The guide to growing a beard — Part One

At The Brotique we have had more conversations about beards, and handled more beard products, than just about anyone. Barbers, makers, and a lot of our own trial and error since 2013. Here is what we tell men who are starting from a clean face.

Growing a beard is a waiting game, and a good one takes some care. The early weeks are where most men give up. With a few simple habits and the right products, you can get through them without the itch, the patchiness, or the temptation to shave it all off.

First, a myth: shaving does not make it grow back faster

It does not. What does matter is looking after yourself from the inside as well as the outside. A few things help more than any product:

• Stay hydrated and eat well. Go easy on the coffee and sugar, and eat your greens.
• Do not shower too hot. Very hot water damages the skin and follicle, which can cause patchiness.
• Dry your beard gently. Rubbing hard weakens the skin and the hair.
• Keep the follicles clear. Pollution and harsh, cheap soaps can block them up and slow growth.

The stubble stage

If you have just shaved with a manual razor, the hair grows back with harsh, blunt ends. It sounds backwards, but once there is a day or two of growth, tidy it with an electric trimmer instead. That leaves a softer end on every hair. The people around you will notice the difference.

As the beard grows, your skin has to rebalance its own oil. That is what causes the oily patches, dryness, itch and flaking. You can help it along. A hydrating serum is the most effective thing at this stage, more so than a heavy oil, because it carries moisture into the skin rather than just sitting on top. Lock that in with a light beard oil on a coconut or jojoba base. If you are prone to spots or ingrown hairs, look for an oil with a natural antiseptic such as tea tree.

Look after the skin underneath

Start using a proper beard wash and a balm early, even on short growth. Face wash strips the oils from the hair and ordinary shampoo dries the skin. A beard wash is balanced to look after both. A soothing balm calms the skin as the beard fills in. If you work somewhere that gets you properly dirty, a plain unscented beard wash does the job without the fuss.

For ingrown hairs, which a lot of men get early on, a gentle exfoliator and a soft boar bristle brush make a real difference. The brush lifts the hairs and spreads your oil at the same time.

What comes next

Stick with it and in a couple of weeks you will be past the worst of the stubble stage and into a proper short beard. Part Two picks up there, with the oils and care a longer beard needs. If you get stuck, ask us. That is what we are here for.

Read next: growing a beard, Part Two and the definitive beard oil guide.