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Autumn Is Coming - How To Grow Your Beard For The Colder Weather
There are few things more depressing than the inevitable end of Summer. As the mercury begins to fall, memories of bubbling Pimm’s and sizzling barbecues slowly fade as the nights draw in.
However, here we’re going to buck the trend of solar sadness and embrace a lack of Vitamin D for a moment as; believe it or not; the colder seasons do offer some benefits.
For a start, the clothes are way better - layering cosy cardi’s over hoodies or under jackets has always been more interesting than throwing on a tee and shorts, right? Then there’s the welcome return of the Sunday roast, ideally served with a complimentary beer in front of the raging log fire in your cosy local, bliss!
Then, for many there’s the annual facial hair grow out. The days of being overheated and annoyed by a hefty covering of whiskers is soon to be over. It’s time to take the plunge and embrace the warmth that only a solid beard can offer.
Be warned though, it’s not always as easy as just retiring the razor for the season. A good few attempt the beard-a-thon but give in prior to full fruition. Here we offer a few tips on how to grow out your beard as simply, and successfully, as possible.
As barbers, the number one reason we hear for people admitting defeat during the grow out process is the dreaded itch.
The first thing to remember is that the itch is only temporary. It is the skin’s reaction to the sharp end of the follicles poking through. Once the hair reaches a certain length then this sharp end is no longer in direct contact with the skin, and it will soften over time too. This is why it’s worse for those who start from a wet shave rather than long stubble or a short beard.
As we know though, all of this doesn’t help with the acute initial annoyance. So, if the itch is making you want to reach for your Mach 3 then instead grab a good moisturiser or oil. This will soften the sharp beard hairs and reduce abrasion with the skin.
Good options include a beard oil, use sparingly at this stage though as you don’t want your mug to get too greasy, or a looser moisturiser. Products labelled as balm or similar tend to be a bit runnier than most moisturisers which means they’ll not only sit on the follicles, but reach the face too.
Much the same as growing out your hair on top of your head, we often hear “my beard grows so quickly it’ll be big in no time”.
Whilst in certain circumstances this may be the case, often it’s just that the closer you wear your beard (or hair for that matter) the more you notice the growth.
Once you get past the “long stubble” phase it often feels like the process takes longer than you expected. It’s not that your beard has stopped growing, it’s just that it becomes less noticeable the longer it gets. I imagine that Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top fame wouldn’t notice a couple of months of growth on his epic bristles.
Be patient and embrace the grow out. Who knows, you may end up opting for a shorter beard long term, so think of this as a trial period.
A common cause of beard-related annoyance is the moustache, and many inexperienced growers mistake issues here with aggravation towards the whole beard.
We all know how annoying a long moustache can be when hitting the lattes, Guinness or soup. It’s enough to make you call it a day on the lumberjack look you’d been aiming for.
Well fear not, for most beard styles - even longer ones - can often be teamed with a comparatively shorter ‘tache.
Use a trimmer with a narrow blade, or a thin pair of scissors, to regularly trim the whiskers just off the upper lip. That way you will still build up bulk in this area without having to chew on them mid meal.
After you’ve left your facial hair to grow out into the early makings of a mammoth appendage, then you may find that the hair appears to be sticking out rather than downwards into your Jason Mamoa dream beard.
To solve this conundrum it’s a case of tapering the shape at this point, basically squaring it off. The easiest way to do this is to brush or comb all of the hair outwards before trimming it with a pair of scissors or a set of trimmers without a guard into a vertical shape through the sides.
Remember less is more, so don’t undo all of your good work thus far by going too gung-ho. If in doubt visit your barber first time around.
It sounds obvious, but the skin on your cheeks and chin will become harder to get to once covered in facial foliage.
Because of this you’ll need to give it some beans when washing there to make sure that the skin underneath stays cleansed and exfoliated.
There are now plenty of beard specific washes on the market but to be honest you’ll most likely be fine sticking with your regular face wash if you focus on the jaw area a bit more than you used to pre-beard. Think of it similarly to when you shampoo your hair. A scrub once or twice a week doesn’t go amiss either, as it shifts and lifts any dead skin (beardruff).
The benefits aren’t just for your skin either, your beard is less likely to be brittle and suffer breakage if it’s clean and healthy. As with the skin though, be sure to hydrate afterwards.
However, here we’re going to buck the trend of solar sadness and embrace a lack of Vitamin D for a moment as; believe it or not; the colder seasons do offer some benefits.
For a start, the clothes are way better - layering cosy cardi’s over hoodies or under jackets has always been more interesting than throwing on a tee and shorts, right? Then there’s the welcome return of the Sunday roast, ideally served with a complimentary beer in front of the raging log fire in your cosy local, bliss!
Then, for many there’s the annual facial hair grow out. The days of being overheated and annoyed by a hefty covering of whiskers is soon to be over. It’s time to take the plunge and embrace the warmth that only a solid beard can offer.
Be warned though, it’s not always as easy as just retiring the razor for the season. A good few attempt the beard-a-thon but give in prior to full fruition. Here we offer a few tips on how to grow out your beard as simply, and successfully, as possible.
Fighting The Itch
As barbers, the number one reason we hear for people admitting defeat during the grow out process is the dreaded itch.
The first thing to remember is that the itch is only temporary. It is the skin’s reaction to the sharp end of the follicles poking through. Once the hair reaches a certain length then this sharp end is no longer in direct contact with the skin, and it will soften over time too. This is why it’s worse for those who start from a wet shave rather than long stubble or a short beard.
As we know though, all of this doesn’t help with the acute initial annoyance. So, if the itch is making you want to reach for your Mach 3 then instead grab a good moisturiser or oil. This will soften the sharp beard hairs and reduce abrasion with the skin.
Good options include a beard oil, use sparingly at this stage though as you don’t want your mug to get too greasy, or a looser moisturiser. Products labelled as balm or similar tend to be a bit runnier than most moisturisers which means they’ll not only sit on the follicles, but reach the face too.
Don’t Expect Too Much Too Soon
Much the same as growing out your hair on top of your head, we often hear “my beard grows so quickly it’ll be big in no time”.
Whilst in certain circumstances this may be the case, often it’s just that the closer you wear your beard (or hair for that matter) the more you notice the growth.
Once you get past the “long stubble” phase it often feels like the process takes longer than you expected. It’s not that your beard has stopped growing, it’s just that it becomes less noticeable the longer it gets. I imagine that Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top fame wouldn’t notice a couple of months of growth on his epic bristles.
Be patient and embrace the grow out. Who knows, you may end up opting for a shorter beard long term, so think of this as a trial period.
Moustache Maintenance
A common cause of beard-related annoyance is the moustache, and many inexperienced growers mistake issues here with aggravation towards the whole beard.
We all know how annoying a long moustache can be when hitting the lattes, Guinness or soup. It’s enough to make you call it a day on the lumberjack look you’d been aiming for.
Well fear not, for most beard styles - even longer ones - can often be teamed with a comparatively shorter ‘tache.
Use a trimmer with a narrow blade, or a thin pair of scissors, to regularly trim the whiskers just off the upper lip. That way you will still build up bulk in this area without having to chew on them mid meal.
Growing “Out Rather Than Down”
After you’ve left your facial hair to grow out into the early makings of a mammoth appendage, then you may find that the hair appears to be sticking out rather than downwards into your Jason Mamoa dream beard.
To solve this conundrum it’s a case of tapering the shape at this point, basically squaring it off. The easiest way to do this is to brush or comb all of the hair outwards before trimming it with a pair of scissors or a set of trimmers without a guard into a vertical shape through the sides.
Remember less is more, so don’t undo all of your good work thus far by going too gung-ho. If in doubt visit your barber first time around.
Keep It Clean
It sounds obvious, but the skin on your cheeks and chin will become harder to get to once covered in facial foliage.
Because of this you’ll need to give it some beans when washing there to make sure that the skin underneath stays cleansed and exfoliated.
There are now plenty of beard specific washes on the market but to be honest you’ll most likely be fine sticking with your regular face wash if you focus on the jaw area a bit more than you used to pre-beard. Think of it similarly to when you shampoo your hair. A scrub once or twice a week doesn’t go amiss either, as it shifts and lifts any dead skin (beardruff).
The benefits aren’t just for your skin either, your beard is less likely to be brittle and suffer breakage if it’s clean and healthy. As with the skin though, be sure to hydrate afterwards.
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