Most men at some point in their life once having the ability to, have thought about or have tried to grow some sort of facial hair, it’s a natural process for any man as they transition into adulthood, but did you know that there are ways to help through the growing stage?
Without proper care, this journey usually ends in itchy skin, and dead skin flakes, which are similar to dandruff and result in shaving without giving the proper opportunity to see how much hair you can actually grow and if you actually like the look.
My Experience
I first started growing serious facial hair in 2017, not long before I created a business that sold a vast range of handmade products, which evolved from multiple scented beard products to moustache wax. that later expanded into shaving, natural deodorant, perfume, and colognes. Since then, I have supported beard competitions throughout New Zealand, the low and slow BBQ community, barbershops, and many local Kiwi bearded men.
Preparing for Beard Growth
When growing any type of facial hair, it’s important to know what your end goal is, are you after a full-blown beard, a moustache, a goatee, or just simply a 5 o’clock shadow? In this post, we are going to cover growing a beard.
The second most important thing is how to prepare and maintain your skin and hair for the best growing conditions. Some men struggle to grow hair in specific areas on their face, and genetics will play a major part in what you will actually end up with.
What is a grooming routine?
An essential part of growing any type of facial hair is a solid daily grooming routine that will over time help you achieve your goal to the desired outcome! An effective routine consists of regular maintenance, as you would if you shaved daily. Your routine should at the very least consist of maintaining the skin and hair and trimming.
Supporting beard growth
Exercise, a balanced diet and the right products are key to healthy beard growth. At the minimum, you should use an oil-based product like a quality beard oil to help balance the sebum oil that the body produces to keep hair moisturized, often when the hair gets longer it dries out because the body can’t produce enough to maintain, this results in the hair-splitting and dry skin to form under the hair growth. It is possible to use coconut oil temporarily to counter beard itch forming but for longer-term growth, we would recommend using a specifically designed beard oil.
Surviving the Awkward Stage
The first few weeks and months of growing a beard can be challenging mainly due to the itching, scruffiness plus any comments you may get from co-workers and other people in your circle. Beard oil will ensure your beard stays itch-free, the comments you can just laugh off and carry on with your day as normal.
Tips for dealing with patchiness, and uneven growth
The key to dealing with areas that don’t appear to grow is time. Many men who attempt to grow a beard give in too early as they think the patches will always be visible and often this is not true. We always recommend growing your beard out without trimming for at least 6 – 12 months as during this period the areas that do grow very often end up covering any patches or uneven growth.
Recommended grooming tools and products
Minimum
High-quality beard oil
Medium
High-Quality Beard oil
Boar Bristle Brush
Mild Beard Wash
Best
High-Quality Beard Oil
Boar Bristle Brush
Mild Beard Wash
Beard Balm or Butter
Trimming scissors
Navigating the Growth Process
During the first month, you really want to ensure your beard and skin are hydrated daily with beard oil. A mild wash is helpful here also as it helps to clean away any dirt and grime but won’t strip away the naturally produced oil like store brought products do. We don’t recommend trimming during this period and recommend washing your beard every second or third day.
From the third to sixth month, you should start having some decent growth here and would benefit from using a balm or butter. Both products are designed to soften the condition and hold the beard hair as it grows longer. A boar bristle brush also is beneficial here because they help to pull the hair in the natural direction that it grows. Here you may want to shave in and maintain your neckline, and cheek lines and trim your moustache across your top lip if it becomes annoying. By this stage, you will likely know if you like the bearded look or not.
Sixth to twelfth month mark the majority of your beard should have now well filled in and any patches will have most likely grown over. If you’ve made it this far here you can now shape or trim your facial hair yourself or visit a barber for a professional job. At this point I would recommend maintaining the daily beard oil, second to third-day wash, daily balm or butter, brushing and regular trimming of split ends.
Enjoy the comments from others and bathe in your glorious facial hair. From this point, you can keep growing, maintain the length or shorten as desired.
We have all you need and more to start and maintain your bearded journey if you want to learn more check out our website at https://www.lejonjon.co.nz