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Sometimes, growing and maintaining a beard feels like a never-ending battle of challenges.
There aren’t many of us that don’t love a full beard. But when a beard is out-of-control and looking to take over most of your face – it can become a problem.
Thankfully, there’s more than one way to manage excess beard frizz. From the right skincare to products to help tame any curly beard, your facial hair can be styled exactly as you want it to.
Here’s how to straighten a curly beard in three simple steps for all your beard straightening needs.
Why Some Beards Are Curly
Don’t get us wrong – there’s nothing wrong with a curly beard, but there can be a lot of downsides. A curly beard can often need more time to grow than a straight beard, but once grown it can be up to three times the straight length. Many curly beards are also thicker, meaning there’s more likely to be underlying skin and grooming problems.
For curly beards, the hair follicle itself will be asymmetrical that will curl the longer it continues to grow. Common problems include beard dryness, tangled knots and dirt and bacteria transfer, so it’s essential to use products like beard oil, shampoo and conditioner to make sure you have the very best base to start with.
Take Jason Momoa as a straight beard example. It’s almost unbelievable that someone with such naturally curly hair can get a beard that looks so straight, and that both sit together so well. It goes to show that with the right prep, care and routine, beard straightening is never out of reach.
Is Beard Straightening For You?
You may still be on the fence about straightening your curly hair – believe it or not, beard perming is actually a thing. To keep your facial hair straight takes a great deal of care, and some guys just prefer to keep their curly hair intact.
The important deciding factor on whether to straighten hair or not always comes back to the aggravating side effects. If your curly hair is causing underlying problems, there’s a big chance that choosing to straighten it will actually do the world of good. Curly hair may look great, but if it’s leading to acne, distrubed skin and itching, it’s likely to continue on a longer-term basis.
Clean, Clean, Clean
Before we start to apply any products or ask how to get a straight beard, we need to begin with the best beard base we possibly can. A beard cannot be washed too regularly because it will cause excess dryness, so for a curly beard, it’s best to be using beard oil every day. It’s recommended for a beard to be washed approximately three times a week with a specialised beard shampoo.
Together with beard oil, shampoo, conditioner and beard balm are the ultimate essentials to ensure your beard is in the best shape – and as straight – as possible. You need to make sure your toolkit is as good as your facial hair cleaning routine, so investing in a good beard brush, straightening iron and styling products are just as important. Keep your beard conditioned to prevent dehydration and keep as much moisture locked into your beard as possible.
How To Straighten Your Beard
There are a number of different ways to straighten beard hair dependent on what kind of products you’d like to use. If you don’t want to deal with the extra problems a curly beard may cause, the beard straightening may be the way forward for you.
Straightening facial hair can be broken down into three main categories – natural, chemical and mechanical. Although the three methods provide different levels of straightening beard hair, they each involve relaxing the facial hair to continue to lay flatter, which will hopefully make a curly beard more manageable in the long term.
The Natural Method
If you want to try and get your beard straight naturally, first be aware that this beard straightening process is an everyday commitment. Any facial hair needs the most gentle kind of care possible to be able to look its best, so if your beard hair feels like it will be too sensitive for using a men’s beard straightener, this may well be the method for you.
Start your beard straightening routine by using a soap bar that’s made from ingredients that won’t harm any natural oil, a mild cleanser and a beard conditioner that isn’t greasy or too heavy for your facial hair. Dry your beard off with a towel by gently patting it onto the beard hair, without rubbing it in.
Next, you’ll want a sturdy beard brush and a blow dryer, along with a beard silicone cream. With these, work the cream into the beard hair while it’s still damp, using a blow dryer with a beard brush to set straight and style to your taste. The beard straightening cream will ensure your curly hair stays at bay for the remainder of the day.
Establish this method every day in the morning for the best results – and to be able to keep to a routine. When using a blow dryer, remember to use the coolest setting possible to keep your straight facial hair from going brittle, coupled with using high-quality beard oil to keep beard hair as soft as possible. The key part of the process is to make sure you dry your beard with a towel to keep a curly beard from drying out too much.
The Chemical Method
Using a beard relaxing cream is probably one of the most direct but consuming ways to straighten beard hair, as it will only affect old growth, needing to be reapplied to new growth after a few months. Keep on top of this, as if not you may end up with a wavy beard instead. Combine using this cream with a straightening iron to continue to see the best results possible.
To apply relaxing cream to a curly beard, start by washing your beard with a complimenting shampoo, using disposable gloves to section the curly hair. Use the beard cream on each section, but make sure you don’t apply it directly to the skin. Spread across the beard with a beard comb before waiting about half an hour for the cream to work its magic.
Rinse and dry your curly beard with a blow dryer as opposed to a towel. Use the straightening iron to straighten any last bits of curly hair. When you want to get the cream out, use shampoo through the beard at least three times before conditioning, leaving it in for a further 30 minutes.
There are other types of chemicals to use to straighten your beard, but should only ever be handled by a professional. Don’t tempt this method to straighten your curly beard at home if you want to use other chemicals, as it can easily aggravate and damage both your hair and skin. If you still want to find the best beard straightener at home, look to the other methods.
The Mechanical Method
The final way to tackle curly beards is to use a heated comb for beard hair, such as a beard iron brush. This method is best to straighten your beard if it is particularly unruly, and great to use in place of a blow dryer if your beard is more sensitive, to avoid any brittle texture.
Using a miniature size steam beard comb is advised, as more damage could be done with a regular, non-specialised one. This is also the most time-saving practice, but the straight beard will last for the least amount of time. Use a tame finish beard straightening comb that comes from a reputable company to ensure there will be no damage to your curly beard or skin.
It’s essential to use a blow dryer to dry curly beards when using this method, to once again limit any possible damage. To straighten curly beard hair effectively, the iron must be able to reach a temperature hot enough to do so well, that has narrower heated plates and more flexibility. Remember to use oil after each straighten to keep your beard in the best condition possible.
When trying to straighten curly beard hair, it’s important to remember that there are specialist products made for specialist types or hair – such as an african american beard straightener – so you never need to settle for a curly beard method that’s not quite working for you – there are always suitable curly beard alternatives!
How To Get Your Beard Straight
Curly beard styles are a look within themselves, but sometimes they become too difficult to manage. If this is the case for you, knowing how to straighten your curly beard is a must.
Use staple products like beard oil and a blow dryer to ensure an effective straight finish that lasts all day, while choosing an overall method that suits your curly beard type best.
For a simple everyday routine, use the natural method to keep your curly beard in line without needing to use heat. If your beard needs an extra helping hand to straighten, use chemicals (or a professional who knows how to use them) as a continued boost. To keep on top of those curly beards, use a straightener to keep each and every last hair straight and in place.
