How to Trim a Beard, How Facial Hair Make You Sexy and Other Facts Bearded Men Want To Know

Beards look fancy for those who take good care of them. For those who do not take good care of it, it may tend to look terrible for being unkempt.

 

A recent study by a news reporter from the New Mexico TV station KOAT-TV, found out that germs found in a beard are as much,(or even worse) than those found in the toilet. Gross? I felt the same way too after reading it. Apparently those with clean-shaven faces are less likely to transmit germs than those with beards. Can you believe it? Yeah, neither I can. The study has touched on a part of the body that we barely give a note to.

Now before you start saying that’s impossible or looking at people with beards differently, let’s look on how bacteria thrive. It only requires a large surface that is warm and not so clean. The beard in some circumstances may offer such a place enabling the bacteria to thrive. If you leave your beard unkempt (in this context not as cleaned as required), then you may have a lot of germs to play hide and seek with.

If you have a beard then you need to know the following facts about your beard’s hygiene:

1. Just Like Any Other Hair, The Beard Also Needs To Be Washed

The same way your hair becomes dirty so does the beard. The beard is especially worse since it attracts dirt and also can pick some germs as you go by your daily activities. As you eat, some particles may fall in the beard and stay there for a while. Within no time, you have lots of bacteria in there. Ensure to wash it daily with some beard wash (they are there in the stores) to minimize chances of germs harbouring in it.

2. There Exists Beard Oil

Yes, there is so stop applying those lotions. Once you have washed the beard, dry it with a clean towel then apply some beard oil. This will help in keeping the skin moisturized preventing it from being all itchy and dry. It also ensures the hair follicles are well taken care of, and they grow in a healthy manner. Did I mention that you will smell fresh and cool too? There is nothing like a man who has time to take care of even the smallest of things often neglected. He is taken to have attention to details which is what most ladies crave for in a man.

3. The Beard Can Contain the Same Germs as the Toilets (if neglected)

Put the guns down, bearded men. I don’t mean all beards, just those few that have been long forgotten by their owners. Let’s look at it from a hygiene perspective. You love your beard, that one we all agree; otherwise why would you have it. In a day, you visit the toilet a few times. For those who haven’t made the habit of washing their hands after this visit, a routine, your hands come out with some of the germs from the toilet. Then, just like any other bearded man, you touch you beard once in a while.

The beard receives the germs or bacteria, and then multiplies it. Why then will we not compare the two perfectly? A thing to note is that this rarely happens. In this era, at least most people have clean washrooms with all the necessary hygienic measures put in place, so the chances of transfer of germs happen in minimal situations. However to totally reduce the chances completely, ensure to wash your hands with a disinfectant after visiting the washrooms.

4. Beard Hygiene And Overall Hygiene Are Interrelated

If your beard is unclean, then your entire body is at risk. This is because all the germs on our faces in some way or the other, find their way into our mouths. The structure of the face is such that the beard is so close to the mouth. That being the case it should be noted that it so easy for germs in the beard to find their way into the mouth. Another case is that these germs may fall in our food as we eat.

Hygiene-related illnesses start attacking you, and you wonder why. Now you know one of the possible causes.

5. Trimming The Beard Ensures It Grows In A Healthy Manner

In every few weeks, you need to trim the beard. It will grow evenly and in a more hygienic manner. The same way your barber cuts your hair, ask him to trim the beard. If you can keep it short, the better as the number of germs it may harbor decreases drastically. Either way, trim it as you desire.

Shave To Grow Your Beard Faster (Debunking a Myth)

You must have heard many people saying “shave to grow your beard faster” whenever there’s a discussion on ways of having thick beard quickly.

You might find it surprising, but it’s true that the above mentioned advice, in spite of being common, is based on a myth. Read on to find out more about the myth and get acquainted with some effective ways of growing your beard fast.

Does Shaving Make Hair Grow Faster? Let’s Debunk The Myth

 

To debunk the beard myth that suggests shaving helps in growing beard faster, you must first get acquainted with the science behind hair growth.

The growth of every single hair on our body can be characterized by four different phases. They are anagen, catagen, telogen, and early anagen or exogen. Anagen, which is the active growth phase of hair follicles, takes around three to five years to complete.

The following phase i.e. catagen is relatively quicker; it completes in just around one to two weeks. Catagen is basically the transitional phase between anagen (growing phase) and telogen (resting phase).

When the hair is in its catagen phase, certain parts of the follicle start degrading from within. This degradation also results in discontinuation of the hair’s contact with our blood vessels. As a result, the hair stops getting nutrients it needs to stay alive (like all other body parts, our hair also rely on blood borne nutrients).

Catagen is followed by telogen, the phase during which our hair begins to rest.

This happens because the hair lost contact with blood vessels during the preceding phase. Telogen not only leads to the resting of hair, but also often causes hair thinning.

This phase of rest tends to continue for around three months.

 

Once the telogen phase is over, the hair would take any one of the two following roads:

  • It would either replenish itself and get back to the active growth phase i.e. anagen
  • Or it would enter the exogen phase

During the exogen phase, we experience falling of our dead hair. For an average individual, it is normal to experience falling of 50 to 100 hairs per day.

Based on the facts presented above, it can be said that if hair dies only after being in the resting phase or telogen, every individual’s hair would stop growing during that phase.

However, as we have a number of people around us with long hair and beard, it can be assumed that hair growth occurs in multiple cycles between the growth and rest phase.

After knowing the science responsible for beard and mustache growth, do you still think that shaving your beard can make our hair/beard grow faster? It seems that people began believing in this myth as shaving forces our hair to go back to the growth phase or anagen phase.

Don’t Rely On Any Beard Myth and Adopt the Following Procedures To Grow a Beard Faster

There are certain things that you must do when trying to grow your beard. These remedies would not show instant results, but would definitely help you to have thick beard later.

It’s true that washing your beard with high-quality beard shampoos is extremely important to keep it healthy and shiny. However, over-washing is not recommended. If you wash your beard every day, you will soon see it become excessively dry; it would also become more susceptible to damage.

Besides avoiding over-washing, you must also apply beard oil from the day you start growing your beard.

Other than making your facial hair healthier and softer, beard oil would also prevent itchiness, a common problem faced by people looking to grow a beard for the first time.

6. Beard May Lead To Facial Infections

The cuticles on the beard may tend to trap microscopic things. Sadly most of these things are germs and bacteria. Since it’s on the face, it transfers those germs to the face, and before you can say marshmallows, you have an outbreak of something you can’t tell exactly what it is.

According to Carol Walker, a consultant trichologist from the Birmingham Center, if someone has a cold, or a runny nose, it can trickle down and be trapped in the beard. The result is a recurrence of the flu or transmission of the bacteria. Handling it with utmost hygiene is a sure way to keep this from happening.

7. A Beard Is Not Harmful, How You Maintain It Determines That

The beard is there to serve its purpose. However, if it’s handled in an unhygienic manner, it may bring you lots of healthy risks.

The study by the TV news network in New Mexico has been questioned as it only showed that enteric bacteria, usually found living in intestines, was found in the beard of some men. This should not be equated to mean that the beard is as dirty as the toilet, says Professor Hugh Pennington, an emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen. This is because this is the same bacteria found on your skin and should not be problematic. The only thing that the study proved was that beards can spread germs and bacteria.  To be on the safe side, in this case, ensure you clean the beard thoroughly every day.

The study by KOAT-TV station in New Mexico should be taken as an eye opener, on the importance of taking care of beards, not encouraging people to view it in a gross manner. By all means have a beard if you can. It makes you look adorable and respectable at the same time (for most people I have seen).

Don’t cut it, unless of course you have felt like taking care of it is quite a burden. Taking care of a beard is quite easy as it only requires about 10 minutes of your time in a day. In no way will this routine inconvenience you. Have it trimmed and washed with a disinfectant once in a while. As the ladies go for their adored salon/spa visits, you can also take this chance and visit your barber.

8. Women Actually Are More Attracted To Beards

Are women more attracted to the men that have beards? Does the science of attraction support that women are actually attracted to beards? Read on to discover your chances of getting a new woman crush when you have beards.

A Beard Is Not Just A Beard?

Have you been considering your beard to just be what it is – a beard? It is time you look at it from another angle because it is not just a beard.

Your quest to become an alpha male lies in that sideburns and beard you have been overlooking all these while. As some ladies have come to confirm, subtly rocking your beard can pass across the message of health, masculinity, and even your parenting skills.

What’s more? It can be interpreted in different ways by different women. While some will regard it as being sexy especially when you trim it accordingly, some other women will regard it unsexy if you leave it in a mess.

The Science of Attraction: Why Women Are Attracted to Beards

No matter how you keep your beard, the fact is that facial hair will change women’s perception of men.

We want you to learn the real reasons why women are attracted to beards. So, if you haven’t been taking this seriously, it is time you start growing a nice beard.

Masculinity Rating

It will interest you to know that some women consider facial hair as a sign of masculinity. You don’t have to doubt this because many studies have continually proved that to be true.

You may be wondering why masculinity is rated based on the amount of beard you have. Well, women consider men that have more facial hair more masculine than those that don’t.

Facial Hair Style

You now know that your masculinity from a lady’s perspective is rated by the beard you have. What you should be bothered about right now is to figure out the facial hairstyle that will fit into the description of masculinity.

Once more, this decision is not yours to make. Remember we are talking about what women think of beards and whether they are attracted to it? So, let’s see what they have to say about this one.

Light Stubble

You already know some of the styles you can style your beard. From light stubble to a fuller beard, you have many options to select from. At the same time, the way you style your beard can attract more women.

The light stubble is one of the most popular beard styles that is loved by the ladies. For the womenfolk, a man that rocks the light stubble is attractive and should be considered for short and long-term relationships.

Mere Stubble

You may not be so lucky if you only have mere stubble. This is because most ladies consider men with simple stubble to be players. Hence, they are only deemed best for flings and shorter-term relationships.

Heavy Stubble

You also want to try your luck with the heavy stubble. You can be lucky this time because some women have high regard for men with that beard style. Researchers have found that men with light or heavy stubble will receive the most positive ratings, they are considered more attractive and masculine.

Full Beard

If you want the ladies to go gaga and rush after you, the best beard style to rock is the full beard.

This is because researches to that end have shown that women tend to have a higher regard for men with a full beard. From their perspective, a fuller beard is a sign of manly responsibility. Little wonder why ladies would gladly accept the proposal of men that have a full beard, as compared to those that have stubbles.

The general submission in this regard is that stubble is for sexiness while a full beard is more domineering and shows that the man is ready for long-term relationships.

More Facial Hair – More Attractive

There is no denying that the more facial hair a man has, the attractiveness rate increases. Also, biologically speaking, attractiveness is related to “good” genetic and good health. You don’t have to look farther for the reason because we have it all here.

First, the more facial hair a man has, it goes to show that the man is ready to show responsibility where it is needed. Besides, according to the study, facial beard signifies that the man has strength and can influence.

Second, science has continually proven that facial hair has some correlation to status. This is true when you look at the animal kingdom where the pendulum continually swings in the direction of the lion.

For the women that are looking for the alpha male, it is easier for them to interact with men that have more facial hair because they consider them to have more strength.

Extensive Study on Why Women Love Beards

You also need to understand some other reasons why women are attracted to beards. These additional studies will help you understand just how important it is to know your place amid women who like beards.

Cultural Associations

Culture and popular belief have since edged their way into the decision-making process of ladies that love beards. If you are not sure how the cultural background or societal acceptance can influence beard perceptions, here are some examples:

Clean Shaven

Many ladies haven’t been shy to assert that they love clean-shaven beards. The only difference between this and the full beard is that clean-shaven men are considered wholesome and youthful.

Longer Beards

On the other hand, rocking a full or longer beard can land you more ladies that are willing to settle down. It makes a lot of sense if you are thinking in that direction.

The idea is simple: longer beards equal to paternal associations and manly responsibilities.

Goatees

Goatee beard style isn’t ruled out of the option either. You only need to know that many women consider men that rock it to be buskers and pickup artists.

Relationships

You also need to consider the perspectives of women that are in relationships. We have often seen men that are conditioned to rock different styles of beards because their women wanted it that way.

Here are some of the ways relationships can also have some roles to play in the way women are attracted to beards:

Single Women

Single women will often like their men to have a full beard or any other style that appeals to them. The reason is quite clear: they want to show off their men and show he dominates the others out there.

Women Wanting Children

Both single and married women that want to have children have some things to say about beards.

In the case of such women, they find beards more attractive because they have this belief that men with beards have more testosterone. Hence, it is likely that their offspring will be cute and in the future, become alpha males too.

Married Women

Finally, married women are not taking the back seat in the craze for beards. From the look of things, they have the upper hand as far as the beard decision of their men is concerned.

It is not uncommon that married men often style their beards based on the advice of their women. That informs the reason why married women tend to find beards more attractive when compared to single ladies.

Another reason that supports this is that married women now have the man all to themselves and can easily influence his grooming decision.

Final Words on Why Women Love Beards

There is no denying that women love beards. They really do! But, having just any kind of beard style wouldn’t guarantee you having more female admirers. You must always style your beards accordingly so you can attract the right kind of woman.

Do you believe beards attract women? Support your answers with valid points using the comment section.

8. You Can Grow Thick Beard Faster

1. Try To Improve Your Skin Health

If you want to have thick, healthy beard, you must have healthy skin.

So, one of the essential steps of your beard grooming regimen should be applying a good moisturizer from your special grooming kit on your face regularly. Regular exfoliation is also essential; it would remove dead cells, stimulate circulation, and open up all your skin pores.

All these, in turn, would increase your beard growth and soon you will see your facial hair become thicker. Drinking enough water is also extremely for having healthy (and duly hydrated) skin and attractive beard.

2. Exercise Regularly

Exercising regularly helps us to lose excess body weight, and there’s a direct relation between excess weight and beard growth. Healthy weight loss increases testosterone level, which in turn promotes beard growth (rise in testosterone has been found to improve health of hair follicles).

Exercise also improves blood circulation, the bodily mechanism responsible for providing our hair with all the essential nutrients it requires for becoming stronger and thicker.

Exercising regularly would not only boost testosterone level, but also increases the level of DHT or dihydrotestosterone. For those who don’t know, DHT plays a vital role in promoting the linear growth of our hair, which in turn helps us in having thicker and curlier beard.

Studies conducted over the years have revealed that cardio workouts seem to offer the best results when it comes to exercising for having thicker beard quickly. So, if you want to grow your facial hair fats, adding brisk walking, cycling, dancing, and running to your daily schedule would surely come in handy.

However, make sure that you don’t rush things, particularly if you haven’t tried cardio before. We would advise you to seek assistance from an experienced personal trainer when starting.

This will make the journey smoother for you and prevent you from becoming a victim of any health hazard.

3. Eliminate Stress

If you are stressed, the level of the stress hormone cortisol will increase in your body. This would affect the production of testosterone in your body negatively.

Stress has also been found to cause constriction of blood vessels, which makes the job of taking nutrients to hair follicles more challenging for blood. As a result, stressed individuals often find it more difficult to grow their beard than those who are not stressed.

Stress is either long term or short term. Most of us become a victim of short-term stress at some points in our lives.

While that might not be a big problem for most, men trying to have fuller beard might face serious issues as short-term stress tend to disturb their sleep pattern, which has a direct negative impact on the growth of beard.

Long-term stress, as its name suggests, lasts for a prolonged duration. As expected, this form of stress plays an even stronger role in disabling beard growth.

So, if you are looking to have a fuller beard, practice meditation at least twice every day. This will help you to get rid of both long and short-term stress quickly and you will soon see your beard growing rapidly.

4. Get Enough Rest

We have already mentioned that you need to have a good sleep in order to have enough testosterone in your body. If you want your beard to be thick and healthy, make sure you sleep at least eight hours every night.

The link between sleep and beard growth has been proved even through scientific studies. According to a recently published study, sleeping for just five hours a day can reduce an individual’s testosterone production by as much as 15 percent.

5. Make Sure Your Daily Diet is Filled With Nutrients

You cannot have healthy facial hair, if you are not consuming a nutrient rich diet. Your diet must be packed with all essential vitamins and minerals if you want your beard to grow rapidly. In addition, you must also consume enough protein.

Hair is basically a string of protein; so, to keep it healthy, you must consume protein-rich food. Food items that have been found to play vital roles in promoting rapid beard growth include nuts, kale, and eggs.

6. Take Supplements

Besides consuming a balanced diet, you must also have certain supplements for stimulating the growth of your beard. Studies conducted over the years have revealed that magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin B are the essential nutrients playing vital roles in promoting hair growth.

So, you should start consuming supplements containing these nutrients when trying to grow your beard. The other supplement experts often recommend for this purpose is biotin. Besides, you can also take supplements containing flaxseed oil, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and nettle.

7. Apply Beard Oil

We have already discussed the benefits of using beard oil. The only thing we would like to add is that it would be good if you can find a beard oil that contains jojoba oil as one of its primary ingredients.

Jojoba oil has properties similar to that of the sebum produced by our skin; it helps in making our beard look thicker and fuller over time. Also, make sure that the oil you are using doesn’t contain any harsh chemical; ideally, you should opt for a 100% natural product.

8. Trim The Beard Properly

If you are really keen on having a thick beard without any patches you should trim it only after allowing your beard to grow naturally for four weeks.

If you feel the need of shaping or trimming the beard before attaining this four-week mark, get the job done by a reputable barber or acquire your top rated stubble beard trimmer.

Either way, watch our for you cheek lines and neckline. Do one side at the time and be careful that you don’t over trim your beard.

How to Grow A Moustache: What Style to Choose For Your Face and How to Groom It


Whether you’re a moustache aficionado or newcomer to the art of growing facial hair, Movember is your time to shine. Put down your razor with purpose – to support men’s health for the month of November and grow a moustache you can be proud of.

Know your facts

Looking to impress your friends with your Movember knowledge? Here’s what you need  to know. The idea for Movember was created by friends sharing a few beers in Melbourne, Australia. Today, the foundation has support from over five million people across the world and has raised over $700 million. The three main areas of focus are prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention. By 2030, Movember hopes to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25%. That’s a serious number and a serious cause.

Let’s get to the fun facts.

  1. It is estimated that a man will shave at least 20,000 times in his lifetime.
  2. The longest moustache in the world is 14 feet and belongs to Ram Singh Chauhan of India.
  3. A one-month-old moustache is capable of holding approximately 30ml of liquid or around 10% of a glass of beer before leaking its contents down the face of the owner. Now that is reason enough to grow a moustache.

Choose a stache that fits your face

Growing a moustache during Movember is a big deal — it’s the only time of the year where you can actually justify having a Hulk Hogan moustache at the office. Take the opportunity to let your personality shine through to your coworkers, friends, gym buddies, etc., just make sure you choose a moustache that fits your face shape. From Tom Selleck to Ryan Gosling, there are many styles to choose from, as long as you remember to picture their moustache on your face before you commit. And remember, it’s not a competition — it’s a lifestyle.

Pro tip: A square face matches better with a heavy, longer moustache while an oval face should consider a medium width style with a slightly angular shape.

Shave your face, shape your stache

Shaping your moustache is very, very important. You don’t want your Tom Selleck turning into James Franco because you got razor happy or worse, too lazy for proper grooming practices.

You’ll want to start with a clean-shaven face around the moustache. Select a good razor with multiple blades and a rubber flex hinge to help you easily glide over the contours of your face. Oh, and the razors handles have a texturized, grip pattern and an ergonomic shape so the razor doesn’t accidentally slip through your hand and cut through half of your moustache. Phew.

Once your face is clean shaven, you can focus on what’s really important: the stache. If you’re going for an old-school, Ron Burgundy moustache, feel free to let it grow wild and maintain with a comb every so often.

If you’re going for a more polished stache, like Ryan Gosling, your best bet is to use Harry’s precision trimmer at the top of the razor cartridge. This blade will help you define the lines of your moustache for a more precise look.

Using wax will also help control the volume and shape — especially if you’re working with thick hair. Beardbrand’s Temple Smoke Wax is all about a natural moustache style with a medium hold that keeps everything in place. Wax on, my friends.

When you’re ready to trim, don’t forget to dampen your moustache with water first. It will make the cut easier, especially for you first-timers. Don’t be surprised if your hair starts bouncing up as it dries – this is normal. You can use a fine-tooth comb to tame the mane and make sure each hair is running in the same direction.

Respect the moustache and clean daily

No matter how great your moustache, you will end up with food particles in it. You’ll need to clean your moustache daily with face wash to get rid of grime and food build up. There’s nothing worse than someone asking if you saved some of your lunch for later in your facial hair. Step one: wash your face with a hot towel to steam and cleanse the skin. This will prevent that dry, itchy skin that’s bound to ruin your day and your chances of getting a second look from Rachel in accounting.

Harry’s face wash contains volcanic rock that helps exfoliate your skin, while its eucalyptus and peppermint create a fresh and cool sensation. It’s gentle like a foaming wash but has the exfoliation of a facial scrub. Say goodbye to dirty and unkempt and hello to a slick moustache and a clean face.

You’ll notice a coarseness to your moustache hair, which can be helped with regular conditioning. This is a key step if others will be coming into contact with your stache. Just knead a dab of conditioner through the hair and rinse thoroughly. A soft stache is a happy stache.

After you clean, it’s important to condition and hydrate to keep your moustache looking top-notch. Essential oils are your best bet here. Jack Black Beard Oil is all about keeping your moustache and your face content. Use this oil to hydrate and calm that annoying, itchy, dry skin that develops underneath your hair.

Wake me up when Movember ends

After you’ve had a few good laughs with your coworkers about who grew the worst facial hair and raised a few bucks for men’s health, you’ll probably want to give yourself a clean shave before returning to your typical scruff or full beard. Harry’s is committed to helping others get ready for their next big step every time you purchase their grooming supplies. 1% of Harry’s sales go to City Year’s New York chapter and Harry’s employees volunteer 1% of their time at work with City Year and other organizations that get people ready. Grab a razor and help support men’s health and young people advancing their professional and life skills. And of course, return your face to normalcy and start planning next year’s epic stache.

Grab a razor and help support men’s health and young people advancing their professional and life skills. And of course, return your face to normalcy and start planning next year’s epic stache.

Sophie Addison
Sophie Addison

Sophie Addison is a popular blogger and skincare expert . She is very passionate about writing on skincare and beauty. She has posted articles on skin care, tips for using eyelashes, weight loss and celebrity beauty news. Apart from work she likes gardening and listening music. You can also contact her on Facebook , and Pinterest .

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