How To Grow a Beard During No-Shave November
/SPY article by Jacorey Moon
© Illustration Licensed From Adobe
Chances are that if you’re reading this, you are pondering your facial hair, or lack thereof, during the annual challenge known as No-Shave November, or Movember. Maybe you want to grow a beard, experiment with your first mustache or simply maintain the facial hair you already have. While some bearded guys take their facial hair for granted, what do you need to know if you’ve always been clean-shaven? To help guys wondering how to grow a beard, we put together a beard guide for No Shave November that will help you make smart decisions about your beard and how to maintain it during the impending cold months.
There is no set path to growing a beard. Mostly due to genetics, growing a beard is a practice of patience and good hygiene. As Ananda Tuyes, master barber and esthetician from Baxter Finley Barber & Shop in West Hollywood told us, products matter when growing a beard — just not the ones marketed for beard growth.
No Shave November Beard Guide: How To Grow a Beard During No-Shave November
“There aren’t any products that will grow your beard, but if you want a fuller beard, you can promote hair growth by stimulating the hair follicle through exfoliation [facial scrub] and also keeping the area clean — a clean environment is a healthy environment and a healthy environment promotes balance and growth,” Tuyes said.
We put together a list of tips that will help your beard flourish during No Shave November. We’ll go over the grooming tools you should use, what products actually help you grow a beard, and the best practices to adopt for a healthy, well-kempt beard. (See full article for beard products).
How To Grow a Beard & Mustache: Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. If you’re looking to grow a beard, stop shaving. No, we’re serious. That’s the entirety of step one.
Often, guys rely on friends, relatives or social media to learn how to grow a long, healthy beard. It is a common myth that shaving off your beard will make it grow back faster or fuller. Like we said previously, growing a beard takes time and commitment. Don’t rush to cut off your beard because it’s not showing quick results.
Tuyes says that it can from 4-6 weeks to see growth when taking the necessary, specific steps necessary for your beard.
Step 2. Trim your beard as often as needed.
Don’t get us wrong, you shouldn’t completely ambush your beard and cut it down to the subble, but you still have to trim it to keep it healthy. Trimming is an important part of the hair growth process. Trimming your beard can be the difference between a sloppy beard and compliments everywhere you go, so whether you want to keep a certain length or just get rid of flyaway hairs, keep those scissors at the ready.
Keep in mind regular paper scissors won’t cut it. You need scissors designed to cut hair.
“This is completely up to the individual,” Tuyes said. “Hair grows a little bit each day hence the ‘5 o’clock shadow’, so trim it when you don’t like the way it’s looking. For a fuller-looking beard, sharpen/clean-up the lines on the edges. It’s an optical illusion since the hairs look longer next to the smooth skin.”
Step 3. The right style can make you more attractive (not saying that you already aren’t).
A great beard makes your face more symmetrical and helps to improve your attractiveness overall. The beard should help create an oval shape. If you have a more square-shaped face, then growing your beard longer will help. If you have more of a slender face, then growing your beard bushier will help. Tuyes recommends that you get this done professionally.
“If you don’t know what style of beard you want or what would look good on you, do some research and take photos of styles you like,” Tuyes said. “Then bring it to your barber, and they will customize the look for you based on your facial structure. You can then follow their direction at home for maintenance between barbershop visits.”
We’ve previously written about our favorite mustache styles, and there’s no wrong way to style a beard in 2020 — as long as you put the bare minimum effort into maintaining it and cleaning it. No one likes a sloppy beard.
Step 4. Beware ‘Beard Growth’ Products. Stick to Scrubs and Beard Oil.
When it comes to products, we are typically told to slather on beard balms, priming oils, beard oils, and hope that these products will work. This is not the best way to approach beard growth. It’s important to tend to the skin underneath your beard, as Tuyes stated above. Exfoliators and light beard oils should be the two main products that you use on your beard.
“There are no miracle beard growing products. Save your money on the scams and just invest in good skincare and a lightweight beard oil [one that is non-comedogenic/pore-clogging],” Tuyes said. “If you clog the pores, you risk suffocating the hair follicle, which can slow/inhibit hair growth.”
Step 5. Don’t stress about the growth (or lack thereof).
Stressing about the pace of your beard growth won’t help it grow. It’s best to let it (your beard) do its thing, and you help your beard along the way. Reducing your stress and anxiety levels will help your beard grow as well. Also, it’s important that you eat enough nutritious food so that your hair, in general, is nourished. Overall, don’t just take care of your beard; take care of yourself as a whole.
Your beard will grow in its own time. So if you’re stressing about how to grow a beard, take some pressure off of yourself. Facial hair is supposed to be fun!
And for all the guys participating in facial hair challenges, Happy No-Shave November!
