Last fall, I mentioned Ben Blair had grown his first beard. (He’s still wearing it now and I still LOVE it!) But I didn’t tell you why it was his first beard.
Once or twice over the years, I had asked him if he was interested in growing one, but he said that after a few days of beard growth, he was so itchy he just had to shave it. So what changed last fall? We finally asked for some good guidance on beard care. We inquired of our favorite French pharmacist, who happens to be bearded also, and got the skinny on itch prevention.
For those of you with men in your life dealing with itchy chins, here’s what Ben Blair learned about itch prevention and beard care.
1) As it’s growing out, comb your beard often with a fine tooth comb. This will help keep dead skin cells moving on their way.
2) Use conditioner on the beard, even when it’s just barely growing out. Leave on the conditioner for a couple of minutes before you rinse it off.
3) If your bearded skin develops some redness or bumps, use a soothing lotion. Our pharmacist gave us samples of this
And that’s it! Ben Blair is now long past the itchiness. These days he’s figuring out his preferred beard length, favorite trimming tools, and wondering if he’ll ever shave it off.
How about you? Do you have a bearded man in your life? Do they have to do much to maintain it? How long is too long in your opinion?
P.S. — I love how red the beard is in the second picture. When I married Ben Blair his whole head was that red!