Bearding Tips and Myths

As any casual walk down a busy city street will tell you, clean-shaven is no longer king. In every shape, size and style, beards are everywhere – for the young, the old, the skater and the suit-wearing professional.

In short, anything goes – but a beard needs a little more attention than a goldfish. So here is a quick guide, with three helpful tips, and three debunked beard myths:

Tip 1: Sculpting

You can’t just plump for the hobo look, so you’re going to need to do some sculpting. A top tip is to grab a straight razor, with the single blade perfect for detail.

Tip 2: Beard trimmers

For an excellent short beard, grab a beard trimmer. Start by using a bigger guard for your entire face, and then go a little shorter for your neck. For the hair on the sides of your neck and below your Adam’s Apple, clean-shaven right to the skin.

Tip 3: Treat your beard

No, the hair on your face is not the same as the hair on your head. Yes, you want your beard to be manly, but it will also look better if it is as soft as possible. So use specific beard products that will gently condition the facial hair.

Next up, because of the growing (pun intended) popularity of beards, it seems that everyone wants one – but not everyone can grow one. So if you’re despairing, here are a few beard myths that might make you feel better.

Myth 1: It will never grow

Many guys believe that if they can’t grow a full beard by the age of 20, they never will. It’s not true. Many men find that they are well into their 30s, and perhaps even older, before they can fully embrace a full beard.

Myth 2: It has to be full

Some men will never try to grow a beard because they ‘know’ hair doesn’t grow thickly all over their face. But in truth, the way your face grows hair could be perfect for you, so be confident, grow a beard and see how it looks – specifically on you. Also remember that areas of your beard that appear ‘bald’ now will probably grow in time – and we’re talking months.

Myth 3: Your beard doesn’t look good

If people are always commenting on your new beard, chances are it either a) hasn’t been given the full few months it needs to ultimately grow, or b) the people who know you well are just adjusting to your totally different look. So stay the course, and wear your beard proudly.