Here at Daily Grind we believe that a well groomed and well styled beard can bring any look from a 7 to a 10. On the flip side an un-groomed, unhealthy, messy beard can bring down any look. So if you're like us and you want to look your best don't miss these 8 Common Beard Mistakes Men Should Avoid Because the truth is gentlemen there is a razor thin line between looking like a dapper stud and looking like Grizzly Adams.
This article will be broken up into two parts. The first part I'm gonna go over the eight most common mistakes that not only I made but I see other guys making with their beard. The second part I'm actually gonna go over a few tricks to actually make your facial hair grow faster and thicker.
1. Shaving too much off the cheeks
The first beard mistake that I see men making is shaving way too much off the cheeks. And no I’m not talkin butt cheeks gentlemen. There's nothing that makes a beard look worse than when it's cut super thin around the jawline. I mean at that point can you even call it a beard? Look, I understand the chin strap beard style comes and goes in popularity but unless you’re the lead singer of Everlast and it's 1999, stop doing this.
Gentlemen, if you want to maximize the look and style of your beard allow it to grow in and then define the boundaries. Those hairs that grow on the cheeks, just clean them up. You're not Tony Stark.
Now in terms of where your boundary should actually start on your cheek is different for every man but I recommend getting a comb, place one end by your ear and the other end down towards the corner of your mouth. You're gonna let everything below grow. Shave everything above. In terms of the neck that's actually the second mistake and one of my biggest beard grooming pet peeves.
2. Shaving too high up the neck
I see it all the time, men rocking a super epic beard and then all of a sudden I'll see them from the side and they'll expose all the neck skin underneath their chin. There's little that makes a beard look worse than when a man shaves under his chin exposing all the skin and all the meat underneath his jaw.
I can say this because I used to be one of those guys for years. My girlfriend hated it. I thought you were supposed to shave underneath the chin basically inside of the jaw bone.
This is wrong. When you talk you actually see the meat underneath your chin, it looks terrible. Plus, if you don't have a super strong structured jaw it's going to make your face look weak and chubby. I know because I’m that guy. 1 perk of a nice beard, while it will make you look years older it will also make your face look thinner.
3. No sideburn transition or fading
The third mistake is all about those sideburn transitions and fades. One of the quickest ways to bring down the look of your beard is making a hard line between the beard and sideburns. I see it all the time.
Gentlemen, unless you’re gonna go to a local barbershop to get your hair and beard groomed you've got to learn to use your facial hair grooming tool better. It's all about fading and blending, making sure that your beard transitions perfectly through those sideburns fellas.
Gradually fade and taper your beard up towards your temples. Try starting with a six millimeter guard and go down from there. Once you're done it's time to clean up.
4. Forgetting to clean up your mess
Unless you like constantly frustrating your roommate or partner this step is crucial. Don't be that guy who leaves hair all over the bathroom every time he shaves. Clean up is super simple, especially when you use a grooming tool like the Zeliux VacGroom Grooming Vacuum Cleaner for Men.
Just turn it on and get to work, when you're finished all you have to do is open it up dump it out and you are ready to rock. I love my Zeliux VacGroom because it's also perfect for cleaning up your manscaping mess plus it's also usb chargeable.
The bottom line, a grooming vacuum is a game changer, it's also a relationship saver because I used to get in so much trouble with my lady. She'd be like, "Lance, you know I love the beard, you look sexy af, and don't get me wrong, I'm super glad you don't have a 70's pornstar man bush but for god sake I'm tired of stepping on pubes and cleaning up after you."
5. Not using a beard moisturizer
Let's talk about dry flaky skin and how to get rid of beardruff for good, as in dandruff flakes in your beard and on your shirt. Guys, beard dandruff is a thing and if you're going to be rocking any type of facial hair it's critical that you moisturize the skin underneath the beard.
In terms of moisturization, there are two different aspects. There is the skin underneath the hair but then also we got to talk about moisturizing the hair because that's something that a lot of guys neglect, they think yo it's a beard who cares, I don't need the conditioning. Wrong!
Gentlemen, for the hair on your face it is critical for you to actually moisturize and condition it so that it's nice and soft and it's not all hard and itchy. The most common complaints we hear from women about their man's beard always involves a dry, scratchy, flaky beard. Whether or not you're going downtown to visit Brenda or just kissing her face, a dry scratchy beard can irritate her skin.
The first thing I'd recommend guys is getting a high quality beard moisturizer. Maverick beard oil by Daily Grind of course is the moisturizer I use. One of the mistakes that a lot of guys make is that they neglect to actually go in and moisturize their beard.
The truth is a lot of times it's going to require a little extra moisturizer, you got to really get in there down to the skin on your chin. Don’t forget the skin underneath your beard is also in need of moisture. When it is time to actually moisturize the hair there are two different ways that you can do it. The most common is a beard oil. One, two, three, four drops in your hand of high quality beard oil each day makes a huge difference.
Once again it's about getting it all in that facial hair, working it down to the skin, this is going to hydrate the hair making it softer and a little shinier. Now, if your beard is a little bit longer what I would recommend is actually go with a beard balm. Think of beard balm as almost like a moisturizing styling aid for your facial hair.
Take a little dab and put it on your palm and heat it up, then what you're going to do once again is run it through your beard. If your beard is a little bit longer this is what I would recommend because it's going to add a slight degree of hold so that it will allow you to actually style and make sure that your beard isn't too puffy or fluffy plus a balm like Locke beard balm smells amazing.
6. Giving up too soon
The sixth mistake that I see a ton of men making is giving up before they give their facial hair a chance at redemption. Four weeks guys, that is the magic number. If you're somebody that has tried growing facial hair before but feel like it doesn't look right or it looks patchy so you gave up and shaved it all off, try again and let it grow for four weeks minimum. Just let it grow. Let's see what actually happens but if you're actually shaving at two weeks possibly three weeks you're not allowing the hair to get long enough to actually cover up the patchy areas.
7. Not brushing your beard
Combing and brushing your beard is very important and that's for several reasons. For one, when you apply that beard oil the comb or the brush it helps distribute the beard oil evenly through your beard. On top of that it helps to make sure all your beard hairs are growing in the same direction when you comb and brush it. Combing and brushing your beard actually makes it easier to maintain your beard, and easier to trim it neatly and evenly.
If you've got a thin area try brushing it in order to camouflage or cover that area, you can actually make your beard appear thicker by brushing. Brushing actually stimulates and brings blood flow to the surface making your hair grow thicker, fuller, and faster.
Now, when it comes to whether you should use a comb or brush it's pretty simple, shorter beards like mine use a comb, the longer your beard gets start using a brush and for my guys that use a beard comb I highly recommend you use a wood comb as opposed to a plastic one. Plastic can break off dry ends and pull on your hair, a good wooden comb is much smoother and easier to use but either way, whether you're using a beard comb or brush make sure it's part of your beard maintenance routine.
If after four weeks it's just not in the cards and your hair is very patchy and thin and you don't have a lot of coverage I would recommend trimming it short. Short thin patchy beards look better than long thin patchy beards, that is just an undeniable fact.
8. Over-doing it with hair styling products.
As I mentioned above, when it comes to styling your beard, aids like beard balm or beard butter can help, but a little bit goes a long way, especially when you're using high-quality beard products like the ones made at Daily Grind.
Applying too much product can lead to build-up that weighs hair down and is difficult to remove, and it can end up making hair appear greasy, stiff or flaky, depending on what kind of styling aids you use.
Try only using a dime-sized amount of product at once. You can always use more as needed. To address build-up due to frequent over application, wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo.
Tips for growing a thicker beard
Now, for anyone still reading, I want to go over a few tricks that can possibly make your facial hair grow thicker and faster.
The first trick is to work out. Research has shown that when you actually lift weights and strengthen your body it’s going to release more testosterone. The more testosterone you're rocking the more that facial hair is going to come in and the faster it's actually going to grow. Gentlemen if you are not working out and you're like “yo my beard sucks” start working out.
Second tip like I mentioned before, start brushing that bad boy on the daily. Maybe even twice a day, because like I said, blood flow stimulation, more blood more follicle formation, gentlemen I'm telling you it's a game changer.
The next thing that's going to change the game for your beard is actually taking vitamins that are going to help stimulate hair growth, not only for your hair, not only for your nails, but also your face. If you're not, start taking vitamins to help get those nutrients you're not getting in your diet. not only is your hair going to be healthier shinier and amazing it's actually going to help your beard look better and healthier. Look for vitamins with a formula including a ton of nutrients designed specifically to help your skin, your nails, and your hair.
The last tip is time. That’s right, a lot of times it just takes maturing as a man and your facial hair will fill out. My beard was super patchy up until the age of around 25. I was actually kind of concerned about it but as I matured as I aged my testosterone flourished and my facial hair started growing in thicker. It was perfect for about 2-5 years and then at 30 my beard turned gray. We are all different but bottom line gentleman, do not compare your facial hair to anybody else. It's you, it's yours, there are no two men that have the exact same facial hair so just rock what you got and avoid these 8 beard mistakes.
Author: Lance Reis