Top 7 Beard Growth Issues

Your beard lies in wait beneath your face. It bristles and aches to see the sunlight. Whether you're a first-timer or you're regrowing your beard, you know what it's like to deal with beard growing pains. If you've never lived that bearded life, though, you'll want to know about some of the small beard growth issues that can make way―and how The Beard Club can help you overcome them.

1) That Awkward Phase

lso known as the graveyard of potential, the very earliest days of new beard growth are the make-or-break point for your membership into the fraternity of facial hair. The hair on everyone's head grows a little differently from one another, and so too do our whiskers come with unique hair textures and features. Some beards grow faster than others, some slower. Growth isn't always even, either: Your mustache might come in super thick, for example, while your sideburns lag behind. Part of the process of wearing a beard involves getting a handle on how it's going to come in for you.

So things may seem a little weird when you first get started. Your whiskers may not grow the way you expect. It might even look a little awkward. Your only option here is patience and proper grooming using the right beard products, as well as getting used to the way your body works. Beards can take a little time to mature-but on the plus side, that waiting process can be a great opportunity to experiment with different beard styles.

2) Change Is Scary-For Other People

“Did you forget to shave?”

No. Get used to it.

Your face is your number-one identifier. Growing a beard means taking half of it and completely changing it―for the best. Beards transform the shape of your face. They lengthen it, make it fuller, maybe make it gruffer. But ultimately, your beard will transform you into a better (and better-looking) person. Seriously, that's just science.

Don't let anyone stop you from owning your decision. Friends, family members, significant others, society at large-nobody! Growing a beard is where you take a stand and embrace nature, letting it do what it does best.

Grow! It's your decision.

3) Itchy and Scratchy

Scratching. Itching. They're the worst, but they're also a natural part of the beard birthing process. That uncomfortable sensation ultimately means your skin is adjusting to its new mode of existence. The discomfort can be amplified by dry weather, severe hot or cold temperatures, or just your face's unfamiliarity with this whole "hair" thing. Either way, this is where The Beard Club can help―a daily application of our excellent Beard Oil or Beard Cream are the perfect salve to soothe the savage beard.

4) Ingrown Hair

Ingrown facial hair is a challenge most of us have to grapple with. Guys with curly, coarse, or thick beard hair, in particular, are susceptible to this nuisance. You can't stop ingrown hairs from happening, but you can fix them when they do creep up.

What is an ingrown hair? It's a hair that becomes bent while growing. Rather than emerging up and out through the skin, it doubles over backward and grows in the wrong direction, causing irritation and even pain. It's frequently caused by razors, which can pull inwards on the skin and cause the edges of the newly cut follicle to get caught beneath the surface. This prevents them from growing upward.

An ingrown hair looks like a small red bump and is often mistaken for acne. They contribute to uncomfortable beard itch, and sometimes they can even hurt. But, we know a few tricks to deal with them.

5) The Dreaded Beard Bedhead

Yes, sometimes you'll even experience actual pain from your beard. You may know this feeling if you've worn a hat for a few too many hours and it starts to stress out the hair on the top of your head. When follicles are compressed―by, say, pressing them against a pillow for eight hours―they press together and bend or pull into the wrong shape.

This can create a painful sensation as your beard hairs are tugged or twisted against the natural direction they want to grow. To add insult to injury, your beard can look like an octopus, splaying out its "arms" in all directions. Happily, this irritation and subpar styling can be remedied easily: just take a quick shower and dry your beard.

6) Patchy

The itch's sinister cousin―less painful, but perhaps even more frustrating. Nobody likes a patch: An exposed spot of skin where your hair grows thin (or maybe even not at all!). It's the worst.

Unfortunately, a patchy beard may be an unavoidable part of your growing process. Fortunately, this is another place The Beard Club can step in to help. Our growth products, including Growth Vitamins and Beard Growth Spray, may be the secret to a fuller, more consistent beard.

7) Beardruff

Ah, beard dandruff. The result of dead, dry skin cells building up and flaking off your poor, dry face. Beardruff is itchy, annoying, and by all means not attractive to anybody, and if you've got beardruff, stay away from black shirts. Luckily, beard dandruff can be easily managed, and the problem typically resolves quickly once you implement a healthy beard care routine. This includes washing, conditioning, drying, brushing, and following up with a beard oil or beard balm to really seal the deal. Luckily, at The Beard Club, we've got you covered with all your beard care products, offering beard wash, oils, balms, beard brushes, beard trimmers, beard growth kits and more.

Quick Tips & Tricks Along the Way

Want an easy answer? If you simply stop shaving, your ingrown facial hairs will be a thing of the past. Ta-da!

Ok, that advice doesn't always work for everyone. If you want to wear a close-cropped beard or one that requires regular touch-ups around the edges, there's no getting around the razor.

If you absolutely can't say farewell to the razor, take a few precautions before each trim. Start by washing: Clean your beard before you trim with our Beard Shampoo and warm water, which will help make your skin and hair more pliable and less likely to develop tricky snags. Afterward, finish up with Beard Oil to keep your facial hair soft and reduce itching.

A few other men's grooming tips for battling those growing pains:

• Brace up and power through the awkward stages.
• If your beard is coming in unevenly, shave down the longer parts to maintain visual consistency until the patchy parts fill out.
• Keep your face clean throughout the process of trimming, and wash daily.
• Properly oil after grooming, and take growth vitamins if you need them.
• And finally, just let it grow. Seriously. Your beard will take care of the rest.