How much attention does your fuzzy face friend require? This is a grey area (hopefully not on your chin) for many, are you washing too often, are you washing too little? Should you be applying any aftercare products? The answers to these questions differ dependent on your distinctions.

At risk of overstating the obvious, but in the name of continuity, it’s all down to the length of your beard. It also requires delving into the thickets of your beaming bird’s nest to see what hair type we’re working with. Generally, its thick and wiry, but there are different grades that will require different levels of attention.

Let us get into it.

Growing a Beard

Beards take time, a warm chin is the patient man’s reward. At around half an inch every month your beard moves slow, like you on the way to the in-laws.

Beards develop later than the rest of your body hair and usually don’t reach their full potential until your thirties. So if you want to check your full progression, at least commit to two months to see the full forestry flourish.

Trimming a Beard

The main question we get around beard trimming is ‘does trimming help beard growth?’ The short answer is, yes!

Another question we’re asked a lot is ‘will my patchy beard fill in?’ As you grow, patches may show. You may also find some bushier areas. Using a pair of clippers and a guard, try and keep growth even by trimming back the bushier bits whilst working to cover any patches. They should even out eventually.

Where should my beard neckline be? Regular trimming and shaving of the contours of your creation is always advised. Make sure you shave around the neck and upper cheeks to ensure its not encroaching onto your money maker.

Where the neckline should be falls completely down to personal preference.

Cleaning a Beard

A beard in its infancy can come under the same routine as your hair, if you’re still lucky enough to have any. Once you reach an inch or more in length, you should consider reducing the efforts you put into cleaning your beard. Once or twice a week with a dedicated beard shampoo is our recommendation to you.

This is where you should use your own discretion. With a naturally wiry feel, beards can often feel over-washed, and they might be. If you’ve had naturally wiry hair throughout life anyway, you’re probably already well acquainted with skipping shampoos and patting dry.

You can lock in moisture with a beard oil. After showering, whether you’ve shampooed or not, apply some beard oil and give it a brush through. This will help your beard stay healthy and more manageable.