Black men have naturally curly beards and as much as anyone else, they find it a pain to maintain. Ingrown hairs are the common dilemma which leaves an acne-like bump on the skin. It sabotages the hair growth that can result in patchy chins. And as the length of their curly beard grows, the more stubborn the strands get. Using an African American beard straightener here would help a lot in grooming and maintenance of the manly mane.
A lot of guys think that black dudes are lucky since they tend to have natural thick beards. Although this is true, it makes patchy beards more evident and ugly. They also take more time grooming since they have to straighten the strands and ensure that it won’t go bonkers when exposed to outdoor elements.
The struggles with African American beards
If Drake would only reveal his beard secrets, black men would have an easier time grooming their own.
First of all, beard maintenance among black men has demanding requirements. Their beards can become extra thick that, although good, will require more work. Maintaining and straightening it are two different tasks. Due to their oval-shaped hair follicles, no supplement or product can stop the production of their curly locks.
The good thing about this is the volume. Curly beards that are thinner than usual will still look fuller due to the tangling of the strands. However, the ugly part here is that curly beards may look like pubes if patchy or if not maintained well. One reason why there’s a consistent need for an African American beard straightener.
Black men also have to be patient when growing their beards. The start is filled with razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and heightened itchiness. They can’t start styling for four weeks or so; otherwise, it will sabotage the growth and cause more discomfort.
Straightener techniques they can use
1.Trimming
It’s critical for bearded black men to do some trimming once in a while. This is to remove the split ends and to shape up the facial hair. It’s best to go to a barber for professional help, but you can also perform some DIY snipping. You can start trimming after four weeks to maintain the health of the beard and prevent further damages.
Trimming also keeps your face tidy. Invest in a quality trimmer that will do the job. Regular scissors aren’t made for beard-cutting and you might accidentally overdo the reduction. Cutting some length off will also tame the facial hair from growing in weird directions.
You might think that trimming is crap and it will just remove substantial length you’ve grown for weeks. But you’re not going to cut centimeters or inches of hair, you only need to slice a few millimeters. With a sharp grooming scissor, you can cut the split ends thinly.
If you are to sculpt the beard, purchase a trusty razor or just let a professional do it for you.
2. Treating ingrown hairs properly
Never, by any chance, pick on your ingrown hairs. It will only make the matter worse. Ingrown hairs can be itchy and uncomfortable, and tweezing it will result in scarring. This means that the affected hair follicles may no longer grow new hair. And if you pick on ingrown hair multiple times on various areas of your beard, prepare to have a patchy mane. It would be difficult to groom, even with an African American beard straightener.
Black men experience hyper pigmentation which makes ingrown hairs and razor bumps more unbearable. Their curly hair bends down to the skin causing other hair follicles to get blocked. You can use beard oils to lubricate the tips of the beard and prevent it from irritating the skin. But if this treatment didn’t work after a few weeks, you should seek the help of a dermatologist right away. Some skin diseases like contact dermatitis and keratosis pilaris tend to mimic the symptoms of ingrown hair.
If you don’t have ingrown hairs don’t be too complacent. Do loofah every day or use a face scrub twice a week to remove the dead skin cells and disturb the stiff strands.
3. Putting more effort on skin care
It’s hard to straighten a curly beard if the skin beneath is mired with acne, itchiness, and abrasions. Don’t live by the “Black don’t crack” saying. A healthy skin regimen transcends all races and ethnicity. If you don’t practice proper hygiene, your dilemma would be a messy and irritable beard.
Wash your face, including the skin underneath the beard, with a salicylic-based cleaner. This will remove the dirt without blocking the pores which are the number one cause of ingrown hair. Don’t use body soaps on your face since it will strip the natural sebum of the skin. It will also make the beard frizzy and in need of another African American beard straightener.
Skin product preferences vary per person, but as a rule of thumb, avoid scented and dyed options. Keep an eye on lanolin too. This emollient substance has a bad reputation for causing skin allergies and irritation. It might worsen your skin problem!
But no matter what, moisturize obsessively. Get a multitasking moisturizer that has sunscreen and skin-softening ingredients. Apply it multiple times a day, especially during the summer months.
4. Getting the products that match
When straightening your curly beard, it’s important that you have the right gear. Purchase balms and oils that work well on coarse hair. The likes of Honest Amish are one of the leading brands in terms of beard care products that cater to a variety of hair and skin type.
Always get a beard balm with shea butter for added softness on your coarse beard. As much as oil isn’t for everyone, an unscented one is excellent in mild shaping and taming flyaways.
It’s best if you’ll come up with a beard kit that you can use every day. You’ll undergo an experimental phase before finding the products that truly work for your curly mane.
Do you have another African American beard straightener to suggest? Share it with us below!
