New year, new you....new beard? Beard Growing Tips for 2021

2020 is finally over.....and just in time for 2020 Part 2 to start!! But you know what, as hard as things have been, and as hard as things will continue to be....this too will pass. and we will all come out of it stronger and better people.

So what are you planning for the new year? Any new years resolutions? Plans for a new hobby, a new job, a new body??

New years resolutions are normally not something I partake in, and when I do I fail! But I think this year is a little (a lot?!!) different. We are stuck in on lockdown (again) and the weather is horrendous this time! (Remember those heady days isolating in the back garden with the sun blazing down and a cold beer in hand?)

Planning some changes and good habits could be exactly what we need to distract us from the stresses of this pandemic. Which leads me onto the subject line of this post - Has there ever been a better time to grow out that beard you have always wanted, or at least the beard you have been curious about?

Beard growing takes time, patience (and sometimes a bag over the head)! The first weeks can be messy, so being locked in the house and working from home? There's never been a better time to just let it all go and grow out that beard.

So here are my tips for succeeding in growing a beard in 2021.

1) Just let it go for the duration of lockdown - when the government announces we are free, then you can think about styling and tidying it! (And I'll be right here to guide you on how!)

2) Zoom is your friend - there's just something about the lighting and slightly grainy nature of video meetings that makes early beards look thicker and fuller and better!

3) Beards are epic for the cold, wind and rain - they keep you warmer, cut down on wind chill and keep the rain off your skin - it's no accident that Grizly Adams, Hagrid and Santa all wear epic beards! So those 5km walks will be much more enjoyable!

4) It WILL get itchy after 2-4ish weeks - This is caused by coarse hairs curling and scratching the skin. Solution? Use a soap or shampoo that doesn't dry out the hair and skin. Add a beard oil into your morning routine to soften the beard hair and moisturise the skin - this is the single best thing you can do for beard itch when growing a beard - and also be aware the itch DOES NOT LAST! It normally takes 1-2 weeks until this starts to ease.

5) Don't overanalyse it - I could write pages upon pages on self image and the 'picture you paint of yourself in your head' here - but I won't (maybe another time) - suffice to say growing a beard means you look different to yourself and often strange - just go with it until you get used to the new bearded you! (And don't forget your loved ones are having to adjust to this change too - just ignore any comments for the duration of the grow!)

6) Eyes on the prize! Just think, in a few weeks you will be that handsome rugged bearded man you have always dreamed of! This research piece from Psychology Today in 2016 looks at the reasons women find bearded men more attractive!!

So what's stopping you? All the time you need is available and here at Beardsmith we have the best products to help you grow a perfect beard! Check out our Beard Growing Starter Box to get you on the road to a strong bearded life!