Beard Care Routines: Tailoring Your Regimen for Different Beard Stages
October 03, 2024Beards aren’t perfect…they’re just not. Whether you’re just starting your beard journey or you’ve been rocking a full beard for years, each stage of beard growth comes with its own unique set of challenges.
Understanding how to care for your beard at every stage is crucial to keep it looking its best. Let’s break down the perfect beard care routine for different beard stages.
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Stage 1: The Stubble Beard
The Challenges
At the stubble stage, your beard is just coming in and will feel like sandpaper to the touch. Many guys experience itch due to dry skin. You might notice some uneven growth as it is common for some areas to fill in faster than others.
Your Stubble Beard Care Routine
Cleanse: Wash your face daily with a gentle cleanser to remove dirt and excess oil. This helps prevent clogged pores and keep your skin healthy.
💡 PRO Tip:
Patience is key here, guys. Resist the urge to trim too early. Let your stubble grow out for a few weeks before you start shaping it, and before you do, make sure you do your research on where you should trim your lines in!
Though your beard hairs are not long, yet, you can still use a natural beard wash as it is designed specifically for your face so it will give you the gentle lather you need.
Exfoliate: We’ve found that the best way to accomplish this is with a boars hair brush. The idea here is to gently brush the face and new beard hairs daily to brush away dead skin cells, prevent ingrown hairs, and bring circulation to the skin. The blood brought to your skin can actually help with better beard growth.
Moisturize: The dreaded beard itch occurs because your skin is dry. As your beard hairs grow out, they pull away the sebum oils your body produces naturally.
To avoid this, apply beard oil daily, even when you first start growing to moisturize the skin and avoid the itch. This will also soften the stubble as it grows out making it feel great to the touch.
Beard Butter: Is not really necessary at the stubble beard phase.
Stage 2: The Short Beard
The Challenges
Your beard at this stage is really starting to look like a beard as you’ve lined it up and it’s starting to fill in. You may still have some patchy areas that need some time to fill in and if you’re not using beard oil you will experience beard itch by this stage.
Your Short Beard Care Routine
Cleanse: Continue washing your face and beard daily with a gentle cleanser to keep it clean and fresh. A natural beard wash is recommended at this stage as it is a gentle lather designed for your face and beard.
💡 PRO Tip:
Consistency is crucial here guys, so stick to your routine and give your beard time to fill in naturally. If you are looking to grow longer, define your lines but don’t take any length off.
Avoid bar soaps and body wash as they are much too harsh and not designed for your face and beard which may cause more harm than good.
Condition: At this stage your beard hairs are hanging just slightly off your face, and you’ll want to keep them moisturized. We recommend you use a beard conditioner at this stage to ensure your beard hairs aren’t drying out and remain soft to the touch.
Beard Oil: Keep up with the beard oil daily to nourish the skin under your beard. Any extra can be rubbed through the hairs as added conditioner.
Beard Butter: At this stage your beard hairs are likely short enough to lay down in an orderly fashion. However, if you live in a very dry climate, or if you get really dirty throughout the day, you can use Beard Butter to style and keep the hairs tamed.
Brush: Continue to use your boar hair brush to train your beard to grow in the desired direction. This also helps distribute the oils throughout your beard.
Trim: At this length you want to begin to shape your beard with regular trims, especially if you are looking to keep the short beard, well, short.
Use a high quality trimmer with a zero-gap blade to carve in your neckline, backline, and cheek lines. Then find the guard lengths that give you the style you desire and find a weekly trimming routine to keep your beard looking dialed in, or find a barber you trust to get the job done for you.
The key to a great-looking beard is a consistent beard care routine
Stage 3: The Medium Beard
The Challenges
At this stage, your beard has some length, and you may start to experience issues like split ends and dryness, waves, and unruly beard hairs. Beard grooming becomes even more important, but that doesn’t mean it needs to take a long time.
Your Medium Beard Care Routine
Cleanse: Wash your beard with a specialized beard wash to avoid stripping away natural oils while still keeping your beard clean. Frequency will vary based on how dirty you get, but with a natural beard wash it is safe to use daily, especially if you sweat at the gym or spend time outdoors.
💡 PRO Tip:
Pay attention to your diet if you want to take your beard to the next level. A balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals supports healthy beard growth. Look for Vitamin A, C, and E, as well as biotin and omega-3 fatty acids.
If you want to guarantee you get the proper amounts of nutrients, you can supplement with a Beard Growth Vitamin like Beard Boost which has helped thousands of guys grow better beards.
Condition: Deep condition your beard with a natural beard conditioner daily, after you wash. This is even more important as your beard gets longer. Try letting the conditioner set in your beard for 3-5 minutes at least a couple of times a week to get a deep conditioning.
Beard Oil: You guessed it, it’s still important and needed daily. The beard hairs will continue to pull the oils out of your skin so you need to replenish it to avoid itchiness and dry skin which can lead to poor beard growth.
Brush & Comb: With a medium-length beard your hairs are now long enough to benefit from a comb and a brush. The comb will work through the hairs to detangle any knots and get the beard hairs to lay down together.
If you’re looking for added fullness, try combing your beard from the underneath, out and up, to get the hairs to spread out wide, then comb down and into place. This method will set your beard up to look fuller.
Trim: Regular trims are still necessary with medium beards to keep it looking sharp. You’ll want to focus on the sideburn areas as well as your lines. With the added length, you can get away with a little more flexible of a trimming routine as the difference in a weeks worth of growth with a medium beard is less noticeable.
Stage 4: The Full Beard
The Challenges
Maintaining a good style and managing unruly hairs is crucial.
Your Full Beard Care Routine
Cleanse: Stick to washing your beard with a beard wash daily or as needed based on your sweat and dirtiness level.
💡 PRO Tip:
Invest in a beard trimmer. It can help you achieve clean lines and a symmetrical look, making your beard appear even more impressive.
We designed a ceramic blade beard trimmer, the MT-1, which is best in class and backed by a lifetime guarantee, but there are others on the market so do your research to find one with multiple guards, sharp blades, and a good guarantee.
Condition: The same conditioning routine as a medium beard can work for most guys. However, if you want your beard softness to be elevated to a whole new level, try using a leave-in conditioner once or twice a week in the evenings. You, and everyone else, will be blown away by how soft your beard can actually be.
The whole idea of coarse, dry, itchy, wiry beard hairs was simply because beard grooming products didn’t exist. Your beard can and should be just as soft and luscious as your head hair.
Beard Oil: Continue using beard oil daily to nourish and hydrate your beard and the skin underneath. With a full beard, you might need to apply slightly more oil but use your discretion here.
Beard Butter: At this length, beard butter will be your best friend. It is one part deep conditioner, and one part styling and hold. It will make your beard soft, while controlling flyaway hairs and getting your beard to stay in place without the feeling of a wax or gel.
Brush and Comb: A quality beard brush and comb are your best friends. Brush your beard daily to keep it tangle-free and use a comb to style it into place.
Trim: Regular trimming is crucial to maintain the shape and health of your beard, and to keep you from looking disheveled. Focus on trimming or hedging the ends to maintain a uniform shape.
Keep the sideburn and cheek areas clean as well as just those ares can make your beard look great even if the bulk of your beard is a little more wild.
Consider visiting a professional barber for a precision trim to set the beard, and then trim it yourself every week or so for upkeep. We’ve found this to be very helpful.
Patience and consistency are your best friends in the journey to a healthy, impressive beard
Stage 5: The Long Beard
The Challenges
A long beard requires dedication and patience. You’ll need to manage potential tangles, dryness, and keep it looking presentable.
Your Long Beard Care Routine
Cleanse: Your beard wash routine doesn’t change much as your beard gets longer. You need to keep it clean and the frequency will still vary based on how dirty you get.
💡 PRO Tip:
Consider a silk pillowcase. I know it may seem silly but it can reduce friction while you sleep, helping to prevent beard hair breakage and split ends.
If you use a natural beard wash you can wash daily without causing damage. At this length, it is extra important you avoid using regular shampoo, body wash, and soap as it can be too harsh.
Deep Condition: Use a beard conditioner daily after you wash, and we highly recommend you use a leave-in deep conditioning treatment at least two times a week. Look for natural products with quality ingredients.
We designed our Night Cap Leave-In Deep Conditioner for exactly this purpose, and it’s a game-changer for medium to long beards.
Beard Oil: Because beard oil is mainly designed for the skin, we recommend you use a generous amount of beard oil daily to keep your skin soft and moisturized to promote beard growth and health.
Beard Butter: After you apply your beard oil, you really should apply beard butter to style and condition your beard. Beard butter is a shea based product which has insane conditioning benefits, and just a touch of hold to keep your beard shaped without locking it in place. This will give your beard a nice, natural shape that’s easy to run your (or someone else’s) hands through.
Brush and Comb: Detangle your beard with a wide-toothed comb and use a boar bristle brush to distribute oils and keep your beard looking neat.
Trim: Regular trims are less essential to keep your beard looking great at this length, at least on the ends. You do still want to focus on the sideburn and cheek areas though and consider fading those areas from short to long to give your beard a nice style.
Hydrate and Nourish: As your beard grows longer, it’s even more important to get the nutrients proven to keep your beard healthy. Keep your beard hydrated from the inside out by drinking plenty of water and maintaining a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients.
Final Thoughts
No matter what stage your beard is in, the key to a great-looking beard is a consistent beard care routine tailored to its current needs.
Whether you're just starting out with some stubble or you’re rocking a full, majestic beard, taking the time to properly care for your facial hair will keep it looking its best.
Remember, patience and consistency are your best friends in the journey to a healthy, impressive beard.
Our mission is to help Beardsmen look, feel, and be their best.
We back our products, and everything we do, with a lifetime warranty and money back guarantee. If you have any questions about our products or style tips and tricks, hit us up at support@livebearded.com. We are here to help!
Live Bearded, Brother!