Are you wanting a healthy beard?
If you want to reach your maximum beard potential there are a few principles that we need to stick to.
Stop touching your beard (well… as much)
This might upset a few people.
But here’s the thing -- yes it is your darn well earned right to stroke that beard -- but know you are one hella’ slippery slope: where stroking can very easily turn into fondling, and fondling can very easily turn into tugging, and tugging can very easily turn into picking.
And picking (and even tugging really) is a big no no. You see, it will turn into a habit where you focus in one area and before you know it.
Wa lah! You’ve got a bald patch. This has broke my little heart a few times, with it resulting in me shaving the beard off.
- Fuel Your Beard
That hormone that makes you manly, you know the one, testosterone. This is basically what is fueling your beard growing power - and there are things that you can do that can harm it and improve it.
For instance.
Not getting enough Z’s can negatively impact on your testosterone levels. “Men only allowed five hours of sleep a night” found their daytime testosterone levels plummeted by up to 15%.
Of course, on the other hand there are things you can do to naturally improve it. Exercising is an excellent way to boost testosterone in two ways: i) we can increase through the type of exercises we do (compound lifts) and ii) through losing weight.
A healthy lifestyle for a healthy beard, who’d have thought ey?
- Wash Your Beard (the right way)
Okay. Okay. Okay. OKAY.
I will do my best to keep this from becoming a mini rant, but I make no promises.
Cool? Cool.
So. Here’s the thing: guys who are using the same shampoo for their head and balls - going on to use it for their beards. Not good. Not good at all.
It falls somewhere between people who don’t like dogs and those annoying couples who make JOINT social media profiles. Really!?
*and breathe*
See the hair on your head isn’t really like the one spouting from your face. So it needs different stuff. Using the same abrasive shampoo that you use for your hair is wiping away all that beardy goodness it has been latching on to.
Instead try out a decent beard wash, where a nice little product that will clean up your beard swell but won’t leave it dry as a desert once you are done either. Note: it still needs conditioning, even after using a proper beard product.
Don’t over wash it either: try to aim for once or twice a week (except in certain circumstances).
- Get Your Diet Right
Of course just like testosterone “fuels” the beard growth, you need to supply it with the right stuff too.
You want to be getting a wide source of vitamins and protein to ensure a healthy beard. Plenty of vegetables, fruit, nuts and fish. All helping you get to reach that goal of a better and fuller beard.
- Look After that Beard
Even the healthiest and best kept beards will face at least some sort of beard problem down the line.
Whether it be little knots or split ends - knowing how to deal with them is best. Literally, it is just a case of every now and again (like with most things, don’t over do it) just root around your beard with a nice pair of beard scissors and go hunting for beard split ends and knots.
Then cut just below the incision to get right below the breakage.
- Keep Up with the Skin Care Routine
“But it’s harder now there is a beard in the way”
Yep.
It is a little harder, but it is just one of them things. A beard oil will help with keeping your skin moist (which is an added plus and something we will get into a little later) but you are going to have to look after it.
Besides, it is the foundation of your beard. If your skin becomes dry, you can be looking at a whole range of beard problems: beard dandruff, beard breakages, beard loss and so on. In fact if you aren’t regularly exfoliating your dead skin, they can block beard follicles from growing.
The best thing to do is invest in a decent face moisturiser then work it in with the tips of your fingers.
Otherwise, just invest in what I like to think of as a “skin care” meets electric toothbrush: a clarisonic
Are you investing in a healthy beard? Let us know how you are getting on.