Looking for reasons why you should grow a beard?
With Christmas soon to commence, we thought this would be the opportune time to help guys out there ready to commit to the enduring journey of beardom.
Now before we delve into exactly how to get your beard looking awesome.
We think it is best to try and stoke up some serious motivation on your end to growing a beard out (because trust me, despite what they have you believe — it isn’t as simple as putting down your razor and waiting it out) and look into exactly why you should grow out your man mane.
5 Reasons You Should Grow Out Your Beard
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Muster some mystery.
It goes without saying, but covering half your face in hair — naturally encourages a certain air of mystery.
People will naturally start to think you’re a pretty interesting dude and perhaps (at least subconsciously) leap to certain assumptions, such as:
- Look at that guy’s beard. That’s what you call a man’s man.
- Well hello there… wonder what this fury fellow’s story is?
- “Day’um that’s a fine suit and he has a beard? Is that even allowed? Who is this guy?”
2. Ramp Up the Masculinity
There are a few factors that give off a masculine vibe, such as being tall, having a deeper toned voice, dressing sharp, bearing a muscular physique and so on.
And of course, you guessed it, owning a mighty fine beard.
Growing a beard and dressing well are about the two easiest things you can do to appear more masculine.
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Health benefits
There are actually quite a surprising amount of health benefits to be had too with owning a beard.
From reducing the chance of cancer by blocking harmful UV rays (by up to 95%) to prevent against airborne diseases, sort of acting like a big hairy filter. Plus, it does your skin a world of good too, keeping it looking younger and fresher.
Not only that but you will have fewer issues with ingrown hairs and slash the chance of bacterial infection and rashes since appearing on your face too — since you pretty much have given up shaving.
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More physically attractive
It’s got to be said. Chicks love facial hair and it gets proven by science time and time again:
- “The Role of Facial Hair in Women’s Perceptions of Men’s Attractiveness, Health, Masculinity and Parenting Ability” — University of New South Wales (2013)
A confirmation that facial fur has positive “socio-sexual” attributes, compared to their clean-shaven companions.
- “The Effects of Facial Hair Manipulation on Female Perceptions of Attractiveness, Masculinity, and Dominance in Male Faces” — Northumbria University (2008)
Full on beards were seen as the most masculine, socially mature. Lighter beards were seen as most dominant and stubble was deemed the most attractive.
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Career boosting
Despite what everyone else around you is telling you about shaving before an interview, they actually might be doing you a severe disservice.
See, guys with beards actually are deemed more trustworthy and according to an lookers report (a large car sales retail team), they actually make for better salesmen as well. Particularly, if you are on the younger side, they can help to make you look older and more mature.
Now that we finally put to bed whether ‘to beard or not to beard’ and that indeed stupid questions do exist. It’s time to plan out how to get the best beard you can.
3 Keys of Beard Growth
When it comes to beard growth — there are three main determinants on just how good your beard is going to turn out:
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Age
As you naturally get older your beard potential gets better, particularly as you peek through your teenage years your ability to grow a beard rapidly improves.
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Genetics
Perhaps the main aspect is quite frankly whether you have picked up the beard gene or not, hunt down the males in your family, look to pictures of old and see if you’re cut out for growing a beard.
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Testosterone
The only one of three factors that you really have any influence over, and it will be this factor that we concentrate on.
So what can practical steps can you take?
Ultimately, it comes down to living a healthy lifestyle. You hear it time and time again, although probably not in this context.
Work Out
See, literally working out — particularly focusing on resistance training (lifting weights), carrying out high-intensity interval training and just plain out losing weight can help boost your testosterone levels in turn, fueling beard growth.
Sleep Well
Making sure you aren’t negatively impacting on your testosterone levels as well — the main priority is here just getting enough sleep each night (in fact this study analysed what negative impacts sleep deprivation has on your beard) and just making sure you are managing your stress.
Eat Right
Stick to what the serious beard guys like to call a ‘beard diet’ as well. Literally, a diet that caters specifically for optimal beard growth, ensuring you are getting all your body’s need of vitamins (particularly Biotin) and proteins.
There are specific beard supplements out there, but we recommend trying to get everything you and your beard needs through ‘actual’ food.
Now although all these factors will help bring your beards on leaps and bounds, there are a few other tricks as well to not necessarily help you get an actual ‘thicker beard’ but at least get the look of one.
4 Beard Thickness Tricks
i) Apply a Daily Dose of Beard Oil
Trust me on this, beard oil isn’t a gimmick. It’s an effective concoction of carrier and essential oils and what ultimately the bearded community hails as pretty the ultimate beard product, as it supplies anything a beard could really need.
- It makes your beard smell better.
- It makes your beard feel softer.
- It makes your beard more manageable.
And so on. However, the key for you is — it encourages healthier beard growth, providing all the external nutrition and the perfect hydrated habitat for better growth. Apply it daily, whilst performing a massaging motion, this will help to stimulate additional hair growth.
ii) Making the Most of Your Beard
For instance, when it comes to clothing opt for darker based tops over lighter based ones. Your beard will appear thicker as the gaps in your beard won’t show up as well compared to wearing a lighter based top.
We have a whole article on making a patchier beard look fuller and a lighter beard look darker.
iii) Brush and Comb-Out Your Beard
Simple but oh so very effective.
See what tends to happen when you neglect your beard is it gets tangled, intertwined and knotted — resulting ultimately in the look of a patchier beard.
However, if you tend to it often by combing or brushing out your beard with the objective of separating out your beard and roping in the fly away beard hairs, you get the look of a much bulkier beard.
iv) Use hair clay.
I know, I know.
It’s not really meant for your beard, but at least give it a go. You see, not only is it great at sculpting your beard.
Most ‘good’ hair clays contain a special ingredient — bentonite clay — that’s not only great for the hairs themselves, but it also helps to thicken up adding body and volume. As a result, giving the look of a thicker beard.
Let us know if there are another reasons why you should grow a beard in the comments below.