Spring Grooming Vol. 1: The De-Straggler
Whoever can pull off those mutton chops is a hero in our books.
Image: United States Library of Congress Photographs Division / Wiki Commons
Spring grooming's just like spring cleaning.
Ditch what needs to go, then blitz what winter wore out. It's not stem cell science, but it is still a science (or at least we think so).
This spring, we're going to teach you a few quick ways to de-hibernate via this very blog (and if you want to refer to these guides later, they'll live here forever and ever).
Today, we'll start with How to Prune A Beard In Less Than Three Minutes.
The idea here’s not to go full beard trim (or “beard sculpt,” which is barber parlance for a full reshaping, a hot towel to your face to get those pores open, and a round or two of some sort of moisturizing product). Beard trims are a skilled barber’s province; All we’re looking for right now is to clean things up, a quick job that always yields a subtle, though nonetheless distinguished result — one that smooths out the strays while keeping length in place.
Make sure you've got a good pair of scissors first, like these Tweezermans we mentioned in this past post.
A beard comb and two steady hands will help, too.
Let’s begin.
1. The Combing (1 minute)
We applaud your refusal to shave the mane, but it'll need some TLC after another season of less light, more dust and the dryness of indoor heating.
Let's dig that crap out with a good combing. To do that, make sure your head's positioned above your sink, then, simply comb your beard from the top of your cheeks downward using the fine-toothed side of our Double Sided Beard Comb (your own beard comb will do, too). Look close enough in the mirror and you might spot the world's smallest cascade of dead skin, flakes and other such nasty debris.
Whatever’s under your chin should be combed upwards, by the way.
One Thing, Though:
If yours is a curly beard, do not use the fine-toothed side. But if you like pain, then have at it.
All that combing’s kind of therapeutic, we get it. But don’t overdo it, or you’ll make more split ends. Three times a day’s good enough.
2. The Pruning (2 minutes)
After you've thanked gravity for help with the above, grab your pair of facial hair scissors. Whatever you do from here onward, do not snip with those shears curved inward. Make sure they’re curved outward. With your comb in one hand — and without much force — run its teeth from the back your jaw toward your mouth then hold it in place with a good one, even two centimetre row of mane hair peeking out from said row of teeth. Now take your shears and show those split ends the door by trimming along the top of your comb. Simply keep doing this wherever you spot split ends (or too much heft).
Again, don’t go hard or you’ll fly into beard sculpting territory, and unless you’re a pro, you could screw that up with one foul move. Best to see a good barber for a proper beard trim, one who has sterling reviews for that job so you know you’re in good hands.
And yes, all of this applies to every kind of beard, even solitary moustaches.
3. The Washing (1 minute)
Our formulated Beard Wash penetrates trimmed beards and ‘staches with ease, and we're talking root to tip.
It’s all thanks to the right mix of natural ingredients in each bottle, namely olive leaf extract, a science-backed stud for cleaning pores and keeping skin firm, and one of our favourites — peppermint oil, an unsung hero for healthy hair regrowth.
When rinsing out the wash, the key’s to use splashes of cold water, not the warm or hot kind. Like we always say, hot water feels nice but it’ll strip your skin clean of sebum, which then dries it out.
4. The Finisher (1 minute)
The last part’s the simplest, so make it count — get two or three pump’s worth of our hydrating Beard Balm into your palms and fingers then work that moisturizer through that towel-dried mane. Again, go easy or it’ll be split end city.
Now grab our double-sided comb and style your new beard by, once again, combing from the top of your beard downward.
P.s. Make sure you use the side with less teeth. Remember, the other side’s for cleaning out crap.
Bonus Move
All beard aficionados count on a well-made beard brush for one crucial reason — perfect product distribution; where a quality beard comb will style your beard well, a brush will ensure all that balm makes its way into every damn hair for a polished look.
A good beard brush is also awesome at softening drier beards, especially when you combine with that aforesaid beard balm.
It’s easy — once you’ve rubbed in a little balm with your hands, brush downward in your cheek, chin, and moustache areas, and go upward on what little there ought to be under your jawline; An entire neckbeard’s never going to look good, but a little spillage won’t look bad, either.