HOW TO GROW A BEARD DURING LOCKDOWN
As you are reading the article, maybe it has been quite a long time you are stuck at your home. At the same time, you may have to work from home. You have to take video calls sometimes which makes it quite hard to let your beard grow shabbily. So the first question, ‘To be(ard) or not to be(ard)’ at lockdown? If you decide to keep your facial hair, you may just miss your trusted barbershop. But at the moment, you can do nothing about it. So, keep your worries away and put your effort to take care of your beard. After all, after these days of isolation, you certainly wouldn’t like to see yourself as a mischievous heartbroken guy!
First rule, take your timeNow before anything else, you have to decide whether you are a beard guy or not. Because a clean-shaven face is always going to trump an underdeveloped and uneven beard. So, if you can’t grow one, don’t.Now if you decide to keep your beard, you have to give it time. Facial hair grows 1/2 an inch per month on average. So you have to calculate how much time it will take to shape the beard. As long as you are not moving outside the home, it may be a good idea to give some time initially to let your beards grow.Also, note that your beard-to-be can feel itchy in the first 1-2 weeks. It’s the reason why many guys stop and go back to shaving. But if you’re determined, it won’t be a big problem for you. After that period the beard becomes softer, more manageable, and far less itchy.
Eat, pray and love!
There is enough evidence that the rate of the growth of your facial hair has been strongly influenced by testosterone hormone. If you are too anxious and worry about everything, it may affect your beard too. Just get rid of the worries and enjoy yourself at home. Eat proteins as you need, do some meditation and pass quality time with your family. Maintain a healthy diet and drink water as much as possible. You can not grow a proper beard (Let alone maintain it) if you can’t keep yourself fit both physically and mentally.
Keep it tidy and brush it out
Since you are on your own to take care of your beard, you have to keep it neat very carefully. Beard-management at home is not that difficult, but some type of beards need special attention. When you are trimming at home, ensure that it looks neat and not patchy. The first thing you need to do is to clean the area with a beard shampoo. Try not to use regular shampoo because facial hair has a different complexion than your scalp. Use a conditioner, to soften your facial hair. This is a pre-ritual that must be followed before trimming your beard; the way you do before your haircut. Then again before trimming, you have to get rid of the tangles. Choose a brush that is specially designed for your facial hair and run it gently against the crop.
Trim carefully and know your neckline
If you have bigger beards, you have to use a clipper. If you are doing it for the first time, you must take necessary precautions so that you may not make a mess out of your beard. As Joe Mills of Joe and Co: a London barbering mainstay has said, ‘Keep your top lip area trimmed, and if you’re growing it out, keep it washed and moisturized. This will maintain smartness and lessen the irritation to your skin.’
Another important thing is to know your neckline. If you are shaving too close to your jawline, you might have a double chin, even if you don’t have one. And if you let it grow far down your neck, it might not look cool. So, choose the length appropriately.
