norsebeard wrote:
Well, I sort of agree and sort of don't with the OP. You can hurt your hair, any hair, by using a hair dryer on it. If you are using a hair dryer, it would probably be a good idea to stop, or start using oil to replace what's lost. There are products out there that are proven to be easily taken up by hair, providing good shine and color---such as Argen oil. I haven't seen any harm done from daily washing. There are some conditioners such as Mane and Tail that really make the hair noticeably soft while others seem to do nothing.

I'm finding that most days, just a bit of scented oil and a pea sized amount of Shea butter rubbed together until melted and then applied to the beard keeps things looking/feeling good. If I need more hold, I use my homemade balm that has beeswax. What I don't do is obsess over it and that's probably the real point of the thread. It's hair, and it's pretty darn durable!

I use a hair dryer every day.  If I don't my beard looks too frizzy.  Just the opposite of what's supposed to happen with regards to blow drying.  I never use any heat, though.  That's the key.  Using heat will definitely dry mine to a crisp.  No denying that one.  By keeping the heat off it's kind of like air drying...just much quicker and adds a bit of texture that strictly air drying won't.

Leave-in oils of any kind, regardless of amount used, do one thing:  Make my beard look greasy and feel even dryer (or harder).  Wasn't as much of an issue when the beard was shorter, though.  Below a couple of inches of length, it's not going to matter much what you do.  Once you pass a certain point, you may find that what used to work great now does just the opposite.   Curly beards may be the exception.  Just like curly head hair, they seem to be far less sensitive to changes.  But, either way, habit and poor advice can be worthy opponents to your beard care regimen. 

I'd say you're right on about the obsessing.  My guess is that many guys (who are into beards enough to visit forums daily) are way too preoccupied with every little detail.  And probably are making things worse by overthinking it.  I can all but guarantee that the only person who sees daily changes to a beard is the owner.  But to the owner, it might be a night and day difference from one day to the next.  No one else notices.

Sometimes I honestly think the only advice that should ever be given is to tell people to experiement for themselves.  Or, at the very least, that line should be the last thing said in any post giving advice on beard care.  Beards are simply too individual.  As well as people's tastes.  What's greasy to me may be seen as soft to someone else.

Agreed on the durability of hair.  Tough stuff.  Way tougher than most people think.  Even in its purely natural state (or is that "especially" in its natural state?).  I used a clarifying shampoo this morning (the harshest of the harsh) and put nothing in my beard afterward.  No conditioner, no oil, nothing.  Feels all fluffy and soft.  When I first joined this site and read up on beard care, I'd have thought using a clarifying shampoo would leave me with zero beard.  It'd all just wash off in the shower.  I read that regular shampoo was evil, and clarifying shampoo was never even mentioned.  I'm actually surprised I can type it here without a word filter changing it to &^%*$^*&*^.  Well, I use it once or twice a week.  Still bearded.

If I'd have continued to listen to how most guys take care of their beards here (which I did for months) I'd have shaved by now out of pure frustration.  My beard was either greasy from oil, lank and frizzy from air drying, or nasty from not washing.  After stopping what is now considered "conventional" beard care, I really don't have any bad beard days anymore.  Just varying degrees of awesome.

Currently trying to break the trimming habit.