The curly beard, some see it as a blessing, others as a curse. A typical case of "the grass is always greener on the other side. Men with a soft, woolly beard often prefer their beard to be more robust, and men with an unruly beard want a soft beard again. But not to worry, if you have a curly beard, you at least have the option of making it straighter and softer. Of course, you just need to know how to make your beard smooth. Time for tips.
Why does my beard curl?
First, it's important to take a moment to figure out exactly what the reason for your curly beard is. Often it's just genetic, a matter of luck or bad luck. It could be that your hair follicles are not symmetrical, causing the hairs growing out of them to be oval. And you get the idea, the longer those oval hairs get, the more they curl. It is also possible to get curly hair from hair follicles that are symmetrical. This in turn has to do with a specific type of keratin that is not evenly distributed in your hair follicles.
If it is not genetic, chances are your beard hairs (and the underlying skin) are very dehydrated. If your beard is medium to long, the use of proper grooming (beard oil, beard shampoo and beard balm) cannot be avoided. With proper care, your hair will become healthy and look its best.
How to straighten your beard again
As we briefly mentioned, the nice thing about a curly beard is that you can straighten it again. There are several ways to go about this, but if you want to go all the way, feel free to try all the tips below.
Wash your beard
It always starts with taking good care of your beard. Of course, grooming starts with keeping your beard clean, which you do with a good beard shampoo. Not only is this a great part of personal hygiene, but it will also encourage your beard to become as healthy as possible.
Wash your beard with a beard shampoo at most twice a week. The skin under your beard makes sebum and this is important for keeping your hair supple, so you don't want to strip that sebum from your skin too much.
If you have a good (and preferably natural) beard shampoo, it will contain many ingredients that support sebum production and give your beard hairs extra nutrition to become healthy. The beginning of a straight beard.
Soften your beard with a beard oil
A beard oil is the holy grail among beard products. When your natural sebum production won't be enough, beard oil will support you. It will also protect your beard well from nicotine, smog and other outside influences.
Many formulas of different beard oils contain natural oils such as almond oil, coconut oil, hemp oil, etc. These oils ensure that your beard (and the underlying skin) are well cared for and moisturized. Straightening a beard starts with proper moisturization, which is why beard oils are great for this purpose.
Use a beard brush
To distribute beard oil properly, it is important to use a good beard brush. Don't use it when your beard is still too wet! Wet beard hairs are very vulnerable because the hair cuticles are still open. So make sure your beard is dry enough.
You should brush your beard daily in the right direction. It may take some time, but eventually your beard will learn to remember which direction you try to push it in over and over again. Using a soothing beard serum with this is also an option. Several beard serums have the wondrous effect of making your beard smoother and softer, especially when combined with a good quality beard brush.
Blow-dry your beard
It may take some getting used to blow-drying your beard, but it really is the very best tip there is for curly beards. The heat from a blow dryer will be able to adjust the direction of your hair. Of course, be sure to protect your beard hairs before getting started with heat.
Let your beard air dry first and use some beard oil. Distribute your beard oil well before you grab your blow dryer. Make sure you set the hair dryer in a direction you want your beard to go and brush it well with a beard brush. The beard brush will provide extra smoothness and softness, while the hair dryer will meanwhile set your beard in the right direction. A golden combo for getting a straight beard.
Style your beard with a straightening iron
When all fails, use a straightener. A what? Yup, a straightener. This is really for the die hard wild beards among us. Using a straightener is not our first choice, but it can still be really effective if nothing else works. Do not use straighteners without a heat resistant spray, as straighteners can do quite a bit of damage if not used properly.
Should you want to use a straightener, always make sure your hair has been dried with a blow dryer. If your beard hairs are still wet and you are using a straightener, you are basically just frying them. Also, use a small straightener on a low setting, as this better suits the texture of your beard hairs.
Having made all the preparations, grab your beard hairs pick by pick with the tongs and start styling down from just below your skin. That way, your beard hairs will stay in this position.
Use good products
Last but not least, use the right products! A beard with curls needs more strength than a soft beard, so you'll need to use different products.
Use a good beard balm or beard wax that can handle your stiff, curly hairs. These products will fix your hair in the way you style it until you wash it again. Also be sure to use good products after blow-drying or styling your beard, for example. A beard balm or beard wax are not only fine for styling your beard, but also support considerably in the care of your beard and the underlying skin. And as you know, that's really the beginning of a straight beard.
Curling a beard can be tricky, but certainly not impossible. We hope you've gained enough new knowledge to get started. If you still have any questions, feel free to contact us. You know where to find us!