Growing a Beard should be one of the simplest things a guy can do in life, right? Yes and no. I get tons of questions about growing a Beard.
Unstoppable Beard Steps
The first thing I can say is that you need the assistance of others and product from Beard Mountain is the obvious choice. Go to Beard Mountain Kits to check out some options that will help.
Anyways, I had to answer a lot of these myself to be able to grow my own Beard, and my products developed as an answer to some of them. Heck, a whole book came from questions being asked and answered. There is one thing that I don’t get asked about enough though.
What makes an unstoppable beard?
I get questions about color, length, trimming, vitamins, using my products - just about everything that you can think of. But, one thing that most guys don’t ask about is how to make growing a beard more integrated with their life. What do I mean by this?
Go check out any Beard group online, and one of the most common things you see is a guy shaving his whole beard off for some reason or another, like:
- A job interview
- A wedding
- Some kind of official event
- Family photos
- Dates
- Concerts and Festivals
The list for an unstoppable beard here goes on and on
While the reasons are as varied as the guys that give them, the real, underlying cause is pretty much the same: These guys are failing to really live a life that integrates the Beard. They are in effect failing to truly “Live the Beard”. This kills me, as my whole philosophy boils down to “Living the Beard,” making your Beard an expression of who you are.
The truth is, there are several simple things things that every guy can do to make growing a Beard actually connect with his life instead of look like a departure from it.
Three ways to make your Beard unstoppable:
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Pay attention to the details - The Beard is not really some independent feature of you, it is part of your identity. People see your Beard through the filter of the rest of your appearance. You can sport a big, full Beard just as easily in a Business environment as you can at the lake - you just need to put the rest of yourself in the right context as well. A full Beard (or any Beard) is not a pass to wear nothing but old t-shirts, shorts, and hiking boots all the time. The biggest thing here is to get your hair in order. This sets the whole tone for your Beard. Keeping your hair sharp has more impact on the way your Beard looks to other People than your Beard actually does- so comb your hair!
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Maintenance is important - The Beard Mountain Philosophy is summarized in three simple words- “Live the Beard”. What this really means to me is that you have to fit the Beard into YOUR life. Whoever you are, your life has certain assumptions. If you are in a career where you need to look sharp, you need to carry this attitude to your Beard the same way you would your clothes, hair, or anything else. Great products like mine (shameless plug - not even sorry) can do a lot, but you also need to understand that you might need to keep your Beard trimmed as well. Even just regular brushing can have a big impact on the look of your Beard. You don’t just let your hair grow for over a year - so consider taking care of your Beard the same way - remember, the key here is integration. You can’t just “let your Beard go” and expect it to look well kept. This is a HUGE part of why guys end up laying waste to a Beard.
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Don’t pigeonhole yourself - This point will probably bother some guys, but a big part of growing a Beard that ends up bothering people is that a lot of guys start building their identity around the beard. This is where trends come from. You need to be you - that is what growing a Beard is all about. Changing your personal expressions of style and taste to fit some kind of “Beard” style is the opposite of that - and doing this only magnifies the way people see your Beard. Be YOU. Dressing or acting one way or another because you have a Beard makes you look like a fool. Being yourself is always in style.
These points may seem oversimplified, but they have stood the test of time for me over the years. I have worked in offices, done industry trade shows (not Beard related), had babies, been in weddings, interviewed for jobs, and just lived life - and the Beard has NEVER once been a point of contention.
The points above are specific ways you can make your Beard more integrated into your life, but they are all fundamentally based on one principle:
