Beard Care Tips

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By R. Morgan Griffin
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD
Growing a beard can be an expression of freedom, but it’s also a commitment. Beards don't take care of themselves any more than your lawn or your nails.*They need some upkeep.*
"If you don't pay any attention to your beard, pretty soon, you're going to look like a wanderer from the Alaskan wild," says Sandy Poirier, celebrity stylist and owner of Shag, a salon in Boston.
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Whether you're just past the stubble stage or trying to tame a 2-foot mass, here are some beard care tips.*
[h=3]Grow It Better[/h]

• Fight through the itch.*This is the point where the faint-hearted give up. If you stick with it, it gets better after a few weeks, Poirier says.

• Let it grow.*Wait a few months before trying to shape a beard. That’s even if you plan to keep it short and close to the face in the long run, Poirier says. Shaping and trimming a beard too early is a common rookie mistake -- a mistake that can take weeks or months to fix. "Let it get a little wild at first," Poirier says. "Once you have about an inch or an inch and a half, then you can start shaping it."

• Know when to give up.*It's a hard truth, but not all guys can grow a beard. It's just a matter of genetics, Poirier says.*"If it's been two or three months, and it's still patchy and scraggly, it's not going to get better," Poirier says. "Let it go, shave it off, and move on."

[h=3]Good Grooming[/h] Now you've got your beard. How do you take care of it?

• Shampoo.*Lots of guys don't wash their beards -- or if they do, they use the bar soap they'd use on their armpits. Bad idea. You'll dry out your beard and the skin beneath. Instead, shampoo at least a few times a week, Poirier says. Use a moisturizing shampoo to prevent the hair from getting brittle.*

• Condition.*Poirier recommends a thick, heavy-duty conditioner to keep your beard from getting too wiry. "Let the conditioner sit there," Poirier says. Consider the leave-in kind that you don’t have to rinse out.

• Use products (if you want).*Whatever you rub into your beard is bound to get on your skin, too. Use products that are noncomedogenic, says*Seemal R. Desai, MD, a dermatologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.*That means they won't clog your pores. *

• Trim it.*Even if you grow your beard long, Poirier recommends a trim every two months. It's like getting rid of split ends in your hair. If you’re keeping it short, trim your beard every few weeks or so.

• Have the right tools.*Poirier says an electric trimmer is fine for the edge of your beard on your face. But for shaping the bulk, he recommends scissors and a comb. "If you're using scissors, you're not as likely to cut off too much by accident," Poirier says.*