How to Maintain Your Beard

Okay so No-shave November came and went. Then the New Year came and went too. Now, you magnificent Beast have a glorious beard. However, how the hell are you going to maintain it. It seems like now a day we get or beard tips like Mob. You got your info from a guy, who knew a guy, who saw a guy with a beard. I mean right?! Someone mentioned to you about balms or something, and this other guy said something about an oil. Then some other guy, who does not even have a beard mentioned to you he used to have one and that you need to watch out for Sulfates.

So I bet you that you are like 90 percent of men out there that just do not have a lot of time to do what I do on a weekly basis, which is, scour the four corners of the Internet, trying to find the end, and then find new tips and techniques to bring to you on how to grow your Beastly Beard better. You want the short and dirty, the cut and dry (pun intended), or the bottom line to get your beard to do what you want it to do.

Well my bearded Brother, I am going to get down to brass tacks here and tell you today how to keep that awesome manliness you call a beard looking awesome.

Step One: Grow a beard

Okay this first one obviously goes without saying. To maintain a beard, you need to have a beard. To that affect, I need to poll you guys and get a consensus on how much scruff is classified as having an actual beard. We will do that later. Hey better yet, if you feel so inclined, please post that response in the comments to this article. Here is my perspective:

Clean Shaven: No Growth.

5 O’clock Shadow: 1 to 5 days of growth.

Scruff: 2 to 4 weeks of growth.

Beard: 5 to 10 weeks of growth

Yeard: 52 weeks or 1 year of growth.

Being Clean shaven goes without saying, no face fuzz at all. Whereas, 5 o’clock shadow is where your face resembles the quality of sandpaper. On the other hand, scruff is the stage between 5 o’clock shadow and a full beard. It is where it is still not tamable yet long enough to represent a beard. A beard is obvious yet needs some clarification. It is where it is now fully come in and is manageable and tamable. A Yeard is a beard that you have frown for a whole year.

Related: New Year! New Outlook on Your Beard!

Now this is not to say that every stage you cannot using thigs to keep it in manageable condition. Only that we are trying to iterate that now that you have a beard lets keep it looking awesome.

Keep It Trimmed

Now this will vary from beard to beard. However regardless how often you will need to catch and trim those strays. You will now notice as your beard is getting longer that some hair will seem to grow like a weed. While other hairs seem to match the rest of your face. Ignoring these strays will make it look more and more unkempt. So, plan a visit to your barber.

Now choosing a barber can be tricky. My best advice is, ask your bearded brethren around you who they go to when getting their beard groomed. Do not settle.

“My best advice is, ask your bearded brethren around you who they go to when getting their beard groomed."

However, if you plan to cut your beard yourself, spend the time to look up a lot of beard trimming videos and articles. You took the time to grow that masterpiece so take the time to investigate grooming it. A few tips to follow when self-grooming are:

• Take your Time
• Style Fist then cut
• Do not cut it wet.
• If you make a mistake, WALK AWAY

Now if you are looking for a good grooming kit, “The Beard Struggle” has got your back. With the Viking Black Steel Trimming Kit is a solid, sturdy, designed scissors that have been designed with you in mind. Check them out if you want to know more. You won’t regret it.

Your Nighttime Beard

Now this is very important! Your beard gets damaged when it is dry. So, keep it hydrated. So right after your evening shower grab some oil and add it to that wet beard to keep it supple. I know you are wondering why put in beard oil after a shower when it is already wet. This is because right after a shower your pores and hair cells are open and will readily absorb the oil better.

I would recommend “The Beard Struggle” Night Liquid Gold Elixir. This oil is specially formulated to nourish your beard and lock in moisture overnight.

Now if you are like me and wake up drenched in sweat every morning you can take a morning Shower. Same applies if you are following the beard struggles regiments with a slight modification. For myself, I use the Day Liquid Gold Tonic right after my shower. Then I wait for the hair to dry all the way and apply beard balm to help shape and hold the beard in place. Still follow rest of the regiment as normal.

Shampoo the Grime away

Make sure you are washing your beard daily or more than daily to ensure you are keeping it clean to promote proper beard growth. Beards are prone to getting dirty, collecting crumbs, and absorbing everyday pollutants. So, grab some Beard wash to keep that Man Mane magnificent as the rest of you. Throw in some Beard Conditioner to help keep it conditioned and static free.

I have noticed recently that if I skip conditioning either my hair or my beard that it is as staticky as if you pulled a wool blanket out of the dryer without fabric softener. That thing sticks to everything doesn’t it? So keep some conditioner in it to avoid all that mess.

Lastly, take time every day to brush your beard and train it to the shape you want. Brushing daily will help to train your beard to grow the way you want it to.

Have more questions? We would love to hear from you. Comment on the comment section below or write us on Facebook at:www.facebook.com/thebeardstruggle/ . Hope you enjoyed the article. Until next time, Beard on, Beard Strugglers!