals in them aren’t intended for use on your face. Splash out on some purpose-made beard shampoo and conditioner to get the job done.

For those persistent itches that just won’t go away, beard shampoos and conditioners are an excellent choice. Washing your beard with these will help to clear up dead skin cells whilst restoring the natural oil balance.

Beard Washing Technique

A cleansing beard conditioner will help to restore the underlying skin’s PH balance, which will work to prevent itching from reoccurring in future.

Beard Oils and Balms

If you’re prone to chronic cases of ‘beardruff’ that shampoo simply won’t remove, beard oils are your best friend. They’ll get beneath your beard, providing intense moisturization for your face, whilst also softening your beard hair. It’s a win-win.

Much like your hair, beards can suffer from bed-head too. Balms are a top way to avoid this. By rubbing a small amount onto your palm and running it through your beard, you’ll be able to keep your hairs in check and pointing in the same direction. In addition to giving you a fuller beard, they also smell fantastic.

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So there you have it – your guide to growing your own beard. Follow these steps above and you’ll have blossoming facial hair in no time.