mholbert wrote:
Thanks fork! I am actually very jealous of yours. My grooming technique focuses on adding length while at the same time keeping a neat day to day appearance. Unfortunately this only seems to be accomplished with daily attention. When I wake up the beard is matted, so the first thing I do is brush it out of course. I actually prefer a cheap plastic comb, the kind with a fine comb on one half and a wider comb on the other half. This way I can use the wide end first to get out major tangles and then the finer end to finish brushing. When i brush I'm basically always moving downward and slightly towards the chin. After brushing, I continue with daily trimming. Now I must stress that when doing daily trimming, the amount taken off the beard must be EXTREMELY small. I'm talking 10-20 hairs clipped (out of an average of 30,000 hairs). All you want to do is examine your beard up close an choose a few hairs that seem to really stand out from the shape that you desire. Trim these hairs at the point where they match the hairs around them. A good way to judge how many hairs you cut each day is to look in the sink and count the hairs before you rinse the sink. Also, I prefer a mustache cut at the lip line so I also trim the lip daily. Next, comes the all important cleaning. I wash my hair daily, so I also wash my beard daily. I find that washing it in the morning keeps it soft all day. I use a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner liberally in my hair and beard. After letting it sit for a minute, I rinse it out thoroughly. I also use a mint and protien infused anti dandruff conditioner once a week. This leaves my beard tingling and smelling fresh. After showering, I gently pat my beard dry because I have found this is the point when the hair is most vulnerable to falling out. After a hot shower is also the perfect time for shaving a neckline, because the skin is soft and less prone to irritation. After a year of experimenting with this technique, I have found it is the perfect way to maintain a "professional" looking beard while still adding an inch or two of length per year.
Great post for a new guy I learned a ton! smiley: glasses

NICE beard!


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