5 Tips to Growing a Great Beard

February 18, 2015

1. Eat a diet rich in Omega-3 Fatty acids.

Your body needs Omega-3 fatty acids to grow awesome hair. 3% of your hair shaft is made from fatty acids. In addition, they are present in the cell membrane of your skin, as well as the natural oils that keep your skin and hair hydrated. Some foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids are: salmon, halibut, oysters, fresh tuna, mussels, pumpkin seeds, grass-fed beef, edamame, Brussels sprouts, eggs, kale, walnuts, flax seeds and flax seed oil, chia seeds, hemp seeds and hemp seed oil. If you don’t think you can increase your intake of these foods, try taking fish oil as a supplement.

Omega 3 Foods

2. Start your beard growth from a clipper cut instead of from a razor cut.

When you shave using a razor your hair is cut at an angle that can cause itching and irritation as it grows out. If you (or your barber) cut you hair using clippers (or scissors) the ends of your hair are not pointy and you will feel much less itching and irritation as you grow your beard.

Bearded Guy getting a haircut

3. Use beard wash specially made for washing your beard.

Shampoo comes in all shapes and sizes and to be honest a lot of it is low quality and is detergent based. This will strip your hair and skin of it’s moisture. Use a natural beard wash specially formulated for cleaning your beard. You will maintain the natural oils that help moisturize your beard.

4. Use high quality beard oil and/or balm everyday.

Our hair and bodies are exposed to a lot of environmental stress everyday. The sun, wind, and weather can take a toll on your beard. It only takes a small amount of high quality oil or balm to protect your beard and the skin underneath. All beard oils are not created equal. Do not buy beard oil with a 2 to 3 ingredient list and expect much out of it. Outside a lot? I’d recommend a balm or balm and oil.

5. Do not use cheap plastic combs to brush your beard.

These types of combs cause split ends and damage to your hair. There are plenty of choices when it comes to combs for grooming your beard. You can get combs made from metal, wood or high quality plastic. Although, the initial cost is more they are going to be long lasting and really benefit the health of your hair. I personally really love Kent Combs handmade by the fine artisans of the UK.