Hey, I'm the Bearded Scribe. I haven't talked about beards yet, so I think it's about time we did that. What's it like having a beard? Is it hot? Is it itchy? Do I grow it to be cool and trendy? Let's find out!
How to Start a Beard
About 4 years ago, I stopped shaving for a few months. It wasn't really planned. I'd already had a short, kinda-corporatey beard going already. So really, I just got lazy. And I let that bad boy go.
And off it went.
For a while it was great. I felt pretty bad ass, to tell you the truth. It was my first full beard (except for a nasty, scraggly one in high school that I grew on a bet). Anyway, I loved my new beard. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to care for it. I didn't even know that I could care for it. I thought you were supposed to just let it grow.
I was wrong. And because I didn't know how to start a beard, it slowly got worse and worse, to the point where it was almost as thin and mangled as my freshly post-pubescent high school attempt had been.
So I decided to change things up.
Research, or Beardsearch (any word can be beardified)
I took to YouTube for some help. Quickly, I found Beardbrand, the biggest beard-related channel out there. Back then, their channel was pretty basic, but it was just what a burgeoning young beardsman like myself needed.
From Eric Bandholz (their founder), I learned about beard oil, beard balm, proper care, which combs to use, what a boar-bristle brush is, and a whole bunch of other beard related goodness.
A useful starter kit from Beardbrand
The man brought me into the 21st century of beard-dom.
I highly suggest their YouTube channel for any struggling beardsmen out there. Their products are pretty great too (and no, I'm not getting paid to say that).
Once you start watching their videos, you'll probably want to learn more. And that's just what you should do. Get into it. Expand your horizons. Ask other beardsmen how they care for their beards. Don't be shy. Hey, you can even ask me!
Anyway, after all my research, I got pretty knowledgeable. I knew how to make balm. I learned a bunch of techniques for beard grooming (most of which I never used). Hell, I even knew the properties of all the different essential oils. And in the end, I realized that having a beard can be so much more that just "letting it grow". If you want it to be, that is.
Pick an oil, any oil.
It's an experience. It's a journey. It's frustrating. But in the end, you've got a sweet beard.
That's my beard journey (simplified). But if you've never had one, let me give you a little heads up about what life would be like if you did grow one.
Life with a Beard
Alright, let's get down to it. What's it like having a beard?
Well, to be honest, it's pretty damn close to life without a beard. After a while, you just get used to that thing hanging off your face.
Really, the only difference now is that I comb my beard every once in a while, and rub some balm into it after showers. Oh, and I have to be very conscious of my mustache when I eat. But that's about it.
You can get pretty deep into beard care and grooming, and a lot of guys do. But it isn't necessary. You can be super basic and still have a grand ol' beard.
What you might find, if you do end up getting into the world of beard care, is that you start to take better care of yourself overall. More than you did before you had a beard. For some reason, it does that to you. Maybe it's because it feels silly to take such good care of a beard but then ignore everything else. I don't know.
So don't be surprised if you start to get nicer haircuts. Or you start to actually care about the state of your skin. Don't worry, you aren't any less of a man because you've actually applied moisturizer. You're just exploring a new world.
I won't judge your choices.
If you're considering a beard, I say go for it. If you don't like it, there's always your trusty razor to take care of it. You might just love having a beard, and if you do, welcome to the bearded community!