Rules and subtleties of beard care

The world of fashion is changing rapidly, and this applies not only to accessories and clothing, but also to the appearance. Men who keep up with the times know that a well-groomed beard is at the peak of its popularity today. This is evidenced by the covers of glossy men's magazines, fashion shows and the presence of a huge number of barbershops. For those who want to adhere to a certain style and have a neat beard, it is recommended to visit salons at least once every few months to keep abreast of modern trends... The rest of the time you can take care of your beard at home. How to do it correctly, we will consider in this material.

If you decide to grow a beard, you need to prepare for the fact that you will need regular care for it, otherwise this decoration of a man's face will turn into an untidy matted mass that is unlikely to attract the attention of the opposite sex. Proper care consists of several steps that you should be familiar with.

It's no secret that the beard, like the hair on the head, instantly absorbs a variety of odors. Cigarette smoke, street smog, food - all this "cocktail" will settle on the beard, and you can get rid of it only with the help of washing. In addition, the skin produces oil, which in large quantities will not only cause unpleasant looking hair, but also serve as an excellent breeding ground for bacteria. This will lead to itching, irritation, dandruff. And if you also take into account how many times during the day men scratch and stroke their beards, then there is no need to talk about the need to wash.

They wash their beard with warm water and then gently wipe it off with a towel. A short beard and mustache should be washed every day, a long beard should be cleaned every 3 days or as needed.

Many barbers say that it is better to dry the beard in natural conditions, without exposing it to a hair dryer. In the early stages of beard growth, or if you just have stubble, this recommendation deserves attention. A short beard that has been dabbed with a towel will dry in a couple of minutes. But in the case of long hair, you need to act a little differently. Let's consider step by step how to cope with such drying:

• wash your beard, dry it gently with a towel;
• wait a few minutes for the hair to dry;
• turn on the hair dryer to the minimum setting and set the cold air function;
• dry your beard.

If the beard is long, it will definitely need daily styling, otherwise the hair will look messy. The styling instructions, which are recommended to be followed, will not cause difficulties even for those men who are sorely lacking time for morning procedures.

1. The first stage is brushing. To do this, you need a brush with sparse teeth or a comb. Brush carefully, especially if the hair is tangled.
2. After brushing, apply styling agent to the palms and rub. Then walk your beard with your palms.
3. The third stage again includes brushing. With the help of a brush, it will turn out to evenly distribute the product and give the beard a shape.

In order for the beard to always look neat and well-groomed, in addition to such daily procedures as washing and drying, you will have to purchase some tools and tools.

A must-have beard grooming kit includes the following tools.

• Comb... Barbers recommend buying products with rare or medium frequency teeth. The material can be anything: steel, wood, plastic. In this case, wooden ones are considered the best option.

• Scissors... They must be hairdressers. Such a device will allow you to trim the beard from time to time if some individual hairs violate the composition.

• Typewriter... A professional clipper is a must for men with short beards and mustaches. Instead, you can purchase a trimmer - this device will help maintain non-standard beard shapes.

• Mirror... A model on a bracket is the best option. And if the mirror has a magnifying effect, this will make it easy to see all the flaws.

With the help of cosmetics, you can improve the appearance of the beard, change its density, give it a silky and healthy look. All care products can be divided into several categories.

• Detergents... This includes a variety of shampoos, mousses, foams designed for daily beard washing. At the same time, it is better to choose professional products, and not products that wash your head and body.

• Conditioners and balms... Moisturizing conditioners soften the hair structure and make the beard silky. They are applied every 3-4 days after washing, then washed off. As for the balms, they do not need to be washed off.

• Oils... These products nourish the hair, moisturize it, and make it silky. They act not only on the hair itself, but also on the skin, thanks to which it is possible to quickly get rid of irritation and dryness, as well as prevent dandruff.

• Styling products. These products are needed for men who require daily beard styling. They have different textures, the choice depends only on personal preference. Today in the range of cosmetics you can find wax, gel, balm, cream and spray. Each of the tools provides a different fixation, so you need to focus on the length of the beard.

• Coloring goods. If for some reason you need to dye your beard (gray hair, you don't like the color, you want to change your image), then special coloring agents will come to the rescue. For those who want to achieve a long-lasting effect, a persistent dye is suitable, you can also use henna or basma.

In addition to the means already described, every man is able to take care of his beard with the help of folk methods. They will definitely not harm if you follow the measure and do not abuse the procedures. First of all, masks will give a good effect.

1. Mustard... You need to take one teaspoon of olive oil, mustard powder and burdock oil. The components are combined with each other, then applied to the chin, washed off after 10 minutes.
2. Olive... A teaspoon of olive oil is mixed with twice as much mustard powder, applied to the skin, kept for 20 minutes, then washed off.
3. Brandy... You should take a tablespoon of thistle oil, pour in a teaspoon of brandy, and then about 5 drops of vitamin E, which must first be slightly dissolved in oil. The resulting combination of ingredients is heated to a warm state and applied to the beard for 10 minutes.

There are other folk remedies that can be used:

• burdock oil: accelerates hair growth, prevents the appearance of bald spots;
• herbal infusions: give shine, soften, relieve irritation;
• water with a few drops of essential oil gives a pleasant aroma, soothes the skin.

Many beauty connoisseurs know about the benefits of tar soap for the skin and hair. Indeed, this unique product made from birch tar has many properties:

• relieves problems such as dandruff, acne, acne;
• helps with psoriasis, skin diseases;
• strengthens hair, including a beard, makes them more luxuriant, healthy, well-groomed;

Tar soap will be a real boon for men who have skin problems and irritations. The use of soap will get rid of flaking, small wounds, acne. The area of ​​the skin on which the beard grows is by no means protected from such troubles, on the contrary, it is even more vulnerable. The soap will help soothe the skin and put it in order. And a pleasant bonus to this will be that the beard itself will take on a neater look.

However, you need to use this tool with caution. Cosmetologists advise using it only for men with normal or oily skin and hair. Soap will dry out the dry dermis even more. In addition, it is impossible to constantly apply soap to the beard, it must be done in courses. The best option is to wash your beard with tar soap a couple of times a week for two months, then take a break for 60-90 days.

If you are planning to grow a long and thick beard, there are a few helpful tips to consider.

1. Do not forget about timely hair trimming. Whatever the desire to quickly let go of a long beard, you need to understand that the hair at the ends can be chopped, this will make the beard untidy and slow down its growth. To prevent this, you need to trim them as split ends appear.
2. Hair growth rate depends primarily on heredity. Some people grow hair slowly, while others do not have time to cut it. If slow growth is a problem for you, you can use a remedy such as niacin. For splendor, barbers recommend castor or burdock oil; Alerana serum also has a good effect, which prevents hair loss.
3. For many people, it will be a discovery that it is impossible to artificially increase the density of hair, it depends entirely on genetics. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to grow additional hair. But to use little tricks for optical illusion is definitely yes. One such trick is camouflage, which can be done in the cabin. Coloring in dark shades will also help. Various styling products will become additional tools - they visually increase the density.
4. Don't underestimate the power of vitamins. Specially selected complexes activate hair growth, strengthen and heal them. These are such sets of vitamins as "Fitoval", "Biotin", "Perfectil". You can buy them at the pharmacy.

Newbies who decide to grow a beard for the first time can make mistakes, and that's okay. Stylists and barbers have compiled a list of several points of common mistakes, and also gave advice on how to avoid them, so as not to look not only untidy, but also sometimes funny.

1. An attempt to hide a double chin with a beard. If you are overweight and have a round face, you do not need to grow a long, thick beard in the hope that it will completely hide your chin.If you cannot choose the shape yourself, it is better to contact a barber, who will immediately determine what you need, based on the anatomy of your face.
2. Cut your beard while letting go of the mustache... One of the worst mistakes guys make. It was so fashionable 60 years ago, but today it is bad manners, anti-trend. The beard must necessarily match the length of the mustache, and nothing else.
3. Use too many styling products. In everything you need to know when to stop. For daily styling, a couple of drops of oil, a small amount of gel or any other product are enough. The product instructions indicate the amount required. However, some men neglect this, spreading a lot of styling products on their beards. The result is the same: those around, attracted by the oily sheen of hair, will have only one impression - you have not been in the shower for several days.
4. Dye your hair and not dye your beard. Strangely, some men use hair dye, leaving their beards gray. It looks incomprehensible. It is better not to set up such experiments: after dyeing the hair on the head, give the same shade to the beard. It will be beautiful and harmonious.
5. Grow a beard without paying attention to bald patches. A beard "in pieces" is a very unpleasant sight, immediately giving the impression of carelessness and negligence. Shaving won't help here, unfortunately. The only option is to go in for sports, start eating right, quit smoking. And also remember about relatives: if they began to go bald early, had sparse hair and bald patches, then most likely it will be so with you. Therefore, in some cases, it is better not to let go of the beard.
6. Let your hair stick out in different directions... It must be remembered that beard hairs can have several directions of growth. Immediately understanding how to cut so that it turns out neatly and beautifully will not work. Here you will need a consultation from a barber who will tell you how to trim your beard.

For those who have already visited barbershops and want to know how to properly care for a beard at home, we have prepared some more useful life hacks from professionals and stylists.

1. When the beard starts to grow, the skin can itch a lot. This is a difficult stage, but it must be overcome. Use moisturizing and soothing creams, you can wet the dermis with cool water. The trouble won't last long.
2. Do not neglect brushing. Brushing daily will allow the hairs to grow in the direction you want.
3. If you have planned a haircut, wait until it dries completely. Wet hair is heavier, and when it dries, the beard will appear to be shorter than intended.
4. Any haircut takes place under the main rule: you need to start it from the temple. Only in this way will the beard take on the shape you need.
5. Make sure that the tools and tools you use are of high quality. When you buy a new cosmetic product, be sure to check your body's reaction to it. Allergic reactions of the skin hidden under the beard is a rather painful process that hardly anyone will like.
6. If you are tired of the shape of the beard, then it is better not to try to correct and change it right away. The recommendation from the barbers is as follows: either completely shave off the beard and start from scratch, or grow it with this shape to the required length, and then contact a master who will trim a certain part of the beard and help you choose a new look.

For information on how to care for your beard yourself, see the next video.