BLACK MEN BEARDS
Everything you need to know about the beard game!
Below is a comprehensive guide to black men beards & beard care, along with blog posts + videos about the topic.
Beard Styles
Beard Growth
Beard Care
Beard + Grooming Products
Black men beards...It’s the wave now.
It seems more black men than ever before are rocking well-groomed and adjusted facial hair these days. That’s definitely a positive!
Gone now are the outdated social norms back when black men avoided or outright rejected the notion of facial hair.
These days, there are more black men beards than ever before, and that’s to be celebrated. No black man should feel limited or blocked from the opportunity to let his beard grow out.
In black culture today - from musicians, to actors, to other famous celebs - beards are definitely with it, which no sign of slowing down.
With so many famous, bearded black men in the public eye - it’s officially “cool” to have one. For those among us who are blessed with the ability to rock that facial hair, we’re in luck…
So if you never entertained the thought of trying out black men beards styles, now’s your chance.
But there’s a problem….lack of resources. Again… that old problem. It’s all very different than beard care men of other backgrounds have to go through.
There’s a lack of good information on the internet today when it comes to black men beards - everything from growth, to maintenance, to styling.
Rest assured...we got you!
If all the typical wisdom of beard care is flipped on its head when it comes to black men, why not have a black men beards-specific resource on the web? At least, that’s our reasoning for rolling this section of the site out 😉
And it’s long overdue - we’ve constantly had fellas reaching out and asking us to put together the ultimate guide on black men beards.
So, we wanted to share those tips here, all rolled into one giant FAQ / advice page on how to avoid common issues and pitfalls when growing out your beard.
So, whether you’re a seasoned vet or a first-time beard grower, let us help you out with inspiration, grooming tips, and product recommendations so you can grow a beard that gets compliments and nods of respect from fellas everywhere.
Take a look below and make sure to reach out to us if you have any further questions. Now...let’s get started.
1. Beard Styles
Need some black men beards inspiration? Here are a few different beard styles that you can model your beard after.
Amazing Content
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27 of the Flyest Black Men Beard Styles
Adopting a hairstyle with a beard is very common among black men. Black men have adopted these style
Full & Long
They call these “full & long” black men beards. Of course… name explains itself!
These are definitely among the most eye-catching styles that black men can grow. Anyone who grows out their beard to this length needs to have their grooming game on point.
Bear in mind that rocking a full & long beard creates a very distinctive look, one that stands out - for better or worse. A man with a full beard needs to be accustomed to the second glances. Can’t be shy!
Stubble / 5 o' Clock Shadow
Also known as the five-o clock shadow, this is the lowest effort and maintenance of all black men beards.
All you need is an electric shaver, really, and you’re in business. Once you’ve let the stubble grow out for a couple of days, it’s time to trim and line up the edges.
Line up the beard around your cheeks, nose and neck, and you’re good. Stubble also helps to hide patchy areas if your beard isn’t growing in certain areas.
Short
A step beyond stubble - the short beard is a simple choice.
Once you spend a few weeks growing it out, you’ll be able to carefully groom it based on how your beard hair grows.
A short beard is a sign of masculinity, yet more refined / restrained than a full, long beard.
As with all black men beards, make sure you buy some beard oil to keep it soft and shiny (we get into that later).
Goatee
The goatee is about as universal as it gets. While men of all backgrounds have goatees, black men seem to rock it the best...wouldn't you agree?
Goatees of all styles have always been accepted in our community.
They’re definitely among the more popular type of black men beards; the goatee is a perfect fit for those with lean, angular cheekbones and jawlines.
Chin Strap
Another great option for men with leaner faces and defined jawlines - the chin strap.
Especially hot back in the 2000s, the chin strap is a beard style that’s basically “extended sideburns”.
With this style of beard, your hair traces the jaw line all the way to under your mouth.
Chinstraps are fairly common among black men beards; you can groom them thick or narrow. Make sure to rock with a mustache.
Van Dyke
The Van Dyke is a beard style universal among men of all backgrounds, although black men seem to rock it better than others.
If your face tends to be a bit more round / less lean and angular, consider giving the Van Dyke a shot.
This is one of the higher maintenance black men beards because the need to keep the circle defined, and neck / jaw / cheeks shaved.
The Van Dyke style emphasizes the goatee and mustache above all else - so you’ll want to keep the rest of your beard trimmed and in check.
2. BEARD GROWTH
Since we’ve received a variety of questions on how to best grow black men beards,
we’re including the most important steps below.
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The first step, of course, is growing your beard out. Before you go picking styles that suit your face, you’ll need to know what you're working with.
When it comes to growing the beard, the big thing is to make sure you have the essential routine down. Nurturing your beard, like watering plants, leads to better results.
Here’s the routine you need...
GOOD SKIN CARE
It all comes back to the skin that your beard sits on top of – it’s really that simple. Black men’s’ skin is different than men’s skin of other races.
As your beard starts to grow out, and your face grows more covered, the skin underneath is often neglected.
Don’t let that happen..it needs as much care and attention as you can give.
The secret to smoothly growing your beard out is to make sure the beard foundation is healthy. Keep your skin underneath clean and moisturized.
If you start to get dandruff, flaking, or other signs of dry skin, you need to step it up. The same goes for other typical issues such as ingrown hairs or patchy areas.
SUPPLEMENTS
What do we mean?
Vitamins…nutrients..minerals. Hair comes from your body, and like all other things that come from your body, they need the above to exist.
You need to make sure your nutrition game is on point if you plan on growing that beard out.
Make sure you’re properly hydrated, taking a multivitamin if necessary, and eating a balanced diet. Protein is a must too.
There’s also biotin, the essential supplement for nail and hair growth, highly recommended. Add all the above to your supplement stack.
PATIENCE
Of course, time plays a factor. You’ll need patience if you want to grow the perfect beard.
While you can grow some beard styles a lot faster than others, you need patience to experiment with different looks and end up with the style that suits you best.
There are so many different black men beards styles to choose from, it’s hard to decide on what direction you should go in first!
So, let your hair grow out for a good 4+ weeks before you settle on anything. If there are any patchy or light beard areas, make a note of that.
It may play a part in what style you choose for the long haul.
AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE
Pretty straightforward:
Keep that beard groomed, conditioned and cleaned. Wash daily!
We’ll go into more detail on this below…
3. Beard & Grooming Products
It all starts here - keeping your skin healthy and fresh by removing the dead skin calls underneath your beard.
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This is important - keeping the skin under your beard exfoliated means a lot less problems in future.
The longer your beard is, the more time you should spend on this.
You’re looking for a product that both exfoliates and ensures that your skin isn’t left dried out.
Now, here are the products you need in your grooming cabinet:
BEARD SOAP & WASH
Beard wash, also commonly called beard shampoo, is what you need to lather and wash your beard clean.
Look for products that can deliver a balanced wash – ones that contain the necessary vitamins, minerals and ingredients.
Once it’s lathered in to your beard, make sure to rinse at least a couple times.
BEARD OIL & BALM
You need to moisturize your beard, and you have two main options – balm and oil.
Oil creates a bit more of a glossy effect and has a better fragrance to boot.
Pick a fragrance that you like – the ingredients are especially good for guys that have sensitive skin.
Balms are great as well — they’re packed full of natural ingredients and keep your beard relaxed and un-itchy.
Either one is fine.
BRUSHES & COMBS
For brushes, you want boar bristle. Why?
By removing dead skin, hair and debris from your face, you’re ahead of the game. And nothing does that better than a boar bristle brush.
The density and length of the boar bristle is perfect for reaching hairs at every level of the beard.
They let you evenly coat natural oils on your skin and beard hairs, and they help groom your hairs to flow in one direction.
Then there’s combs. You want to use a handmade comb instead of a low-quality comb.
The reason :you want combs with smooth ends instead of microscopic jagged edges.
TRIMMERS
Next, you got trimming.
Some fellas prefer to go to the barbershop and that’s cool…but others want to save a few bucks and learn how to trim their beards personally in the morning.
That’s cool too.
If you prefer to do it yourself instead of hit up a barber, below is a trimmer we recommend.
There’s the Bevel trimmer as well, if you’re willing to invest in a little higher quality.
We here are WDB definitely rock with Bevel + other black owned businesses and brands. Head over and check those fellas out.
Once you have your products, it’s time to move on to beard care.
4. Beard Care
Next up are a few steps when it comes to better beard care. Make it count!
Your routine doesn't need to be time consuming, but it needs to be consistent.
(Image Link / Credit: T Shirt SuperStar)
WASH YOUR BEARD
Black men beards need to be washed – and washed frequently. If you aren’t already doing so, make sure that you’re washing your beard at least every other day!
This helps clear out any products, dirt, dust and sweat that may be lingering in your beard.
If left untreated, such products will lead to acne and clogging of skin pores. Make sure you’re using a good beard wash as well . Here’s what we recommend:
We recommend using lukewarm water at least. Use your fingers to massage the lather deeper into your beard, and finally rinse it out.
MOISTURIZING (OIL & BALM)
Moisturizing your beard is critical – and this is the step most men seem to skip for some reason. Black men beards need to be moisturized and hydrated.
Moisturizers also help control more wild and untamed hairs. The two best options for moisturizing are beard balm and beard oil.
Either option works – beard balms stay in your beard longer, while beard oils are lighter to apply.
COMBING YOUR BEARD
Having the right comb is a huge deal – a good beard comb is worth its weight in gold.
Once you’ve washed your beard out, try combing from the top on down to the bottom, and from the edges all the way to the center.
Make sure you comb “with the grain” (with the flow of hair) instead of going against the grain.
TRIMMING YOUR BEARD
Circling back around to trimmers…
Having a quality beard trimmer is important. Gotta line yourself up…. you know how the deal go.
It’s all about knowing your face shape and determining the beard shape to match.
Pick up your beard trimmer and take some to time to line up your edges, shave with the guard (if necessary) and remove unwanted / wild hairs where needed.
USING THE RIGHT PRODUCTS
Black men beards require the right products for maintenance, as well.
Since we need extra amounts of moisture to keep our beards from becoming dry and unhealthy, we need the appropriate beard products – ones different than those commonly used among men of different backgrounds.
The big issue – most common store soaps, oils, balms etc. will do the opposite of what you intend and strip your beard of the oils they need.
Avoid using those types of shampoos in favor of the ones listed on this page instead.
We only share natural soaps, balms, and oils that are intended for skin like yours.
