Growing facial hair is a great way to take ownership of your look. However, it’s vital that you get it right. An unruly beard is not a good look for any modern man. Here are our tips for healthy facial hair.
Patience
Much like other areas of life, being patient is absolutely essential to healthy facial hair. As a basic rule, if you can leave your stubble untouched for four to six weeks you create a good foundation of hair to work with. Anything less than this and you’ll always be on the five o’clock shadow-side of the beard scale.
Shaping
Once you have a good amount of hair in place, you can start shaping. Just like a nice suit, your facial hair should be moulded to your own facial lines and features. We always advise getting the advice of a quality barber, but here are some general pointers to follow:
- Squarer face: A more round edge on the chin, shorter on the sides.
- Rounder face: A longer, angled edge on the chin, shorter on the sides.
- Oblong face: A tighter edge on the chin, fuller on the sides.
- Oval face: A more even edge all over.
Washing
Your facial hair needs washing as much as the rest of your hair on your body. It helps to keep the hair clean and strong. We recommend using a combination of shampoo and conditioner to make sure that it’s properly cared for. Afterwards, make sure that you pat-dry rather than rub-dry: an overzealous towel dry can lead to breakage in the hair.
Beard Oil
Taking care of your facial hair is just as much about taking care of the skin underneath it. Your skin cells can get irritated with facial hair, especially in the first stage of growth. So, it’s important to use beard oil to moisturise and soothe. This is all about trial and error - some oils will be too thick and shiny for your hair, others too dry and light. However, we recommend opting for organic versions as they are usually as effective and less irritant than other versions.
Eating (vitamins and otherwise)
There are no magic ingredients that will give you instantly perfect and full facial hair. However, your diet is vital to making sure that your hair looks nice once it’s grown out. We especially recommend looking out for foods or tablets that are rich in Vitamin Bs.
Using Minoxidil
Minoxidil is a hair growth product that many British men are taking to as a way of growing a full beard. When a Minoxidil solution is applied to the chin and cheeks, it stimulates blood flow to the hair follicles and encourages growth to give you that full-bodied beard you’ve been looking for.
Having facial hair is a deliberate choice that looks great when you get it right. Remember, your facial hair is an extension of you, so the way it looks and appears says something about who you are. Make sure you follow our advice and we’re sure you’ll have a beard that impresses.
All of our blog articles are reviewed by our Medical Director before publication.
