Greg Berzinsky doesn’t wake up with his beard all in the right place. He just knows how to groom a beard properly so he won’t look like a grey grandpa despite his evident wrinkles. If you’re dealing with a frizzy beard, which some have described to the extent of looking like pubes, fret not. You just have to adopt a routine that will tame the hairy beast on your face. And when I say routine, it should be recurring and a daily practice.
When you decided to grow a beard, you probably thought that it wouldn’t be such a pain in the ass. Grow it and comb it. That’s the usual notion of some men. But regardless if you have a mild length or a full wizard going on, you have to groom the manly mane properly. Not unless you want to look like a rugged human who hasn’t taken a bath for the past months.
Grooming a beard takes more time than what you exactly imagine. This is especially true if your beard is still unruly and has to be trained to grow in a specific direction. But before you lose your nuts and shave it all off out of frustration, read our simple and easy-to-do routine to keep the strands in place. I promise, even if you have a full Gandalf or just a Keanu Reeves mane, this will work seamlessly.
Have a style in mind
Each dude will have varying beard lengths and texture. Not all faces suit a long beard or a short one so it’s important that when grooming, you know a style that will work for your look. Naturally hairy guys would have an easier time adjusting to different styles since they can cut off the beard and then grow it again. But the defining moment is styling the beard based on the face shape.
If you got a round face, it’s best to grow a beard with strong lines and borders as a way of hiding your extra facial curves. Growing a very long beard for those who have chubby faces might make you look more ‘circular’ in the process. That’s not how to groom a beard properly.
For those with angular and sharper jawlines, a long, full beard will look sexy. But make sure that it’s well-groomed or it will look like a hairy mess.
Choose your beard hero
You don’t have to hide it. It’s not just women who are obsessed with inspiration photos when going to a stylist. You too can benefit from having your ‘beard hero’. It’s a way of seeing how a certain beard length and style will look in the face. But before you hit the barbershop with a Galifianakis snap, make sure that it matches your face shape.
This will boil down to having the right style in mind. Of course, you want to look like the legendary celebrity you’ve been idolizing for years, but make sure that it won’t give you an unnecessary curve on the face. If you want a full beard on, working on shaping your face a bit will do here. Exercise may serve well in showing off more jawline or toning the angles of the face.
Start with cleaning and moisturizing
Once you’re ready with the style and the inspiration look for your beard, start by cleaning the mane. Shampooing it with the right product will remove the grime accumulated through the day including bits of food, dust, and excess oil. Don’t use your regular shampoo for the top hair since this might irritate the skin beneath. After washing, use a conditioner to keep the hydration the hair. You can use a leave-on formula or oil that will blend well with the balm/wax you’re going to use later on. That’s how to groom a beard properly.
One of my favorite products to date are the shampoo and conditioner pair from the Polished Gentleman. Both come in 8 oz. bottles packed with natural ingredients like aloe vera, coconut extract, Manuka honey, and more. Aside from cleaning your beard, it will also stimulate more growth. It’s hitting two birds with one stone for those with patchy facial hair.
Trim it if necessary
Just because you have a short beard doesn’t mean you no longer have to trim it. Beards will grow in different lengths all over your face, if you don’t trim it, the hair will be asymmetrical. You can use a trimmer and a pair of scissors here, but if you want perfect lines, a straight razor is a champ. Once you reach the sideburn area, trim in an upward motion for a natural finish.
Make sure that you comb in between snips and glides. This will put the beard back in its original position so you’ll see the result of your barbering.
As much as possible, don’t use regular scissors you can find in the house. Invest in the right tools like a clipper and a pair of shears as a way on how to groom a beard properly. A cordless trimmer would be perfect for trimming a beard but make sure you get the right guards to avoid any hairy mishaps.
Careful on the beard line
Avoid this common mistake! Some guys are too lazy to shave properly that they end up going beyond the beard line. This part will make your face either sharper or fatter depending on how you do the trimming. Cutting the beard too close on the neck will give you an ugly double chin and added weight on your face.
The beard line can be tricky and the moment you do a little trimming, it will expose you to the risk of overdoing it. To picture it, the safest trim on the beard line is to let the hair crawl underneath your chin close to the neck. Make sure that your jawline is hidden and if you have a flab on the neck area, let it extend a bit more to hide the excess curve.
Don’t sculpt the beard in line with your jawline. Let it grow a little bit more beyond that.
Comb it
Once the sculpting is done, the first step on how to groom a beard properly is combing the hair. This might look like a no-brainer but a lot of bearded guys forget one thing: combing it the right away. The thing about beards is that they will grow in crazy directions. If you don’t train it early on, it will look a frizzy pube protruding all over your face.
Use a beard comb since it’s made with minimal rough edges, unlike press-molded ones that will damage the strands of the beard. Some guys also opt for wooden combs with large teeth. But for those with a lush beard, narrow-teeth comb should be used. It will remove the tangles on the beard; however, don’t pull on a snag when you encounter it. Try fixing it with your fingers or applying a beard oil to smooth things out.
Wax/oil/balm it
After giving the beard a nice comb, apply a wax, balm, or oil that you prefer for styling. Balm products will have varying holds so make sure to get one that suits your needs. When using oil, don’t overdo the application or it will make the mane too greasy and sticky to the touch. Oils can be used as a moisturizing and styling product in one depending on the consistency. I can bet on the Bossman Jelly Beard Oil on how to groom a beard properly.
For the wax, the crowd favorite is the Honest Amish Original Wax. Besides, who can beat the classic? This works well in beard control and light shaping so you get to style the mane without looking unnatural. The Honest Amish wax is also a winner in taming frizzy strands.
Anyway, if you just want a minimal hold and a nice leave-on formula, the balm from Honest Amish will be a perfect choice.
Lastly, do the styling
One thing you should know about beard styling is you shouldn’t underestimate how time-consuming it can be. This is very crucial if you a very frizzy beard since the taming process can be excruciating especially without the right products.
Veteran beard guys recommend applying salt spray on the beard right after you wash it. It will help in giving your beard more volume and texture for easier styling. However, this isn’t for everyone.
After you apply the optional salt spray and balm/wax/oil, use a brush or comb to start styling. If the beard tends to be curly, you cause a hair dryer with little heat to control the direction of the strands. Once you achieve the shape you want, you can seal the beard with a balm application. Comb, comb, comb. This process will be difficult at the beginning, but it’s just a matter of getting used to it.
Avoid these mistakes:
Pinching your ingrown hair
Never treat ingrown hairs like pimples. Pinching it will only result to infection, pain, or redness. It’s not the way to go on how to groom a beard properly. Don’t use tweezers either. Instead, massage your beard at least once a week using a scrub wash. It will remove the dead skin cells and free the ingrown hair from being trapped. Clogged pores can also cause ingrown hairs so make sure that you maintain a clean skin before styling or applying products. Grooming products with oil ingredients is a good moisturizer, but it can also trap the dirt if you don’t wash beforehand.
If the ingrown hair is located in the neck or close to the beard area, avoid shaving too close to the hair follicles. Hair follicles cut too close may result in the hair to grow backward.
Trimming a wet beard
Contrary to common practice, trimming your beard while it’s dripping wet isn’t a good thing. The wetness of the beard will make it appear different once it’s dry. It may result in an asymmetrical finish or a very thin look. Another thing is that when the beard is wet, the strands aren’t in its unnatural place. You might cut some parts too short only to regret it after the mane dries. The appearance of the manly mane while wet is distorted and might be tricky to the trim.
Even if you have a thick beard, it wouldn’t be that hard to dry. Use a hair dryer if you’re in a hurry. Comb it well and then start razoring or cutting. That’s how to groom a beard properly.
But why do barbers and stylists spray water on the scalp hair before cutting? Well, the beard is way different than the hair on your head.
Rush on the shaving
There are guys who don’t pay much attention to the importance of shaving properly. Slowly but surely, as the old adage goes. You’re not in a shaving race, anyway, so slow down on your gliding of that blade. The least that you want to happen is ending up with painful nicks and ingrown hairs. Also, you might rip a chunk of your precious beards if you shave hastily. Even shedding dogs aren’t brushed with the same force, mind you.
Always shave the non-bearded parts with a shaving cream. Add water to it and lather well for a smoother shave along the grain. You see, grooming a beard takes more time than what you actually imagined.
Storing dirty equipment
Stop it, lazy you! Storing your shaving and grooming equipment dirty will be the cause of infection and irritation in the future. It’s not how to groom a beard properly. Take time to wash each blade and roller before you keep it back into the cabinet. At some point, you might forget that the shaver or razor is dirty and using it again without cleaning is not much of the hygiene you’ll want for your precious mane.
Shaving the neck clean
Unless you want to look like NFL’s Ben Roethlisberger with an ugly double chin, don’t ambush that stubble on your neck. Like what I said earlier, don’t sculpt along the jawline. Let it grow a bit more beyond so it hides the curves and sharpens the appearance of your mane.
Do you know how to groom a beard properly? Let us know below!
