Tricks for a Long Beard

Long beards have been seen through the ages.

Growing a long beard is as easy as making the decision to stop shaving. Typically, a man’s facial hair grows fast enough for a beard to grow in just a few weeks. For some men, growing a beard is a practice in masculinity, while others view growing a beard as simply a change in appearance. Follow these tips and tricks for growing and maintaining your facial pride and joy.

Growing

The best way to start growing your beard is to stop shaving for a minimum of four weeks. During this time, avoid any trimming, shaving or shaping at all to prevent removing too much of the beard and hindering your progress. The initial growing period may cause some self-consciousness as your beard begins to fill in. If this is a concern, consider starting your beard growth during a holiday break or vacation.

Itching

During the beard growing process, you likely will experience some itching. This is normal as the small hairs of the beard grow and irritate your sensitive skin. Itching is generally a temporary problem that will go away on its own after a short period. To relieve itching, shampoo daily, use a conditioner on your beard and apply moisturizing lotion or baby oil to the itchy area.

Shaping

After four weeks of beard growth, you are now ready to begin shaping a neck and cheek line in your beard. The neck line is the area under your chin where the beard meets the natural line of your neck. The cheek line is the area where the beard naturally grows on your cheeks. Some men prefer to shape these areas, while some prefer to let the beard grow naturally. Make sure the decision you make fits your lifestyle. If you decided to shape these areas, visit a barber for the initial shaping of the beard and maintain the shape yourself.

Maintaining

After shaping your beard, you can begin to maintain the beard, letting it grow as long and full as you wish. To maintain your beard, clean with shampoo and soften with conditioner on a daily basis. Towel dry and use a large-toothed comb to groom. After the beard dries, use a beard trimmer or sharp scissors to trim if needed. Follow with a careful shave to eliminate any stray hairs.

References

• Beards: How to Grow a Beard
• Art of Manliness: Growing a Manly Beard