A Guide to Beard Tools

You may think maintenance of your beard stops after using a bit of beard oil or beard balm, or after a quick splash of shampoo and conditioner in the shower. But equally important is maintaining your beard with the right tools.

Using the right tools correctly will give you a unique look and set your beard apart from the rest. If you struggle to keep your beard looking nice, it's probably because you don't have the right kit to keep it trained & in shape. To help you out, we've put together a summary on some of the most important tools a beardsman can have at his disposal.

Beard Comb

Yes beard combs exist, and they are very different to hair combs.

A beard comb is pretty much essential if you constantly need to detangle your beard. A comb that is designed for the beard should consist of 100% wood and not plastic or metal. The reason why plastic or metal combs are no good for the beard is due to the manufacturing process. These types of materials are poured into moulds and then broken into individual pieces. The breakage results in microscopic jagged edges that are destructive to the skin and hair. On the other hand, a wooden comb will usually have thick teeth that are widely spread. This structure is sufficient enough to detangle the very tight, but also extensive knots and tangles in your beard. A wooden comb will also have flat teeth to ensure it doesn’t cut into the skin underneath, which won’t result in a damaged hair bead like a plastic or metal comb will do.

A wooden comb is also able to soak up small amounts of beard oil. This is an excellent property for two reasons. The first involves the comb’s ability to soak up and evenly spread any excess beard oil that you may have applied, and thus will reduce any greasiness that your beard appears to have. Secondly, if you are one to travel with your comb, the residual oil will diffuse through the comb and into the hairs again, reviving the smell and condition of your beard.

Additionally, a wooden comb won’t create any static so you won’t get frizz.

Beard Brush

After detangling with a beard comb, you should use a beard brush to even out the hairs and get them facing in one direction. This will keep your beard neat and stop you looking like a cave man.

The best beard brushes are made with premium boar bristle. If you haven’t heard of this kind of bristle, don’t be put off. It’s been used since the 1800s to create shiny and healthy hair without any products. The unique structure of the boar bristle is able to carry and spread beard oil from root to tip. It also smooths down the cuticle of the hair, making in straighter and less frizzy. It also goes the extra step by providing more detangling action to the beard. If you have a short beard, you’ll probably want to look for a soft bristle brush. If you’re a man with a long beard, a firmer bristle brush would be the way to go. A firmer brush can plough through coarse, tangled beard hair.

A key difference between a beard brush and a beard comb is the fact that a brush will train the hairs to grow in one direction. Eventually this will result in a naturally straight beard with minimal tangling. It is very similar to the way you have trained your head hair to grow in a certain direction. If you constantly wonder why your beard is a bit of mess after letting it grow out, it’s probably because you haven’t brushed it.

The best time of day to brush your beard is either when you wake up or before you take a shower. When you wake up, you’ll have nasty bed beard that’s needs to be tamed. Brushing your beard before you take a shower will loosen all the dead skin cells, dirt and grime and will help wash it all out.

Moustache Brush

The reason you would want to get yourself a moustache brush is due to its laser-like precision when styling the top lip. It’s important to get one with boar bristles pretty much for the same reasons as mentioned above. A moustache brush is relatively small and portable, with dense bristles that are optimal for accurate styling and brushing. Because the head of the brush is narrow, it allows for full coverage without hurting your lips or awkwardly pushing up your nose. Pair it with moustache wax and it will help evenly spread the wax across the hair. This will give your mo some lift, volume and extra style points.

Beard Scissors

Proper beard scissors are quite compact, light and easy to use. They are the perfect tool to cut off that pesky stray whisker. If you use kitchen scissors to cut hair, you need to change to beard scissors. Kitchen (or office) scissors tend to be way too long & bulky so it’s hard to really pinpoint single hairs using them. Beard scissors are able to do this because of their precise blades. They are also are able to trim the moustache with great accuracy because they are very agile.

Author: John Porreca

Ed: Ben De Campo