Every year Movember celebrates the month of November as a month to celebrate the male gender and create awareness for men’s physical health by keeping moustache and growing beard throughout the month of November. This coincides with International Men’s Day celebration on 19th November and hence the celebration of both becomes crucial for every men’s rights activist around this world. That is why we bring this special feature for men telling them how to care for their beards and how to grow them really big.

Growing beard can be one of the amazing things yet so stressful if you make a slight mistake. Beard is good; it makes you manly, gives you that attractive look and can be your lucky charm in dates and interviews. However, growing a beard is not a simple task. There are many aspects you need to do to take care of your beard and keep it neat and admirable to all. When growing and grooming a beard, you will face several challenges. Some of these problems are unavoidable while some are the results of common mistakes that you can avoid.

To achieve that mature, smart and fresh-smelling beard, you have to learn the best care products for your beard, when and how to trim and shape it among other helpful beard grooming tips. We all make mistakes but the best thing about beard grooming mistakes is that hair will again grow and you can correct your mistakes.

But if you avoid making a mistake the first time, you will save time and keep your confidence high always. If you have already made beard grooming errors, no problem. Growing and maintaining a healthy and attractive beard is a long journey which involves learning new things every day. Below we have compiled some of the common mistakes bearded men make and how you can avoid those.

Common Beard Grooming Mistakes

1. Impatience

To grow a thick and superb beard that everyone will envy is not a one-day task. As the famous quote goes; ‘Rome was not built in one day’, your beard requires time to grow and you must be patient and positive. Most men experience irritation and itchiness, especially in the initial days; others have to struggle with a patchy and uneven beard which attracts criticism. As a result, most men give up the idea of keeping beard thinking that ‘beard is not for them’.

Do not give up so easily. Give your beard enough time to grow to its full potential. It can take a few months to a year depending on your gene, but the trick is to remain patient. Do not compare yourself with your peers or give in to any negative comment, as that will discourage you. Stick to your goals and after a few weeks of free growth, you will be amazed at the results. The discomfort caused by itching and irritation can be eased out by oiling your beard to moisturize your skin and improve the overall texture and appearance of the beard.

2. Beard Myths

People will always have their own opinion and beliefs about everything. The biggest mistake you can make is to believe those beard myths blindly. It is advisable to dig deeper to find the truth regarding every myth you hear before believing and acting. Some of these are only assumptions or something that happened to one person but may not be true for others. You will go wrong if you believe that your patchy beard will never grow to its full potential or hang on to the assumption that shaving your facial hair will trigger faster and thicker growth. You will receive loads of advice and recommendation every day on how to grow and show your beard some love but not all are true and practical. Take time to research the truth behind every beard myth you hear around to evade some of these mistakes.

3. The Neckline Mistake

This is one of the most common mistakes that most bearded-men make and it kills the awesomeness of your beard completely. In a few months of beard growth, you need to clean up your neck by trimming the neckline. In most cases, people set the wrong neckline level and it takes time to recover from the error. Do not cut very high from the jaw line as this will give you an awkward appearance.

A good way to determine a good neckline is to define a curved line from one ear to the other with the lowest point slightly above your Adam’s apple and trim the hair below the line or determine the point where your head connects to the neck and trim downwards. If you doubt your accuracy, it helps to visit your barber for the first trimming to define the natural neckline for you and you can always use it as your guide. If you have already made the mistake, do not panic or shave your entire beard. Allow it to grow back and soon it will naturally blend in.

4. Too Much Trimming, Too Soon

Some people are too eager to start trimming their beard and ends up doing so too early and too often. This is a big mistake which could take you back to square one after months of beard growth. Allow the hair to grow to a level that requires trimming. Again, beard trimming is a bit tricky and it may take several trimming to achieve the right trimming style and levels.

First, it is important to know the shape of your face, so, you can trim in line with your facial features and jaw line. How often you trim your beard is determined by how fast your hair grows. You should never be in a hurry as it will take time to grow back. It is also important to trim your beard when you are fully settled and is not in a hurry. If you want to achieve an awesome beard, you have to invest time and take a little care not to ruin your beard growing efforts. Some other helpful tips include:

• Trimming A Little At A Time – Trimming small amounts of hairs will make it possible and easier to recover from mistakes.
• Brushing Before Trimming – this helps you see the exact length of your hair to enable uniform trimming.
• Trim Only When Dry – Pat towel your beard to ensure it is completely dry before you start trimming. Wet hair appears to be longer than its actual size.

5. Beard Oiling Mistakes

Another serious mistake that bearded men make is to ignore putting oil to their beard. This makes the beard look shaggy, rough and weak. Not oiling your beard also makes it itch and gives it an ugly appearance. It is always recommended to invest in a quality beard oil to moisturize the skin underneath and make a shiny and healthy beard. Here are a few benefits of oiling your beard regularly:

• Improved appearance – it gives your beard a healthy and a glowing look.
• Contain the itchiness – Oiling your beard keeps the skin underneath moist and prevents itching and sore.
• Moisturized skin – Beard oil will get down to the skin below the beard giving you a fresh feel all day.
• Easy maintenance – it also makes it easy to comb your beard without feeling any pain.

6. Brushing/ Combing Errors

You can also make mistakes when brushing or not brush your beard. Failure to brush or comb your beard makes them look untidy and shaggy. Combing or brushing wet beard is not advisable for the risk of hair loss.

It is important to always brush/comb the beard to make them smart and tidy, as well as train them to grow in your preferred direction. It is also a great way of distributing your natural oil (sebum) evenly giving your beard a soft feel and shiny look. If the beard is wet, tap with a towel to dry it before brushing. You can also apply some beard oil to make the combing experience easy. Do not use any comb you find around. Instead purchase a wooden or metallic comb that is designed specifically for beard grooming.

7. Neglecting the Moustache

It is a common mistake to focus on the beard and forget about the moustache. To achieve a collective awesome look, you need to keep the moustache clean and neat as well. Use a fine touched comb to comb and shape the moustache and trim it regularly to maintain a uniform size. Combing it regularly also trains it to grow in a direction that won’t be a problem to the mouth. For the best results, you need to:

• Choose The Right Moustache Style – There are a number of styles you can choose from depending on your type of hair and facial shape.
• Make Use Of Moustache Wax – To control your hairs for easy styling.
• Routine Trimming – Trim your moustache with a moustache trimmer or scissors when it grows to a certain level.
• Comb Your Moustache – This makes it smart and trains the hairs to grow in the right direction.

The list of common mistakes can go on and on. In some cases, you may be doing something to your beard thinking it is the right thing and end up messing up with your attention winner. To be on the safe side, you should make it a rule to research and know the effects of whatever you intend to use or do so as to make the right decision. It is also recommended that you maintain beard hygiene by washing them with the right product to remove the dirt that can mess up with it.

Finally, it helps to know your type of hair and know what works best for it. Know your skin sensitivity to avoid tools and beard care products which may harm your skin.

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By – Alex Merashi