Beards are trendy

Beards are very much the fashion trend among men. The forecast is that the full beard style will become more popular this year. Obviously, this look can be sported by a man who has a good growth of facial hair.

From full beards, to stubble or styles that are carefully trimmed and shaped, beards are becoming as trendy as the new hairstyles! One of the shapes that is popular is the moustache that forms a round shape with a goatee type beard. Of course, the full beard needs more looking after.

For a styled beard, the hair is allowed to grow for at least 6 weeks and then styled by shaving a part of the inner cheek area and near the hairline, near the top of the ear. The stubble, which is popular among younger men, does not need much shaping and can be cared for quite easily. It also suits most face shapes.

One of the first aspects of grooming a beard is how to keep it clean. Like the hair, the beard also collects dirt, impurities and pollutants. Choose a mild shampoo to wash the beard and use less shampoo. It is best to dilute it with a little water first. If the beard is short and well-trimmed, go for a face wash to keep it washed and clean. A gel-based product may also suit. Opt for a mild, herbal face wash, shower gel or shampoo. After washing, rinse thoroughly with water. Avoid blow drying the beard.

Beard hair is coarser than the hair on the head. Therefore, it may need conditioning to make it look well-groomed and neat. This is more so for long beards. A few drops of leave-on conditioner or hair serum may be used to condition the beard. The beard will also need trimming, to deal with stray hairs and an unkempt look, as the hair starts growing. A wide-toothed comb is needed to settle beard hair and even disentangle the hair, if the beard is long. A clipper is used to trim the beard. It can be adjusted according to individual preferences. Small scissors also help to neaten the beard. You may need to shave the under-side of the beard, to keep it neat.

Many products for grooming the beard are available for men, from comb sets for beards and moustaches, to beard washes, shampoos, moisturisers and gels. Fragrant after-shave lotions or colognes are also used by men with beards. Beard oils, gels and moisturising creams also form part of personal care products for men. We formulated a sandalwood cream, to be used instead of an after-shave lotion, in order to prevent dryness and keep the skin and facial hair moisturised. It is a natural antiseptic cream, containing plant oils and extracts of neem, clove, eucalyptus and sandalwood. It keeps the skin moisturised. Hair waxes for keeping the hair well-groomed are also available.

Tips:
Trim the beard when it is dry. It becomes longer and has more elasticity when it is wet. So the beard may become shorter than you desired.
Rinse and wash beard hair well, especially after shampoo or the use of gels and waxes, to prevent flaking or pore clogging.
A styling gel or mousse can be used to deal with curly beard hair, making it smoother and straighter.
Decide on the kind of style you would like and then trim the hair accordingly, in good time.