You definitely want people to be looking at your beard, but not in a bad way. You want to attract attention to your fresh-looking, clean and healthy beard, all of which start at how you approach the tested and tried black men’s beard care tips.
These aren’t just regular tips, but changes in your lifestyle and diet, in your self-care mechanisms that shape your future beard. Other than changing things internally, you will also need to focus on the look of the beard through trimming, combing, and moisturizing it. When you are ready with all of this, people are prepared to check out that dapper beard styled on you!
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Why is it different for me?
So, why do black men need a different beard care regime than regular men? That is because the hair of black men come tightly coiled. The hair follicles structured like ribbons beneath the skin surface lead to a couple of beard issues (as we mean to discuss near the end of the article) in black men, the most common of which is ingrown hair.
These problems often make a man think twice about whether to shave or grow a beard. If you think about it from the side of the guy with thin facial hair, they don’t have such twisted issues. How lucky!
Whichever path you take, you will face unique challenges. As we said, black hair is naturally a little curly and slow to grow. So thinking about beard care takes some patience and discipline as a black man.
Black Men Beard Care
Grooming, managing or growing a beard, all of these are possible if you stick to the following approaches of beard care that we suggest:
Growth
Here is what you can do to stimulate beard growth internally or to promote healthy facial hair. But before you jump into that, remember that for the first couple of months, your beard may come off as patchy. This isn’t decidedly the end result, so you can continue living a healthier life until you see improvements. If you give up too quickly, be sure not to get your desired results in the form of a thick beard.
Diet
A healthy diet will result in your healthy beard growth. A proper diet that is rich in omega fatty acids and foods rich in healthy fats such as salmon, avocados, flax seeds, sardines, chia seeds, walnuts, and canola oil are good for beard growth.
Hydration
Drinking a lot of water not just helps the skin, but also prevents the beard issues that many black men face, mostly including ingrown hair. It also increases blood circulation and blood flow to the skin, quickening the process of hair growth on the face.
Skincare
You need to pay extra attention to skincare as a black man. A good looking beard, a thicker beard draws out from a good-looking, well-maintained skin. So you will need to feed your skin with nutrients, both topically and inwardly. Make sure that you regularly cleanse and exfoliate your skin. As dust and debris may build up on pores, it may make it hard for beards to grow amidst all the gunk and pus. If you can prevent the buildup of dead skin cells and keep your skin healthy, it will promote healthy beard growth. Healthy skin will also solve the issues which some men have, growing pimples along with beards. So invest in good skincare products as you invest in beard care products.
Exercise
Regular exercise also increases blood circulation and boosts your testosterone levels. This hormone is essential if you are looking for a full and thick beard on your face. So if you had been living a sedentary life till now, it might be time to reconsider everything and start exercising. Working out at least 3 days a week and increasing the duration as you become comfortable will help you in the growth process.
Sleep
Not getting enough sleep plays with your hormone levels. Did you know that when you sleep, your body repairs damages? But for that, you need to sleep well first! Make sure that you sleep in a dark, well-ventilated room and turn off electric devices for a sound and full sleep, giving your body time to work on damaged skin and facial hair. Sleeping in a dark room helps in the production of melatonin, which again helps in hair growth.
De-stress
Stress takes a heavy toll on a lot of things. Especially our physical health. However, it has an adverse impact on hair growth too. It all starts with the increased cortisol level due to stressing a lot. This again reduces testosterone, which again reduces your chances of a healthy, full beard. So it is essential to de-stress using mechanisms such as yoga, meditation, listening to good music to relax or going out for fun. Anything that makes you feel relaxed is good.
Maintenance
Now that you are on the way to growing a healthy lead, you will also need to know how to maintain it. You have a full beard, but you do not know how to keep it neat and tidy. Do you think unkempt hair will get you good results? No. Here is how to care for your grown beard:
Trim
First, you need to make sure the beard is in good shape. If not, you will have to start off by trimming them into a good shape. Regularly trimming your beard keeps the ends fresh and gives you that look of freshly leaving a salon. So you should always trim your beard before you need it and not realize it later after it has overgrown.
If you think you can’t do it on your own, and you may ruin the shape further, it is a good idea to go to a barber. Weekly trims and trips to the hairdresser isn’t a bad idea. But if you think this is too overboard for your budget, you can do it at home with your electric trimmer and scissors. Be patient, watch some tutorials, or ask a friend to lend a hand and get a neat trim.
Wash
After you are done trimming, it is better to wash off the rest of the hair. You should wash your beard daily to keep it clean, even if you choose not to take a shower that day. You may think that you haven’t touched your face, and all is well, but you can’t see pollution with bare eyes and so your beard, as well as face, needs regular cleansing. This will save you from breaking out at the hair follicles. Also, remember not to use regular shampoo or soap to clean your beard, if they are very drying. You need to let the natural oil remain while cleaning the beard. Again here, try cleansers designed for black men in particular.
Comb
Brushing your hair regularly as a black man saves it from tangling. You can use a broad, bristled brush to comb your way through the hair. Make sure the teeth of the comb are smooth, and you are doing gentle strokes with it, not tugging and pulling. This will promote circulation on the skin surface and aid growth.
Moisturize
400;”>Moisturizing your hair with coconut oil, castor oil, or beard oil that contains a combination of all the right oils and supplements is an excellent way to stop your beard from becoming brittle and prone to breakage. It will make sure that your skin isn’t irritated with the dryness from the beard and keep healthy.
Beard Issues
Here are some issues black men face with growing beards:
Itching
Itching may happen when your beard is too dry, and it needs moisturizing. It may suggest a poor reaction to skincare products too. If you are not cleaning your beard correctly, it may become itchy. Take steps according to where you think is the problem.
Flaking
Flaky beard is a sign of not cleaning well or skin that is too dry. You can get rid of this problem by washing and moisturizing your beard efficiently.
Uneven Hair
Beard growth may be uneven, and that is normal! You can always trim yourself or take the help of your barber to get rid of this unevenness.
Ingrown Hair
Combing your hair correctly and not shaving them too often can help you prevent ingrown hair formation. You will usually face the problem the first couple of months your beard grows. It reduces significantly with time. However, if you do face the problem, you can use tweezers to bring out the stuck hair. Do not use just your fingers to infect the position and to spread the bacteria. Using a washcloth to warm the area before you use the tweezers can also help you bring out the ingrown hair. Once it is out, the pump will reduce on its own.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of black men’s beard care and some problems regarding them. Hopefully, you are now clearer on this topic, and you will use the information to your advantage. Remember that everyone’s skin and hair react differently to measures. So if it takes you longer, be patient if it makes you a short while, congratulations on that healthy beard!