How to Grow a Beard – Pro Tips

While growing a beard may seem as easy as putting down the razor, there is a lot more to it. Beards require patience, maintenance, and self-confidence to get past those awkward stages. The good news is with the right strategy; an amazing beard is in your grasp. However, the process will not be the same for everyone, nor will the beard. It’s important to manage expectations and rock the facial hair you have. After all, beards are completely personal. Some guys like big beards, some like simple stubble.

This guide touches on the pro tips for growing a successful beard and what to expect as your hair grows out.

MAKE THE COMMITMENT

The key elements in growing a beard are patience and the will not to give up. You need to remember your goal and not immediately shave your beard when things get tough. The first few weeks can be difficult between the itchiness and discomfort of hairs poking through your skin. You will be tempted to scratch, rub, and shave the mess. Hang in there.

LET IT GROW

Most beginner beardsman make the mistake of giving up too early. It takes time to get a full beard. Not all hairs grow at the same rate or to the same length. If you only let your beard grow out for a few weeks and give up you won’t get to see the full potential your beard could be. If you are serious about growing a beard, you have to give it more than 30 days of growth before deciding to shave or trim.

Although variable growth rates can leave your beard looking uneven and patchy, resist shaping or trimming it for the first 4-6 weeks. Waiting allows your beard to fill out and better your understanding of your hair type and growth pattern. If you grab your beard shears and trimmers at every sight of a flyaway or patchy area, you will never reach your goals. Trust us; you can’t trim your way to a longer beard.

Keep your hands off your face and let your beard do its thing. The more you touch or agitate your facial skin and hairs, the more damage and stress you put on your follicles. Not to mention your hands are covered in oils and bacteria that worsen the quality of your beard growth. Just let it grow.

DON’T WAIT TO START USING BEARD PRODUCTS

Like it or not; a beard requires maintenance. The sooner you start using beard products and establish a beard care routine, the better.

Beard oil works wonders for hydrating and nourishing your facial skin and hairs to help hairs come in healthy and soft. It can also help eliminate the beginner beard woes such as itchiness and flakiness.

For most men, washing their face is tied to their shaving routine. Even though you are no longer shaving, your face needs to be cleaned to facilitate hair growth and keep your skin moisturized and healthy. 2-in-1 Beard Wash & Softener is also essential to start using immediately to eliminate the grime that can build up.

As your beard grows, you will want to introduce a beard brush to direct hairs, increase circulation and exfoliate your skin. Once your beard passes short length, you will want to start using a beard comb to detangle and distribute natural oils and products.

HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

When you first grow a beard, you need to pay attention to how and where it grows. Knowing your potential as a beardsman and your genetic limits are essential for the success of your beard.

Expect to have some messiness at first. A month-long beard will be a little patchy, a little wild. Don’t judge your beard by these first few weeks. Growing a beard is about experimenting. It will take trial and error to figure out what works best for you and your beard.

We will repeat it. Do not touch your beard for the first 4-6 weeks. Leave it alone. After just a few days of growth, it is hard to see the natural shape of your beard. Giving your facial hair longer to grow in will make trimming and styling easier in a few weeks.

PLAN YOUR BEARD LINES AND SET YOUR GOALS

Before growing a beard, educating yourself on what kind of beard will look best on your face shape is important. Understanding how your facial hair fills in and its growth patterns are also things to consider when choosing your beard style. Do your chin and mustache areas fill in full and thick but not your cheeks? A goatee might be the perfect beard for you.

Find a style that is unique to yourself and reflects your personality while embracing your best features and complimenting your face shape and natural beard shape.

TRIM YOUR BEARD INTO SHAPE

The big difference between an intentional, well-maintained beard and an untouched caveman beard is trimming and shaping. After the 4-6 week mark, you have a good idea of what your beard can do and are ready to start cleaning it up. There is no shame in the barber game, especially for your first shape-up or trying a new beard style. Find a trusted barber who is going to take care of you.

DON’T COMPARE YOUR BEARD TO OTHERS

One of the biggest misconceptions men have is the only beard worth growing is the full-length, full-grown beard. The truth is beards come in all different styles and varieties. Everyone has different amounts of facial hair, growth patterns, and texture. Don’t be afraid to rock some facial hair, even if it isn’t thick and full. All beardsman go through patchy, awkward, and unkept stages, so don’t worry if your beard doesn’t automatically look the way you want. We all struggle with different quirks about our beards we don’t love.

Finding quality products and beard styles highlighting your best features will make your beard journey more manageable. It’s best to focus on what your beard can do instead of what it can’t. You won’t be successful if you try to grow someone else's beard; just grow your own beard. You can get inspiration but don’t compare your beard, especially your beginning beard, to your beard icons.

Typically, growing a full beard can take anywhere between 2 to 6 months. However, every beardsman’s hair will grow at different rates due to age, genetics, hormone levels, and other factors, so there is no straight answer to how long it could take a person to grow a beard.

The average daily growth of beard rate ranges between 0.3 and 0.5 mm, which adds up to around half an inch per month. So if you do the math, the average man could have a beard of up to six inches in length after a year of growth with minimal trimming.