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We’ve all got an uncle who looks like Santa Clause, or perhaps a guy at work who you secretly (or not so secretly) refer to as Gandalf. You know the look, unwieldy, wild, and generally untamed. Sporting a grey beard doesn’t have to automatically qualify you as a shopping centre Santa. It’s all about how long and out of control you let your white beard get.
Here's five tips so you can rock a killer white beard (and look less like Gandalf).
Table of Contents
1. Keep Your White Beard An Ideal Length And Shape
For a clean, less magician-like look try keeping your white beard between two and five inches in length. This ensures a well-maintained appearance with a great balance between fulness and coverage whilst still looking maintained.Â
As we age faces tend to soften, become rounder, and lose definition. Opting for sharper lines can be your way of fighting back and maintaining a stronger face shape. Spade or boxed-shaped beards can work well.
2. Keep Your White Beard Hydrated
It’s a misconception that white hair is coarser than pigmented hair. But that’s not actually the case. Often it’s just that grey hair feels coarse, because it’s dry.Â
That’s because as we age, our hair follicles produce less sebum. Sebum is the natural oil your skin produces. So it makes sense why the less of it you produce, the drier and more coarse feeling your beard becomes. To counter this we have to step in with a solid hydrating and conditioning regime.
Use Beard Oil
Beard oil should be your go-to for added moisture. The cold-pressed oils contained in our beard oil will step in and replace the natural oils your white beard is lacking. Using beard oil morning and night will be your best bet. Don’t be afraid to use it more often if necessary.
Experiment With Beard Balm
While beard oil is the go-to for soft and nourished hair and skin, beard balm can back it up with a solid one-two punch. The heavier weight of butters and waxes in beard balm ensures it coats the follicles to maintain hydration throughout the day. Check this article out for a full rundown on the difference between beard oil and beard balm.
Just don’t go overboard with balm, or you’ll weigh your beard down.
Even if you don't sport a full beard yet, both beard oil and beard balm can help with the beard growth phase the make you beard less itchy and irritated. If this is the case you may be interested in learning how long it takes to grow a beard and why your beard is thin.
3. Practice Proper Washing and CareÂ
Cleanse the beard 2-3 times a week with a gentle beard-specific shampoo to remove dirt, hotdogs, and whatever else you have trapped in your beard. Never, ever use soap, this will dry your beard out like no-ones business, and won’t do your skin underneath any favours either. It’s an instant ticket to the wiry Santa look.
4. Use Heat Sparingly
As we age facial hair naturally becomes finer. This means it’s more susceptible to damage from heat. The great news is you don’t have to ditch the beard straightener, it’s just about being mindful of how much heat you apply. Opting for the lowest temperature setting will help ensure you don’t scorch your hair whilst still adding style and control.
The same goes for blow drying. There’s no need to stop, just be mindful of the heat you're using and how close you’re holding the dryer from your hair.
5. Practice Regular Maintenance
You’ve seen it before, white beards that look less white, and more like a stained pillow you haven’t replaced in 8 years. Yellow and crusty isn’t ideal.
This yellowing can be one of the most frustrating parts of sporting a white beard. It’s called yellowing, or bronzing, and occurs due to the staining of the white hairs from environmental factors, such as chlorine, water, and sunshine.
Remember Grandma's bottle of purple shampoo? Yeah, if you’re struggling with bronzing, it’s time to enter full grandma mode and embrace purple shampoo.
If you remember the colour wheel, you’ll know that purple sits opposite yellow. Purple shampoo combats the yellowing of your hair by imparting a tiny amount of purple pigment into your hair. In effect, balancing out the yellow.
Time To Rock That White Beard
With these care tips in mind you can sport a killer looking white beard right into old age. The best part is, ain't no one gonna call you santa.Stay well bearded chaps.