When you read about beards, you’ll often see debates between the beard lovers and the beard haters. Unfortunately for the anti-beard crowd, a

scientific study published in the Journal of Evolution and Human Behavior

found that heavy stubble wins out over clean shaven. What do women love most about this alluring facial hair?

1. Masculine Appeal

Beards have been associated with masculinity for hundreds of years. Everything from sharp goatees to cascading waves of facial hair has come in and out of fashion, but one thing stays the same. The perception of a man’s masculinity increases with the amount of facial hair that he has. Whether you want a short, neatly trimmed look or a wild grown facial forest is up to your personal preference.

2. Running Your Fingers Through Beards

Once facial hair accumulates some length, it becomes exceptionally soft. Forget the chamomile tea for relaxation as nothing beats running your fingers through his beard and feeling the texture. You get even more from this experience if he spends some time conditioning it beforehand. Give him some conditioner formulated for facial hair if you want to encourage this behaviour. You get extra points if you select a favourite scent.

3. The Smell of Beard Oil

Beard oil is an excellent creation, and whoever decided to offer a scented version is a genius. Unlike cologne, beard oil doesn’t have an overpowering smell. It’s subtle and provides a light accent to his natural smell. Most products take the same basic scents, often found in fragrances for men, but tone it down significantly so you aren’t choking on it.

4. The Way It Rubs Against Your Face

When a make out session goes well, you will end up with a lot of face-to-face contact. Let’s be honest. No one wants to endure the pain of stubble rash when you have a normally clean shaven guy sporting a five o’clock shadow. Your face feels like you have a cheese grater to it, which is never a pleasant sensation. In contrast, a proper beard is soft and welcoming as it glides along your skin.

5. The Changing Look of Facial Hair

A bearded man can change his style drastically by whipping out the trimmer and trying a brand new look. Heavy stubble, long face locks, and everything in between give you a front seat to the variety show. Some particularly adventurous men experiment with bright colours, beard braids and incorporating flowers or beads into the mix. Where else will you find that?

6. A Bit of a Bad Boy

We don’t know why, but the clean shaven look can often insinuate sticking to the rule book. And that’s just not going to work for all of us. A man who shows off his facial hair, especially when he lets it grow all the way out, has just enough of that bad boy element to really drive his appeal rating through the roof.

7. Beard Scratching

You know that content look cats get on their face when you scratch under their chins? You can get that same expression on bearded men when you scratch their face. Make sure to file your nails down smoothly, so you don’t get caught in his hair or accidentally cut him in the process. If you have the time, put on a clear coat of nail polish so you completely smooth out any rough edges.

Beards are wonderful, versatile and attractive parts of a guy’s look. While there are endless reasons that you love beards, the above seven reasons make the top of the list. The next time you’re out on the town, keep track of how many beard styles you end up spotting. Chances are, you’ll find a few clear favourites in your local area.

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Whether you’re a once-bearded man returning to this nostalgic look or it’s your first time growing a beard, you want to know how to maintain it and what razors to use to create your desired shape. Check out these five tips to guide you through the process of maintaining an epic beard.

Grow Well

1.Let It Grow

If you’re just getting back in the beard-growing game, it’s essential to have patience and grow out your beard. Aim to grow at least one inch of a beard over the course of two to three months so you have a decent amount of hair to shape. To help you get through the inevitable itching phase, use a beard oil or a stubble softener to moisturise your new grown hair.

Groom Well

2. Shampoo and Condition Your Beard

The hair on your beard is the same as the hair on your head, so it makes sense to treat it in a similar manner. You don’t skip washing your hair, so you shouldn’t forgo washing your beard. Neglecting your beard can lead to unwanted bacteria and germs making a home in the hairy fuzz underneath your chin. Also, your hair may get knotted and brittle. That’s why you want to make sure you shampoo and condition your beard at least a few times a week.

Rather than simply lathering it with soap, give your beard the star treatment you give the hair on your head. Opt for a shampoo that moisturises your beard to keep it from getting too dry.

You also want a conditioner that gives your beard the hydration it needs. Consider using a leave-in conditioner to keep in moisturised throughout the day.

3. Polish It Up With Oil

Give your beard the ultimate finished look by combing through it and hydrating it with beard oil. This makes your beard soft so that it’s easier to comb and feels smooth against your skin.

Style It

4. Keep the Right Tools on Hand

Keeping up with your epic beard requires an artillery of epic tools. Okay, maybe not epic, but you certainly don’t want to be without your essential hair-trimming accessories. Have a comb and a pair of scissors on hand to shape your beard, especially if your look mirrors the long beards of the mid-19th century.

Electric trimmers are also helpful tools for shaping your facial beard edges. You can use long and small guards to control stray hairs and for neck hair trimming. Your razors also come in handy for shaving the cheeks of your face.

5. Taper Your Beard at the Neckline

When your schedule is busy, but you want to keep your beard tamed, you need to take steps that reduce your maintenance time. Tapering the hair at the neckline makes it easier to keep up with your epic beard. You also reap the benefit of a look that’s natural so you don’t appear like an eccentric Christmas character from the North Pole. You can use a razor to trim the beard hair on your neck. Concentrate on the area between your Adam’s apple and your collar bone.

6. Keep Your Cheeks in Check With a Razor

Maintaining your beard calls for keeping up with the hair growth on your cheeks. You can keep your cheek hair under control and get a closer shave if you use a razor, such as the Dorco Pace razor range. Make sure you use fresh, sharp blades for a better cut. However, be careful and avoid shaving your cheeks too deeply to keep your look natural.

By following these tips, you can make it easy to keep up with your epic beard. Use the right tools, use a sharp razor, and keep your beard combed and oiled for an epic look.

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