How to turn that rough patch into smooth turf

Image consultant and director of cosmetic brand Resulté, Francois Louw, tells us that beards these days are not just facial hair but are now an accessory for men.

Men often suffer with patchy beards or find it difficult to grow a beard altogether.

“A lot of men grow a beard and they do absolutely nothing to maintain or style their beards. This is a no-no as your beard quickly becomes your fashion accessory,” Louw advises.

“If you want to keep your beard, you need to keep it in check on the regular with simple grooming techniques. “First and foremost, you want to match your beard shape to your face shape. This sounds simple but a lot of men misjudge. Then, men must look after their beards in terms of styling products; and yes, it is a manly thing to do!

“Some men shave too high up into their necklines. In simple terms, you need to imagine a curved line between both of your ears that passes underneath your chin. Using this as guide, you can then use a trimmer to trim any hairs that don’t follow this path.”

And are there general ways to boost men’s facial hair? “When men grow their beards, they often give up too quickly. The majority of us have been there; had a week or two of growth and thought to ourselves – this isn’t working. The next step tends to be shaving the beard off,” Louw says. “But the question you really have to ask yourself is have you given your beard enough time to reach its full potential? My guess would be not. Most people are simply too impatient to wait and see how their beard will turn out. “That’s why I always recommend waiting at least two months before making a decision. Yes, that is a long time. But even the guys with the patchiest beards at the start, are usually much happier after leaving it for a while, when the hair has grown long enough to drop and cover the gaps.

“At least you can use your beard growth serum for those patches!”