Did you know a curly beard with the same amount of hair as a straight beard will still look fuller? A curly beard is naturally voluminous, giving it a strong, masculine profile. But this killer beard doesn’t come without downsides. Curly beard hair grows in different directions, making it look bushy and wild. Each individual hair is wound like a spring that likes to tangle.
So it all comes down to learning how to reign in your curls without compromising their character. Ahead, we present tricks for managing frizz and multi-directional growth, as well as steps for straightening your beard should you choose to do so.
Tools:
- Wide tooth comb
- Boar bristle brush
- Blow dryer or mini straightening iron
- Hair clips
- Beard oil
- Beard balm
- Beard shampoo
- Beard conditioner
Make your hair more manageable
Soften your beard hair
When hair is soft and healthy, it is more malleable. So let’s start with the basics: beard shampoo, beard conditioner, and beard oil. Wash and condition your beard a few times a week (no more than that or you’ll risk drying your beard, which causes brittleness). Apply beard oil twice daily. These simple steps will restore moisture and shine to your hair, making it softer - and primed for styling.
Comb your beard when it’s wet
Combing your beard gently right after washing actually helps straighten it over time, since hair is pliable when it’s wet. Be careful not to just grab any old comb and going at it, though - cheap plastic combs will rip your beard hair, while the teeth on any fine or medium tooth comb may be too close together to work its way through without ripping.
The solution: a wide tooth comb, preferably made of horn. Horn contains keratin, a natural protein present in hair that maintains your beard’s balance of natural oils while softening hair and stimulating hair follicles. Put some beard oil in your hair before combing for the full effect.
Train your beard hair to grow in the same direction
Tackle one of the biggest issues of curly hair - hair that sprouts in all directions - with a boar bristle brush. When used daily, a boar bristle brush loosens beard curls and untangles knots for a smooth appearance. Because the bristles are densely packed, this type of brush penetrates even the deepest parts of your beard, getting your curly thicket in line from the inside out. Plus, it distributes your skin’s natural oils evenly throughout your beard, sealing split ends and taming stray hairs. If you have hair so tight it's hard to comb, try a boar bristle brush.
Straighten your beard
For times when you want serious polish, heat styling delivers. But proceed with caution: using a blow dryer or straightening iron regularly can make hair brittle by stripping the hair cuticle, producing frizz, split ends, and even hair fallout. If you must heat style your beard, blow drying is less damaging than using a straightening iron. Even still, to minimize damage, apply a heat protectant spray before you start.
Option 1: Blow dryer
- Mix beard oil and mustache wax together to form a light hold paste. For an even stronger hold, mix beard oil with our Mega Hold wax. Work through beard with your fingers.
- Attach a diffuser to your blow dryer for even drying.
- Set the speed on low and heat on medium.
- Begin drying your hair by placing the blow dryer under your beard, then pointing it upward. Comb through and blow dry up and out. This untangles knots while boosting volume. Turn up the heat for extra straightening.
- Now point your diffuser downwards while brushing downwards with your fingers.
- To reduce rouge ringlets, go over your entire beard with the heat setting on cool.
Option 2: Straightening iron
- Mix beard oil and moustache wax together to form a light hold paste. For an even stronger hold, mix beard oil with our Mega Hold wax. Work through beard with your fingers.
- Section off your beard using hair clips. This allows you to get to every part of your beard without anything getting in the way. Straighten each section using a mini hair straightener.
Tip: Try not to run the straightener over the same section of hair multiple times. Instead, run the straightener down once, slowly, to minimize chances of burning your beard.
