There are moments throughout a man's life where growing and having a beard becomes a real possibility. You might have let some stubble grow out a couple more days than usual, or maybe you got inspired by a few buddies taking the hairy plunge into the winter beard season. Whatever got you interested in letting that mane reign, we're glad we found you and that you're interested in learning how to grow a beard. We live and breathe beards at The Beard Club. For us, it's not just something sprouting off of our faces, but a new way of living as a modern man. Your appearance and how you decide to portray yourself say a lot about you. Growing out a beard, styling it, trimming it up, and so on is one of the many ways of letting your unique personality and physiology shine, which is why we’ve crafted high-quality, affordable beard products to help you do so. The nature of growing a beard involves passivity and patience―seriously, just stop shaving, wait, and it'll eventually show. Even so, you still need to put in a little amount of work if you want to grow a well-kept and healthy beard. We're going to take you on a journey from root to tip for that glorious thing on your face. Let's start with the endless motion of growth rumbling from beneath those cheeks and set you on the right track to elevate your beard care routine.

Initial Stages of Learning How to Grow a Beard

It's important first to point out a commonsense fact; every beard is different. They are going to grow out at differing rates and have varying degrees of thickness, shape, color, and more. Yet, there is a general flow to the first couple of weeks and months when growing out facial hair. The word "beard" conjures up a few different ideas in people's minds. Generally, a beard is longer than half an inch and usually constitutes any kind of facial hair with considerable length. For our purposes, mustaches, goatees, sideburns, and the like are all part of the bearded family. All iterations of facial hair start at the same place. The first month of growth is a very important time. On average, hair grows at a rate of 1.25 centimeters or 0.5 inches per month. Some beards may grow significantly faster or slower. Here are a few things you can expect in your first month of not shaving:

• No more razor burn or putting bandages over shaving cuts.
• No more ingrown hairs as you're growing out your facial hair and letting it do its thing.
• Less dry skin from overexposure to shaving cream and other harmful chemicals.
• A substantial amount of time is saved by not being forced to shave.

Onto the facial hair front, you'll begin to see your hairs growing in darker regardless of your beard color. You can classify the hair on your face into two types: vellus (the peach fuzz and nearly translucent hairs) and then terminal (darker and thicker hairs). As you grow older, you'll eventually have all terminal hairs. Again, this is dependent on a number of factors. Your health, activity levels, and how your body reacts to testosterone and dihydrotestosterone or DHT will all contribute to your beard growth. Some guys might have been sporting some sideburns or a stache when they were little testosterone-filled tykes running around the schoolyard. Other guys might not have seen their first chin curtain until their early twenties. There are a few things you'll learn over the course of these first four weeks of growth. For example, there is no escaping a healthy diet and being physically fit. It will show on your beard. Now we're not talking about all becoming Olympians here. Instead, we hope for your sake that if you want to learn how to grow a beard, you'll understand the correlation between well-being and bearded zest. For the best growth outcome, you need to take care of yourself.  In terms of hair growth, right away you'll be able to determine if your mustache connects with the rest of your beard. A quick look in the mirror will also show you where any thin parts may be, or other unique growth patterns stem from. It's at this point during the first month that you can decide what beard style you want to try out and what best fits your own individual beard type and face shape.

Different Beard Types and Textures

Right off the bat, you'll start noticing when you grow your beard out, how different it can sometimes be from the hair on your head. For simplicity's sake, we can classify hair types as thick, thin, wavy, curly, or sometimes a little mix and match of all these attributes. The hair on your beard comes in just as many flavors and varieties. The reason for this diversity in beards comes from something called follicle composition. Genetics are at the heart of determining your specific hair type. Different ethnicities all contend with varying types of beards. For example, people of Asian descent tend to grow round hairs, Europeans grow rounded oval follicles, and those of African descent grow out closer to a flat oval. The overall thickness and constitution of your beard are really dependent on whether or not it's curly, wavy, or straight. Curly beards tend to grow in loops. If you find a dislodged beard hair, it usually looks like a fully loaded spring. Straight beards tend to grow downwards, and you could consider wavy beards somewhere in between. Lengthwise, it'll look like a curly beard is growing slower but thicker. The spiral growing hairs bunches all of these together to give it that appearance. Curly beards require a little more upkeep as they grow longer as there is a risk for tangles. After the first month, you'll get a good read on how curly and thick your beard can grow. A straight beard should bring to mind the image of a great bearded monk or Viking. Straight beards tend to look a lot longer than a curly beard, even when they're technically the same length. The wavy beard is in between the straight and curly composition. It has a unique look to it. The hair follicle is slightly curved and that's what gives it the wavy flow. In the early stages of growing your beard, you may come across a couple of thin patches. Sometimes these patches are just lagging behind the rest of your beard while you grow. Also, remember that you're dealing with a three-dimensional object―yes, your face. There are hairs growing downwards from your chin and outwards from those cheeks. As your beard grows up and out, not every part of your facial hair will be at the same length.

General Grooming Tips for Different Beard Types

Here's some timeless advice for all beard types. Let's start with the straight beard.

• Use a beard comb in lieu of a beard brush.
• Apply a growth oil like our Beard Growth Oil, so it fills in quicker.
• Comb out the chin and neck hairs to align with cheek growth.
• Realize that your beard will grow longer than those with curlier beards.

There are some variations to working with a curly or wavy beard.

• Use a tool like our Boar's Hair Beard Brush to avoid tearing out hairs.
• Gently comb out to get rid of tangles.
• Set longer styles in place with beard balms or wax.
• Oil regularly to stop beard from drying out.
• Avoid any straightening methods.

Before we get into the premium products that The Beard Club offers, you should have an idea of how long you want to grow your beard or other facial hair style.

How to Grow Your Beard to a Certain Length

Many men will face all the seasons and decide that they want to grow out a yeard. A yeard is a full year of uninterrupted beard growth. The goal is not to touch or significantly shave or trim your beard for 12 full months. There are steps that all bearded men must take in order to achieve a clean and healthy beard, regardless of the intended length they're after. One of the main complaints from men learning how to grow a beard is the dreaded beard itch, beard dandruff, and dry skin. All of these annoyances are due to the buildup of dead skin cells, yet can easily be addressed. These types of woes are something both a day one novice and even a yeard could face if they don't take care of their beard correctly. Here are some staple grooming tips along the way.

• Always apply an oil, cream, or spray to a new beard.
• Cut stray hairs away with either a beard trimmer or scissors.
• Adjust your beard oil and balm usage as your beard gets longer.
• Trim your mustache or curl it so it doesn't grow over your upper lip. (Unless you intend on growing out and styling a stand-alone mustache)
• Do not cut any hair growing vertically until you've decided upon a length or style.

One of the worst misconceptions about beards is that those who wear them are lazy. This statement couldn't be any further from the truth. The modern bearded man cares about his hygiene, appearance, and how he presents himself to the world. This is where our superior beard care product line comes in.

Products That Will Help You Grow a Beard

There is nothing unmanly about taking care of yourself. We all run combs through our hair, clean our clothes, and brush our teeth. The beard is a shining jewel of an innate biological strength we all possess. It requires a whole range of men’s grooming essentials that not only give you the vitality you need, but also leave you looking and smelling great. We believe that caring for yourself helps you become a better man. And if it starts with something as simple as growing and maintaining a beard, well, then that's something we can get behind one hundred percent. The best way to alleviate common itches and other beard growth issues is through our staple product―Sandalwood Beard Oil. It's a hydrating mixture of completely organic and natural oils that helps to soften and moisturize your beard hair. It doubles as both a nourishing and styling product. Your skin produces sebum, and when your beard grows, it needs more of that. This is why beard oil is an absolute necessity when you grow a beard. Beard balm, waxes, and creams also provide your beard with the nourishment it needs to encourage growth and soften out brittle and dry hairs. Additionally, we offer other beard care products, like beard shampoo, a derma roller, razors, and more. One of our most exciting product lines is our range of growth products. These are intended for new growers who may have experienced lackluster results in the past when they've tried growing a beard. Our growth oil is specifically made to counteract negative pollutants in the environment and send you on your way towards having a much fuller and healthier facial forest. Read about the top oils for beard growth that makes up our wondrous elixir of growth for a thicker, fuller beard! Seriously, some of these oils have been used in native medicinal practices for thousands of years. There is also a rising scientific investigation into how some of these oils help to stimulate hair growth, act as anti-inflammatories, and boost blow flow. For example, part of the mixture includes cedarwood, which acts as an antibacterial and gets rid of beard itch at the same time. Cedarwood is packed with sesquiterpenes which help to release toxins from the skin. Pair that with our growth vitamins, and you're on track towards some massive beard gains. One thing that we can't stress enough is patience. It may take a few months to start seeing patchy beard spots fill in. This is by no means an instant beard pill that's going to take you from zero to bearded hero in a second. How your body reacts to testosterone and your genes all contribute to the final outcome of a great beard.

How Healthy Eating and Exercise Help You Grow a Beard

A whole lot of everything that is either going right or wrong with your body emanates from what you eat and drink. Getting on track for a healthy diet and improving yourself doesn't have to be a drastic life change; it can start with just a few new simple things done every day. Drinking water is a fundamental aspect of being healthy. Our bodies are made primarily out of water. We can't live without it for more than three days or sometimes less. When it comes to hair, water helps to regulate our circulatory system which in turn stimulates and grows our hair follicles. If you're not drinking, you're not growing. The best pure liquid you're ever going to get is plain old water. Try to stay away from drinks with a lot of added artificial sugar. Sugar can increase inflammation, and that may influence how your beard hair grows. Make sure to fill up on those leafy greens. One of the simplest ways to do that is to add a jolt of vegetables to your plate and palate. You'll be pumping new iron and calcium into those veins for a leaner stomach and shape. Vegetables that are rich in carotenoids, some of which include beta-carotene, are great for you as they convert into Vitamin A. This helps boost your immune system and builds bone strength. Nutrient deficiencies can account for lackluster beard shine and healthy skin. There is a direct correlation between diet and quality of beard growth. But not only that, eating healthier has a whole host of ancillary benefits to both your body and beard. Cooking something for yourself isn't that hard to do. It's seriously a function of surviving. So let's step away from takeout and restaurant antics for just a moment and see what we can do to eat better. Here are the tenants of a healthy diet: Make sure that you're eating at regular intervals throughout the day. This means not skipping breakfast or an early lunch. Eggs paired with a serving of lean meats, including chicken, fish, or steak will get you off to a great start. You'll get a host of benefits by upping your protein intake through:

• Increasing your testosterone levels.
• Eating vitamins that help to strengthen hair.
• Activating testosterone and DHT levels.

There are also a number of staple foods you should be eating at all costs

• Spinach - is jam-packed with omega-3 fatty acids, iron, potassium, and calcium. Spinach is considered a superfood and contributes to your overall health.
• Beef - red and rarer meats are usually doused in a lot of saturated fat, which is essential for producing greater levels of testosterone. Adding beef to your meals will give you the fats you need to promote greater facial hair growth.
• Kale - is a great source of vitamin A. The body needs this to help repair skin tissues.
• Fish - there are so many different healthy fish in the sea! Something like salmon can give you a whole host of micronutrients that your body needs. It is an excellent source of protein, vitamin B, and of course omega-3s.
• Oysters - the premier source of zinc comes from this food. Zinc is a fundamental part that guides your cells for growing hairs. It also tastes delicious and is packed with protein.
• Nuts - any kind of nut will do. You'll find selenium inside your nuts, which is a mineral for hair growth.

A great diet consists of a diverse mix of proteins, carbohydrates, and necessary fats. No fad diet will ever beat the fundamentals. Your plate should be about halfway filled with greens consisting of fruits and vegetables. Next, your seasoning, oils, and other staple foods will supply fats. Protein will usually come from some kind of meaty meal. Avoid any processed food and sugars when possible. Sugar is both a fat and a carb, which means it is terrible and the hidden weight gain killer lurking in your food.

The Beard of Your Dreams Awaits

New doors open up to the new bearded convert. You might not think a beard will change you until you finally decide to grow one out. It's a beautiful thing to let nature take its course. We know that the bearded night is young and the tides will continue to turn in our favor, which is why we intend to continually provide extraordinary service and products to our brotherhood and the larger bearded community. Beards are a lifestyle statement. Whether it's a return back to your roots or just a style preference, your beard is going to help define you. And we're going to help define your beard.