Ever since keeping a beard became a fashion accessory in recent years, the trend that was once associated older folks now has enticed many young men to grow out a full beard. The graph below clearly shows the interest in beard is continuing to rise. However, not all men are blessed with a beard, and those who have must take care of this great asset.
Keeping a Beard Is Not Easy
A beard needs to be well-maintained, kept and trimmed neatly. Each person keeps a beard at a different length, color, and shape suited their face. But one of the problems some experience in growing a beard is that it grows hard. This makes properly shaving and shaping a beard frustrating to maintain sometimes. It is important to ensure the beard is soft so one can achieve the desired look with less effort.
Those of you with hard, straight hair that grows in different directions and lacks density know how hard it is to line up hair for a cut that has the potential to go horribly wrong in one single snip. The good news is you can retrain your hair to grow differently by softening and steering them towards the desired directions. Though, the secret is having a care plan and persistence.
There Are Several Ways to Soften Beard Hair
Before doing anything to soften the beard, one must always know what is making it rough. This way, it becomes easier to find a solution. Below are some questions to consider:
-
Do you have hard water?
The type of water coming out of your faucets or shower heads may play a role in your hair condition. Hard water has high mineral content that dries out hair and affects its health over time.
-
Are you washing the beard properly?
Believe it or not, lack of proper beard hygiene is one of the root causes of bad beard hair health. USA Today published a story on research conducted by Switzerland's Hirslanden Clinic, which concluded that "On the basis of these findings, dogs can be considered as 'clean' compared with bearded men." Unclean hair will not grow lush.
-
Did you consider the type of hair you have may need more attention than you've given it so far?
Curly and kinky hair types generally need extra care and diligence to get the desired look. You'll need to apply solutions more generously and more often.
Solutions
- When you wake up, wash the face with warm water, add beard oil to your palms and then use the hand to massage this part. Warm water opens the beard pores and allows the oil to enter. Rubbing beard oil in your face will make the hair soft all day.
- Another procedure for attaining a soft beard is to shower at night and apply a small amount of beard oil. Rub the beard well to make it work. The oil adds moisture to the beard. To get it softer, always make this a habit and you will never regret.
- The best way to soften the beard hair is to have a maintenance plan daily. Do facial care maintenance daily. Buy a soft toothbrush which is exclusively used to exfoliate the skin on your beard. The small brush is used to brush while you are taking a shower and this removes any dead skin cell and excess oil. Applying the beard shampoo removes the buildup which is growing under the skin and beard. The shampoo and the brush prepare the hair and make it moisturized, and this makes it soft.
- An additional trick to getting soft beard is to wrap a warm towel around your face and beard area for a few minutes before doing the shave. The heat released from the towel softens the beard and make the shaving process easy.
- Investing in a good conditioner makes the hair soft. Most of these conditioners contain Vitamins E, and this aims to soften it. Remember the hair is coarser on the scalp. These conditioners moisturize the skin and cut on stiffness.
- An important way to soften the beard hair is to comb it daily using a soft brush. This can be done in the morning after you wake up.
- You can also apply the honey mixture, almond oil, and olive oil. The mixture has hydration effects, nourishing properties and repairing benefits. Apply this mixture for half an hour before washing with warm water. Doing this severally softens the hair.
- The use of orange peels is a remedy that prevents prickly hair. Dry the orange peels and blend them to come up with a fine mixture. When applied often, this makes the beard hair soft.
- Coconut oil is another remedy known to soften the hair. Here, you warm the oil and using a comb, run it on the beard. You can also leave this oil overnight. To get good results, do this frequently.
- Finally, use a straight razor to shave around your beard. You'll be surprised how effective it is at shaping a beard line, as it allows for a clear line of visibility so you don't make mistakes. Furthermore, traditional razors help hair grow back cleanly, avoiding ingrown, bumps, etc. This is going to save you If or when you decide to change the beard shape by expanding the beard growth to areas you currently shave.