- in Beards by Jason Hall
Winter Beard Care Tips - Keep It Amazing During the Cold Days
I'm definitely a winter guy, the colors, the cold air, the rain... I LOVE IT ALL.
It's nearly here, in some places it's already a bit cold and rainy, so I thought I'd give you a few tips on beard care for the winter. Caring for your beard is important; you know that, or you wouldn't be here.
What you may not know is that your beard requires different types of care at different times of the year. You can think of your beard as a magnificent, full and thick rose bush. As the seasons and weather change, so too do the requirements for keeping it fragrant and sexy.
If you're wondering, "Which one is fragrant and sexy the rose bush or the beard?" then your beard might be very happy with these tips, let's start.
With Winter Comes Dryness
In most climates, winter means colder temperatures and colder temperatures bring dryness. This dryness affects your beard skin in unique ways that can make for a less healthy looking beard.
Why Does This Happen?
During the hotter months, the ambient heat allows water to evaporate and hang in the air in the form of humidity. When the weather gets cold, there isn’t enough energy around to evaporate the water into the air, so the air looks to other sources to fill the void.
That source is often your skin, as the dry cold air sucks the moisture from your skin and leaves it dry. The lack of humidity means there is nothing to replace that moisture.
Why Does This Happen?
When your skin is too dry, it can appear flaky or ashy, and it itches or become irritated. This condition is called xerosis, and it is common and treatable.
Your scaly skin may flake off in the form of dandruff or beardruff as I like to call it. As far as beard hair, dryness can cause it to become brittle and itchy, making it fall out or giving you split ends.
As Always Beard Oil to the Rescue
What Can Be Done To Remedy It?
Moisturizer creams for your face are widely available and effective at combating dryness. For your beard hair and your skin as well, you'll need to apply beard oil or beard balm to moisturize, condition and nourish your beard. These products will trap moisture in your beard hairs and keep them healthy.
Obviously, try to avoid prolonged cold as much as possible, especially freezing temperatures. Your breath or other moisture may get frozen to your beard and that can make the hairs brittle and weak. Also, don’t go the other way on the temperature spectrum. Prolonged exposure to hot water like in a shower or bath can also dry your skin out, so keep it short or lower the temperature of your water.
Beards and Water
If the climate around your home doesn't get much colder and drier in the winter, chances are it at least gets wetter. Or maybe it's both, and your beard is under assault from the air and water. The rain can be just as bad if not worse for your beard than the cold. And yes, I know we just talked about trapping moisture in the beard, but it's all about balance.
Hair, and by extension beards, are significantly affected by the presence of water. Hair is made mostly of keratin, which gets weaker when it's wet. Hair can absorb quite a bit of water relative to its weight, and that water weakens the bonds between keratin. That’s why hair is so much easier to style into shape when it’s wet.
Getting wet can be very damaging for your beard hairs and your beard as a whole. When your beard hairs get wet, the hairs get weaker and will fall out much easier. You don’t want your beard getting thin and scraggly just because the weather is wetter.
So, how do you prevent this? The first thing you should do is, of course, don't let your beard get too wet. Prolonged dampness, especially in the cold, can wreak havoc on your facial hair. Wear coats with high collars or scarves and use an umbrella if available. Prevention is the best defense so stay dry and protected.
Of course, you're going to get caught in the rain sometimes and end up with a wet beard. Don't panic; it's not the end of the world. Once you get home, pat dry your beard with a soft towel; avoid vigorous drying as you might end up pulling out more beard hairs than you are saving. Using a blow drier is a good option. Also, try and keep some beard oil on you at all times. If you get caught in the rain while you are out and about, dry your beard off and give it a quick once over with the oil.
Beard oil gives it that added protection, but don’t make the mistake of shampooing your beard every time it gets wet or you’ll undo all your hard work. Shampoo is fine for cleaning hair, but it also strips away the natural oils your body makes as well as the oils you put on that protect it. Stick to your standard beard cleaning regimen regardless of if it gets caught in the rain or not.
Have a lovely, warm winter 🙂
