Perhaps the greatest development of the past few decades in men is the full beard. Never have there been so many men with a full beard walking around in our frog country as today. Our distant ancestors needed a beard to protect against wild animals or extreme temperatures. Yet today we do not really run the risk of being attacked by a wild boar at any moment on the street corner. And when it's a bit cold, we just put on a thicker coat.
Joking aside, a beard is of course pure fashion. Totally brought back by the so-called hipsters. Every man wants a beard these days. The number of requested beard transplants has increased sharply in recent years. Yes it is possible, a beard transplant. Not only in Turkey, but now also in the Netherlands.
The beard is a symbol of masculinity and every man wants to show that. But what does it take to get a nice full beard? We are happy to help you with tips for a good, healthy and full beard.
How to grow a beard
Whether you can grow such a full beautiful beard depends of course on your genes. It is hereditary determined how full your beard growth will be. Men with dark hair usually grow faster and more beard than men with lighter hair. But of course there are also exceptions. You will have to try it out yourself if you can grow a full beard. We take you through the most important steps you will have to follow if you want a beautiful full beard and also give you some tips that you could apply to grow a beard faster.
Step 1: Have patience and perseverance
Before we go into practical matters, it is important to know that you really have to make an appointment with yourself and keep to it. Growing a beard takes patience and perseverance. It gets wild, itches and irritates. All inconveniences that make many men give up too quickly. Look through that and hold on to your goal and above all grow a new backbone because in the beginning you will inevitably get reactions from your environment that you would rather not hear. Set a minimum time limit for yourself before you can pick up your razor again. You will end up being proud of yourself.
Step 2: Stop shaving
That sounds obvious, but when you let your beard grow, it becomes tempting to shave every now and then because you're afraid to look unkempt or because you get itchy and irritated. Shaving will not promote beard growth. Moreover, it is not a pretty sight if some parts are shaved. The only option is to stop shaving altogether. Keep that up for at least a month and then trim if necessary.
Step 3: Help your beard novice
When you have passed the first month, most men will already have some beard. You could possibly trim it a bit now or just let it grow. The choice is yours. What you should do is update your neckline. That's the border your beard crosses on your neck. A barber knows how to do this the right way for you. Do it yourself? This is a lot easier with a beard shaper!
Do you see some bald spots over time? This is because some hair follicles are simply a little less active than the rest. Don't panic, this will recover automatically. The other hairs cover the bald spots as they grow longer.
Step 4: Overcome itching and irritation
Every starting beard will itch and irritate. This is because the body's own oil goes to the beard hairs, making the skin dry and irritated. Especially when you wash your face. A novice beard still has sharp and hard hairs that tickle against the skin. This exacerbates the irritation even more. Of course you can reduce this itching and irritation fairly easily with the tips below:
Use beard oil
You could already use a beard oil for this, even if your beard is not that long. The beard oil nourishes the skin with essential oils so that your skin does not dry out. It also makes the hairs softer and they will no longer itch. Not sure which one is right for your beard? Find your match between our top 10 best beard oil . You just have to discover which beard oil suits you best . Dig into it to make sure you're getting the right match.
Do you find a beard oil too greasy? Then use a beard balm . This is a bit easier to apply and cares a bit less intensely than a beard oil, but it does have more soothing ingredients for the skin. Both products are good. That is why we have also put together a top 10 best beard balm .
Use a beard brush
Your skin is constantly renewing itself, which creates a lot of dead skin cells and flakes. When you have facial hair, this goes even faster. This causes even more itching and irritation. Also, due to all the dead skin cells, your skin is less able to absorb nutrients, which means that it continues to itch and irritate. When you use a beard brush once a week, you remove all these dead skin cells. The brush works like a scrub . A new fresh skin remains. Now your skin is better able to absorb the nutrients of the beard oil, for example. This will make your skin feel great, accelerate beard growth and your beard hairs will also be more beautiful. There is a match for every beard, which can be found in our top 10 best beard brushes .
Step 5: Maintenance of your beard
When you grow a beard for the first time and after a while you have reasonable facial hair, a new world opens up for you. It is now important to take care of and maintain your beard. You could have this done by a barber. If you do this yourself, it is important to purchase a decent beard trimmer . Beard scissors complete your beard care , but you really have to be able to. Trimming the first time is easier, but will still be challenging as it requires some technique. Trim your beard once every two weeks. In the video below you can see how you can trim a beard yourself at home.
Wash beard
It is also advisable to use a good beard shampoo and beard conditioner . A beard shampoo contains ingredients that cleanse the beard and skin without aggressively drying them out. A beard conditioner will soften the hair, making trimming easier and the skin less irritated by hard hairs. Wash your beard every week to remove bacteria and keep your skin and beard healthy. Buy a shampoo and conditioner with as many natural ingredients as possible to avoid irritations. We've collected our favorites in our top 10 best beard shampoo list.
Comb beard
Does your beard already have some length? Then it is best to comb your beard after using a beard oil. You can buy a special beard comb and comb your beard with it. Do not do this when the beard is still wet! That is bad for your beard hair and the hair can then let go. Your beard will be easy to style with such a comb. The beard oil is also so well distributed over all hairs. A beard comb is therefore essential for proper grooming. That is why we have created a top 10 with best beard combs .
Buy a complete beard care set
Many men can no longer see the wood for the trees. There are so many different products. One better for short beards and the other for the longer beard. There is also a huge difference in quality. That is why we have put together three sets for both beginners and advanced users that contain everything you need to optimally care for your beard so that you can get the most out of your beard care. Obviously cheaper than buying them separately. View our beard care sets , which contain high-quality products that are easy to use.
Tips to accelerate beard growth
Forget myths like 'shaving more often means more hair growth' because these are simply not true. Beard growth depends on the amount of testosterone in the body and your genes. There are a number of factors that improve and stimulate your beard growth.
Tip 1: Take care of your skin
The hairs grow naturally from the hair follicles in your skin. If you have unhealthy skin, the hair follicles will not be very healthy either. The healthier your skin, the healthier your hair follicles, the more hair growth. Therefore, look for the perfect skin care for men , and specifically: for your own skin. Not only will you make your skin happy, but neither will your beard!
Tip 2: Avoid stress
Easier said than done you would think. Stress is known to cause hair loss. This also applies to the beard hairs. Stress can sabotage your beautiful full beard. Get enough sleep and rest to reduce stress.
Tip 3: Move!
With sports you ensure better blood flow, which is beneficial for your hair follicles. When you do strength sports, you increase your testosterone level, which in turn affects your beard growth.
Tip 4: Watch your nutrition
Hair needs nutrition to grow. Proteins provide healthy and strong hair and help to grow the hair. Think of fish, eggs, chicken breast and dairy products. This also applies to vegetables with a high iron content such as spinach and broccoli.
Tip 5: Leave alcohol alone
Unfortunately men, drinking a lot of alcohol reduces the testosterone level in the body and that is at the expense of your beard growth. So are you having trouble growing your beard? Then drink in moderation.
Let that beard grow!
With the above tips you should be able to grow a full beard if your genes allow it of course. Put that razor away and give it a try. A beard is no longer hipster fashion, but has become a real part of the Dutch street scene (and your life). Please let us know how your road to a full beard went or is progressing. We are very curious!
Grow 'em & show 'em,
Your friends, The Alpha Men