So there is something on a man that I find kind of hot right now.. what is that you ask BEARDS. Now I know there was a lot of HOOHAR about it last year with the whole movember thing. But the whole trend seems to of crossed over in big bad 2013. To be honest I used to dislike facial hair (don’t want to say hate as that is a very strong word) I was all for the clean and smooth look. Not only did the clean-shaven look come across more sexy, it was just much nicer for those times you want to plant kisses on your mans face. But as I have had the experience of rubbing against a nice soft beard it seems my likings have taken a turn.

I don’t blame a man these days if he wants to grow out his beard as I know shaving every few days can be VERY irritating!!! Not only does it disrupt your skin you can also get the razor bumps and rashes etc. Wearing your beard nice and groomed is  much more appealing and much more comfortable.

Along with my observations of late, I was asked a question about beard growth which partly inspired me to write this post.

There are many types of facial hair for example goatee, mustache, beard but in my findings of historic facial hair styles two stood out to me….

The SOUL PATCH is a small patch of facial hair below the lower lip and above the chin. This style was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s with black men and mostly with the Jazzmen. The men who played trumpets (trumpeters) liked the goatee style as they found this most comfortable when the trumpet, as this is where the mouthpiece rested.

This style of facial hair is lengthy and the end curve upwards quite dramatically. It gets its name because of its resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle. It has also been known as a spaghetti moustache as it was stereotyped that Italian men wore this style. If you wanted to achieve this style wax or gel would need to be applied and then shaped. 🙂

HOW TO GROW A HEALTHY BEARD??? 

Well first of all lets just remember that facial hair is classed as body hair and not the same as head hair. BUT in my eyes you can treat it in the same way as your head hair. Facial hair can appear more bushy and bristly so it is not as soft as the hair on your head. So bearing this in mind you would want to give it some care and attention to make it softer.

So for those of you guys that want some help here are my 4 tips on growing a healthy beard….

1. CLEANSE – Treat it like your head hair so if you use shampoo on your hair use some on your beard to help cleanse it. Try not to use to harsh a shampoo just incase you have sensitive skin. Maybe black soap would be good as you can also use that on your face.

2. CONDITION – So I know some guys won’t want to be spending how long washing and conditioning their facial hair and I know it might sound a little silly but it can be worth it.  I would suggest applying an oil to condition so something like  coconut oil, almond oil or grape seed oil something light and not too heavy. I say an oil as you can leave it in or rinse with a little water and is less hassle.

3. MOISTURISE – If you want your facial hair to be soft and less hard again a light oil (coconut oil, almond grape seed oil) could be used or something like shea butter as these are things you can use on your whole face too.

4. GROOMING – Keeping your facial hair in shape by getting it trimmed every so often and using a soft brush boar bristle can also help.

Just a little beard regime for those dedicated guys out there, you can make it as simple or more complex as you like 🙂

What ever it is you choose to do or wear ALWAYS make it your own!!

xLBx