You’re growing out a glorious beard, but it keeps curling, making it difficult to shape and tame. If you want to know how to stop your beard from curling, you’ve come to the right place.
There are many different ways you can prevent your beard from curling from using the right kinds of products to having it chemically straightened.
At The Gentleman’s Playbook, we recommend you use all-natural, non-chemical straightening methods, but we understand sometimes you just need that chemical strength to get what you want done. We always advise you to be careful in these scenarios and consult a professional beard stylist.
Before we teach you how to stop your beard from curling, we first need to understand why our beards curl or become curly.
Why Does My Beard Curl?
Whether you have been growing a beard for a while or your beard is just now getting long, one question you may have thought to yourself at times is, “Why does my beard curl?” There can be several reasons, but the number one reason for curly beards is genetics.
Your DNA determines how many waves you get in your beard by deciding the shape of your follicles. A rounder follicle opening will give straighter hair while an oval shaped follicle will grow a curled beard. The oval shape gives small bends to the hair to make the curls.
If you do not straighten your beard in some manner afterwards it will stay curly. Curly beards are definitely a style that works for a lot of people, but they can be tough to groom. A bushy beard can be a hassle to untangle, but the more you avoid any sort of grooming the more tangles and knots you will have to deal with.
Of course, your own opinion of your bushy beard is most important, so if you want to change the straightness of your beard try some of these methods.
3 Ways You Can Stop Your Beard From Curling
Now that we understand why our beards tend to curl, we can look at some methods that will help get a curly beard under control.
Using Beard Styling Balm
There is no problem with using a styling product when you are trying to wrangle unruly hairs. Luckily, there are special versions of these products designed for beard hair.
After gently brushing or combing your beard, try applying a small amount of beard balm or beard butter. These will have a light feel but they may not give you a strong enough hold on your beard. If you need to manage a massive curl beast, you may want to try beard wax.
Beard wax is useful if you have need for a strong level of hold, such as if your facial hair is coarser than most. This comes with its own drawback of feeling heavy.
We Are Launching a Podcast!
Enter your email below to be notified when we launch The Gentleman’s Playbook Podcast, coming late 2021! Also, click here to see what we have in store!
Combing Beard When Wet
The best time to comb any hair is when it is wet or a little damp. So, after you get out of the shower, lightly dry your beard with a towel and run a brush or wooden comb through it. This will extend the hair to full length, and as your hair dries it will stay in the same position.
Repeatedly combing your hair in the same way every time will train your hair to keep a certain shape, which is a great way to stop your beard from curling.
Chemical Straighteners
Yes, there are ways to straighten your hair using chemicals. However, just like you probably would not want to bleach your hair yourself, if you opt for this choice, you should have a hairdresser or barber do it professionally.
Using chemicals to straighten your beard is not reversible, so be sure that you want this method before choosing it.
Can I Use a Hair Straightener on My Beard?
Even if you desperately want to keep your facial hair straight, do not try to use a regular hair straightener on your beard! It might work if you are careful, but it is a better idea to buy a miniature straightening iron.
Also, do not forget that heat can damage your hair, so make sure to put on some beard oil when you finish to keep your facial hair’s softness.
Should I Blow Dry My Beard?
When you let your hair dry naturally after a shower it becomes more likely to curl or even break. The safest option for drying is to pat your face down with a towel, but you may be wondering if you can use a blow dryer.
First of all, it is okay to blow dry your beard as long as you do not use a heated setting. Using heat to dry your beard is more harmful than simply letting it air dry naturally.
When you get out of the shower, pat your beard until it is damp, wait a few moments, and then use the coolest setting on your blow dryer after applying some beard oil. Keep the blow dryer about six inches from your face, blowing downward. You may want to use your other hand to comb or brush your beard as it dries.
Stop Your Beard From Curling
Now you should know how to stop your beard from curling! If you have any additional tips or tricks that work for you, but aren’t listed here yet, contact The Gentleman’s Playbook and let us know! We just might add it to the article.
As with anything you do to your beard, you want to make sure you’re starting with a healthy beard care routine. This helps rule out any issues your beard may have that are caused by improper care.
We Are Launching a Podcast!
Enter your email below to be notified when we launch The Gentleman’s Playbook Podcast, coming late 2021! Also, click here to see what we have in store!