Expert beard style advice from the Jedi beard masters

Every Jedi knight needs to know how to grow a beard. In Star Wars lore, a beard protects you from the lure of the dark side. Plus it’s a men’s fashion style trend that is here to stay. If you’ve always wanted to grow a beard but have never made it past the two-week itch frenzy, this blog is for you!

Whether irritation, low growth or patches are undermining your valiant attempts, we are here to help. The Jedi beard masters of Men’s Grooming Ireland can lead you to the light side of how to grow a beard. Now is the time to embrace your Jedi knight-ness, fire up your hair follicles and get growing.

Step 1: Preparation

No-one becomes a beard master overnight. You must honour the code of beard growing. Go out into the Universe and hunt for all the essentials you will need to begin:

Beard oil: This is the essential elixir for anyone want to know how to grow a beard.

Beard soap: You must relinquish all soap-based products. Go out and purchase a good-quality, natural beard soap. Get yourself a face wash and moisturizer too.

Beard balm or beard moisturiser: For taming the beast once it is grown.

A beard comb: To comb away the snags and master smoothness.

Beard trimmers and sharp scissors: To trim, snip and shape your new beard into its desired shape.

Step 2: Let it grow

This part of your training will require all of your strength and determination. Let the facial force flow and embrace your dark (or ginger) side.

Let your beard grow, unhampered, for at least two weeks. Facial hair grows very slowly at approximately 0.4mm per day. After 14 days, you will be able to see what sort of growth you can achieve. And, if you are plagued by patches, you will need to grow a little more length to begin to fill them in. Do not stray from this path, stay strong and resist the urge to shave.

Step 3: Beat the itch – episode 1

This is the true secret for anyone wanting to know how to grow a beard. How to stop your beard itching? The infuriating face itch has ruined many beard plans. But it doesn’t have to.

Your face itches when the hairs start to grow from the follicles. The first step to master the itch is to avoid using soap, shower gel or shampoo to wash your beard. Any soap-based product will dry out the skin and add to the itch. Use a beard soap, a natural foaming face cleanser and a daily face moisturiser if your skin is at all dry. All of these products will keep the skin calm, creating the inner serenity needed to progress.

Step 4: Beat the itch – episode 2

Beard oil is the most essential part of mastering the itch. Invest in a really good-quality natural one. Apply the beard oil daily to your stubble after washing your face in the morning and at night.

Beard oil moisturises the skin, nourishes the root and softens the hair, reducing irritation and encouraging growth. By investing in the right, natural products, you will be able to keep strong and keep going – you’ve so nearly mastered how to grow a beard!

Step 5: Beat the itch – episode 3

Look to your nutrition and improve your hydration. Load your diet with more fruit and vegetables and your skin and hair will naturally improve. Brazil nuts (selenium), kale (vitamin A), oranges (vitamin c) and raisins (boron) will all contribute to better, faster and thicker hair growth.

If you suffer from dry skin on the face or body, increase your water intake. Drinking around eight glasses of water a day will help to naturally keep your skin well hydrated.

Step 6: How strong is the force within?

After two weeks of growth, you’ll be able to know what sort of hair you are dealing with. Does it grow fast, dense or sparsely; slow, thick or thin? If the force is strong, ie you grow strong and/or thick hair you will be able to keep going and grow out a longer beard.

If your hair force is finer, a shorter style will be more achievable and is perfect for those whose beard grows slowly.

Some hair will grow curly or fluffy – again, depending on your personal style, you may choose to tame the frizz with daily beard balm or keep the hair short. Daily combing or brushing will reduce knots and smooth the frizz.

Step 7: Decide your style

Now that you have mastered the itch and grown the stubbly basis, you can begin to get creative. This is the fun bit of learning how to grow a beard! Whether you can sport a full-on Grizzly Adams or more austere Obi Wan Kenobe á la Alec Guinness, will depend upon your style, your hair type and your face shape. Some fully-immersed Jedis become so dedicated to their beard growing, that they opt for a yeard: This is a beard that is allowed to grow for a whole year. No grooming allowed at all. This path is only to be recommended for the most dedicated of beard growers!

And, if you are not sure what shape will suit your particular anatomy, ask your master barber to make some suggestions – he has much wisdom to impart.

Short beards: Short beards are better for those whose beard grows slowly or for the clean-cut styled Jedi who doesn’t want to work too hard on his beard training.

Medium beards: A medium beard gives you just enough hair to run your fingers through without the commitment to grooming that is required of a long beard.

Long beards: Popular with professors, Jedis, hipsters and lumberjacks, you need to be able to grow – or have the patience to grow – a long length beard in the first place. A long beard requires more dedication but gives you the most possibilities for styling.

Step 8: Why the long face?

Before finally deciding your Jedi style, take a good long look at yourself in the mirror. What do you see? Your face shape will decide what shaping will suit you best.

Long face: Steer clear of long beards as these will add extra length visually. Stick to short styles but go longer on the sides to even up your proportions.

Wide jaw: A longer beard, smooth on the cheeks and longer in length at the chin will help redefine the angles of a wide jaw.

Round face: If you can, grow a longer style on the chin to add length to your face, keeping the sides short.

Oval face: If you are blessed with an oval face, you are the chosen one. Most styles will work for you.

Step 9: The final cut

Now you know how to grow a beard, it’s time to begin to shape and train your fledgling beard. It’s always a good idea to book a beard trim with your master barber to create the first cut. They will show you the path to follow and give you the best advice on how to trim for yourself.

After all your hard work, it would be a disaster for your beard to die in its first fight with the lightsaber!

Comb: Comb thoroughly (but gently) to detangle any knots.

Beard trimmer: Use a trimmer to achieve an all-over even trim, adjusting blades to trim shorter on the sides and longer on the chin. Pull the skin taught and always trim away from the face.

Shave cheeks: Wet shave to create a curve- or step-cut cheek line – your barber will be able to advise what suits you best.

Moustache: Trim your moustache to just above the lip line.

Neckline: This is one of the most important parts of grooming your beard, as messy necklines will detract from your overall mission. The best position for your beard line is two fingers up from your Adam’s apple. Create a line from here to the edge of your jaw with a comb and follow this with your blade.

Beard oil: Apply beard oil or beard balm for longer length beards to smooth the hair shaft and lock in moisture.

Now we have imparted everything you need to know about how to grow a beard. We wish you great luck on your chosen path. May the beard oil be with you. And remember, your master barber is always here to guide you on your path to success.