Beards - what do I need to know?

EastTexasRed

Seems to me, if you're gonna go down the facial hairway, let ZZ Top be your streetlight.

Nitefly

I just asked Our Maud if I should grow one (having just seen Simon Le Bon on Pointless) - she rolled her eyes and said, "No! You'll look like bloody Popeye!".

I guess I'm out, then...

octatonic

Tone71

Jesus this feckin forum, there I was happy with a 2 month+ beard that could double up as a scourer when I bump into this thread and read about beard shampoo and oil WTF? I never knew this stuff existed let alone was needed.

Anyways I`m now the owner of said shampoo and oil and also a softer beard, and I love it, only downside is that now I have to mail my man badge back first class in the morning.

pintspiller

I used to have a goatee and just hacked it off every few months as it lost symmetry in shape. The wife wouldn't let it grow back when I met her.

I especially liked it as I have mousey Brown hair and a ginger beard.

horse

Right - I've got a bit of a full beard now, with the whispy bits at the edges tidied up. Not too keen on the shape of the line across my cheeks(!), but think that is just because I need to lose a stone or so in weight.

I've been using clippers to shave my head for years - No1 or 2 all over. Do I just do the same with the beard? Guess I'd need some smaller clippers to get at the moustache hair under my nose?

TheBlueWolf

All you need to know about beards is how to shave often enough that no more than a couple of days stubble ever surfaces.

boogieman

horse said:

Right - I've got a bit of a full beard now, with the whispy bits at the edges tidied up. Not too keen on the shape of the line across my cheeks(!), but think that is just because I need to lose a stone or so in weight.

I've been using clippers to shave my head for years - No1 or 2 all over. Do I just do the same with the beard? Guess I'd need some smaller clippers to get at the moustache hair under my nose?

I've got a Remington beard trimmer. Pretty cheap and does a very good job. I think hair trimmers might be too aggressive, specially round your mush.   

octatonic

horse said:

Right - I've got a bit of a full beard now, with the whispy bits at the edges tidied up. Not too keen on the shape of the line across my cheeks(!), but think that is just because I need to lose a stone or so in weight.

I've been using clippers to shave my head for years - No1 or 2 all over. Do I just do the same with the beard? Guess I'd need some smaller clippers to get at the moustache hair under my nose?

Depends on how long you want your beard and what sort of face shape you have.
I like mine longer in the middle of my face thinning out at the edges- it makes round or square faces look longer.

 I set the beard trimmer to a 3 on the sideburns and a 4 over the goatee area.
The trick to getting it smooth is to angle the blade so that it allows you to lengthen the hair closer to the chin, tapering it out towards the edges.
Some guys like a hard edge between the goatee bits and the cheeks but I think it looks rough.

You also need to account for how your beard grows- mine is dead straight but naturally sits at an angle, sort of left to right.
So the edges of the right side need to be trimmed closer- I use a 2 for those bits.

EricTheWeary

Jalapeno said:

EricTheWeary said:

Barbers seem to recommend argan oil which is made for heat damaged hair, there maybe some knocking around the house if anyone in the horse household has heated curlers,etc.

It's not a concoction, it's a natrual product. (And very important source of cash for Berber Women)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argan_oil

I've been persevering with the argan oil and it's working better than my previous attempts with beard oils at keeping the knots out of my beard. Lot cheaper too, I got a biggish bottle from Tesco for £2. Big up the Berber Women massive! 

https://bobblepic.com/images/2017/01/07/IMG_0999.jpg

Tone71

Under the nose is a pain, I use an electric beard trimmer to keep it uniform and control the stragglers, it seems to grow a level a week.
Went down to a 4 over Xmas, felt like a clean shave, but now back at 6 and back on the shampoo/oil combo.

I also tend to keep the sides at a 6 going to a 4 at the sideburns bit and let the chin bit grow longer, Jeremiah Johnson I`m not! I really do hate the bits that try to creep into the mouth though and trim those back constantly.

horse

Thanks again guys - sounds like I need to buy a beard trimmer.

The hair on my chin looks longer than that around it - think I'd prefer it to look more even, so I suppose I could try trimming it slightly shorter than the rest