Curly beard Care // A different beast

Beard hair needs different treatment depending on whether it’s curly, wavy, straight, fine, coarse etc.  the same goes for your beard. Curly beard hairs are an entirely different ballgame to straight hairs, and tend to need bit more care and attention to keep them looking like grecian beards of gods Poseidon, Zeus and Hermes. 

The first step is to embrace the curls, it’s human nature to want what you don’t have but a curly beard can look as good as any other if not better. So don’t be straightening your beard 24/7. 

Unfortunately curly hairs tend to be coarser, denser and dryer making them harder to navigate and maintain daily. 

Here are 5 steps to make sure you love and cherish that wild curly beard:

1. Regularly trim

To make things trickier curly hairs tend to grow at different rates, more noticeably than straight hairs. This can leave you with curly hairs poking out every which way, making you look more like Stig of the dump than the glorious grecian god. A regular trim will even out the length of beard hairs, which will make your beard look even and neat whilst embracing the curls. 

Trimming also gets rid of split ends, split and dry hairs won’t do anything to help the appearance of a curly beard. They just make it look unkempt and straggly. This second benefit of trimming will also help the feel of your beard, not only for you but any partner you might have. 

As previously mentioned curly hairs grow at different rates and some trimming with scissors may be needed in between beard cuts. Try not to overdo it though, being snip happy can leave you looking patchy if you’re not careful - curly hairs don’t curly the same way everyday. So what might look like a long stray hair you missed just needs to be tamed in a different direction rather than hastily lopped off.

2. Cleanse

Keeping your beard in healthy condition is going to make your beard look and feel drastically better. Cleansing and conditioning are so important to beard health no matter what the nature of your beard, 

Cleansing with a natural non-stripping shampoo will remove any dirt trapped within a beard, especially important for the denser thickett of a curlier beard. Our shampoo bar has the added benefit of having activated charcoal to lightly scrub and stimulate the skin underneath too, which is often overlooked when discussing beard health. Stimulating the skin draws blood to the area which promotes healthy hair growth and will make sure you don’t get bearddruff ruining your carefully groomed beard. 

3. Condition, condition, condition 

Equally important to cleansing is making sure you condition, and doubly so for a curly beard. Applying a conditioner in the  shower after cleansing will make it so much more manageable - you’ll wonder how you ever got by before. Teasing out your curls from root to base in the shower will untangle any knots and also leave your beard feeling silky soft and ready for post shower nourishment.

Once out the shower you don’t want to remove too much moisture from your beard, you want to lock it in instead. Gently scrunch your beard with a cotton or microfibre towel and then proceed to applying a beard oil or leave in conditioner. You should see an instant difference in your beard, if you opt for an oil this should coat each hair, reduce friction to lessen tangling and lock in moisture. This in turn will keep your beard looking fresh and sleek and nourish the hairs at the same time.  A leave in conditioner will act in a similar way but isn’t as lightweight as an oil, but can act to tame curls due to the added weight on the hairs. It depends what look you’re going for which you opt for. 

Choosing products can be daunting and overwhelming at times with a whole sea of brands out there to choose from. We will always advocate using natural products, and where possible stray away from harsh chemicals, Silicones and Sulphates. The tend to give the illusion of making your hair feel lovely but in the long run they are very stripping and will leave your hair dry, brittle and completely reliant on the products. 

4. Combing

Combing is a good way to not only detangle but in the same way as exfoliating, it draws blood flow to the area. Combing through curls can be a hard task, as aforementioned combing in the shower with conditioner is going to help hugely. You can comb a dry beard but depending on your hair type combing can make your beard frizzy and bushy as well as more prone to breakage. Whether combing whilst showering or not you will also want to plump for a good comb. One that doesn’t snag the hairs and works with the strands, you may even eat to use a beard brush before hand followed by a comb, depending on the length of your beard. 

5. Styling 

Finding what works for your particular beard is crucial and never more so than with a curly beard - try a few different techniques and find out which works for you and your beard. 

Be sure to accentuate the curls and work with them rather than against them - trying to force them to do something they don’t want to is usually just a waste of time and energy. Using an oil and balm will leave the curls conditioned and the extra hold of the balm will keep the curls bouncy and in place rather than roving around your face in any fashion they please.  Don’t overdo the products though, even all natural products as this can leave the curls flat and deflated and can make your beard look greasy.

A final note, Love thy curls!