The ultimate guide to growing a beard

At some stage in every guy’s life, he’ll inevitably consider growing a beard. But when you do decide to give it a go, you might find that your facial fuzz is less than cooperative when it comes to facial hair growth. In fact, you may find you’re completely puzzled at how to grow a beard – or at least a beard that looks and feels decent. So you have questions – do you really need a beard oil? And do beard growth products actually work?

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Well, that’s where we come in – welcome to the very first edition of beautyheaven’s new series bh for him, where we help guys get their grooming together. First order of business? Breaking down just how to grow a beard. So regardless of your desired beard style, we’ll have you rocking the best beard of your life in no time.

Step one: Know thy facial fuzz

Before you learn how to grow a beard that will defy gravity and logic, you need to assess your current facial hair situation. Have you ever tried growing a beard or facial hair before? Maybe you’ve grown a moustache but it never really grew in properly, or you tried to grow a beard but all you got was patchy stragglers all down your neck – either way, now is the time to experiment and let the hairs grow where they may.

Once you’ve let the hair grow in, you’ll be able to see the areas where your beard is at its most mighty and full. This will help you to determine the best beard style for you, as you’ll be able to see where the hair will fill in best. Is your facial hair growth thickest around the jawline? Perhaps you’d suit a chin strap style beard. Got more growth on your upper lip? Maybe try a moustache. The most important thing is to find a style that works with the hair you have.

Step two: Get growing

It might take around a month for you to be able to grow a full beard in, but that’s okay. Be patient while your beard takes shape and try to resist styling or shaping it while it forms. As evidenced before, it’s important to see what you’re working with naturally before you go poking and prodding at it.

But as important as it is the get the growth happening, it’s also equally important to keep things looking tidy and respectable (especially if you work in an office, bro!). Keep your beard in line by using a beard trimmer to keep the edges neat and the length of the hairs the same. You’ll still be doing much less maintenance than you would if you were shaving it all off, so take the time to make your soon-to-be-beard look presentable.

An area of particular importance is the unruly ‘neckbeard’ that can appear, which is never a good look. The beard should be kept as full as possible around the jawline and under the chin – anything below that should be shaved to keep that clean line as your beard grows in.

bh loves: Davinci Hair & Beard Trimmer, Urbane Mess Beard and Hair Trimmer, Philips Beard Trimmer 9000, Remington Barber’s Best Beard Trimmer, VS for Men X3-PRO Beard & Stubble Trimmer.

Step three: Keep it clean

Okay guys, there’s one thing we’ve got to get straight – you have to wash and condition your beard. Like any other hair, facial hair – especially when grown long – gets greasy, lank and tangled. Not to mention the fact that most facial hair is centralised near your mouth, which can mean stray food and drink can get caught in the hair (gross and you know it’s true!). And while you don’t need to be up in your beard with loads of shampoo every single day, a thorough clean of your beard a few times a week is an absolute must.

bh loves: LUSH Kalamazoo Beard and Face Wash, Just For Men Our Best Face & Beard Wash Ever and Best Beard Conditioner Ever.

Another must for keeping your beard healthy (thus assisting with even faster facial hair growth) is a good beard oil. Condition your beard hair with a nourishing beard oil every day to keep things soft (this will also surely be appreciated by your partner) and make sure you have a dedicated comb you can use to distribute the beard oil throughout your facial hair.

bh loves: muk Haircare mr muk Beard Oil, Kiehl’s Nourishing Beard Grooming Oil, Just For Men Our Best Beard Oil Ever, Le Labo Beard Oil ($88, mecca.com.au).

Step four: Shape and style that shag

As your beard starts to fill out, you can start to style it as you’d like it to look. Beard balms can help to give the illusion of thicker, fuller hair (even in areas where you’re looking a little patchy) and help to create a nice shape that will complement your face. Continue to keep your beard neat with regular trimmings

You might also find that – surprise! –  your beard hair is a whole other colour to the hair on your head. My dark-haired brother found this out when he began to grow a beard a few years ago and was shocked to find that his new facial hair was a lovely shade of auburn. This is perfectly normal and natural, but if it’s not the kind of vibe you imagined for your glorious new beard, find a dedicated beard and moustache dye and you’ll be sweet.

bh loves: Mukti Hair & Beard Balm, Urbane Mess Beard Maintenance Kit, VS for Men The Bearded-Pro Grooming Gift Set, Just For Men Moustache & Beard.

Have you or a man in your life ever grown a beard?