For the Men! Beards! The care and feeding of!???

[katsrevenge]

I really don't want to join a beard forum for this.. and then I remembered there are lots of men here already.. and at least a few of them must have beards. :D

My guy wants to grow a long wise man beard. His B-Day is coming up.

I'd like to get him a little 'kit' for it. But as I have never (and will probably never:p) grow a beard..I'm not sure what to include.

I'm thinking beard scissors, a comb of some sort and oil or a cleanser?? I've read some guys like BBBs too?

What kind of comb is best? He's got 4a/b coarse hair on his head and roughly the same on his face.

So, ye wise and beard-y folk... guidance?

[holothuroidea]

I have nothing to say except

YAY FOR BEARDS!!!

[Kiwiwi]

My man has a big goatee and lately sometimes a full beard too (his hair grows a bit fast and is really thick too).
He just got the book The Facial Hair Handbook by Jack Passion. You maybe could get that for him.
There's also a list in there with tools he can get. But maybe that's more fun for him to figure out, what he'll think he needs and what not.

I think you can also give him a lot of advice on hair care. Even though facial hair is a bit different I think many things are the same. One thing I don't agree with with this writer is that he prefers soap over shampoo, atleast that's what I understood. I think both can be bad or good. Shampoo's can be harsh or very mild. Soaps... I think are often harsh. Or am I wrong? Anyways. It's good he'd learn about ingredients instead of saying this product is bad and this one is good. Just learn ingredients and what feel good and go from there :-)

I think just get him the book and he can through it and decide what he wants for his face.

(I bought my man a t-shirt for his birthday with this print on it "I see you shaved. Sorry the weight of manhood was just too much". Or something like that. Bahahaha. I thought it was funny. Him walking around with his beard and jokingly say to other (shaven) men... well, what's on the t-shirt. Just as a joke though. Got it at www.beardly.com if you want to know :) )

[EdG]

I wish I could help. Unfortunately, I have always been a beard short-hair. :lol:
Ed

[Amber_Maiden]

Love beards!!!

[EdG]

Love beards!!!I'm certain our ancestors felt that way too. "Knee-length and beyond" here we come. ;)
Ed

[Shaun]

Along with the idea of finally growing my hair out, I've toyed with beards as well. Truly, the only tools I've used to trim or neaten up a beard was a standard beard trimmer and my normal razor. The trimmer has a few different attachments for trimming to a different lengths but that's it.

Honestly, as a guy, I'd say I'm rather simple and don't need an assortment of items for beard care. However, I'd take receiving a beard trimmer for a present as a hint to grow one out. ;)

[ArienEllariel]

I love beards on a guy, provided they are kept tidy looking. :)

Shaun, you look great beardless or with a beard. Just sayin. :D

[katsrevenge]

Ohhh... a book... hmmmm.... good idea.

B likes to read.

ETA:

This is the guy in question. His beard has gone beyond the trimmer stage. Soon he will *sob* shave his head. He says it is long enough to be annoying at times... and is very basic in his supplies unless they are already at hand. Heck, most of the time all he uses is a pick and my not-soap cleansing bars as shampoo. (Oil of Olay or Dove)

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/537927_762489094165_58404036_34795554_426759965_n. jpg

[Nae]

Lol, his expression is priceless! He is really great hair, tell him this crazy LHC lady approves.

[humble_knight]

I really don't want to join a beard forum for this.. and then I remembered there are lots of men here already.. and at least a few of them must have beards. :D

My guy wants to grow a long wise man beard. His B-Day is coming up.

I'd like to get him a little 'kit' for it. But as I have never (and will probably never:p) grow a beard..I'm not sure what to include.

I'm thinking beard scissors, a comb of some sort and oil or a cleanser?? I've read some guys like BBBs too?

What kind of comb is best? He's got 4a/b coarse hair on his head and roughly the same on his face.

So, ye wise and beard-y folk... guidance?

1) I oil my beard [coconut or olive] just as I do my hair.
2) These are two YT channels I enjoy watching :

http://www.youtube.com/user/allaboutbeards

http://www.youtube.com/user/mfourchette

The second one has a great beard-trimming video using scissors.

3) Comb - I use the small one that usually comes with any beard trimmer you buy.

4) When I shampoo my hair, I grab a dollop of lather and give my beard a good wash.

Mr.T's beard impressed me when I was a boy. He still has a glorious face-bush even now in his 60s :mrt:

[katsrevenge]

@Nae. I will. Guy can pull the fro back into a pony stub thicker then my fist. I've tried to get him to keep the fro.. but he wants a bald head. Shame, guy has the kind of hair most girls would kill for.

But he wants the beard. I want the beard. We agree.

@humble_knight Thanks! Very informative. Although... those combs get stuck on his strands. His hair is very thick both as a bunch and as a single strand.

Would something like this work?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/99185488/horn-hair-comb?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_search_query=horn+comb&ga_order=price_asc&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_page=0&ga_search_type=handmade

[Tisiloves]

http://www.etsy.com/listing/99185488/horn-hair-comb?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_search_query=horn+comb&ga_order=price_asc&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_page=0&ga_search_type=handmade[/URL]


Possibly, my friend used to use a metal afro pick on his (as he is a hairy wolf-man and anything narrower toothed would just get stuck)

[Roscata]

My DH has facial hair and the only thing he uses is a beard trimmer. He uses it to keep the mustache off his upper lip and even out the sides/neck parts of it.

Your guy has awesome hair, I'm sad to hear he's shaving it off. :(

[humble_knight]

@katsrevenge: I like the comb you just showed us!

This kind would maybe be of use to him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPzp0EVqY9U&feature=related

I have a purple 'fro comb. I only used it when my beard got to a fistful [holding the beard at the chin and it would peep out below the fist. Mmm, I think I may have only got to four-finger-length]

http://www.youtube.com/user/blackmensgrooming

I like the above channel too!

[katsrevenge]

Right now he has a few plastic fro picks he uses.. I was just thinking something nicer might be up his alley. Guy is HARD to get gifts for. Nice channels though.

ETA: I'm sad he's shaving it too, Roscata!

[BlazingHeart]

I bought a horn comb from Leginayba a while back - be warned that you should probably sand between the teeth when it comes, as they are clearly just cut and not polished. They're fairly thick and the quality of the horn is nice, just not as well-finished as I would have liked. I suspect a non-LHCer would just start using it, but for us, it's a bit too rough, you know?

What about a beard softener? They're conditioners that are supposed to be designed specifically for the coarser hair on the face. I dunno if it'd be the sort of thing your guy would like, but it would probably make combing it easier.

[Ocelan]

My DBF also has a beard ( a long goatee/ chin beard) and these are the things he uses to take care for it:

- Hair scissors to trim the ends even every now and then and to cut the hairs short which are just around the actual growed out beard area (just so you won't accidentally shave more and more hairs off every time you shave the rest of the beard thus making the beard area smaller. Also those small razor blade like beard trimmers can be used for more precision.)
- Normal shaving tools to shave around the growed out beard area to keep it neat
- WO for beard and everything else (he has APL+ length hair also). Soap only if he's spilled some kind of grease on the beard when eating and it starts smelling rancid :P
- A brush and a comb (normal hair tools) to brush through the hairs quickly
- Little plastic hairties when braiding the beard (obviously this won't be necessary atleast yet for your guy :P )

His hair on the head is about 2c/3a but obviously beard hair is very different, much coarser and... well it also is curlier (3-4), but it has more kinks on it also.
He doesn't oil his beard (he keeps teasing me about vinegar and other rinses and my hair care so he would laugh himself to the grave if I suggested oil for his beard). WO is very much all he needs anywhere.
He always braids his beard when he goes out and I think it's cute. It's just a normal english braid, sometimes two. He gets a lot og compliments on his "cool beard, man". His beard grown very fast and thick aswell.

It seems really easy to me. Just stop shaving and trim when it looks like it needs a trim. Almost like benign neglect on hair :)

[Nat242]

My partner insists that stroking the beard helps - oil distribution or something? ;)

Also...let me introduce The Beards http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VOXM-GbhpCQ link is to a live clip of them playing. They have multiple beard related albums, not all of the songs are safe for work but this one should be.

[NaiadOreiad]

If you google around you will find some good blogs and sites for shaping, and maintaining a beard.

My DH began his hairy journey last year. He started with a goatee, then added a handlebar moustache, and has been cultivating the beard since last september. The going rule is to wait at least 6 weeks to let it fill out before you mess with it.

His has filled out nicely, he shaves his neck with a straight razor and clippers and the actual beard is trimmed and shaped with small hair cutting scissors and a fine tooth comb. Since it is sometimes difficult to get the shape you want, its nice to enlist the help of a friend or SO. I originally convinced him to go for the beard and it has kind of become a project for me. Every couple of weeks he feels like it is getting out of hand, I sit in front of him with the comb, scissors, mirror etc and trim a 1/4 to 1/2 inch off, depending on the weather and how he want it to look.

Since every beard is different, have your man think about the look he wants. Does he want it thicker on the sides? Trim the bottom up every now and then and leave the sides be (only barely trimming off the uber wily and rebelious hairs) until they even out. What is his face shape and what will flatter him the best?

Does he want it long and wizardy? Think of beard maintenance like trimming a decorative shrub, and with time and patience, it will end up like you want.

[Charybdis]

katsrevenge, your DBF is very handsome! I know he reminds me of someone famous, but I can't think who it is. It's something about the expression combined with the glasses. Kind of professor-mixed-with-jazz-musician.

ETA: Yes, I know that's off-topic - unfortunately, I have nothing useful to add on the beard front. My DH's whiskers grow like weeds, but a beard just wouldn't suit him, and so I have no beard-grooming tips.

[Pierre]

My beard is 4aC and naturally grows in two dreads. I treat it the same way as my hair, except that I don't comb it. Before I started hennaing, it was a mass of splits. If you look at last year's Berkeley meetup, you can see it.

[katsrevenge]

Thanks for the input all. :) I think I have a few ideas on what to get him.

And I will pass the compliment on. He likes to think he looks a bit like Cornell West.

http://www.africaspeaks.com/bp/cornel_west-2.jpg

[Charybdis]

I can totally see it! He does realize he'll look less like Cornel if he cuts his hair back, right? ;)