Perhaps the greatest development in men in recent decades is the full beard. Never in our little chilly country have so many men walked around with a full beard as today. Our distant ancestors needed a beard for protection from wild animals or extreme temperatures. Yet today we don't really run the risk of being attacked by a wild boar on the street corner at any moment. And when it gets a little cold, we just put on a thicker coat.
No kidding, of course, a beard is pure fashion. Totally brought back by the so-called hipsters. Every man wants a beard these days. The number of requested beard transplants has greatly increased in recent years. Yes it is possible, a beard transplant. Not only in Turkey, but meanwhile also in the Netherlands.
The beard symbolizes masculinity and every man wants to show that. But what does it take to get a nice full beard? We would like to help you on your way with tips for a good, healthy and full beard.
How to grow a beard
Whether or not you can grow a full beard depends on your genes. Heredity determines how full your beard will be. Men with dark hair tend to grow beards faster and more abundantly than men with lighter hair. But of course there are exceptions. You'll have to find out for yourself if you can grow a full beard. We take you through the main steps you will need to follow if you want a nice full beard and also give you some tips you could apply to grow a beard faster.
Step 1: Have patience and perseverance
Before we get into practical matters, it is important to know that you really need to start making an appointment with yourself and stick to it. Growing a beard takes patience and perseverance. It gets wild, itches and irritates. All inconveniences that cause many men to give up too soon. Look through that and stick to your goal and above all grow a new backbone because you're inevitably going to get reactions from those around you in the beginning that you'd rather not hear. Set a deadline for yourself that you have to stick to as a minimum before you can take your razor again. You will eventually be proud of yourself.
Step 2: Stop shaving
It sounds obvious but when you are growing your beard it becomes tempting to trim every now and then because you are afraid of looking unkempt or because you get itchy and irritated. Shaving will not promote beard growth. Besides, it is not a pretty sight if some parts are shaved. Stopping shaving completely is the only option. Keep that up for at least a month and then trim a bit if necessary.
Step 3: Help your fledgling beard
Once you get through the first month, most men already have some beard showing. You could possibly trim it now or just let it grow on. The choice is yours. What you do need to do is touch up your neckline. That's the boundary where your beard crosses into your neck. A barber knows the right way to do this for you. Do it yourself? A beard shaper makes this a lot easier!
Do you see some bald spots developing over time? This is because some hair follicles are simply a little less active than the rest. Don't panic, this will resolve itself. The other hairs will cover the bald spots as they grow longer.
Step 4: Overcome itching and irritation
Any beginning beard will start to itch and irritate. This is because the body's own oil goes to the beard hairs, causing the skin to become dry and irritated. Especially when you wash your face. A beginning beard still has sharp and hard hairs that tickle against the skin. This exacerbates the irritation even more. Of course, you can reduce this itching and irritation fairly easily with the tips below:
Use beard oil
You could start by using a beard oil for this, even if your beard is not that long yet. The beard oil nourishes the skin with essential oils that will keep your skin from drying out. It also makes the hairs softer and they won't itch as much. Not sure which one is right for your beard? Take a moment to find your match among our top 10 best beard oils. You just need to find out which beard oil is best for you. Immerse yourself in it to make sure you get the right match.
Do you find a beard oil too oily? Then use a beard balm. This is a little easier to apply and provides a little less intense care than a beard oil, but it has more emollient ingredients for the skin. Both products are good. That's why we have also compiled a top 10 best beard balm.
Use a beard brush
Your skin is constantly renewing itself which causes a lot of dead skin cells and flakes. When you have facial hair, this happens even faster. This causes even more itching and irritation. Also, because of all the dead skin cells your skin is less able to absorb nutrients so it continues to itch and irritate. When you use a beard brush once a week you remove all these dead skin cells. The brush acts like a scrub. A new fresh skin is left. Now your skin is better able to absorb nutrients from the beard oil, for example. This will make your skin feel wonderful, accelerate beard growth and also make your beard hairs more beautiful. There is a match for every beard, found in our top 10 best beard brushes.
Step 5: Maintaining your beard
When you grow a beard for the first time and have reasonable facial hair after a while, a new world opens up for you. Namely, it is now a matter of caring for and maintaining your beard. You could have this done by a barber. If you do this yourself, it is important to purchase a decent beard trimmer. A beard trimmer completes your beard care, but you really need to be able to do it. Trimming for the first time is easier, but will still be a challenge because it takes some technique. Trim your beard once every two weeks. The video below shows you how to trim your own beard at home.
Beard washing
It is also advisable to use a good beard shampoo and beard conditioner. A beard shampoo contains ingredients that cleanse the beard and skin without aggressively drying them out. A beard conditioner will soften the hairs making trimming easier and the skin less irritated by hard hairs. Wash your beard every week to remove bacteria and keep your skin and beard healthy. Buy a shampoo and conditioner with as many natural ingredients as possible to prevent irritation. We've gathered our favorites in our top 10 best beard shampoo list.
Beard combing
Does your beard already have some length? Then it's best to comb your beard after using a beard oil. You can buy a special beard comb and comb your beard with it. Don't do this when the beard is still wet! That's bad for your beard hairs and the hairs may come off. Your beard will be easy to shape with such a comb. It also distributes the beard oil to all the hairs. So a beard comb is essential for proper grooming. That is why we have created a top 10 best beard combs.
Buy a complete beard care set
Many men can't see the forest for the trees. There are so many different products out there. Some are better for short beards and others for longer beards. There is also a huge difference in quality. That's why we have put together three sets for both beginners and advanced groomers that contain everything you need to take the best care of your beard. Naturally, they are more affordable than buying them separately. Check out our beard care kits, which contain high-quality products that are easy to use.
Tips for accelerating beard growth
Forget myths like "shaving more often means more hair growth" because these are simply not true. Beard growth depends on the amount of testosterone in the body and your genes. However, there are some factors that can improve and stimulate your beard growth.
Tip 1: Take care of your skin
Hair grows naturally from the hair follicles in your skin. If you have unhealthy skin, the hair follicles won't be very healthy either. The healthier your skin, the healthier your hair follicles, the more hair growth. Therefore, start looking for the perfect skin care for men, and specifically: for your own skin. Will not only make your skin happy, but your beard as well!
Tip 2: Avoid stress
Easier said than done you might think. Stress is known to cause hair loss. This also applies to beard hair. Stress can sabotage your beautiful full beard. Get enough sleep and rest to reduce stress.
Tip 3: Exercise!
With exercise you increase blood flow which is beneficial to your hair follicles. When you do strength sports you increase your testosterone level which in turn affects your beard growth.
Tip 4: Pay attention to your nutrition
Hair needs nutrition in order to grow. Protein makes for healthy and strong hair and helps it grow. Consider fish, eggs, chicken breast and dairy products. This also applies to vegetables high in iron such as spinach and broccoli.
Tip 5: Leave out alcohol
Unfortunately men, drinking a lot of alcohol reduces testosterone levels in the body and that comes at the expense of your beard growth. So are you struggling to grow your beard? Then drink in moderation.
Tip 6: Stimulate beard growth with beard growth oil
If you're looking for a product specifically designed to stimulate beard growth, beard growth oil may be a good option. Beard growth oil contains specific ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and natural oils that are known for their ability to promote hair growth. By regularly applying beard growth oil to your beard and skin, you can stimulate beard hair growth and improve the appearance of your beard. However, it is important to remember that the results of using beard growth oil can vary depending on various factors, such as genetics, diet and lifestyle.
Grow that beard!
With the above tips, you should manage to grow a full beard if your genes allow it of course. Put away that razor and go ahead and give it a try. A beard is no longer hipster fashion but has become part of the Dutch street scene (and your life). Please let us know how your path to a full beard went or is going. We are very curious!
Grow 'em & show 'em,
Your friends, The Alpha Men