Your beard is an investment. You spent time growing it, you spend time maintaining it, and you spend money on grooming and care. You might as well put in a little effort to protect it too!
There are a few common bad habits that can significantly damage your beard’s look and health. The first step in stopping them is identifying them. Here’s a list of the baddest beard habits, plus some advice on how to stop hurting your hairs.
Stop Pulling Your Beard
We get it, sometimes you need to fiddle with something, but don’t let it be your follicles. Pulling your beard is a bad habit that will lead to damaging your hair follicles and potentially tearing your hair out. If you do it often enough you could wind up with bald patches.
If you find yourself constantly picking or pulling at your beard, try a different distraction! Play with a pen, squeeze a stress ball or try one of those fidget cubes (if you feel like bringing 2017 back, get a spinner) — anything to keep you hands off that man mane.
If you find yourself pulling and picking, train yourself to seek a different distraciton instead. Maybe play with a pen, squeeze a stress ball, or use one of those fidget cubes (if you feel like bringing 2017 back, get a spinner) — anything to keep your hands off that man mane.
Stop Drying Your Beard Out
Are you moisturizing? You should be.
This doesn’t mean dipping into your significant other’s hand cream; you need a dedicated beard butter, oil, or balm designed for beard hair, which typically has a different texture than the hair on your head or other parts of your body. If you’re not keeping that beard buttered up it will get dry, brittle, and you’ll see some breakage.
Moisture goes beyond the beard too. If your skin isn't hydrated, you risk getting a bad case of beard dandruff, or you may develop an itch that leads to too much scratching or picking. No one likes a flaky face. A good beard product will reduce itch, reduce or eliminate dandruff, and soften your strands.
Don't Forget to Brush
Styling doesn’t have to be an every day affair, but completely neglecting to groom is not a good look. We get it, not every man wants a styled, sculpted beard, and that's normal! Just don't forget to brush every once and while.
What’s the point of growing a beautiful beard just to have it look like a tangled mess? You don’t want people thinking you recently woke up from hibernation!
Get yourself a beard brush or comb and go over your beard with it at least a couple times a week. We recommend once a day - it takes less than minute and is easy enough to work into your daily routine. If you have especially unruly bristles invest in a beard balm to hold that perfectly sculpted style.
Beware An Unnatural Neckline
Your neckline is an important aspect of your beard. It outlines the bottom of your face, and if you don’t trim it right, it could wind up looking a bit off. You want to make your neckline look natural, and like it flows with the rest of your beard. Whatever your beard style - perfectly sculpted, all natural - your neckline should reflect that in a way that seems effortless.
Sorry for romanticizing it, but a good neckline is just so special.
Here’s the rule of thumb, place two fingers near the top of your Adam’s apple. The top of your index finger is where your neckline should end. Go too low and you’ll wind up with an unruly looking neck beard. Go too high and you'll be left with an isolated beard that will seem pasted on.
Don't Use Hair Shampoo For Your Beard
“Hair is hair, right?” Wrong! If you’re making the mistake of using regular old shampoo on your beard, you’re endangering your face fuzz.
Some hair products contain chemicals that are not appropriate for your beard hair, and they could cause damage. The reason? Your scalp has much more resilient skin than your face, and those harsh shampoos just aren’t meant for anything else.
You should be using a beard wash! Beard washes are specifically designed for coarse hair and the sensitive skin underneath. They remove dirt, oils, and grit that all make your beard less than perfect. Look for a wash with tea tree oil, grape seed oil, or jojoba oil — these will all moisturize while the wash does its work.
Don't Forget to Clean Your Beard Tools
So you’re trimming, combing, and brushing but you just had a breakout? Well good on you for keeping up with everything, but you might not be cleaning your tools properly. It’s hard to hear, but your clippers, scissors, and combs are a breeding ground for bacteria.
You’ve gotta clean those things after every time you use them. Get yourself a spray disinfectant to make your life easier, or use a little rubbing alcohol in a pinch.
Clean your brush with a q-tip and get all the hair out. Staying on top of your tools is just as important as staying on top of your style!
Stay Fresh, Enjoy Life
Keeping yourself fresh and avoiding bad habits will help you enjoy bearded life better. So remember: Quit pulling on it, moisturize, style yourself, get that neckline perfect, buy yourself a wash, and clean those tools!
