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THERE ARE A lot of questions men face these days with no clear answer. When will I be able to afford a house? Will the Mets ever stop losing? Why do I get so winded whenever I put my shoes on? Some of these might be more subjective to me than others, but one question you shouldn’t have to ask yourself is how to grow a beard, because the process is far simpler than it appears. In fact, it’s one of the easiest style upgrades you can make—plus, you’ll save a ton of money on razors.
But before you invest in beard oils, balms, and trimmers, understand one hard truth: not everybody will be able to grow a beard. According to celebrity stylist and groomer Jerrod Roberts, genetics play a huge role in facial hair, and not every man will be predisposed with a full face of hair. Still, you’ll never know for sure until you try. If you’re curious about the potential of your beard, these are the steps to follow.
Step One: Stop Shaving Your Beard (For a While)Roberts says that the biggest mistake guys make when growing out their beard is quitting too early. Do not touch your beard for at least a month. Let it grow for four to six weeks—at a minimum—so it has time to fill in patchy areas. If you can hack it, don’t touch it for two months, as this will allow for the best growth.
Trimming too soon (or too aggressively) can make uneven spots more noticeable and set your progress back weeks, Roberts says. See, patchy areas are completely normal and often short-lived. Most beards come in unevenly—especially along the cheeks—but as they grow out, longer strands help conceal and blend those thinner spots. Giving it time makes all the difference, Roberts says.
This doesn’t mean you have to let it get completely untamed, just don’t shorten it. You can absolutely shave around and outline it to give some semblance of sanity while you grow it out. Roberts recommends outlining your beard during the first couple of months of growth—without trimming any of it—to help keep it presentable and stylish while it gains length. Do this by cleaning up stray hairs on your cheeks and neck to better define your beard as it grows in with a razor or trimmer without any length guard. Seeing that shape take form makes it much easier to stay committed through the awkward stages, Roberts says.
Jake Murphy, barber and manager at Ruffians Covent Garden, adds that skincare is also an important part of growing a healthy beard. As your beard gets denser, airflow to the skin on your cheeks and neck decreases, which can lead to oil buildup or dryness. To counter this, continue to apply your regular skincare routine directly to the skin for as long as you can—until the beard becomes too thick to easily reach beneath—for best results.
Step Two: Treat Your Beard (or Scruff)Speaking of, you need to care for your beard as it grows the same way you would once it’s fully formed—and a lot of this starts before you even touch your face. Regular smoking, poor diet or nutrient deficiencies, stress, and lack of sleep can all slow down beard growth. Stress, in particular, can trigger telogen effluvium, he says. This is a temporary form of hair loss that affects hair across the body, including your beard. There’s a reason why so many dudes who do yoga and meditate have great beards—they’re managing their stress.
Once you've got your zen on, it’s time to make sure your budding facial hair is as clean and soft as possible. For this, use a dedicated beard wash after cleansing your face. Roberts is a big fan of the Every Man Jack, Viking Revolution, and Polished Gentleman beard washes, noting they all have clean, skin-friendly formulas. While my current beard was in the early stages of growth, I found a lot of success with the Strive Hydrating Men's Face Wash.
While technically a face wash, the formula is gentle enough that it won’t dry out facial hair and cleansing enough to eliminate grime. There are also ingredients like aloe vera, glycerin, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid to hydrate and support the skin barrier, while niacinamide, centella asiatica, and chamomile soothe irritation. Plus, it’s completely fragrance-free, so it’s safe for sensitive skin. Perfect for the first two or three weeks of beard growth.
No matter what wash you use, don’t overdo it. Just like washing your hair, this shouldn’t be an everyday habit unless you’re regularly getting sweaty or collecting dirt on your face. Similar to shampoo—which, to be clear, don’t use on your beard unless you want to dry it out—overwashing your beard leads to breakage, dryness, and slower growth. Two or three times a week is a good baseline for most guys, Roberts says.
Finally, you should start using beard oils shorter than you might think—as soon as stubble appears. This can be anywhere between a few days and a week, depending on how quickly your hair grows. Roberts digs the Every Man Jack, Jack Black, and Honest Amish beard oils, noting they all feature jojoba and argan oil as core ingredients. Both nourish and soften beard hair while helping maintain moisture and prevent dryness in the hair and the skin underneath.
I can’t live without my Atwater Smooth Target Beard Oil, which is why I gave it a Men’s Health Smell Fresh Award and list it as our best overall beard oil. The formula combines argan, rice bran, and apple seed oils to hydrate, soften, and smooth hair while keeping the skin underneath nourished. Papaya and lavender oils then gently exfoliate flakes and calm irritation, and a rosemary-based complex helps neutralize odor for all-day freshness. It’s lightweight and non-greasy, working across everything from early stubble to a full beard.
Step Three: Shape Your BeardOkay, so it’s been two or three months and your beard is looking, er, grisly. Time to shape it. Once it’s at target length, use a trimmer with guard attachments to maintain it, Roberts says. Now, trimming your beard can be a whole process in and of itself, but there are a few key guidelines. First, make sure you’ve washed it. This will keep the hair soft and make it easier to cut.
Then brush it down with a quality beard brush to establish a starting point that will resemble your day-to-day beard, while detangling hairs to avoid any lingering strays. The best option here is the Cremo Beard Brush. At barely over $10, you get 100 percent boar bristles, which grip hair effectively while distributing natural oils evenly to keep your beard softer and healthier. Its solid wooden handle also provides a sturdy, comfortable grip, giving you better control.
Then take your trimmer and cut in the direction of the grain. This will ensure an even trim without any patchiness. Also, especially if you’re new to the beard game, start with a larger guard setting and ease your way into the shorter ones until you find a length you like. The goal here is to shape your beard, not cut it off.
Murphy says that the mustache often needs some training, as hair can grow straight out instead of lying flat. He recommends using a stiff brush—and possibly a blow dryer on damp hair if a brush isn’t working—to guide it to the side, helping it grow in a more controlled, natural direction over time. Top it all off by defining the cheek and neck lines with shaving cream and a razor. Whether you want a sharp, sculpted line or a more natural curve, defining these lines will go a long way in making your beard look intentional rather than sluggish.
Keep in mind that a straight line complements round faces, while a curved line suits longer or square faces, and you can clean up above it with shaving cream and a razor for a polished finish. For the neck, place two fingers above your Adam’s apple to find the base of your neckline, then imagine a U shape extending up to each ear. Shave everything below that line, keeping it even on both sides for a natural-looking neckline.
For detailing work, Roberts recommends a Wahl T-Blade or the Philips Norelco OneBlade. The OneBlade, especially, works well for sensitive skin because it trims hair to a slight length, helping minimize irritation and reduce the risk of ingrown hairs, he says. For controlling length, no trimmer is better than the Braun All-in-One Series 9, our best overall.
It offers unmatched versatility, with multiple attachments and length settings that handle everything from short stubble to full beards and even head and body grooming. It delivers consistently powerful, smooth trimming without tugging or clogging. I’ve had mine for over two years at this point, and its efficiency hasn’t dipped in the slightest.
Everything You Need to Grow a BeardMeet the ExpertsMore of Our Favorite Grooming EssentialsHow to Trim Your Neck Beard | How to Groom Body Hair | How to Cut Your Own Hair |How to Trim Your Beard | How to Trim Nose Hair | How to Maintain Your Trimmer | Best Beard Trimmers | Best Nose Hair Trimmers | Pubic Hair Trimmers | Best Hair Clippers | Best Cordless Clippers | Best Back Shavers | Best Head Shavers | Best Body Groomers | Best Razors | Best Electric Razors
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Men's Health The Lose Your Gut GuideSean Zucker is the Grooming and Reviews Editor at Men's Health. He brings over half a decade of experience covering health, wellness, and lifestyle. When Sean's not writing about hair products, you can find him running for exercise, or toward the nearest food truck.
Christian is the Style and Reviews Director at Men's Health and Women’s Health, where he oversees shopping and style content for both brands. He started his magazine career as an accessories assistant at Vogue, and has since held editorial roles at Tatler Asia and The Manual. When he’s not online shopping, you can find him on long walks with his two corgis.