Beards are more popular than ever, and if you want to stand out, you need to go above and beyond what the average beadsman is prepared to do with his beard. 

We’ve put together the unltimate list of the top 5 DO’s and the top 5 DON’T’s with your beard. Follow these and you’ll be one step closer to beard domination!

Do: 

1. Condition Daily 

The foundation for your beard care should be using a beard oil or a beard balm, preferably made with all natural ingredients. If this is the only grooming you do to your beard, you’ll be significantly ahead of the curve.

Too many guys refuse to groom their beard at all, believing that all they need to do is simply stop shaving – this isn’t the case at all, it’s purely just the beginning to growing a beard.

Work a beard conditioning product into your morning ritual. Apply a small amount of oil or balm to your beard with your hands and you’ll be well set.

2. Pay Attention To The Detail

So many guys fail to pay attention to the finer details, which can make for a really bad impression.

Say you’re meeting a prospective client, employer, or even if you’re meeting a potential date. If you have  whispery beard hairs flying everywhere or washed your beard incorrectly, trimmed it sloppily, or any other beard faux pas, it can immediately give the impression that you fail to pay attention to the finer details.

If you don’t pay attention to the small things when it comes to something as blatant and obvious as your beard, something that you present to people everywhere you go, then surely you can’t be trusted to pay attention to detail elsewhere.

Just think about the judgements you make on people based on their hairstyle or condition.

3. Pick A Style That Suits Your Face 

This happens too often, and can ruin a beard. If you grow a beard that you think looks cool but it doesn’t suit your face, then you have a problem. Check out this guide to get an idea of what to look for.

Find out what your face shape is, and begin slowly grooming and trimming your beard into a style that improves, rather than detracts from, your natural face shape. 

4. Brush It Daily

The next best thing you can do for a healthy, attractive, strong, and shiny beard, is to brush it every day with a beard brush. We prefer boar bristle, as it’s natural and really good at pulling the oils of your face, hair, and beard product from root to tip.

It also helps you style your beard, combers are the best tool to ensure all the necessary beard hairs are pulled in the right direction and laid as flat as possible.

Combs are also great for keeping your beards clean, too. The bristles penetrate the beard and pull dead skin cells and oil build up off of the skin, ensuring your beard and the skin underneath stays clean and healthy.

5. Trim It Regularly

Don’t worry, I don’t mean you have to keep it short. No matter what length of beard you keep, it is almost always a good idea to have a pair of shears you can use to trim the beard occasionally.

You may only need to take off literally 10-20 hairs each trim. That’s the level you need to go for. Not a full trim all the time, not a massive style change. Just get the few stray hairs that grow at a faster rate than the rest.

This will significantly improve the look and sharpness of your beard. 

DON’T: 

1. Shampoo Daily

Just like the head on your hair, facial hair can get dried out if you shampoo too often. 

It’s great to do maybe once or twice a week, but any more than that and you’re continuously stripping oils, which means the hair is going to be dry and brittle.

When you shampoo, do it with a beard shampoo or one that is infused with something like organ oil. Otherwise, use conditioner ever couple of days to keep your beard even more soft and strong.

2. Play With Your Beard or Pull Your Beard 

This is actually a bigger problem than it seems.

Many men out there have a habit of pulling on their beards, and since their fingers usually find the same place every day, it is not uncommon for men to find that they have pulled out enough hairs to create a visible hole in the beard.

Your options at this point are to wait patiently and sheepishly while your beard hole grows in over the next months or so, or to shave off completely and start again – neither solution is going to be fun!

Try to be aware of your hands throughout the day. If necessary, sit on them while you’re doing things like watching TV so your hands don’t creep up to your face.

3. Neglect It

It’s a sad reality that some men hear the word “grooming” and think they’ll turn into a woman if they listen any longer. Grooming has nothing to do with being a female, and has everything to do with taking responsibility for your appearance and cleanliness. Real men take pride in their outward appearance and pay attention to the details of their look.

Whatever you do, don’t just throw away your razor and think you’re a beardsman. You may grow a beard but it’ll probably be subpar.

4. Trim Your Neckline Too High

This is one of the worst offences of beard wearers. The perfect neckline should be trimmed about an inch above the Adam’s apple. Basically right at the point where your neck meets your head.  If it’s any higher, it starts to make you look like your face is strangely detached from your body. It is very severe, and can even make you look heavier than you are.

A conservative, natural neckline is by far the best option.

5. Dye Your Beard

I know a lot of men who hit 35 or 40, start to see grey hairs, and then decide to shave their beard off. I understand they don’t want to be aged prematurely by your beard follicles losing pigment, but a beard with grey can be a great asset. It can make you look wise and distinguished and in control. 

Some men instead opt for beard dye – that’s almost never a good solution. You have to apply it almost daily for it to look remotely normal.

Embrace the grey. Change your grooming routine or your style if you think your beard ages you. In most cases a more sleek, trimmed look can reduce the effects of grey hair aging you. Keep the beard!

Live by these 5 beard DO’s and 5 beard DON’T’s and you will have one of the best beards on your block.

Author Bio: Curt Storring is a husband, father, and the founder of Liberty Premium Grooming Co., a company dedicated to helping bearded men achieve greatness. He is passionate about leading men toward self-sufficiency and taking responsibility for their lives.

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