Men have beards of all forms and shapes. Some have standard straight beards, while others end up with frizzly ones. Which kind of style is best for you depends entirely on your personal preferences, and curly beards are the prime example of this split in facial hair opinions.
If you want your beard straight instead of being wavy, you’re not alone either. Learn how to straighten your curly beard in this article if a straight style is what you prefer.
Why Beards Get Curly
There are a lot of reasons your beard may become curly instead of growing straight, including:
Genetics
The most common factor, and also the only one that you can’t really change, making your facial hair grow curly is the shape of its follicles. If you have asymmetrical follicles, they will make oval-shaped hair shafts, meaning your beard will become curly as it grows.
Dryness
Genetics is not the only factor that decides whether your facial is curly or not. It doesn’t matter if the follicles of your hair are asymmetrical or symmetrical, as your beard will still get curly when not hydrated enough. As a dry beard grows longer, it will curl eventually. And the worst thing is this is not the kind of fashionable curly facial hair you might want to have.
The best way to prevent your beard from becoming dehydrated is to use a specialized shampoo made for facial hair. Washing your beard with such a product like that will hydrate it without stripping necessary natural oils from your facial hair. Make sure to use this kind of shampoo only once a week to avoid damage to your beard.
Beard oils are also something you want to consider to prevent a dry beard. Using it on a daily basis can help hydrate your beard without harming your facial hair’s follicles or strands.
Poor hygiene
Sometimes the shape of your beard mainly depends on how you take care of it, not what you inherit from your parents or the environment you’re living in. Men are different from women, and it’s not common for them to use too much shampoo for a beard. However, you should still put some extra attention into the hygiene of your facial hair.
When it has too much grime, and therefore too much coarseness, the facial hair will become curly easily. And again, this won’t be exactly the stylish curls you want to have. If you happen to stroke your beard a lot, ensure your hands are clean before doing so. Otherwise, you will unknowingly transfer grime and dirt into your mustache and beard through your hands. Another important note is when you have a long beard, don’t get any food or drink on it, or your facial hair will become coarse, sticky, and hard to brush.
Downsides of Having A Curly Beard
Having a curly beard is not everyone’s cup of tea. While there are plenty of men preferring this kind of facial hair due to its luxurious look, others want to straighten it instead. This is because they don’t want to deal with a whole host of issues relating to a curly beard, such as hygiene issues, a rough texture, and split ends.
Curly facial hair takes a longer time to grow than a straight beard. Typically, a curly beard grows at least three times slower than a straight one. This is a big deal if you want to grow your beard quickly, a process that may take weeks to complete.
Curly facial hair is also harder to take care of. Due to the tangles, men often find it much more difficult to apply beard balm and oil on their beards evenly. The situation may get even more serious when you use a comb aggressively as it may damage the follicles of your facial hair even more. The dilemma men with a curly beard face here is that if they don’t keep their facial hair clean, the grime and dirt will go into their skin.
By saying that, we don’t mean you should never have a curly beard. You can totally be a stylish man with it without any issues if you know how to do proper beard care. Knowing grooming tricks will make sure you have a fuzzy and thick beard that complements your face instead of having coarse, untamed curly hair.
Care Tips For A Curly Beard
Although a curly beard comes with all kinds of issues and troubles, many still prefer it, and there is nothing wrong with this choice. It’s easy to see why a curly beard has such a big appeal, thanks to its thickness and volume. If this is also your style, have a look at these important tips to ensure a healthy curly beard.
Keep your facial hair hydrated
Hydration is extremely important for facial hair. You should apply beard oils daily to smoothen your beard and avoid frizzy hair. Be careful with your selection and choose only high-quality products that can maintain the level of natural oils on your facial hair.
Practice proper beard hygiene
Keeping your beard healthy is not only about applying oils on a daily basis. You should also put some extra care into the hygiene of your facial hair, as curly hair always stays much closer to your skin than straight hair. This means grease and oil from your face can transfer much easier into your hair, making it dirty over time.
To make your curly beard clean, use a beard shampoo product and a conditioner at least once a week. They can get rid of any dirt and grime left on your beard and keep it healthy.
Undo knots on your beard
Use a suitable beard brush to combine out knots on your curly beard. If you don’t want the brush to irritate the sensitive skin of your face, use a high-quality brush with boar bristles to tame your frizzy, curly facial hair.
Since a brush can affect the growth direction of your beard, make sure to brush it before you go to bed at the angle you prefer. Also, use a beard trimmer to cut off any excess hairs.
How To Straighten Your Curly Beard
While a curly beard is not totally impossible to handle, plenty of men still choose to straighten it to get the look they want. If you opt for this choice, don’t be too impatient and damage your facial hair. Learn about popular methods to straighten a curly beard below to make sure you still have a healthy beard afterward.
1. Use a mild cleanser
Compared to other methods using heating tools, it’s a more balanced way to minimize the possible damages caused by straightening your beard.
Clean your beard
Use a mild cleansing formula such as Wild Willies’ Beard Soft to get rid of grime and dirt on your curly facial hair without removing its necessary natural oil, then use a beard hair conditioner immediately to straighten it.
Dr. Squatch Pine Tar Soap is another good choice as conditioning your beard afterward won’t give off a greasy feel or weight down your facial hair. As facial hair requires gentle care, don’t use any harsh shampoos or soaps.
Dry your beard with a towel
Use a clean towel to pat your beard dry afterward for best results instead of rubbing it aggressively, which may lead to more damages. Doing so will stroke the strands of your facial hair like what you just did when you apply the cleanser and condition it. Keep those strands separate so they can remain straight.
Apply some beard oil
You can make your beard easier and more manageable to style by putting on some beard oil. Keep in mind to keep the strands away from each other while applying the oil. When you feel there is enough oil on your beard, comb and brush it to tame and keep strands in place, a critical step to straighten it.
Use a pomade
Maintain the straight form of your facial hair with a beard pomade. Put it on bit by bit, then go over the whole area with a comb by brushing it downwards to help straighten your facial hair. Repeat this for the rest of your beard.
2. Use silicone cream
You will need a beard comb or brush, a hairdryer, and beard balm or silicone cream. After washing and conditioning your beard, apply the silicone cream gentle into it when your facial hair is still damp. Use the blow dryer and the comb to straighten your frizzy beard afterward. Silicone cream can keep it straight for a whole day if you do this properly.
Don’t use a dryer that produces hot air, as it can make the strands of your facial hair brittle. Just choose the coolest setting on the hairdryer to avoid any damages. You can also rehydrate your beard with high-quality beard oil.
This is a simple temporary method that can keep your beard straight throughout the day. If you don’t condition your beard, you can dampen it before using the silicone cream.
3. Use a relaxer
While the above method is quick and easy to do before you head off to work or go out in the morning, many men prefer a more lasting solution for their curly beards. Using a beard relaxer is a great alternative in this case. It can tame and fortify your frizzy facial hair without damaging it.
However, there is something you should keep in mind. While a beard relaxer can straighten already grown facial hair, it doesn’t have the same effect on newly-grown hair, meaning your facial hair will become curly as it grows longer if your hair has asymmetrical follicles. This is also the reason you should redo this every a few months to straighten out new curls.
Wash your beard with a shampoo, then divide it into several small sections with a pair of disposable gloves. Apply beard cream on your whole beard and use a comb to spread the cream evenly. Wait for 30 minutes and rinse the cream out. Dry your beard with a dryer and remove the curls with the relaxer. Remove all the cream residue again with the shampoo before gently patting it dry with a towel.
4. Use a hairdryer
Using a blow dryer with a straightening attachment is a quick and simple way to temporarily straighten your beard. Put on the attachment and set the heat setting to a medium value. Brush the strands of your beard gently outwards to separate the clumps of your facial hair from the middle.
Use your fingers to untangle more difficult spots. Continue to brush the strands through your entire beard. Replace the straightening attachment with an open dryer one. Point it outwards and pull your fingers down the strands of your beards following the airflow’s direction.
Streamline your beard with a fine-toothed comb. Comb the strands down and outwards gently and run your fingers down once more time right behind it.
FAQs
Should I straighten my beard?
It’s up to you to answer this question. Some beards wave and curl in a stylish way that most men just let them be. But if you want to opt for a more refined style, straightening your beard is the obvious choice. Either way, you should always remember that your facial hair needs care and attention. Take care of it properly whether you want to straighten it or keep it curly.
Should I use beard oil to straighten my beard?
You can achieve a straight beard with beard oil alone, as a curly beard needs more than that to be straightened. But oil is indeed a critical part of some methods we have discussed above. It can make your facial hair easier to straighten while protecting your skin against damages caused by heating.
Are straighteners dangerous for my beard?
While straighteners may be useful when it comes to the shape of facial hair, they can also cause some damages if you overexposure your beard to the heat coming from them.
Conclusion
Before actually doing so, you must learn how to straighten your curly beard in a safe way. In addition to the method we have shown above, you should also make sure to protect your facial hair and keep it healthy, no matter which beard style you’re craving.