Coarse facial hair!

joshofalltrades

I've grown a full beard now for the first time in my life at the old age of 26, 27 next month. Since my high school fascist dictators never let us grow beards during our most awkward years, I never learned how to take care of one or, more specifically, how to make it not be prickly.

My facial hair is wiry. It's like steel wool and the missus does not appreciate it, though she will admit that it looks okay. I recently read somewhere that there are lotions and such that will make the steel wool more like wool. Would anybody care to recommend a specific product or suggest another solution?

Thylacine

If that's true I'll have to get some of that for my husband.

Anyway, if you're going to keep the beard a few things. Whenever it grows out some(around 1/4 to half an inch I guess?), it won't be quite as pokey. But, then it usually looks unkempt. If you trim it with a beard trimmer it doesn't get as pokey as it does if you shave it and let it grow back.

joshofalltrades

Mine's already longer than that and it's still wiry. I have naturally curly hair, too, so it pokes out at odd angles occasionally.

Thylacine

It will still be wiry, that's just how your beard hair is. But, at a certain point it will be just long enough that it doesn't hurt as much when you kiss your missus or what not. Unfortunately by the time it's that length it usually needs trimmed. But, like I said if you trim with a beard trimmer it tends to not be quite as sharp as if you shaved with a razor. That's really all the help I've got...it seems to be just one of those things you have to accept.

RUNN1NGMAN

If you just grew your beard out, it'll take a couple months for it to soften up, but it will (at least relative to what its like now). You should also, you know, comb it regularly and shampoo it every so often. That'll help a little with the poking out.

joshofalltrades

I was mostly wondering about products, specifically to soften it up some. If such an animal exists.

The pleasin' odor is half the point.

Blake T

Remember to shampoo and condition it as well.

It's still hair.

RUNN1NGMAN

joshofalltrades wrote: »

I was mostly wondering about products, specifically to soften it up some. If such an animal exists.

The pleasin' odor is half the point.

Regular ol' conditioner works, just steal it from a girl.

rts

Yeah conditioning your beard is important. I have a good sized one and it definitely has a big effect.

joshofalltrades

Hey cakemikz, I've tried just applying my regular shampoo/conditioner and it doesn't do a whole lot of good. Would a stand-alone conditioner work better? What do you use?

Improvolone

A shaving forum I visit suggests conditioning your facial hair for a better shave. I don't see why you wouldn't do this to keep it nice and soft if you don't shave.
Use whatever conditioner makes it feel good.

Thylacine

Regular shampoo and conditioner will work better. The combo ones can work okay on some people's hair, but generally shampoo and conditioner do different things(like one raises PH and one lowers it) and when you use a 2 in 1 it's just not really as effective. I would suggest just getting a normal conditioner at first...probably don't need to spend too much on it. If that's not strong enough you could try getting something like Biolage Conditioning Balm. It's a little thicker than shampoo, but it did make my hair pretty soft. It's a little more expensive than something like Treseme though.

joshofalltrades

Thanks, that sounds like a good place to start. I didn't really want to go with the full wax.

bowen

I use my g/f's conditioner and shampoo. Man does it make it soft.

Get a softness or hair restoration one. Make sure they're separate because the joined ones leave hair more brittle and that's not what you're after for softness.