One of the most common questions we get asked is “how do you fix a curly beard?”
If this is a question you would like the answer to, don’t worry. In this article we are going to take a look at exactly why having a curly beard can be a problem, before walking you through a few simple steps so that you can fix your curly beard, Let’s get straight into it.
What’s the problem with a curly beard?
I, for one, understand why “how do you fix a curly beard?” is such a popular question. I know how frustrating it is to plough on through that stage of growing a beard where it can look a little untidy, only to find that the hairs curl back in on themselves, so you don’t get the benefit of having long, straight hair on your beard.
So growing a decent beard takes a lot longer for people like us. The length of your beard is disguised by the fact that it curls back into your face. If you have a desired length that you want your beard to reach, it’s going to take much longer if it curls.
What’s more, a curly beard can be much more difficult to keep clean. When beard hair curls, it wraps itself very tightly and particles of dirt, and crumbs of food, and flakes of dandruff will get caught in there. If you have a nice straight beard, these are much more likely to fall out, and if they do get caught, they are easy to dislodge. With a curly beard, it’s much too difficult to get rid of these little bits.
You should always shampoo your beard, of course, to keep it clean, healthy and looking its best. However, you will need to do this much more regularly if you have a curly beard, just to keep it clean. We all have busy lives, so having another thing to do more often is far from ideal.
Combing is another great way to keep your beard clean, but again, that is much more difficult when you have a curly beard. Untangling a curly beard with a comb can be a difficult, and let’s be honest – painful, process.
So, in summary, a curly beard means that your beard will look shorter and be much more difficult to keep clean and tidy. So, what can we do about it?
How to fix a curly beard
There are few different ways to straighten your curly beard. Two are quite straightforward, and the last one is slightly more drastic… So let’s take a look at the simpler methods first, which rely on heat:
The wash, dry & comb technique
Whichever method you end up using, the first step will usually be to give your beard a thorough wash. This is most easily done when you are in the shower, but you can wash your beard in a sink without getting your entire body wet.
To do this most effectively, make sure you dampen your beard with warm water before applying a beard cleaner of your choice – it might be beard shampoo, beard conditioner, beard soap or beard balm. Whichever you choose, make sure that you lather it into your beard thoroughly using your fingertips. Once you are happy, rinse it off with more warm water.
Next, and this stage is crucial, apply some beard conditioner. Apply in the same way as in the previous step but leave it in your beard for at least a minute. This will give the conditioner a chance to work on your hairs, making it much softer and more supple – therefore much easier to manipulate.
When you are happy that you have left it for enough time (consult the bottle if you are unsure) rinse again with warm water before patting yourself dry with a towel. Do not rub your beard or be too rough with it at this point, as you will just force the hairs down and undo all of your good work!
People often miss the next step out, but it is critical – moisturise. If a beard is very dry, it may result in curling, so by adding moisture here, you can help to prevent that. Get yourself a decent beard oil and apply around three pumps worth to your beard. Rub it into your hands and then massage it into your beard and skin. You’ll notice it looking shinier and healthier almost immediately.
Next, it’s time for a beard balm. This will add volume to your hair, making it stronger. Strong hair is more likely to resist curling, so this is very important, plus a beard balm will soften up your beard ready for the following step. Get yourself a small amount of balm, about the size of a pea, and work it into your beard with your hands.
Now it’s time to comb. Get a hair dryer and a comb – blow hot air directly at your beard, whilst at the same time, combing through the length of your beard hair. Make sure you are targeting the same area with your comb and the hair dryer, and that you follow the path of the comb with the hot air.
The purpose of this is to straighten with the comb, and then quickly dry the hair into place with the hot air, setting it in a straight position. You will find that you will get some curling afterwards, but not as much as before. The more you do it, the straighter your beard will get over time.
The hair straightener technique
The next level of fixing a curly beard is to use more heat, in the form of a hair straightener. I appreciate that not everyone will have access to a pair of these, but if you could borrow them from somebody, we expect you’ll really notice the difference. Obviously, this method is best used on longer beards, as if your hair is very short you will struggle to capture it in any straightener.
You’ll want a dry beard for this method, but apply plenty of beard oil before you begin. This will protect your hair from damage by the heat. The next step is to comb through your hair so that you can clear it of tangles and knots, as well as keep the hairs as separated as possible so that more will come into contact with the straighteners.
Next, carefully use the hair straighteners to work through your beard. Work slowly, so that the heat has enough time to flatten the hairs and make sure you work out all the way to the end of the hair, otherwise you will find that it just curls back again immediately. Focus on one section of your beard at a time and work methodically until you have covered every area.
After you have finished, have one final comb through and you should find that your hair is much straighter than before. As your hair grows, you will have to repeat the process, but not as regularly as with the previous method.
The drastic approach – chemical straightening
Okay, so this approach won’t be for everyone, and it is not something you can do on a whim by yourself – but if you are really serious about having a straight beard, you can have it chemically straightened by a professional.
They’ll probably use Lye relaxers which will break down positive hydrogen bonds in the individual hairs of your beard in a similar way to how the heat works, but in a much more intense fashion.
The result is that your hairs will be permanently straightened, unlike the other two methods. However, as your beard grows, the new hair will be curly again, so you will have to go through the same procedure to keep up the same look. You won’t have to do it as often as the other two techniques, but obviously it is a more expensive and time-consuming method.
Conclusion
There are a few different ways to fix a curly beard, and we hope that this article has been helpful to you. Each of the techniques require different levels of commitment and will yield different levels of results, but hopefully we have given you enough to work with so that you can pick the method that works best for you.
One thing that we would really like to emphasise, though, no matter which one you go for or whether you have a curly beard or not, is that taking care of your beard is very important. By keeping your beard clean with regular combing and shampooing, and by regularly styling your beard with oil, you can make a huge impact on your appearance.
On our site we have countless tips and tricks that you can use to make sure you have the healthiest possible beard and ensure that it is always looking the best it can look. Have a browse through our articles and we’re sure you will find something new to try.
