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, while men with an unruly Beard want a soft Beard. But don't worry, if you have a curly Beard, at least you have the option to make it straight and softer. Of course, you need to know how to smooth your Beard. Time for tips.
Why is my Beard curly?
First, it's important to look at the exact reason for your curly Beard. Often it's just genetic, a matter of luck or misfortune. It could be that your hair follicles are not symmetrical, causing the hairs that grow out to be oval. And you guessed it, the longer those oval hairs become, the more they curl. It is also possible to get curly hairs from hair follicles that are symmetrical. This is related to a specific type of keratin that is not evenly distributed in your hair follicles.
If it's not genetically determined, there's a good chance that your beard hairs (and the underlying skin) are very dry. When your Beard is medium to long, using good Grooming like a Beard Oil, Beard Shampoo, and Beard Balm) is unavoidable. With good Grooming, your hairs will become healthy and look their best.
How to straighten your Beard
As we briefly mentioned, the nice thing about a curly Beard is that you can straighten it again. You can approach this in different ways, but if you really want to go for it, feel free to try all the tips below.
Wash your Beard
It always starts with taking good care of your Beard. The Grooming obviously begins with keeping your Beard clean, which you do with a good Beard Shampoo. This is not only a big part of personal hygiene, but it will also stimulate your Beard to become as healthy as possible.
Wash your Beard a maximum of 2x per week with a Beard Shampoo. The skin under your Beard produces sebum, which is important for keeping your hairs supple, so you don't want to strip too much of that sebum from your skin.
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 the Beard Products. When your natural sebum production is not enough, Beard Oil will support you. Your Beard is also well protected against nicotine, smog, and other external influences.
Many formulas of different Beard Oils contain natural oils like almond oil, coconut oil, hemp oil, etc. These oils ensure that your Beard (and the underlying skin) are well cared for and hydrated. Straightening a Beard starts with the right hydration, and therefore Beard Oil is extremely suitable for this.
Check our Top 10 Beard Oils to find the right one for your Beard!
Use a Beard Brush
To distribute the Beard Oil well, it is important to use a good Beard Brush. Do not use this if 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 the direction you keep trying to push it. It is also an option to use a softening beard serum for this. Different beard serums have the wonderful effect of making your Beard smoother and softer, especially in combination with a good quality Beard Brush.
Hair Dryer your Beard
It may take some getting used to blow-dry your Beard, but it is really the best tip that exists for curly beards. The heat from a Hair Dryer can adjust the direction of your hairs. Of course, make sure to protect your beard hairs well before you start using heat.
Let your Beard air dry first and use some Beard Oil. Distribute your Beard Oil well before you grab your Hair Dryer. Make sure to set the Hair Dryer in a direction you want your Beard to go and brush it well with a Beard Brush. The Beard Brush provides extra smoothness and softness, while the Hair Dryer sets your Beard in the right direction. A golden combination for getting a straight Beard.
Style your Beard with a straightener
When all else fails, use a straightener. A what? Yup, a straightener. This is really for the die-hard wild-beard folks among us. Using a straightener is not our first choice, but it can be really effective if nothing else works. Do not use a straightener without a heat-protective spray, because a straightener can cause quite a bit of damage if not used correctly.
If you want to use a straightener, always make sure your hairs are dried with a Hair Dryer. If your beard hairs are still wet and you use a straightener, you are basically just frying them. Also, use a small straightener on a low setting, as this better suits the structure of your beard hairs.
Once you've completed all the preparations, take your beard hairs strand by strand with the straightener and style from just below your skin downwards. This way your beard hairs will stay in this position.
Use good products
And last but not least, use the right products! A curly Beard needs more firmness than a soft Beard, so you will need to use different products.
Use a good Beard Balm or Beard Wax that can handle your stiff, curly hairs. These products will set your hairs in the way you style them until you wash it again. Also, be sure to use good products after, for example, blow-drying or straightening your Beard. A Beard Balm or Beard Wax are not only great for styling your Beard, but also significantly support the Grooming of your Beard and the underlying skin. And as you know, that is really the start of a straight Beard.
Uncurling a Beard can be difficult, but certainly not impossible. We hope you have gained enough new knowledge to get started. If you still have questions, feel free to contact us. You know where to find us!