Beard Care & Maintenance

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====== Beard Care & Maintenance ======
Contrary to popular belief, beards are not grown by lazy men that just can't take the time to shave. In fact, growing and maintaining a beard is much more work than shaving or trimming down to skin, and seeing anything longer than stubble on a guy is always intentional.

In this post we'll talk about the things we need to do to maintain our beards, and some tips on getting them done efficiently. Of course, this is for those men that are clean and appreciate looking their best and presenting themselves as true beard ambassadors. You //can// be lazy and do nothing with your facial hair, but it surely won't look good or appeal to others in a positive way.

===== What we need to do =====
A few of the things we need to do regularly include:
  * Washing beard several times per week
  * Trimming off split-ends
  * Hydrating beard and skin
  * Styling beard for the day

==== Washing Your Beard ====
**Wash (or rinse) your beard once per day as part of your daily beard care.**

Washing your beard is a must if you want to stay clean and smelling fresh. A lot of bearded men wash everyday, which can be okay, but isn't necessarily recommended. Rinsing with water, whether at the sink or in the shower, everyday or even more than once per day is fine, however.

Soaps and shampoos are meant to clean, and some may do so more harshly than others. See the [[:beard wash|beard wash]] wiki page for more info about what types of products you should use for your beard and steps on how to get it properly washed.

Keeping in mind that washing too often can cause breakage and split-ends, a beard's growth may be quicker should you opt to take better care of it by washing it less.

==== Trimming Split Ends ====
**Look in the mirror closely at the ends of your hair and trim away splits as part of your beard care routine.**

Split ends are bad to keep around for too long. When a hair gets split, usually due to dryness from lack of moisturizing, the split can travel down the hair shaft. If left for long enough, the split can eventually make its way to the root, causing the hair to fall out.

When taking this into account over many hairs in the facial area, excessive damage and splitting can cause your beard to look more sparse, less healthy due to the splits, dryness, and possibly [[:beardruff|beardruff]].

Trimming split ends is easy with a small pair of scissors. Try to stay away from electronic beard trimmers, as the chances of accidentally taking off more hair than intended increases. Simply cut the split off by snipping further down the hair shaft where the split is no longer present.

==== Hydrating Your Beard & Skin ====
**Moisturize your beard and skin after washes, or daily, as part of your beard care.**

After washing your beard and letting it become damp (not wet) from towel-drying, it's a good time to apply some sort of oil or [[:beard oil#beard-butter|beard butter]].

Keeping your beard and the skin underneath moisturized properly will allow the hair to grow to its fullest potential. Dry skin is not the ideal platform for a beard to grow on, so make sure you keep the skin healthy. Try massaging oil into it every now and then for extra blood flow and stimulation.

==== Styling Your Beard ====
**After rinsing or washing your beard and applying oil, complete your styling at the end of your daily beard care routine**

Now that you have the beard clean of debris and oiled up, bust out the comb or boar bristle brush (or both), and style the beard to your liking. Don't brush too often, and make sure your hair is nearly or fully dry before doing so, as it can be abrasive and cause breakage while the hair is still wet. Comb as often as needed, but be sure not to tug at the hair or force the comb through.

This styling stage might be a good time to apply your [[:mustache wax|mustache wax]] or [[:beard balm|beard balm]] to help control your look.

===== Conclusion =====
Beard care is important to do daily, but doesn't necessarily take a lot of time. The more you get to know your beard and how to care for it, the easier and faster it will be at the sink in the mornings.

Remember to keep your face hydrated, clean, and free of split-ends. Style it last just before you go about your day to have the sharpest look out of the door.
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