No one is quite sure when World Beard Day began, but I’ve heard legends of the Danish Vikings of old, who had a special celebration to honor the beard. There was no fixed date, however, and the Vikings would have beard praising festivals whenever the mood struck them.

Sometimes they would have beard days hundreds of times a year. The celebrations of old often involved the pillaging of towns whose populations were decidedly hairless by Vikings with the most magnificent of facial hair.

The modern World Beard Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in September, the day before Father's Day. Every country over the world  enjoys World Beard Day festivities, regardless of if they are Danish or marauding Vikings.

It is much less violent, involving public events with massive throngs of facial hair admirers or private functions with small groups of friends. The guidelines are loose, as even the unbearded are invited to take part, but the primary focus should be on the face and its fuzz.

Modern World Beard Day got its start when an anonymous group of beard enthusiasts decided to take the time-honored Scandinavian tradition of beard festivities to a global stage. Every nation and continent have developed their own traditions and customs for promoting and elevating the beard, and the holiday has become much more than it was.

The holiday is intended to showcase the beauty of the beard while at the same time, having a day where the bearded people of the world receive the recognition and respect they are due.

It is a day for those with beards to be free from responsibilities and chores; to be waited on hand, foot and beard. Ultimately though, the holiday is about fun and unity amongst bearded brethren and the smooth-skinned, bare faces that love them.

Public events may involve contests or displays of bearded prowess. Music shows and special foods are common as with all big festivals. I've even seen face painting booths where the unfortunate few who can't (or the foolish few who won't) grow a beard can have one painted on so that they can live out their dreams of at least looking like they have a bushy beard for one, fleeting moment.

Private events often consist of bearded comrades engaging in the most masculine acts possible. Activities usually fall into one of two categories. Constructive ones, such as building a bearded human pyramid, and destructive ones, such as building a bonfire. There are few strict rules, only mandates that revelers should follow including:

When celebrating World Beard Day, it is important to ask yourself, "What does my beard mean to me?"

Here are some fun facts I have learned about beard celebration from around the world.

World Beard Day is not to be confused with Movember or Decembeard. Other than being a day rather than a month, there are several key differences between them.

Movember is an event during the month of November where men grow the beard's tiny, ineffectual cousin, the mustache. Movember is a noble undertaking, though, as the mustaches the men grow raise awareness and funds for the Movember Foundation. This organization tackles men’s health issues such as testicular cancer and suicide.

Decembeard is the same thing, only in December and with a more glorious style of facial hair. The funds raised during Decembeard go to fighting bowel cancer. Find more information and participate here.

These may not be fantastical jubilations for beards everywhere, but they are worthwhile endeavors I encourage all men to participate in.

More often than not I see people thinking that growing a beard means you just stop shaving.

This is far from the truth.

Growing a beard requires maintenance, that means you'll need to buy some beard care products that will keep your skin and beard healthy.

In this article I will explain the costs for proper care and maintenance of your beard and mustache.

We’ve all seen it; the movie or video and the guy goes to the barber shop, lays back in the chair and has a warm towel wrapped around his face before a talented barber gives him a classical wet shave. How amazing that shave truly is!

Barbers also cut, trim and style beards instead of just shaving them off. You may find that from time to time (especially in the beginning growth stages) that you need to visit a pro to get the shape and style you are after started and maintained. (Or just that you want to spoil your self, visiting the barber can be a relaxing experience.)

How much does that cost? It can get pricey.

You have to remember these barbers aren’t just some guy that picked up scissors one day and decided to open a shop. They are trained professionals with years of schooling and experience, and you will pay for that experience.

There are two basic types of barbers that perform trims, shave and shaping: general and high-end. The general barbers are all around barbers that don’t specialize in any one area and are more a “Jack of all Trades.” They will usually do a decent job and charge you about half of their hair cutting costs. That translates to about $10 - $30.

High-end barbers have more training in techniques, styles and special circumstances (like adapting to different hair types, skin conditions, etc.). You will get a better shave and style from them, but you pay for their services. This translates to between $75 and $200, on average.

When you decide to grow a beard, you decide to maintain and care for your beard and the skin under it. This is a daily routine that you will need to get accustomed to. It doesn’t have to be tough and lengthy, but you will need to take five to ten minutes every day, at least, to care for your beard. If you don’t your beard will look unkempt and become itchy, dirty, wiry and unattractive.

Beard oil is the number one essential element of your daily routine. Which beard oil you choose is up to you, using it, though, is crucial. Beard oil replaces the lost sebum oil and keeps the hairs lubricated, manageable and smelling fresh. Use beard oil every morning and again at night, if desired.

A standard ½ to 1 ounce bottle should last you about a month.

This is not essential to a daily routine. However, if you want to have dramatic styles, extreme handlebars or otherwise maintain your beard in a manner other than “down,” you will need styling wax.

A tin or can of wax should last between four and six months, depending on frequency of use and how much is needed.

Washing your beard isn’t something that should be done every day. You will strip essential oils and cause your hairs to become dry, split and frizzy. Washing once every three to four days is sufficient. You should only use shampoos and soaps specifically designed for beards.

Beard and mustache scissors will be used frequently. The good news is that if you purchase a high quality set, you will only need to do so once every few years or so. Buy a good one and take care of those rouge hairs when needed.

Electric trimmers need to be smaller than regular trimmers for beard and mustache care. The smaller heads are better suited for maneuvering around the lips, ears and jaw line. You can get standard trimmers for removing all the hair, or stubble trimmers that keep that 5 o’clock shadow appearance.

Brushing your beard will help tame the hairs and train them as well. You should use boars hair when possible as it is stiff enough to manipulate your growth but soft enough to not damage your under beard skin.

Combs help free tangles, control frizz and distribute beard oils or balms. The two most common combs are plastic and wooden. When you choose a wooden comb, you should stick to maple or bamboo. These will glide through the hair easier, wont tug on tangles or create static build up.

Beard kits are a way to get all of your care products in one package. You can order form various retailers and you will get a range of products, usually a kit will contain: beard oil, wax, soap or shampoo, and a brush or comb.

Just because the skin on your face is covered by a wiry mane doesn’t mean it is protected from damage or irritation. Caring for your beard is essential, but if the skin underneath isn’t cared for as well, you could have serious problems.

In this article, I will cover the entire gamut of under beard skin care.

Read on, and let’s find out what happens if your under-beard skin isn’t cared for and what you can do about it.

When growing or maintaining a beard, there are several skin conditions you need to be aware of. Some conditions can be avoided, while others are something that happens to virtually every man growing a beard.

The skin under your beard is exposed to more elements and conditions than any other part of your body. While our faces battle the external elements, when growing a beard it also has to battle the conditions created by the growth.

Dry skin is the most common and complained about skin condition. There are several causes of dry skin under your beard. You can experience dry, itching, or flaking skin under your beard from being exposed to cold weather, hot weather, humidity, or even taking too long in a bath or shower that is too hot.

Cold and hot weather affect the skin by causing us to bundle up, or sweat too much. When the weather is cold, the moisture from the skin is absorbed by the air. The cold, dry air saps the moisture and sebum oil from the beard hair. From there, the body must try and produce more oil to keep the skin and beard lubricated. The cycle continues, resulting in dry skin.

When the weather is too hot, we sweat more profusely. The sweat washes away the sebum oil and natural lubricants of the skin under the beard. The more we sweat and wipe it away, the dryer our skin becomes.

Dry skin kills the skin cells causing them to crack, peel and flake away. The result is dead skin cells floating around in your beard. This is known as beardruff, like dandruff for the face.

When the temperature is high, the humidity in the air is reduced. When this happens, the air actually absorbs moisture from wherever it can get it, including your face. The result is dry skin and that familiar itching and flaking that goes along with it.

Hot baths and showers have the same effect. Prolonged exposure to water temperatures above 105 degrees (40C) will cause your skin’s moisture to evaporate. A hot shower is addictive. The more you do it, the more your body craves it.

As you bathe to satisfy the subconscious craving, you rob your body of the moisture it needs to keep your beard, and the skin underneath, moisturized and lubricated.

Dry skin is usually a temporary condition, or seasonal, not unlike allergies. When dry skin does occur, you may experience any of the following:

Even when your face is covered in a thick furry hedge, sunburn is still a concern. The beard hairs do protect the underlying skin from the UVB rays. However, the UVA rays, which are more damaging to skin can penetrate the hairs and cause sunburn.

Sunburn underneath the beard can be extra problematic. The sunburn will cause the skin to dry out rapidly, become irritated and itching. Applying sunburn remedies can also be difficult because of the beard, which can prolong the sunburn, pain symptoms and suffering.

Stress & Its Affect on Your Skin

Stress has a lot of side effects on our bodies. In particular to skin care (and that of the skin under your beard), stress raises the levels of the cortisol hormone. When cortisol levels are raised the skin becomes oily, leaving residue and clogging pores. 

The extra oil strips the hair follicles of their natural oils, drying out the pores and causing the skin to become irritated, inflamed and dry. It may also be the reason why your beard has stopped growing.

The stress itself can come from anywhere, and it’s effects, side effects and causes are far too numerous to list. Stress reduction techniques are also vast and numerous. Everything from physical to emotional healing procedures are commonly used.

Massage, aromatherapy, meditation, sports, or even reading a book or taking a bath (just not too hot or you can dry out your skin) have been used to reduce stress, along with countless other options.

Whatever the reason, care for skin under beard is important and should be done properly and on a regular schedule.

There are four major ways for skin care under beard to be accomplished: washing, brushing, moisturizing and diet. Each one has their own do’s and do not’s. Let’s take a look at these “rules” and tips to keep the skin under your beard healthy.

One of the most important aspects of under beard skin care is moisturizing. Keeping the beard and skin moisturized will prevent dry skin, itching, peeling and flaking. The best way to keep the skin and beard moisturized is by properly distributing the natural sebum oils and by adding beard oil to your beard and skincare routine.

The best treatment for dry skin under the beard is prevention. Beard oils help prevent dry skin and should be used daily. There are dozens of types of beard oils, so finding the right one for your skin type and beard type shouldn’t be a problem.

When searching, just ensure that the beard oil is all natural and contains oils such as jojoba, coconut or argan. These are carrier oils that will ensure the essential oils make it to the skin surface and the hair root and follicle.

Lavender, rosemary, cedarwood and tea tree oils are the most commonly used for essential oils. These will lubricate the skin, keep the hair softer, more manageable and strong and of course will have a great aroma.

Here's some dos and don'ts when it comes to moisturizing your beard and skin.

Do:

Don't:

Tips & Tricks:
Daily use will help moisturize your skin as well as keep it healthy, preventing redness, itching and drying under your beard.

Pay a little more for higher quality beard oils to get the most benefits from the oils as possible. Your beard will look good, but the under beard skin will feel great and stay moisturized.

Tip: You can also make your own beard oil.

Washing your beard is something you should do regularly, though not daily. If you wash your beard too often, you will wash away the natural oils that protect the pores, follicles and the hairs themselves.

Overwashing can lead to broken or damaged beard hairs or premature evacuation of the hair from the follicle (that’s a fancy way of saying your beard is falling out, mate.)

Here's some dos and don'ts when it comes to washing.

Do:

Don't:

If you wash too often, too vigorously, or yank on tangles, the hairs can be removed from the follicles causing skin irritation, itching and damage. These conditions will further cause skin problems when you scratch the itch or apply ointments for the irritation or possible infections from scratches.

Tips & Tricks:
When washing your beard, it is easiest in the shower. Use just your fingertips to work the cleanser down to the skin underneath and into the skin. When rinsing the beard, you should use the fingertips to continue to massage the skin until all of the lather has washed away.

The water temperature is very important. Washing in water that is too hot will strip the beard and the skin of moisture and sebum. Washing in water that is too cold, however, will not wash away enough sebum oil, which can lead to a sebum oil build up, clogging pores and damaging your skin.

Aim for a temperature that is lukewarm, just above body temperature and below scalding. The 100 degree to 105 degree (37 - 40C) range should be just fine.

Brushing and combing your beard is vital to not only a great look and style, but to a healthy under beard skin. Which should you do, brush or comb? The answer is both.

Brushing your beard will lift and loosen any dead skin cells, helping you shed them and keep them out of your beard (beardruff). It will also remove debris and will help keep your beard clean.

Brushing also helps keep your beard skin healthy and moisturized. When you brush, especially when using a boar bristle brush which carries sebum oil and distributes it throughout the beard.

Combing, on the other hand, helps maintain the beards appearance by keeping it free of tangles and knots and helping the fly-aways lie flat. When used with beard balm, you can tame the mane and head out looking your absolute best.

Do:

Don't:

What you eat will have a drastic impact on your beard. Improper nutrition can make your beard weaker, fragile and prone to breakage, drying out and being uncontrollable.

When planning your diet, you need to concentrate on foods that promote healthy hair development, growth and strength. The basics for a softer, stronger and acne free skin under your beard are those that are high in vitamins and minerals as well as proteins.

Boron, biotin, vitamins C, E and B6 as well as the minerals iron and zinc are essential to healthy skin under the beard and proper, even beard growth.

Your diet and overall health are important to having the healthy skin that produces glorious beards.

Do:

Don't:

Tips & Tricks:
You can get everything you need for the day at breakfast time. An omelet made from two eggs, ham, thinly sliced beef strips and Brazil nuts, combined with a glass of orange juice will produce a power packed vitamin and mineral meal that will promote healthy skin under your beard.

For men losing hair is one of the most depressing thing in the world. It doesn't matter where the hair falls off from. We DON'T like it.

In this post I'll talk about beard hair loss, causes, what is normal and when to freak out. I'll also look at prevention methods to help keep your beard full and thick.

Losing beard hair is normal, so don't freak out.

Beard hair, like the hair on your head, has a natural life cycle. Finding hairs on your pillow or your brush is common. The longer your beard is, the more you will notice. The main life cycle of your hair follows the same pattern.

The average life cycle of all hair, is two to seven years. There are four stages in the hair life cycle:

Each phase has it’s own job to keep hair thick and growing.

All of this is just a fancy way of saying “hey, your hair will grow, then it will stop and eventually fall out before a new hair is grown.” It is normal, natural and nothing to worry about.

On average we lose 50 to 100 hairs every day. Most of these come from the tops of our heads, but having five to ten hairs from your beard fall out per day is not uncommon.

The anagen stage is the growth stage. This is when the hair breaks the skin and grows to its full length (or is cut and styled). During this stage, the root of the hair forms the bulb, divides and adds to the hair shaft.

On average, new growth and shorter hairs grow about half an inch per month. Longer and older hairs grow about a quarter of an inch per month.

Once the hair reaches maximum length for the follicle and hair root, the anagen cycle is complete. Beard hairs can reach between 18 and 30 inches on average. The anagen cycle lasts for up to five years.

Once the anagen cycle completes, the hair moves to the catagen phase. During the two to three weeks of the catagen phase, the blood supply to the hair root is cut off. Once the hair no longer has the blood supply, it becomes what is known as a club hair.

A club hair maintains its position in the follicle and can be cut, styled or have products applied to it. Club hairs no longer grow, though. After the blood supply has been cut off and the hair becomes a club, the catagen cycle is complete.

The telogen cycle was, until recently, considered the final stage of the hair life cycle. The telogen phase is more for the hair follicle than it is for the hair. Each follicle works independently of one another (otherwise all of our hair would fall out at one time and regrow at the same rate).

The follicle needs time to rest, resize and allow the blood flow from the follicle papilla to restart. This takes about three months. During this time the hair follicle isn’t ready to start growing a new hair. Once the follicle is ready, it enters the exogen phase.

The exogen phase is a relatively new phase discovered and identified as the stage when the hair follicle sheds it’s previous hair and starts the process of creating a new hair, returning to the anagen phase once again.

The exogen phase is short, lasting a day or two. During which the hair in the follicle shrinks at the bulb and falls out of the follicle. The delicate hair will fall out on its own or can be forced out by combing, brushing, washing or even light contact such as pulling a shirt over your head.

There are cases of hair loss that aren’t considered normal. One of the most well-known causes is called alopecia barbae. It is a form of alopecia areata, but instead of being on the top of the head, it is specific to the beard area.

Alopecia barbae is an autoimmune reaction where the body actually attacks the hair follicles, seeing them as a threat to our overall health. This produces circular areas of hair in the beard to fall out and stop producing hairs.

It does take time and you may not notice right away. However, once the hairs fall out, the follicles are too swollen to regrow hair and patches of bare skin shine through.

When checking for hair loss, you should make an effort to note what is causing the hair to fall out. If it happens when you are brushing or combing or running your hands through the beard, it may not be an abnormal condition.

However, if you notice hairs falling out, on your clothes, in the sink or shower and without physical provocation, it may be time to see a dermatologist.

Despite autoimmune and genetic reasons, there is never a time to freak out about beard hair loss. In most cases, hair will regrow, even if eventually. Raising stress levels though can actually cause the regrowth to slow, or come to a stop altogether.

Freaking out about the hair loss, while not easy to ignore, isn’t required. If hair loss is due to abnormal conditions, most of them can be reversed and the hair will begin to regrow.

However, if you have spent a great deal of time growing, maintaining and styling your beard, it may be natural to freak out when it starts to fall out or thin.

If you are ever worried about the beard not growing properly, or thinning too much you can speak to a medical professional who can examine and test your hair follicles to see if there is an underlying condition.

Environmental reasons are the most common attributes to hair loss. Let’s take a look at what can cause beard hair to fall out that isn’t due to genetics or alopecia barbae.

Drying your beard is important, hairs are most vulnerable when they're wet. Make sure you're not rubbing your beard with towel too hard.

Excessive drying with a towel can pull the hairs out manually, often in great numbers, as the constant tugging and back and forth wiping weaken the hair at the skin line where the hairs fall or break off.

Be gentle.

Applying low quality products, especially products that contain chemicals can harm your beard.

Using hair shampoo for example, which may contain chemicals that are not suitable for your skin and can dry it out and strip its natural oils, this may lead to weak, dry facial hair that can fall off. Use a beard shampoo or a beard soap.

Avoid using products with silicone as well, this is common in low quality beard oils. Always buy natural products, although its more expensive it'll be worth it.

Brushing or combing feels great and has some great benefits as well. That said, there's such a thing as excessive combing or brushing which can damage your beard. There's no reason to brush your beard more than 3 times a day (Usually 1-2 is enough).

Low quality combs or brushes can also cause hair loss, poorly built combs can snag your hairs hair and do more harm than good. Buy quality combs.

Your overall health can also affect hair loss. Specifically, your health levels have some adverse effects on the hair follicles. If your body is spending time fighting off disease, improper nutrition or otherwise has a compromised immune system, your hair could suffer.

While a vast majority of these instances are temporary, they can cause stress, which in turn causes more hair to fall out, which causes more stress, you see the cycle.

Finding the underlying cause of the hair loss is crucial, and the ability to limit the stress levels will go a long way to a faster recovery.

If you blow dry your beard the right way, it won't harm your beard. Using too much heat will weaken your beard hairs and might cause them to fall.

Ironing is another common thing, usually done to straighten the hairs either to make them look longer or just make them straight can also harm your beard, due to the extreme heat that is applied to the hairs.

Your new regimen of hitting the gym is doing wonders for your masculine figure. However, if you are shedding pounds too quickly, you could be doing damage to your beard.

You can keep pumping the iron though, hair loss and weight loss tend to go hand in hand. It seems that the weight loss (and accompanying new or lack of diet) shock the body and as a result, the hair falls out.

However, your body will right itself and get accustomed to the new weight and the shock will wear off. Usually within six months. If you are losing weight for medical or personal reasons, you can keep going (please do it safely), and your hair will begin to flourish once again soon.

Pulling on your beard is one the worst habits. I know it's fun and we all do it.

When it comes a routine, or when done unconsciously you can really cause some damage to your beard. It will weaken your hair and can even make holes in your beard.

It is no secret that hair growth is dependent on certain vitamins and minerals. Ensuring you have the proper amount of these essential nutrients is critical for hair growth, including (and especially) the beard.

Biotin, niacin and Vitamin C are crucial building blocks for hair growth. Along with iron and zinc, the vitamin intake and absorption can mean the difference between a full, thick face mane, or a thin, scraggly beard.

Eating the right foods, in the right amounts is essential to maintaining a healthy body as well as a healthy beard. Following the recommended daily allowances is usually enough. However, more Vitamin C and iron (within reason, as you can ingest too much) will go a long way to helping prevent hair loss.

Drinking plenty of water and having fewer cups of coffee or soda will also help. A proper diet, including supplements, should be followed daily, not only for the health of your beard but of the rest of your body as well.

This is true for those with at least 2-3 months of growth. If you won't take proper care of your beard don't be surprised when things go sour. Brittle and dry hairs and split ends are only some of the symptoms.

Lack of grooming will weaken your facial hair and may result in hairs falling out. Make sure to have a grooming routine, proper maintenance is a MUST.  Applying beard oils or balms. Combing or brushing and washing must become part of your routine.

Not every cause of hair loss is preventable, unfortunately. Sometimes the follicles will just stop producing new hairs, shrink up and die off. It isn’t ideal by any means, but it does happen, more and more as we age.

While we can’t stop our bodies from getting older, we may be able to prolong the life of hair follicles.

You can prevent premature hair loss. The first step is always to figure out what is causing the hair loss and how the hairs are coming out.

Stress, diet and over styling are the biggest, non-medical, reasons for the loss. You will notice more than the usual number of hairs, though the loss won’t come in clumps as it will with chemotherapy, alopecia or thyroid disease.

Determining the actual cause of the hair loss can be difficult and you may need to take some time to really study what is going on.

The keys to prevention are in acceptance, moderation and determination.

If stress or anxiety are causing your hair loss, then you need to accept it. Acceptance is the first step of reversal and if you stress too much, more hair will fall out. Find ways to unwind and stress less.

Getting a new hobby can help with that, meditation, yoga, going camping, fishing or just finding a quiet spot and reading a book. 

If the cause is from over styling, then you need to work on moderation. Your beard should only be washed every other day, or every third day (unless you just get extremely dirty daily.). Daily washing will remove the oils and make the hairs weaker.

Likewise, if you dry to vigorously, comb or brush too often or constantly rub, tug and pull on your beard, you need to moderate. You should brush your beards once or twice a day at most. When you dry your beard, do so with a towel, pat it dry and never scrub or rub it.

Tugging on your beard is just something that is going to happen. Beards are alluring and you as well as others, will want to pull on it. Try to resist. You will cause damage to the hairs, breaking them or yanking them right out of the follicles.

Products can be overused and you may not be ingesting enough vitamins. This is where the determination will come in to play. Ensure you are eating healthy. Make a determined effort to note your intake of biotin, niacin and Vitamin C as well as iron and zinc.

Use beard oils to help keep your beard manageable and lubricated, longer beards more importantly. Just don’t overdo it with the products. Less is more, and the less you cause your hair loss, the more beard you will have.

Everyone's looking for the magic product that will make their beards thicker and fuller.

If you ask me, there isn't such a product, BUT there are things you can do to help promote your beard growth.

One such example is nutrition.

What if I told you that there are certain foods that can promote facial hair growth?

Hair growth, particularly facial hair is controlled by dihydrotestosterone (say that five times fast). We simply refer to it as DHT. You have to be careful when it comes to DHT though, as too much inactive DHT will actually attack the hair follicles on your head and result in male pattern baldness.

So how do you regulate DHT to promote beard growth but keep your luscious locks on top of your head, too? Diet.

Facial hair relies almost solely on DHT, which is a byproduct of testosterone. If you have lower testosterone, you don’t produce enough DHT to regulate hair growth properly. However, if you increase production of DHT without vitamin and minerals to regulate the flow and removal of DHT, you can suffer hair loss.

There are products available in pill form that say they are pure DHT or, can increase your DHT production. While their claims may or may not be true, unless you also have the correct amounts of essential vitamins and minerals to force the DHT through the hair follicles and out of your body, it will do more harm than good.

Biotin is the leading vitamin that removes DHT from our bodies. Without biotin, we would all be hairless in a matter of years. You also need to have proper, natural thyroid production.

Testosterone and the byproduct DHT are naturally occurring hormones in our bodies. The thyroid helps regulate the amount of testosterone released into the body as well as the production of DHT from the testosterone.

Along with those, you also need to decrease the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG is a binding agent that basically makes DHT and testosterone inactive.

Lastly, you should make sure you have enough micro-nutrients with a high fatty-acid ratio. This means they are high in saturated and monosaturated fats and low in polyunsaturated fats.

When altering your diet for a specific reason or goal, you should always check with a doctor first. Some foods may worsen symptoms of preexisting conditions. Assuming you are otherwise healthy and have talked to your doctor about a change in diet and nutrition, here are the best foods that help beard growth.

Eggs are quite possibly the superfood when it comes to hair growth. Not only are they high in micro-nutrients, but they also contain biotin.

The cholesterol in eggs is crucial for the production of testosterone and the biotin they contain also helps keep the DHT active so that it moves through the hair follicles and is released from the body.

Not only that, but eggs also contain lecithin, which helps the nervous system, including the brain, functionality. This means your thyroid production and testosterone regulation stays on track.

To reap the benefits of the beard growth superfood, you should consume two eggs per day. Since you can get a dozen eggs for just a couple of bucks, you are looking at a total of less than $10 per month for growing a thicker, fuller beard.

Because eggs don’t lose any of their nutrients when cooked, you can prepare them any way you like. Poached, hard-boiled, scrambled, fried, etc., doesn’t matter. You can make an omelet that contains other foods on this list as well.

Red meat isn’t a fad, and yet it always remains in the news. What you probably don’t hear from the Vegan army and the reporters on the television, is that beef is one of the highest sources of natural saturated fats.

These fatty acids promote the production of testosterone, which then breaks down, creating DHT, which, when active promotes healthy facial hair. You can see the pattern.

You will need to supplement your intake of red meats with other foods that are higher in micro-nutrients and minerals, such as eggs. This will ensure you have enough biotin to keep the DHT active as well as keeping the SHBG to a minimum.

Beef isn’t very cheap, though, depending on the cut type and amount that you purchase. Your beef should be grass or grain feed to prevent the absorption of other chemicals that you don’t need.

On average you should have at least 12 ounces of red meat per week, which can run you a monthly stipend of between $40 and $100 per month.

Is there anything a potato can’t do? It can be hashed, fried, baked, mashed, skin on or skin off, made into chips and even microwaved. Potatoes can also help your beard grow.

Studies show that when you eat twice as many carbohydrates as proteins, your testosterone levels increase dramatically. So you can dice your potato to include in your morning omelet and then bake another potato to have with your steak dinner.

High levels of carbohydrates force your body to produce more testosterone. As we have been over many times, this leads to a higher production of DHT, and when kept active… you get the idea.

When eating potatoes, you should limit the toppings, such as salt and butter or sour cream. Pepper is fine, and other starches can be added as well. You should stay away from potato chips and french fries, unless you make them yourself, though.

When adding potatoes to your diet for beard growth, they should be at least twice your intake of proteins from red meats. If you are eating 12 ounces per week of beef, you should then at least have two pounds of potatoes.

Luckily there are many different ways to prepare them and two pounds equates to one whole potato per day, which sounds a lot more achievable. Plus, you can purchase a five-pound sack for less than $5.

What is the point of eating all of this food, if you don’t have anything to wash it down with? And what better to drink while eating for beard growth than a juice that also promotes hair growth?

Orange juice is the catalyst behind your new beard diet. Orange juice is high in vitamin C. Which, as you may (or may not) be aware, is one of the essential micro-nutrients you need to keep DHT active.

But there is more. That 8-ounce glass of OJ you are now drinking with your potato omelet has high levels of natural fructose. Not only will you feel more alert than with a cup of coffee, but you also slow the liver's production of SHBG, keeping the testosterone and DHT active to work their magic on your facial follicles.

Orange juice, depending on the time of year, is cheaper to buy in bulk. Fresh and natural is always best and you can get a gallon of it (with or without the pulp) for about $3 to $6. One glass a day will have you spending about $24 per month or less.

What’s nuts is the price of nuts. However, if you do it right, you can save money, quiet your nut craving and grow a thicker beard.

Most nuts contain selenium. However, the selenium is mainly in the skin of the nuts, which is removed during shelling and processing. There is one nut that stands above the others: Brazil nuts.

Brazil nuts contain the most amount of selenium in almost all of the edible (and affordable) nuts. Sure, a can or bag of Brazil nuts can cost you almost $10 (sometimes more), but if you shop smart, you can make that bag last almost an entire month.

How? Easy, selenium is essential for testosterone development, and the production of DHT from free-testosterone. You need just shy of 100 grams of selenium for beard growth. You can either spend the money and eat four cans of peanuts per week, or two Brazil nuts per day.

Each (average sized) Brazil nut is about 50 grams and if you get the organic variety or raw variety that have the skins still on the nuts, you are getting over 2300 percent the daily value of selenium.

Two Brazil nuts per day (grind them up into your omelet, perhaps?) and you are on your way.

We all know  that boron is essential for beard growth. Aside from eggs, raisins are high in boron.

How high? High enough that if you eat just 100 milligrams per day, you can ingest enough boron to keep the DHT active in your body.

Raisins are fairly cheap as well. You can find them by the bag full for less than $3, and a large bag will last you a couple of weeks. For less than $6 per month, you can have all the boron you need, naturally.

If you add the raisins to your eggs, along with the Brazil nuts and potatoes, followed by a tall glass of orange juice, your beard will not know what hit it. Growth. That’s what.

Summer is here, as a winter man can’t say I’m too happy about it. As a bearded man, I can definitely say I’m not happy about it.

Let me tell ya, I’m not that grumpy all the time (well, most of…).

Itchy and irritated skin? Dryness? Trapped dirt and sweat?

These are few problems that come with a summer beard. Some of you may have experienced this before, and for some it’s the first summer with a beard.

Keeping a beard in the summer can be a challenge. So, before you run off and take the first safety razor you find and shave off the beard that you have faithfully grown, groomed and nurtured. I have some great tips that will make summer a lot easier on your beard and yourself.

It goes without saying that a clean beard is a healthy beard. During the hot summer days you’ll sweat more and the skin under your beard might get irritated. Make sure you wash your beard at least 2-3 times a weak. (It also depends on your job, hobbies, etc.)

If you’re thinking about using your hair shampoo – DON’T. It will only make things worse. Hair shampoo contains chemicals that are meant for your scalp and not your face skin.

Beard wash contain a blend of natural oils that nourish and hydrate your skin and facial hair. This will help you keep your beard clean, soft, itch free and it will smell great.

If you’re really suffering from an irritated itchy skin and beard, a shorter beard will be easier to maintain during the summer.

How much you trim is up to you, but I recommend doing it in phases (you can always trim more), and see when you’re feeling there’s enough air flow and your skin is breathing.

Although trimming your beard sucks, it does have some benefits. It allows for regeneration, when trimming you’ll get rid of sun-scorched, split ended hair. Once you feel ready you’ll be able to quickly regrow it.

The summer weather can have detrimental effects to your beard. The sun can dry out your beard hair. There’s nothing in the world like beard oil to remedy that. Beard oils contain carrier oils and essential oils. These will moisturize your beard and skin, soften your beard, reduce itchiness and beard-druff.

You can pick the one that best suits you by looking at the ingredients list, each oil has different effects and you can look for those that can address your specific need.

Apply beard oil daily, preferably after washing it and brush you beard afterwards.

Tip: If you want you can make your own beard oil.

During the hot summer days, our bodies tend to lose a lot of water through sweating. Excessive sweating will leave your skin dry and this, for sure, is bad for your beard. Therefore, make sure you drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated.

It is also vital to use sun-screen. It will protect your beard, and will keep it soft and smooth. (Use a special sun screen for hair)

Sometimes we get to a point where we need to go to the extreme. I was there once, my beard drove me insane during the summer and I just shaved it off completely, and it felt GREAT (even the aftershave burn).

It was a great opportunity for me to just change my style, I love changes, it makes me feel alive.

Nice video where women see their men after shaving off their beard:

If that video did something and you decide to shave your beard off remember the dreaded beard tan line:

Beards have a lot to love. They add masculine sophistication and class, not only to your face, but also to your entire appearance.

You've decided to finally grow a beard, but soon enough you learn that beards have one big drawback, too.

They can be itchy, incredibly itchy.

Beard itchiness is an extremely common problem most guys face when growing a beard.
Even just two weeks of growth can be enough to cause a maddening, irritating itch.

If you have a beard, you’ve almost certainly experienced beard itch. For many guys, an itchy beard is unbearable to the point where grabbing the nearest safety razor and shaving the beard off entirely seems like the only solution.

The good news is that beard itch isn’t permanent! If your itchy beard is driving you absolutely bonkers, know that there are remedies for that.

How do you stop and prevent an itchy beard?
What specific techniques and products work best for beard care?

I've got all the info you need.

Say goodbye to beard itch and say hello to a smooth, clean beard. 
Stop driving yourself crazy scratching!

Here are the six steps to deal with an itchy beard.

In order to stop and treat beard itch, you first need to understand the causes. 

There are two main reasons for beard itch and they depend on the growth phase, i.e a beard that has just started to grow and a fully grown beard.

New beards are especially prone to itchiness.

If you’ve been shaving your entire life, your skin is used to being hair free. Regular shaving leaves a sharp edge to each cut hair. The closer you shave, the sharper the edge.

As long as you're shaving regularly this is fine, the problems start when you stop shaving and start growing a beard.

As the hair grows, the sharp edges of the hair scrape against the edges of the follicle.
That’s a recipe for all-over itching. This itch occurs during the stubble phase.

The second reason for itchiness occurs after the beard ​has grown.

Wiry, poorly conditioned beard hair rubs against dry, caked skin and causes a persistent itch.

Dead skin cells and dry skin are a one-two punch which leads to a beard which is rough, coarse and irritating – and actually gets worse over time. 

I'll explain exactly how to keep your beard healthy, moisturized and soft which will stop the itch and will make your beard look great.

Whether you're just starting to grow your beard or it's already fully grown, itchiness can be an issue.

Fortunately, combating itchiness is actually pretty easy.

Here are the six steps to keep your beard soft, healthy and itch-free. These techniques work on beards of any type, age and length.

The first step to an itch-free free beard is to keep it clean.

Every day we lose many dead skin cells, the beard traps them and prevents them from falling away. Trapped dead skin cells will make your skin itchy and irritated.

On top of that, throughout the day your beard will catch on dirt, left overs from your meals, and other types of debris. 

This is why you must wash your beard and keep it clean. But you need to do it correctly.

Beard hair is androgenic. Which means it's affected by testosterone levels. Androgenic hair can’t be effectively cleaned in the same way as the hair on your head.

Avoid cleaning your beard with traditional hair shampoos or body soaps. They will strip the natural oils from your facial hair, dry your skin and make it itchy.

There are two ways to wash your beard:

A beard conditioner performs a similar function to hair conditioner.

The difference is that a beard conditioner uses ingredients designed for facial hair which is different from your hair, your face skin is also much more sensitive then the scalp.

Beard conditioners come in different forms, the most popular forms are balms/butters and in-shower conditioners.

When picking a conditioner, ingredients matter more than a brand. There are many essential / carrier oils and I know it can be confusing. To make it easy on you I recommend to pick a conditioner with either Argan or Jojoba as the primary ingredients.

Argan is an extract of the Argan tree which softens and thickens facial hair. Jojoba is a liquid wax which is similar to your skin's natural oils. Both ingredients will help with reducing tangles and breakage by thickening and strengthening hair.

A good conditioner will soften your beard, reduce the itch, detangle your facial hair, and hydrate & nourish your beard.

Depending on the conditioner you've picked: in-shower or balm. If it's a balm it will be a good idea to apply it before you go out for your day.

To understand why it’s essential to use a stubble trimmer rather than just a generic grooming device for facial hair, first, we need to define stubble. 

Stubble is short facial hair, kept trimmed between 0.4 and 5 mm (1/64'' and 13/64'').  It’s a popular style right now for lots of reasons, especially since women find men with light to heavy stubble most attractive.  A high-quality stubble trimmer lets you keep that five to ten days of growth look going without having to shave and start fresh every two weeks.

Beard trimmers and stubble trimmers have a lot in common.  They work in similar ways and deliver comparable results, but there is one main difference between them.  Stubble trimmers have settings that let them get an even cut at shorter lengths of up to 5 mm, while beard trimmers work better in the 5-15 mm range. (At least most of them).

Clippers might seem like another option to maintain your stubble, but because of their large and bulky designs they lack precision and can make it difficult to get clean, even lines.

On top of that most clippers have a limited number of guards, which means that usually it'll be too long or too short. I hated it when I needed to trim too short and just wait for my beard to grow to the length I like.

There are dozens of features you could look for when shopping, but the best stubble trimmers will have these characteristics as part of their design.

Look for options that have lots of different length settings in the 0.4 to 5 mm range.  This way, you can trim all the way down to a 5 o’clock shadow like Jason Statham, or leave your stubble a bit longer so that it looks like a week of well-maintained growth.

Some stubble trimmers are corded while others are battery powered and can be used cordless.  If you travel frequently, a cordless model might be a better fit. 

Cordless stubble trimmers are convenient and portable, but you’ll want to choose one that will be ready when you are.  Check how long the model takes to charge and how much runtime you can expect from the battery.  There’s nothing more annoying than being halfway through shaping your beard only to run out of juice in your trimmer.

If you only ever plan to use your stubble trimmer at home, a corded model could be a more powerful and reliable option.

Let’s face it; it’s not just our beards we need to keep on point.  If your nose or ear hair gets unruly, having accessories that can painlessly trim them up is a nice perk.  Some options make it easy to shape up your complete look, from sideburns to stubble with a quick switch of the settings. 

A big note here, don't be tempted to buy a product just because it has more accessories. Remember that you need a trimmer, if a trimmer ticks all the boxes for you look at the accessories list.

Getting your look just right is all about the technique.  You’ll want to choose a design that fits well in your hand, is easy to grip, and doesn’t require a degree in advanced mathematics to use.  Look for options that are simple to configure to your desired length, have ergonomic designs, and a simple on and off switch.

Will you use your stubble trimmer as a dry trimmer, or do you need it to be waterproof too?

If you are someone who trims his beard in the shower, prefer the feel of a wet trim or want the convenience of a waterproof device to make cleaning simple, be sure to choose one that will stand up to your needs.

Whether you have fine, sparse facial hair, or thick and coarse hair, you’ll want to be sure to find a trimmer that has the power to get the job done.

Trust me, it can be very annoying to turn on your trimmer and see that it lacks power - it will require multiple passes and overall take more time to get the job done. 

Make sure your trimmer has a powerful motor. Look for options with steel blades and durable motors to get the biggest bang for your buck.

I've got 3 mini reviews for you that will hopefully help you decide on the right stubble trimmer for you.