If you want to grow a beard, but are not sure where to begin, just a few tips can help put you on the path to a whole new look. When you first start to grow a beard, it is important to avoid shaving for approximately a month to allow your facial hair to fill in naturally. During the first few weeks of growth, you should also take steps to prevent itchiness and dry skin. Further, you should try to avoid letting others’ comments influence your decision to grow a beard. Finally, as you wait for your beard to grow in, you may want to do some research to determine how you would ultimately like to shape it.
As you begin your quest to grow a beard, it is important to stop shaving fully, instead letting nature take its course. Even though this tip may seem self-explanatory, forsaking your razor can nevertheless be challenging, especially if you are used to being clean-shaven. While you may be tempted to begin trimming or shaping your new growth immediately, you should avoid doing so for at least a month. This is because different areas of your face may produce hair at different rates, and therefore it will take several weeks to get a true indication of your natural facial hair patterns. Only after you have been able to observe these natural patterns will you be able to determine which beard shape, if any, will best suit you.
Many men find that a beard can cause their facial skin to become itchy or dry, especially during the first few weeks of growth. Thus, when you begin to grow a beard, you may want to take steps to stop skin irritation before it starts. Seasoned beard wearers advise that washing the beard with dandruff shampoo or treating it with conditioner two or three times each week can keep irritation at bay. Bear in mind that your facial hair will likely begin to soften after several weeks of growth, making beard-related skin trouble a passing phase.
You may find that friends, family members, and co-workers feel free to make comments or even tease you about your fledgling beard. This may be especially true if you have never had a beard before or if your facial hair is slow to grow. If you are sensitive to others’ opinions, you may find that this sudden attention to your grooming habits causes you to question your decision to experiment with a beard. While it may be difficult, try to ignore your critics until your beard has grown in fully. If you remain unsure about your new look at that time, seek the opinion of someone you trust rather than listening to the crowd.
Lastly, as your beard begins to thicken, you will likely start getting anxious for the day when you can begin to shape it into a style that suits you. To make this period more bearable, you might want to do some research to figure out which beard style you might want. Get ideas by flipping through men’s magazines, clicking around on celebrity websites, and doing some people-watching.
