A lot of men don’t want to try and grow even a simple, short beard because maintaining it sounds like too much work. And while it’s often not as complicated as online articles can make it sound like, long beard grooming is indeed time-consuming.
There are lots of men’s beard grooming tips you can find on the Internet, however, in this article, we’d like to focus on long beard grooming and care tips to try and help you with your long beard care. Growing the perfect beard can be challenging and we won’t count out the fact that different men can grow different beards for purely genetic reasons. However, the right beard maintenance techniques shouldn’t be ignored either as they can make all the difference between a scrappy, dry and uncomfortable beard, and a marvelous facial hair masterpiece.
So, what beard grooming tips have we got for you today? Let’s take a look:
10 tips for a well-groomed beard
1. Create and keep a routine
Most men give up on maintaining their beards because they find it hard to find the time to do so, and as a consequence – are not happy with their beards afterward. If you intend to grow and maintain a beard, especially a long one, you’ll do best to set aside a certain time of day for beard care and keep to it every day.
2. Equip yourself with the right tools for the job
Of course, if you want to grow a nice, long, and good-looking beard, just water, shampoo, and your hands are not going to be enough. You’ll have to equip yourself with vital items such as a beard trimmer, a beard comb, and professional hair trimming scissors.
3. Keep it clean and moisturized at all times
It feels silly reminding people that they should wash their beards but you’ll be surprised how often people neglect to do that properly. Sure, they shower, but a lot of men don’t even use shampoo or soap for their beard, let alone something like a conditioner or a separate clean towel for their beard.
4. Choose and maintain a certain style
When you start looking into beard styles you might quickly get the feeling that there are as many different beard styles as there are beard hairs on your face. And sure, research isn’t something you planned on when you started growing your beard, but choosing a certain style that matches your face and keeping to it will make your beard much more eye-catching and impressive than simply letting your facial hair grow in all directions.
5. Master the beard trimmer
The beard trimmer is mostly useful while your beard is still short but it does have its vital uses for long beards as well. Keeping the neck and cheek lines well-maintained, for example, is as important for long beards as it is for short ones, if not more so. It’s very easy to let your long beard look unkempt and unappealing so trimming your mustache and beard lines is very important.
6. Strike the right neckline for your body
In addition to just maintaining a neckline, it’s also important to make sure that it fits your body and face well. Believe it or not, the fact that your beard is long doesn’t mean that you can’t look like you have a double chin from behind or from the sides. Even if you’re not overweight, cutting the lower side of your beard too close to the neck can easily make it seem like you have a double chin, regardless of how long your beard is.
7. The comb is your friend
Not combing a short beard is a common mistake. And while that’s bad enough, not combing a long beard can be outright disastrous. To properly comb a long beard you’ll need three items – a narrow tooth comb, a wide tooth comb, as well as a beard brush.
8. The beard oil is your best friend
Using a beard softener doesn’t sound “manly”, we get that. But walking around with a dry, wiry, and unkempt beard doesn’t sound appealing or comfortable either. Beard oils are very important when it comes to properly taking care of your long, lustrous beard. If you don’t want your beard to be itchy at the neck if you don’t want it to develop dandruff, and especially if you don’t want it to stick out in all directions – use good beard oil. It moisturizes your beard and provides it with the nutrients it needs to grow nice and beautiful without any of the common problems long beards often develop.
9. Don’t ignore the beard wax and beard balm either
Beard oils are not the only products you can use to that end, of course. Beard balms are also great at moisturizing long beards, as well as giving them a nice style. They contain a lot of beneficial oils and can do wonders for any long and bushy set of facial hair.
10. Eat well and exercise
Yes, we know, and we apologize – we are well-aware that every list of tips on every imaginable subject out there, always includes the tip “Eat well and exercise”. But that’s just the reality of the human body. Our skin is just a body organ like any other in our bodies, and it needs us to be in tip-top condition if it is to grow healthy facial hair for us. A lot of men who don’t think they have the genetics to grow a nice, long beard, simply prevent their bodies and skin from growing a nice beard by depriving them of the energy, vitamins, and minerals they need to do so.
In conclusion
As you can see, the tips for growing a nice, long beard are quite similar to the nice for growing a short beard too, with some notable exceptions. Combing your beard, for one, becomes ten times more important when you have a longer beard, as does using beard oils, balms or waxes. Maintaining a good diet and an exercise regimen also becomes even more important as your skin and beard will need that much more strength to retain their healthy, good looks.
