The issues that come with growing a beard, especially for those with curly and coarse hair - mainly African men, are knots and ingrown hair. These are pesky issues that can make you consider shaving it all off.
Before you reach for the razor, try out these tips to help you tackle these issues.
Let's begin by describing what these terms actually mean.
INGROWN HAIR
This is simply the beard hair growing back in the skin rather than penetrating through the surface/pores.
The image below shows 2 versions of ingrown hair. The first one as described above and the other being when the ingrown gets stuck inside and grows to the side of the skin.
When your skin senses problems, it literally reacts - hence the big, red, painful pimples/bumps that come with pus at times.
There is nothing fun nor painless about ingrown hair. It is a bothersome downside to hair growth but luckily, there are solutions to this.
BEARD KNOTS
These mainly affect men who have thick, long and curly hair. It is a less common occurrence than ingrowns but can be just as painful and annoying, especially when they are left alone for too long. Small knots can become a big headache!
In some cases, these two problems can resolve themselves, however to avoid bacterial infections and other consequences of ignoring these skin irritations, here are some solutions.
EXFOLIATE
Those of you who are not new here know this is one of our cardinal rules. Exfoliating is the process of gently rubbing off the dead skin from your face. Start with a steam or warm towel to get those pores open then go in with a soft brush.
The moisture and removal of dead skin will leave your beard clean and reduce room for ingrown hair and it should ideally also get rid of knots in the steaming phase.
CHANGE YOU RAZOR OFTEN
For the gentlemen who groom at home, using the same razor cartridge for a long time highly increases the risk of ingrown hair. This is because dull razors tug at your skin which increases the risk of ingrowns.
Razor blades get dull pretty quick so change them out often - every 2 weeks to a month depending on how often you use them.
GO WITH THE FLOW
It is a common misconception to shave against the grain. Research shows that the right way to shave is actually in the direction your hair grows in to avoid friction which in turn causes ingrowns.
1-2 STROKES IS ENOUGH!
Your partner may love a repetitive stroke, but your beard hates that repetitive movement. If you can’t shave in 1-2 strokes, then you need to leave it a little patchy for at least 2 days. Razor burn highly increases the risk of ingrowns and knots from the unhealthy skin.
COMB FROM THE BOTTOM UP
The hair at the bottom of your chin is most likely to knot as it is furthest away from the root. Grab an inch or 2 and hold it tight as you comb downwards. The hair will start to loosen up to a point where you can comb through all the knots.
Comb your beard on a daily basis to avoid the pain of doing this process after weeks or months. (Avoid combing a dry beard)
PRODUCT!!!
This goes without saying. You need to wash your beard once or twice a week with a beard wash, then follow by applying beard oil for hydration then beard balm after for styling and control.
The products above help soften your hair and make it easier to work with, hence reducing the risks of knots and ingrown hair.
Pro Tip: If you forget to apply your product in the morning, we have a travel wash bag with travel sizes that you can keep in your bag or at your desk in the office.
Get yours here: Travel Set
KEEP HANDS OFF YOUR FACE
Yes, we said hands! Not just yours, but your partners too.
We know it feels good to twist and scratch your beard but this is how these knots and ingrowns get more space to thrive.
Your beard is anti social. Let it be.
Follow us on our socials - @themandevu for more tips to guide you along your beard journey.
Words: Ciku Kimani