A Gentleman's Guide to Growing, Styling & Maintaining a Beard

Santa Claus. Abraham Lincoln. Chuck Norris. Some of history’s greatest legends have rocked beards—as they should. Beards not only look cool and keep you warm, they protect the skin beneath them too. And there’s no better time to grow one than now, while it’s cold. 

Whether you’re a long-time fan of beards or trying to grow your first, we have plenty of tips and tricks to grow a great beard and keep it healthy all winter long. Here we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about maintaining a beard, from growing to styling and more.

• Growing a Beard 101: How to Grow a Beard
• Beard Styling 101: How to Style a Beard
• Beard Maintenance 101: How to Maintain a Beard

Growing a Beard 101: How to Grow a Beard

The thing about growing a beard: It can take a while. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to help things along, but there is no magic fast-forward button.^1,2 These straightforward tips truly are the best thing to help you grow your beard:  

1. Be patient
2. Eat right
3. Sleep plenty
4. Exercise regularly
5. Care for the skin underneath
6. Groom often

How Long Does it Take to Grow a Beard?

The amount of time it takes to grow a beard can vary greatly by hair types and genetics. Beards also grow in stages, which have different growth rates too.  But generally, a beard should take two to four months to grow, seeing as the average man’s facial hair grows between .3 and .5 millimeters every day.³

How to Make Your Beard Grow Faster

If you want to grow a beard faster, there are vitamins and supplements that can help. Just be sure to consult with your doctor before taking them. Otherwise, maintaining your beard and the skin beneath it will prevent some of the common pitfalls that can slow beard growth.

• Exfoliate often
• Keep your skin hydrated
• Cleanse skin twice daily
• Check for ingrown hairs

Of course we have a few product recommendations to help you accomplish the above:

• To exfoliate and cleanse, try our exfoliating Solid Charcoal Face Wash
• To moisturize your face, try our Face + Eye Cream 
• To moisturize the skin beneath your growing beard, try our Beard Oil
• If you experience ingrown hairs, try our Anti-Everything Pads. These exfoliate, too.

How to Grow a Thicker Beard

Want to grow a fuller, thicker beard? Follow these tips to allow your hair to grow as full and strong as possible.^4,5 The differences can range from subtle to stark, but these are surefire ways to more noticeable follicles over time.

• Use beard oil
• Reduce stress
• Shampoo + condition your beard with high quality products

Beard Styling 101: How to Style a Beard

Styling your beard can take practice. Just don’t overdo it on product, be sure to trim your beard evenly, and try different styles until you find the right one.

Choose the Right Style for Your Face

A fun way to find the right beard style for your face is to search images of celebrities with the same face shape as you for inspiration. 

Not sure what shape your face is? The Manual has a great visual guide:

Credit: The Manual Graphics

How to Groom a Beard

To properly groom your beard, you’ll need the right tools. For starters, try a beard brush, beard oil, and/or a beard balm. Here’s why these are good products to start with.

What Does Beard Oil Do?

Beard oil is a way of nourishing your beard by providing vitamins, moisture, shine, and softness to each strand. Beard oil can also make facial hair easier to style—and it helps hydrate the skin beneath your beard too.

How to Use Beard Oil

Work three to five drops of oil into your hands (up to eight for very large beards.) Then work it into your beard with your hands, making sure to apply it from base to tip.⁶ Then comb your beard with a fine-toothed comb to maintain the desired shape. 

How to Use Beard Balm

Beard balm is also used to nourish your beard, but has a heavier, thicker consistency than beard oil. Start by rubbing your finger into the balm. Work the product into your hands until warm. Then apply all over each hair, from base to tip.⁷

Beard Maintenance 101: How to Care for a Beard

Growing a beard doesn’t mean letting go altogether. It requires proper maintenance, trimming and styling. Here’s what you need to know.

Beard Maintenance Tips

Keeping up a beard is easier than shaving, but it’s only easy once you get the hang of it. Just wash it almost every time you wash your hair.⁸ Use beard oil to keep it soft and healthy.⁹ And brush it out like you would the hair on your head.

• Wash 2–4 times per week
• Trim once per week
• Use beard oil after every shower
• Brush or comb your beard
• Use a beard trimmer

How to Trim a Beard

Trimming your beard is easy and should only take a few minutes. Just find a trusty trimmer and follow these easy steps.¹⁰ 

1. With no guard, define the perimeter of your beard.
2. Trim your mustache and cheek line.
3. With a guard, trim all over.
4. Go back over your goatee and neck with a shorter guard (optional).

How to Trim a Beard Neckline

Defining your neckline can be tricky.¹¹ Just follow the natural line that goes around your neck right around your Adam’s apple.

1. In a mirror, identify the line under your chin where it meets your neck.
2. With your trimmer, define that curved, horizontal line. 
3. Use a small guard to taper and blend the line.

How to Shape a Beard

To shape your beard, make sure it’s cleaned and hydrated.¹² Then apply the right product, using regular hold for regular beards and strong hold for wiry beard hair.¹³

1. Comb your beard straight down
2. Work a pea-sized amount of product into hands (or as needed for large beards)
3. Apply to beard all over
4. Shape with your hands, using the comb as needed

How to Shave Neck Beard

To reduce the look of a neck beard, you can shave with a razor by following these steps.  

1. Trim excess hair below your Adam’s apple. 
2. Apply shave cream liberally.
3. Shave with the direction of hair growth, not against it. 
4. Hydrate your freshly shaved skin with face moisturizer. 

How to Get Rid of Beard Dandruff

You’ve heard of dandruff, but what about beardruff? It’s a thing, but you can avoid it by washing your beard a few times per week, making sure to dry it very well afterward. Hydrating your beard with an oil or balm can also reduce flakes. Then, once a week or so, you can exfoliate your beard to remove buildup underneath the hair.¹⁴ 

Give Your Beard the Best Care with Oars + Alps

Find the best products that contain naturally derived ingredients for your beard at Oars + Alps.