DEBUNKING BEARD MYTHS
Beard Myths
While social media can offer us countless hours of merriment and mindless entertainment, it’s not always the best source when it comes to cold hard facts. In fact, when considering all the contradictory commentary out there on the world wide web, it’s not surprising that we can get confused when it comes to the essentials - like bearding basics. So, to help out our bearded brethren – and to settle some bearding myths once and for all – we’ve set about to debunk some of the most common bearding rumours around.
1. All Beards Grow the Same
While it would make locker room banter that much easier, beards – like people – grow at different rates. While some men will sport a full beard almost overnight, others will take weeks to get their fuzzy face-warmer up and running. We recommend giving it a good 6 to 8 weeks when first growing a beard - as many men reach for the shaver when their beard comes in patchy.
On this note, it is also important to mention that different parts of the beard grow at different rates. This is why it’s essential to trim your beard – even when you first start growing it. Give it a good month to get established and then give the longer areas a gentle trim to even it up. Most trimmers make beard maintenance easy by offering guard combs. Make sure to use a quality trimmer like this one so that you don’t ruin all that good growth with a heavy hand!
2. Your Beard Finishes Developing by Age 20
Ah, no. There are many different factors that affect beard growth including genetics, stress, and hormones. Another biggie is age. Most men find their beard continues to thicken well into their 30’s. So, if you are lucky enough to have youth on your side and are finding beard growing a non-event, give it time!
As an aside, harsh chemicals are another ‘no no’ when it comes to bearding basics. Using shampoos or beard products with harsh ingredients can dry out the skin and hair, causing itching, flaking, and hair breakage. I know it’s boring, but if you are taking the time to grow your facial fuzz, use the right products! If you don’t know where to start, Earnest Empire has an awe inspiring range of all-natural beard care products – check them out here.
3. A Beard is at its Best after a Month
Maybe for a minuscule amount of men - but for the majority, you are looking at around 2 to 4 months for the full majesty of your beard to reveal itself. Beard hair grows, on average, around half an inch per month. So, when it comes to growing the best beard you can, patience is truly a virtue.
4. Beard Hair grows thicker and faster once shaved
Let's get clear on this myth once and for all—shaving does not, I repeat, does not make hair grow back faster or thicker. This myth has been floating around for far too long – over 100 years in fact! That's right, the first clinical study that tackled – and disproved – this myth was conducted in 1928. Yet, despite this, the myth lives on.
In reality, unshaven hair tends to have a thinner, softer tip. When you shave, you remove this tip leaving the coarser base of the hair in place. This coarser base is thicker than the tip of the hair and, because of this, can also appear darker. But the truth of the matter is that hair growth occurs beneath the skin's surface, in the hair follicles. When you shave, you're merely trimming the hair shaft above the skin. It's like getting your hair cut — it doesn't make it grow faster or thicker. Apologies to those who were hoping this one was true!
5. Beards are Itchy
Hmmm, this one is kind of true. When you first grow out your beard, you may experience some itching in the early stages. However, the longer you stick with it, and the more you look after your facial hair, the less irritable it will become. Beards can also get itchy if you have beard dandruff. Lucky, we happen to have created a blog on this here – so you can make sure to avoid this annoyance before it begins!
6. Beard Maintenance is a Pain
Like anything worth doing, maintaining a beard takes time. But thankfully, we aren’t talking prolonged periods of paining over your facial hair. In reality, it’s actually relatively quick and easy to keep your beard looking its best. And luckily, we once again have a blog for that! So, check out this one, for A Stylish Guide to Beard Maintenance.
Beard like a Badass
So, there you have it, men! Hopefully you’ve learnt something new and hopefully you’re considering another stab at growing the beard you’ve always wanted. Remember - push through the patchy periods, look after your facial fuzz, and go for bearding gold!