Of late, black men have not been afraid to let their beards grow; every man from Idris Elba to Drake has embraced his facial hair. Even though this isn’t new, we still need to take grooming and beard maintenance seriously. So here are 4 essential beard grooming tips.
1. Don’t Pick Ingrown Hairs
Black men have curly hair, which often leads to ingrown hairs. You should not wait too long to take them out as this might damage your hair follicles. However, you should also avoid removing ingrown hairs aggressively since this might lead to scarring. The best option is to visit an aesthetician or a dermatologist to take a look at it.
2. Trim Your Beard
When you don’t trim the ends of your beard, you will have split ends and your facial hair will become difficult to manage. Simply trimming it will help your beard maintain its shape and basically look clean. If, however, frequent trips to the barbershop are just too expensive, you can save some cash by buying a beard trimmer along with beard trimming scissors.
3. Buy the Right Grooming Kit
If you use hair and scalp products for your beard, you need to stop right now. Most hair products for black men include chemicals that can dull your complexion, clog your pores and cause acne breakouts.
Instead of these products, you should wash your face regularly and only use a gently cleansing conditioner once or twice in a week. If your hair is coarse, use the conditioner with a beard balm. The best time to apply beard oil is just after showering, while your beard is still wet. This will make it softer and shine more.
4. Remember Your Skin
If your beard is long, you should clean and exfoliate your skin. But don’t use products with lanolin, artificial fragrances or dyes; they might cause irritation, give you dry skin or clog your pores. And always use a moisturizer together with sunscreen to protect your skin.
