Interestingly enough one of the major influences in beard and facial hair fashion throughout history has been the military. Throughout military history, beards were widely accepted and seen as a sign of strength, with a few exceptions.
But, the military has been clean shaven since World War 1 thanks to the need to form a seal when wearing a gas mask. Within a generation, our grandfathers were predominantly clean shaven, suddenly the sign of dignity.
But, as with any fashion, what was once old is eventually new again and growing a manly mane has once again become a bold fashion trend.
As with any bold stylish choice, a beard done the right way emulates a sense of style and confidence but done the wrong way and you might end up scaring children and old ladies.
Growing out your facial hair is just the first step, so here are some beard grooming tips and ideas that will help create some serious beard envy!
Choose An Appropriate Style
The shape of every face simply doesn’t match every style of beard, you will need to figure out what suits your particular mug. Doing so will ensure flattering facial hair, skip this step, and you are guaranteed to be spending a lifetime hiding from old photos of yourself.
Beards are great for hiding a myriad of flaws and sins and enhancing ones face, but they are also notorious for bringing out features such as a weak jaw, thin lips, flabby neck, and baldness.
Men with double chins or rounder faces do well with strong lines and borders that tend to soften curves. A good rule of thumb is to add some symmetrical balance with a squared-off beard or goatee, or maybe even longer whiskers on the chin with shorter hair on the side. V-shaped or angular faces sometimes have sunken cheeks that can be filled in with some longer hair. For long faces, a thicker full beard on the side and shorter around the mouth and chin can break things up into two hemispheres and bring your face into proportion.
Keep Your Beard Neat And Tidy
There’s a whole world of difference between a guy who has grown and nurtured his beard and a guy who just didn’t bother to shave. A beard, any beard, requires regular grooming and regular maintenance, but how much really depends on your style of beard, but generally speaking, you will need to use a razor daily for a nice clean line at the top and on the neck.
When shaving the neck and edges, shave along the grain using warm water and only go over an area once. Always keep your razor clean and change the blade after every 5 shaves.
Moisturize
Keeping the skin beneath your beard clean is important, it’s also equally important to keep it moisturized and failure to do so may result in your body overcompensating by producing extra oil, which can cause breakouts. Moisturizing will help to prevent dryness and premature aging of the skin.
Massage a small amount of moisturizer into your skin as you cover the rest of your face. Use a little extra on your neck after shaving with a razor.
Shampooing, Your Beard Needs It Too
Just like the rest of the hair on your head, your beard needs to be washed regularly or it will quickly start looking like a hairy, dead animal. Most of the time a gentle face wash or even regular hair shampoo will do just fine, just remember to fully rinse off any soap residue to avoid drying and flaking.
If your beard is a little wiry or somewhat unruly a good beard oil or beard balm is something to consider trying. These products help to weigh down any flyaway whiskers and help seal in moisture, making your beard look shiny and healthy, and soft instead of bristly.
Always Use The Right Tool For The Job
If you think you can, you can always try using scissors and a comb to trim your beard, but for consistency and simply making the process easier, you should always consider purchasing some quality clippers, especially if you’re just going for stubble. You might also want to buy a pair of small, very sharp, good quality scissors for daily trimming of any loose, flyaway hairs. Also, a pair of sharp tweezers to help dig out any ingrown hair.
A Healthy Diet Is Important
In general, healthy skin means healthy hair, and your beard is no different. So, along with eating well and this should include limiting alcohol to avoid dehydration, taking multivitamins and omega-3 fatty acids that will help improve the overall health of your skin and the whiskers that grow out of it.