r/BeardTalk Jan 08 '25

So, You've Decided to Grow a Beard. 👍

79 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!

30 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 9h ago

What are your S-tier brands?

3 Upvotes

Not talking about stuff you buy at Target. True, artisan brands only


r/BeardTalk 17h ago

Heated straightener: Oil before or after?

4 Upvotes

Some years back I kept my beard pretty long and used a straightener. Went to keeping it shorter and stopped using it, but lately I've gone back to it being longer. I used to use a straighter and liked how it made my beard look, but when I got the thing out of the drawer, it didn't look good lol. Ive oiled my beard immediately after the shower for as long as I can remember and I would straighten afterwards when my beard was dry.

To avoid the brush getting sort of gross, would I lose anything by just combing post-shower and straightening when dry, oiling afterwards?

Alternate question: if I do continue on with the old way, what are some good ways to clean a heated straightening brush? I got a whole new one so I didn't need to use the old grimy one.


r/BeardTalk 21h ago

Help…I’ve look at older posts

3 Upvotes

Hey guys, brand new to this forum, was looking for a new beard brand for good oils, saw a lot about roughneck and I’m thinking of giving them a shot.

A little about my dilemma. I have Seborrheic Dermatitis, sebderm for short, along with eczema. Both issues are really on my face and scalp, so I’m looking for a nourishing and moisturizing oil for the skin and a butter for the beard hair to get some good nourishing properties there.

Could anyone point me in a good direction. I currently use Live Bearded for both. Any info would be greatly appreciated. 🤘


r/BeardTalk 23h ago

Goddamn, it's hot.

1 Upvotes

How y'all holding up? It's crazy hot here all over the US. Y'all staying strong?


r/BeardTalk 2d ago

Looking for a beard dye that works on a SHORT beard, full coverage. (greys are spreading)

2 Upvotes

I have been using Just For Men M-55 (Real Black) for a couple of years. Until now I only applied it to my 'goatee' area, because that is where the greys were concentrated and the dye looks best with a bit of length to work with. My sides were fine on their own.

That has changed. The greys are now spreading to the sides too, and the patchy look is not working anymore.

Now, I want to keep the beard genuinely short (not the long condensed goatee style) and dye the whole thing, sides included, for even full coverage.

My questions:

\- What dye actually holds up on short, coarse, grey beard hair without looking flat or painted on?

\- How long does the colour last before greys peek through again?

\- Anything gentler on the skin? I am in the EU (Sweden), so would be nice if it is easy to get here.

Thanks in advance


r/BeardTalk 3d ago

Should i upgrade my Oneblade to a Braun Series 6 barber Machine?

3 Upvotes

I recently got a Braun as a birthday gift but i dont know if i need it. I have a Oneblade and have used it for some years now and it usually works just right for me. So should i keep using the oneblade or start using the Braun?


r/BeardTalk 5d ago

are beard oils acctually useful?

17 Upvotes

so im trying to grow my facial hair out instead of being clean shaven and ive noticed that its fairly patchy. im still young enough to where im sure it will get thicker with time (genetically all men i my family have very thick beards) but if im gonna be honest i can be impatient and id like to speedup the process faster. specifically on my chin under my lip area so i can grow my goatee out. anyways ive been considering minoxidil but i dont really think i should take it because of the side effects plus from what ive heard its more for hairloss and thinning which are things i just dont have. but ive heard using things like derma rollers plus oils like castor, rosemary and pumpkin seed oils can help thicken hair etc. im not sure what i should really do in my situation. im not thinning my facial hair just isnt really where i want it to be so please any guidance would be nice.


r/BeardTalk 4d ago

Best upgrade from OneBlade for short beard trimming?

2 Upvotes

I think a beard is a strong word for what I have. Ive been using my one blade now to keep my facial hair short for probably 5-7 years at least. I usually trim it down to 2-3 cm’s.

I’m looking at what would be a step up in terms of trimming. I don’t have anything particularly bad to say about the one blade but that’s all I’ve used. I do find myself having to go through the same spot a while to get it even.

Quick google searches are telling me the Phillip series 5000 would be good. Will I be able to tell a noticeable difference? What would you guys recommend.


r/BeardTalk 4d ago

Tips for avoiding hot spots

0 Upvotes

Any tips for a newbie in the beard game with avoiding hot spots in the summer heat? I really don't want to shave my beard but the heat is making it hard to keep my will power going


r/BeardTalk 6d ago

thin mustache

3 Upvotes

i think the title is pretty self explanatory. i grow a decent beard and all but i can’t seem to get my mustache to grow in how i want. i’ve heard of the derma roller/stamp and using the oils, i just want to know if that stuff actually works. i can’t use minoxidil as i have two cats, so is there anything else that would be recommended as far as helping it grow? or how to deal/live with a thin mustache? nothing against thin mustaches, it just doesn’t work for me. thanks!


r/BeardTalk 6d ago

Trimmer for small hair

1 Upvotes

Need trimmer for small hair on face and for moustache


r/BeardTalk 7d ago

I want my beard to be slightly thicker, just slightly. Are there any products that can help with that? Maybe even cosmetic ones?

2 Upvotes

Please help


r/BeardTalk 7d ago

Every man jack beard butter whipped or butter/conditioner hybrid?

3 Upvotes

I recently learnt about using beard butters at night and thought I’d give them a shot. Found the Everyman jack beard butter at my local Walmart and gave it a shot. My issues is that it seems SUPER creamy, almost like lotion, but as I rub it in my hands it doesn’t absorb right away like lotion does. It does cost the hairs for a few hrs afterwards so I’m leaning towards it being a butter over a conditioner but idk.

Ingredients follow from their website:

Water/ Eau, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Cupressus Sempervirens (Cypress) Branch/Leaf Oil, Juniperus Communis (Juniper Berry) Fruit Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetyl Esters, Glyceryl Dilaurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Fragrance/ Parfum, Coumarin, Eugenol, Limonene

Lmk what this actually is cause the more I research the more confused I get!

P.s some good butter recs would be appreciated too I as I doubt this is the best thing out there. Preferably some I can find here in Canada :-)


r/BeardTalk 7d ago

Depot, Mr Bear Family or Captain Fawcett

2 Upvotes

Hi all! Tomorrow I'm going to buy shampoo and oil for my beard, I have a medium length beard, which brand is your favourite between these three?


r/BeardTalk 8d ago

Best, cheap, beard oil? (UK)

9 Upvotes

I so rarely do this, but I treated myself to an expensive bottle of oil , only for the lid to break off while travelling. Less than a week in.

Replaced that with a middle of the road bottle, only to find it too thick.

Rather than waste even more money, what's your everyday beard oil that works well, but doesn't cost?

My beard is short, relatively straight. I mainly use to give control and soften before a light beard balm.


r/BeardTalk 8d ago

Beard dye or color gel

3 Upvotes

I have a thick red beard with a bit of salt in it, i have an event coming up in a few weeks and I was looking for suggestions in a way to die or gel my beard electric blue. Ive seen some really good beard dye jobs at pride festivals but I cant seem to find a good product. Any suggestions?


r/BeardTalk 11d ago

Need some tips for getting an even stubble

3 Upvotes

I Iove how my stubble looks a week after I completely clean shave. But whenever I try to get the same effect with a beard trimmer it looks, uneven and I struggle to get to the area just under my nose, resorting to me cleaning that part up with scissors, which isn't ideal.

I'd be surprised if it was a technique issue as I'm pretty good at grooming and cut my own hair, but I'm open to suggestions.

I should say I used a Remington B5 trimmer. Could it be that my trimmer is just a bit crap? Does anyone have any suggestions on trimmers that tend to get really natural stubble looks?


r/BeardTalk 11d ago

Beard products

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1 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk 13d ago

Old beard new routine

7 Upvotes

Hey all.

For about 15 or so years I’ve just been casually throwing some butter or oil in my beard, but washing / conditioning daily, and boar brush daily.

I feel like my beard is just OK cause of this.

I’m going to stop washing it so much but what products would you all suggest?

And how do we feel about dyes? Sometimes I think about getting rid of some of the grey.

Pic below is freshly trimmed from the barber. It’s normally about an inch or so bigger in each direction which I think is close to my terminal length.

https://imgur.com/a/2KlTEKq


r/BeardTalk 14d ago

Guys what the best way to handle razor bumps and general discomfort after shaving

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4 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk 15d ago

Best face trimmer under 3k inr

2 Upvotes

Mine broke and I am unsure of which one to buy. Any suggestions would greatly appreciated


r/BeardTalk 15d ago

Beard Products for Seborrheic Dermatitis

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2 Upvotes

r/BeardTalk 16d ago

Title: Anyone used the Braun by Gillette Series 3 (5-in-1) trimmer? Looking for long-term user feedback.

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to get my first trimmer and came across the Braun by Gillette Series 3 (5-in-1).

My primary use will be beard trimming, with occasional body/groin trimming using a guard.

If you've used this trimmer for a while:

How has the blade quality and durability been?

Does it pull hair or nick the skin?

Is it suitable for occasional body grooming?

Any issues with battery life or maintenance?

If you switched from it, what made you change?

Looking for genuine user experiences before making a decision. Thanks!