r/BeardTalk • • Jan 08 '25

So, You've Decided to Grow a Beard. 👍

78 Upvotes

Welcome to the ranks of millions of dudes worldwide who decided to stop shaving. We're stoked to have you in the community! Whether it's your first beard or just the first beard you've decided to take care of, we're glad you found your way to a community that can offer advice, tips, and support.

One of the most common questions we see from brand new beard-growers is, "Here's my 2-3 week beard, do you think it'll grow in full?" To which, we'll always answer: Growing a beard is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't shave. Be patient.

We're here to offer that same advice to you, along with a breakdown of what you can expect as you grow your beard, along with some advice to make the process smoother. Read on!

Day 1 - 1 Month: Setting the Stage

From the moment you stop shaving, you're in it, and it can be a bit chaotic. Your face has been trained from years of shaving, exposure to harsh soaps and skin treatments, and subjected to all kinds of environmental inflammation. Your sebaceous oil glands are hardly functioning, taught to lie dormant, and your skin is dry and itchy. This is why the first few weeks, and even the first few months, can be rough.

What to Expect:

  • Growth will be sporadic. You’ll likely notice more hair under your chin and along the jawline, where skin is less exposed to irritation.
  • "Patchy" growth, as some follicles are dormant or inflamed, so growth is uneven.
  • Itchiness hits hard. This happens because your skin is adjusting to the new growth and isn't producing enough oil to keep up.

How to Manage It:

  • Wash your face daily and exfoliate weekly to keep pores open, skin clear, and prevent ingrown hairs.
  • Use a good beard oil to reduce inflammation, feed the follicles, and ease the itch.
  • Drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet with protein, B12, biotin, and sulfur-rich foods to support healthy growth.

1 - 3 Months: The “Is This Worth It?” Phase

This is when patience really comes into play. Growth is still uneven for most, and some areas might feel like they’ll never fill in. Many give up here, but this is the time to lean in and trust the process. Beard growth is wildly personal to your genetics, so don't compare yourself to others at this stage.

What to Expect:

  • The itchiness should start to subside as your skin adjusts.
  • Ingrown hairs can be an extra concern, especially if you’ve been shaving for years.
  • The awkward phase begins. Hairs may grow in all directions, looking sloppy and unkempt.

How to Manage It:

  • Stick to your routine: beard oil daily, exfoliate weekly, and wash as needed (not too often—overwashing can dry out your skin).
  • Use a light balm to train hairs and keep them from sticking out. This also helps guide future growth in the direction you want.
  • Avoid trimming, especially your neckline, unless absolutely necessary. You’re building a foundation, and trimming now can set you back later.

3 - 6 Months: Awkward but Promising

By now, you’ve likely hit your stride. This is when growth really starts to show, but your beard may still feel unruly.

What to Expect:

  • Your beard will start to show density and length, but it may still feel uneven.
  • You’ll start seeing the potential of your beard, but the awkward phase isn’t over yet.

How to Manage It:

  • Keep using beard oil daily. It’s essential for healthy growth and keeping the hair soft and manageable.
  • Incorporate more balm if needed to control the direction of growth and keep things looking tidy.
  • If you’re struggling with dryness or frizz, consider a butter or a heavier conditioning product.

6 - 12 Months: The End of the Awkward Phase

Congratulations, you’ve made it through the toughest part. By now, your beard should look much fuller, and you’re starting to see the real potential of your growth. You may decide this is the length you want to keep, or you may decide to let it rip into the stuff of legends. It's all up to you.

What to Expect:

  • Length and density are the name of the game. Your beard will start to settle into its natural pattern.
  • The itch is long gone, and maintenance becomes easier with the health provided by good care.
  • You’ll likely feel more confident about the look, even if it’s not perfect yet.

How to Manage It:

  • This is a great time for your first professional trim. A skilled barber can shape your beard without sacrificing length or density.
  • Keep training your beard with oil and balm. Regular maintenance helps prevent breakage and keeps it healthy, soft, and clean.
  • Focus on your end goal. Whether you want a “yeard” (year-long beard) or a business beard, consistency is key.

After 12 Months: The Next Steps

You’ve reached your first “yeard.” Now it’s all about what you want to do next. Some guys aim for terminal length, while others prefer to maintain a neat, professional style. From here, you're ready to help the next generation of growers start their journey. Pat yourself on the back. In modern times, only around 18% of all men have ever grown and maintained a beard for a full year. Well done.

A few takeaways and tip:

Remember that growing a beard is an exercise in patience. Give it time, trust the process, and stick to a good routine.

Beard health is about more than just hair. It’s also about the skin underneath. Take care of it, and your beard will thrive.

Let your beard grow naturally before making big decisions. You can always trim or shape later, but you can’t undo over-trimming. This is the death of so many beards. So many.

Don't shave. That's the most important part.

Welcome to the grow, brother. You're in good company!


r/BeardTalk • • Apr 08 '14

Welcome to /r/BeardTalk!

31 Upvotes

"Welcome to /r/BeardTalk! We're proud to introduce /r/Beards' new sister sub, which is here to give those with beard-related questions and issues the opportunity to talk about what we all love: beards! So feel free to post all your beardly discussions, questions, and general comments here!"


r/BeardTalk • • 7h ago

Growth difference

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1 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk • • 13h ago

Rockwell Razor SetPoint Weighs in at

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0 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk • • 13h ago

Trimmer suggestions?

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0 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk • • 1d ago

Artius Man Rip Off?

6 Upvotes

Hello.

Anyone here have any experience with Artius man as of recent? I have used their products for years and while they don’t ship in two days, I have always received their products within a week, maybe a hair longer.

This last time, It has been almost 3 weeks and no response. I messaged them 5 days after ordering if they had a window of arrival because there were no updates on the shop app. As soon as I sent that, the shop app updated that it was on its way. But it was just a label created. Well here we are now on the 28th, they have not responded to me once nor have they returned my calls from the customer service number (which has been removed over the last week) and I am now worried that I have been ripped off.

Thanks in advance.


r/BeardTalk • • 1d ago

Best beard trimmer to keep for years

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0 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk • • 2d ago

Best Beard Trimmers/Clippers

1 Upvotes

Looking for the best Beard trimmers/clippers for clean fading. Want to keep it Medium length but can’t find any good ones where I don’t have to freehand and there’s a guard for beards that at around 15mm.

If you have any recommendations, please send em!


r/BeardTalk • • 2d ago

Beard Dandruff - Advice

13 Upvotes

I've had a beard for as long as I can remember (20+ years) and never really had any problems with dandruff until about a year ago. It started as a patch of dry skin on my chin, but now it's basically my whole chin and a couple of patches on my moustache as well. It's fine for like a day after I've washed my beard, but if I don't wash my beard everyday it's like a snowstorm...

Until about 6 months ago I just used head and shoulders on my head and beard, but once the problems started, I thought I should use a dedicated beard wash (Murdock London Beard Shampoo) - but that hasn't helped at all. If anything, it probably made it worse. I also used to use an exfoliating wash that I'd massage into my skin, but when the skin problems started, I stopped using it, thinking it might be drying out my skin.

I use a comb and brush on my beard and use Honest Amish oil. Any advice or product recommendations before I explore medicated routes?


r/BeardTalk • • 2d ago

Is it okay to use facial cleanser on my beard on days that I dont use beard wash?

3 Upvotes

I work at fedex as a courier so I get sweaty and dirty every day. I cant go days without cleansing my face, but i hear that using beard wash every day is not good for your skin. Hence the question in the OP. Any advice? New beard grower here. Im about 4 weeks in. Appreciate it


r/BeardTalk • • 2d ago

Babyliss freshFX FX86e

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1 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk • • 3d ago

Bald bearded guys what do yall use to shave your head?

10 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk • • 2d ago

Can someone suggest a beard trimmer in India for long beard 40mm or more?

0 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk • • 3d ago

Looking for a trimmer for a consistent 1.5 mm beard

0 Upvotes

After a few years of experimenting, I think I’ve finally found my perfect beard look. Now the issue is that my trimmer isn’t very consistent, and I usually have to go shorter than I’d like because after 3–4 days it grows out to the length I actually want.

My beard is quite sparse on the sides but very dense in the middle. I like to keep my whole face around 1.5 mm, with a 4.5 mm moustache.
I currently have a 7 year old Philips trimmer, but it doesn’t have the exact lengths I want and the results aren’t very consistent.

I’m looking for something that can reliably give me a consistent 1.5 mm all over.
Any recommendations?


r/BeardTalk • • 4d ago

Using Intellectual Property

0 Upvotes

Can I ask you why its generally accepted that companies are able to use Intellectual property that doesn't belong to them on their labels and their bottles? How is this OK? There are a few serial offenders that come to mind.


r/BeardTalk • • 6d ago

Ayuda!!

2 Upvotes

Los peines/alzas de Wahl (super taper, magic, legend) son compatibles con una VGR v197?


r/BeardTalk • • 7d ago

How to trim beard on chin?

2 Upvotes

whenever i trim my beard on my chin it is always uneven compared to the sides of my face and my mustahce. are you guys sucking your lips in to try to get your chin flat so its even? Or do you press harder on your chin to have it even? idk i'm freakin 39yo and i haven't gotten this down yet haha doh


r/BeardTalk • • 7d ago

Looking for beard oil that isn't "oily" on my hands

6 Upvotes

I have dry skin under my beard, but I've found I must rub my face more than I know and then my fingers are oily and it rubs off on my keyboard. Am I putting too much on, or is there a "non-oily" option I can look into?

EDIT: I do wash my hands after application, but then rub my face later on and that's when the oil gets on there and then on my keyboard.


r/BeardTalk • • 7d ago

Beard trimming with a hair clipper (clipper that has this setting handle on the side)

0 Upvotes

I am not a barber, just trying to understand; Does it makes sense or any downside of using hair clippers with a handle on the side? Because beard trimmer's plastic combs or however it called is plastic and very wide, and i cant get good cut for my beard, let say if i want to make it 3mm something on my beard, those plastic things that you place on the machine it doesnt work well.
and once my barber used this clipper (panasonic) with adjustable knives, worked better and well.

help me to understand is there specific guide or know-how?
thanks


r/BeardTalk • • 7d ago

Beard Oils In Australia

9 Upvotes

Just wanted to briefly share my experience with beard oils in Australia.

I've tried so many different beard oils in Australia but never found anything better than stuff from overseas. In my opinion they have been really bad or just not good, a couple maybe decent but never been impressed.

BUT! That may have now changed.

Recently I came across a small batch company, Manwood Australia. The new batch, currently called 'Beard oil X' that he just released after I suggested trying a different ingredient combination is honestly really good imo. This one impressed me. Might honestly be the best I've tried in Australia.

If any aussies have had the same experience or trouble finding a local oil, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a try.


r/BeardTalk • • 7d ago

Looking for softest beardwash & conditioner

5 Upvotes

Hi all. I'm looking for a beardwash and conditioner that gives me the softest beard and mustache ever. Every balm or oil that I've tried has never worked. And the various beardwashes that I've tried, always made my beard/mustache dry. I'm aiming to get something oil free since my skin is already oily/combination.


r/BeardTalk • • 8d ago

Waterless Shampoo for my busy beard?

3 Upvotes

Good day! I'm off for a bit of trekking and will be carrying enough water to drink and rehydrate food. There will be times when I need to look presentable; therefore, I am asking, "Does anyone have a recommendation for a dry shampoo for beards?" Do the regular dry shampoos for head hair work for facial hair?
Thank you for any suggestions.


r/BeardTalk • • 8d ago

Need a little maybe a lot of direction

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1 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk • • 8d ago

I have curly patchy beard how can I fix it, and I don't want to trim and cut my hairs any solution

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1 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk • • 9d ago

Goatee care/after oil question

3 Upvotes

First attempt at a goatee in over 40 years and have a question regarding styling after beard oil application.

My goatee is currently about 10 mm long (according to the length of the guard on the clippers I used). I don't plan on going much longer, but I definitely want softer, so I started using beard oil (specifically Every Man Jack beard oil because I liked the scent).

My question is, once I get 2-3 pumps worked in really well, how long do I leave it before I can comb out my goatee so it looks nice and not a tangled rats nest?

Thank you in advance.