Grow a Longer Beard

Q: I would like to grow a longer beard, but when my beard reaches a certain length it starts growing in different directions causing it to look strange.

I've tried pomade and even tried to straight perm it once, which just made it worse. Can you give me any advice?

A: Facial hair is like the other hair on your head except that it does tend to be coarser in texture and have a different wave pattern, which can mean it is harder to control and to conform into a specific style. To top it off, most men find that their facial hair grows in differing directions from one area of the face to the next.

Most men who attempt to grow their facial hair long find that at a certain point their hair becomes unruly and looks "wild and wooly". In many cases, the only thing to do is to suffer through the rough patches while the hair keeps growing.

Using a pomade, or even better, mustache wax (which is typically stronger) can help you to direct the hair in the style you want to present, but you may need to use more than you had intended given the strength of the hair.

Some men find that having their stylist use thinning shears to remove some of the bulk from their beards can make them easier to style. Just make sure not to allow the stylist to over-do it or your beard will end up looking stringy and scruffy.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

How do you trim a beard?

Can you tell me how to tame a bushy beard?

Beards and the shape of your face

Basic styles for moustaches and beards