Growing a beard can be a stylish trend to carry but it is also a commitment that needs regular attention on your part. Beards don’t take care of themselves any more than your lawn or your nails and therefore, need some upkeep. Few tips and tricks can help you sail through well, if followed regularly.

Let it grow
Wait a few months before trying to shape a beard. Shaping and trimming a beard too early is a common rookie mistake and it can cost you, as it often takes weeks or months to fix. The best thing to do is let your beard grow a little wild during the initial stages as it is important to have a full growth. Once you have grown it to about an inch and a half, you can begin giving it the desired shape.

Know when to give up
Being able to grow a full dense beard is mostly a matter of genetics and does not land everyone in a good position. To see whether yours can take you through, wait two or three months to see if it is still patchy and scraggly. If yes, it is not going to get any better and would look better shaved off.

Shampoo and Condition
Do not commit the mistake of using a common soap for your armpits and your beard. You’ll end up drying out your beard and the skin beneath. Instead, apply a moisturizing shampoo to prevent your facial hair from getting brittle. Beards often tend to become wiry and hard. A thick, heavy-duty conditioner will keep your beard from becoming one of them.

Trim it
Even if you grow your beard long and fuller, it is recommended that you trim it every two months to get rid of the unevenness and the split ends.

Eat and Sleep with Care
There are no special foods that will improve beard growth but a balanced, healthy diet is helpful for better hair and skin. Often, losing sleep causes your beard and overall hair growth to slow down. Taking a good sleep and waking up fresh in the morning goes a long way in ensuring skin and hair health alike.

Following these simple daily rituals can bring a dramatic change to the way your hair and skin looks. For maintaining good-looking beards, the above steps are all the more important because of the hard and stubborn nature of facial hair.