Maintaining a healthy beard
JUST like the hair on your head, a striking beard requires time and maintenance to look its best. Cut back on the grooming and your beard’s appearance will suffer.
Remember, it’s not just the appearance of the hair you’re caring for, it’s the delicate skin underneath. This is why it is important to find a beard grooming regime that works for you and stick to it - no one wants an itchy beard.
This involves washing, combing, styling and moisturising your beard on a regular basis. Only then will you achieve soft and manageable facial hair you’ll be keen to show off.
Long or short, sparse or bushy — the length and thickness of your beard may not matter as much as you think, when it comes to maintenance. Beards of all shapes and sizes require some maintenance for optimal appearance and health.
That said, the amount of maintenance you’ll need to do will depend on your #beardgoals.
Other important factors include the speed of your hair growth and texture, which varies from person to person, thanks to genetics, age, and overall health.
Below, you’ll find 12 essential do’s and don’ts for maintaining some healthy and seriously swoon-worthy whiskers.
Aim to wash your beard at least 2-3 times per week
It might go without saying that nobody wants a dirty beard. Still, unless you expose your whiskers to a lot of dust or dirt, or you
find them especially sticky or messy after a spill, you don’t need to wash your beard daily.
Washing your beard 2 or 3 times per week and maintaining other good grooming habits like regular brushing, can keep your beard clean, according to Dr. Anna Chacon, a board certified dermatologist.
Chacon also recommends practicing good hand hygiene as part of keeping your beard clean and healthy. The cleaner your hands when you touch your beard, the less grime and germs you pass onto your face hair.
Consider your skin type
Let your skin type guide you when it comes to maintaining your beard.
In other words, you might wash your beard and face more frequently if you have oily skin, but less frequently if your skin tends to be fairly dry.
It also helps to keep your skin type in mind when choosing products. For example, if you have sensitive skin, you might opt for fragrance-free products. If you’re prone to acne, you might avoid beard oil — and other oilbased skin products, for that matter.
Moisturise your beard Moisturising is an important step in maintaining a healthy beard since it can help prevent irritation and dryness. A dry beard will feel prickly and rough against the skin. Plus, it might also have a dull appearance and become harder to manage.
It is recommended to moisturise even if you have oily skin or acne — your skin will thank you for it.
As for how to moisturise? You can opt for beard moisturiser, conditioner, or oil, depending on your skin type.
Even if the beard of your dreams is long and bushy, you’ll benefit from regular trimming.
Pruning helps you maintain your beard’s shape and length.
Otherwise, how often you trim your beard and how much you take off depends on how fast your hair grows and where you are in the growing process. As a general rule of thumb, trim your beard roughly every 4
Trim your beard regularly
weeks if you’re trying to grow it out. If you want to maintain your length, aim to trim every 7 to 10 days.
Choose the right tools for the job
If you plan to keep a beard for the long haul, you may want to consider investing in some quality tools.
That said, you don’t have to break the bank just to maintain your beard. There’s no need to purchase every beard tool and gadget on the market.
You can maintain a beard with a beard grooming kit that includes:
◆ a good pair of clippers for trimming ◆ sharp scissors for detailing
◆ a beard comb for detangling, spreading
product, and styling
◆ a beard brush for styling a longer or
fuller beard
◆ a razor and replacement blades
Don’t forget to check the skin under your beard
Shaving and grooming can cause cuts and irritation that give bacteria a way into the bloodstream and increase your chances of infection. Chacon recommends checking the skin under your beard periodically for cuts and sores.
While you’re at it, it never hurts to pay attention to other skin concerns, like acne or irritation. Catching potential issues early on can help you tweak your grooming routine and products accordingly, before your symptoms get worse. —