Growing a beard is the easy part — you simply stop shaving. Keeping it soft, shaped and civilised is where most men come undone. A great beard is groomed, not merely grown.
The Awkward Early Weeks
The first three to four weeks test your resolve. The beard will look patchy and feel itchy as the hair grows past the skin. Resist the urge to trim or shape too early — you cannot judge the shape of a beard that has not yet filled in. Let it grow for at least four weeks before you touch it with scissors.
Washing
A beard collects everything a day throws at it. Wash it two or three times a week with a dedicated beard wash rather than harsh shampoo, which strips the natural oils and leaves the hair coarse and the skin beneath flaky.
Oil and Balm
This is the difference between a beard that looks kept and one that looks neglected.
- Beard oil softens the hair and moisturises the skin beneath, taming the itch and adding a subtle sheen. Apply a few drops to a damp beard daily.
- Beard balm adds light hold and shape for longer beards, and helps train stray hairs into line.
Shaping and Trimming
Two lines define a good beard:
- The cheek line — leave it mostly natural, tidying only the stragglers high on the cheek.
- The neckline — the most important and most commonly botched. Find the point roughly two fingers above the Adam's apple and shave everything below it in a gentle curve. Set the neckline too high and the beard looks like it is sliding off the face.
When in doubt, visit a barber for the first shape-up, then maintain their lines at home. It is the cheapest lesson in beard-keeping you will ever buy.
Combing and Patience
A daily comb-through distributes oil evenly and trains the hair to grow in one direction over time. And a full, even beard is largely a matter of patience — most patchiness fills in given a few more weeks. Give it time before you give it up.