Problems With Long Beards: What Nobody Tells You Before Growing One

Everybody wants a big beard until they actually have one.

Don't get me wrong.

I've had a long beard for years, I love having it and the positives easily outweigh the negatives for me.

But there are definitely problems with long beards that nobody really tells you about when you first start growing one.

Eating changes.

Drinking changes.

Sleeping gets interesting.

Wind becomes your enemy.

You start carrying beard brushes around with you.

And sometimes completely ordinary things, like wearing a helmet, become a little more complicated because you've got a large amount of coarse hair hanging from your face.

None of these are reasons not to grow a long beard.

They're just part of living with one.

If you're thinking about growing yours considerably longer, here's what you're signing up for and how I deal with it.

Eating With a Long Beard

This is probably the first thing people ask me.

“How do you eat with that beard?”

The beard itself isn't actually the main problem.

My beard hangs down my chest. My mouth is up on my face.

I don't eat through the bottom of my beard.

The real problem is the moustache.

Once you've got a long moustache, food can:

• catch in the hairs;
• pull hairs towards your mouth;
• coat the moustache in sauce;
• get stuck around the corners;
• make certain foods considerably messier than they used to be.

Burgers are a good example.

I enjoy a burger, but trying to squash a huge one directly into your face when you've got a long moustache can result in sauce absolutely everywhere.

So sometimes I'm that guy in the restaurant eating a burger with a knife and fork.

And I'm completely fine with that.

Foods That Are Particularly Awkward With a Long Beard

Some foods are considerably more beard-friendly than others.

Burgers

Possible.

But messy.

Particularly anything loaded with:

• cheese;
• mayonnaise;
• ketchup;
• barbecue sauce;
• runny fillings.

Cutting it into smaller sections makes life much easier.

Soup

Soup and a large moustache aren't natural allies.

Unless you're particularly careful, the moustache ends up taking a dip.

Toasted Marshmallows

This one surprised me.

My wife and kids like toasted marshmallows.

I prefer them un-toasted, but one time I ended up with melted marshmallow in my moustache.

It was basically glue.

Removing sticky food from coarse facial hair isn't something they mention in the inspirational “grow a massive beard” posts.

Ice Cream and Desserts

Anything soft, sticky or creamy has potential.

You learn quickly.

Pizza

Pizza is actually reasonably straightforward if you fold it properly and keep the moustache out of the way.

There is a skill to this.

You develop it.

How To Keep Your Moustache Out of Your Food

There are two main approaches.

Trim Above the Lip

This is what I generally prefer.

I keep the central section underneath my moustache reasonably tidy.

That gives me the longer moustache appearance at the sides while keeping the immediate mouth area more practical.

Grow It Long and Sweep It Outwards

Some men grow everything.

Once the middle becomes long enough, they use moustache wax or another styling product to sweep the hairs away from the mouth.

Visually, I think that can look brilliant.

It does require more patience during the awkward stage because the hairs need enough length before you can reliably move them aside.

I've written a full guide on how to keep your moustache out of your mouth if that's becoming a problem for you.

Drinking With a Long Beard

Drinking usually isn't difficult.

Again, it's mostly the moustache rather than the actual beard.

Bottles, cans, protein shakers and cups with smaller openings are straightforward because you can position them around the moustache.

A large open glass can be messier.

And then there's beer.

A pint with a decent head on it is going into the moustache.

That's just going to happen.

Personally, it doesn't bother me.

You wipe it.

You deal with it.

You move on.

If it does annoy you, using a:

• bottle;
• narrower cup;
• reusable straw;
• sports bottle;
• protein shaker
• can make things easier.

It's not exactly a major life problem.

It's one of those small adjustments you make without even thinking about it after you've had facial hair for long enough.

Is a Long Beard Dirty?

You occasionally hear people talking about beards as though they're inherently filthy.

They're hair.

They need cleaning.

Just like the hair on your head and the skin on the rest of your body.

A long beard can certainly collect:

• food;
• sweat;
• dust;
• skin oil;
• saliva;
• environmental debris;
• grooming products.

That's why you wash it.

Dermatologists recommend regularly cleaning both facial hair and the skin underneath it.

I personally wash my beard daily with a gentle beard wash, although the ideal frequency depends on your skin, lifestyle and the cleanser you're using.

Read how often you should wash your beard for the full routine.

If your beard is clean and properly maintained, having length does not automatically make it unhygienic.

Sleeping With a Long Beard

This is one of the more unexpected long beard problems.

When your beard gets sufficiently long, you can lie on it.

Your arm can lie on it.

Your partner can lie on it.

You move your head and suddenly realise something is pulling at your chin.

I've caught mine under my arm plenty of times.

It isn't the end of the world.

But being woken because you've trapped your own facial hair isn't something I had on the list when I first started growing it.

How I Sleep With a Long Beard

When mine was shorter, I used beard bands to keep everything together.

Instead of having the full beard spread across the bed, I'd loosely secure it in several sections.

That reduced the surface area and made it less likely that I'd catch individual hairs.

Now that it's considerably longer, I'll sometimes put it into a loose beard bun.

The principle is exactly the same.

You're simply keeping the hair together rather than allowing the full length to spread around while you move in your sleep.

The important word is loose.

You don't need to wrench it tight against your face.

You're just trying to contain the length.

Wind Is a Nightmare With a Long Beard

If you live somewhere windy, you'll discover this quickly.

I live in Scotland.

Enough said.

You can leave the house with your beard:

• washed;
• oiled;
• combed;
• balmed;
• brushed;
• looking brilliant.

Then step outside.

Five seconds later it looks like you've been dragged backwards through a hedge.

That's not poor beard care.

That's physics.

Long hair moves in wind.

No grooming product is going to turn an enormous beard into a solid object.

How To Protect a Long Beard From Wind

If I'm simply walking or doing something active outdoors, I'll often tie it.

That stops the majority of the beard blowing:

• into my mouth;
• across my face;
• around my neck;
• into my jacket;
• around itself.

It also reduces tangling.

If I'm going somewhere where I want the beard loose, perhaps a wedding, event, podcast or photographs, I'll usually style it beforehand and carry something that lets me sort it once I arrive.

A compact beard brush is useful here.

Apply beard balm before leaving, then give everything another brush once you're indoors.

You won't stop the wind.

You can recover from it.

Long Beards Tangle Easily

Wind leads neatly into another problem.

Tangles.

The longer your beard becomes, the more individual hairs can:

• cross;
• loop;
• twist;
• catch;
• rub against clothing.

Your beard also spends much of the day resting against your chest.

Every time you turn your head, look down or move around, those hairs are shifting.

That's why a long beard can be perfectly combed in the morning and tangled again a few hours later.

Don't rip through the knots.

Apply beard oil if the hair feels dry, use a wide-tooth comb and work gradually from the ends upwards.

Read why your beard gets tangled so easily for my complete detangling method.

Long Beards Get Caught in Things

Once your beard reaches your chest, you start becoming surprisingly aware of machinery.

And zips.

And Velcro.

And seat belts.

And jacket fasteners.

And anything else capable of trapping hair.

This becomes automatic after a while.

Before leaning over something mechanical, I tie my beard up.

Before doing certain sports or physical work, I secure it.

I'm not interested in discovering what happens when a ten-year beard meets moving machinery.

Think about what you're doing before the beard gets involved.

Helmets Can Be Uncomfortable

This one actually connects directly to why Braw Beard exists.

Before starting the company, I raced downhill mountain bikes for fun.

I had facial hair at the time, although nothing like the beard I have today.

One problem I regularly experienced was irritation around the area where my helmet strap sat.

You've got:

• sweat;
• movement;
• pressure;
• dust;
• facial hair;
• repeated friction.

For me, that combination left the skin underneath feeling red and uncomfortable after riding.

Around that period I'd learned about blending massage oils through my sports-therapy training and had already created a hair oil for my wife.

I experimented with adapting that type of formulation for my beard.

Eventually, that experimentation became Wulver, my first Braw Beard oil.

Using oil after washing became part of my own routine because I found keeping the beard and skin conditioned made the area considerably more comfortable for me.

That's my personal experience rather than a medical treatment claim.

If a helmet, mask, protective equipment or anything else is causing persistent inflammation, broken skin or a rash, don't simply cover it in grooming products. Adjust the equipment where possible and speak to a medical professional if the irritation continues.

The Skin Underneath Still Needs Attention

The longer your beard becomes, the easier it is to forget the skin underneath.

You can't see much of it.

That doesn't mean it disappeared.

The skin still needs:

• cleansing;
• moisture;
• attention when irritated.

Conditions such as dry skin, dandruff, folliculitis and ingrown hairs can occur beneath facial hair.

If your beard is persistently itchy, don't automatically assume the actual beard hair is the problem.

Get down to the skin and look.

Persistent redness, painful bumps, sores, substantial scaling or sudden hair loss deserves proper medical attention rather than endless experimentation with beard products.

Beard Oil Becomes More Important to Me With Length

Beard oil isn't magic beard-growth liquid.

It won't rewrite your genetics.

For me, its main job is conditioning the beard hair and moisturising the skin underneath.

That becomes particularly noticeable once the beard gets long.

Long facial hair is constantly exposed to:

• weather;
• clothing;
• washing;
• movement;
• brushing;
• combing;
• environmental conditions.

I apply beard oil as part of my daily grooming routine to keep the hair softer and easier to manage.

Then, depending on what I'm doing, I'll use beard balm or butter for additional shape and control.

Grooming Takes Longer

This shouldn't surprise anyone.

More hair requires more maintenance.

A short beard can be:

wash, dry, oil, done.

With a large beard, you've got considerably more hair to:

• wash thoroughly;
• rinse;
• dry;
• condition;
• detangle;
• comb;
• balm;
• brush;
• style.

I don't think of it as a chore because I've been doing it for so long.

It is simply part of the morning routine.

But if your goal is an enormous beard with absolutely zero maintenance, you're probably going to be disappointed.

Drying a Huge Beard Takes Time

This is another one.

A massive beard holds quite a bit of water.

I gently towel dry mine rather than aggressively scrubbing it.

The aim is to remove the water without creating a pile of tangles or unnecessarily pulling at the hairs.

Depending on the beard and your routine, you may choose to use a hairdryer carefully.

If you use heat, avoid blasting the hair repeatedly at unnecessarily high temperatures.

The longer the beard, the more noticeable dryness and damage become towards the ends.

Beard Hairs Will Stick Out

You are never going to get every hair in a long beard to exactly the same length.

New hairs are continually entering different stages of their growth cycles.

Some will therefore be substantially shorter than the main beard.

Those shorter hairs can stick out.

Beard balm and brushing will control many of them once they're long enough.

Others simply need time.

Constantly trimming every hair that sticks out can keep resetting shorter hairs before they have enough length to settle into the beard.

I've covered that separately in how to fix beard hairs that stick out.

The Ends May Look Thinner

Another reality of a very long beard is that it usually becomes less dense towards the bottom.

Not every hair reaches exactly the same length.

At your cheeks, thousands of hairs contribute to the overall appearance.

Further down, fewer have reached that point.

At the very end, you may have a much smaller percentage of your total beard contributing to the shape.

That creates natural tapering.

You can trim it back to a denser point if fullness matters most.

Or you can accept the taper and see how long the beard will grow.

I chose length.

Read why long beards look thinner if that is something you've noticed yourself.

People Will Comment on Your Beard

Grow a sufficiently noticeable beard and apparently it becomes public property.

People will tell you:

• to cut it;
• to shave it;
• what shape they'd prefer;
• that it must be uncomfortable;
• that it must get dirty;
• that they'd never grow one;
• what their partner thinks of beards.

Most people are sound.

Some are genuinely interested.

Others appear to believe they've been appointed to your personal grooming committee.

You get used to it.

If you like your beard, grow it the way you want.

You'll Become “The Beard Guy”

This can happen too.

People remember you because of the beard.

Someone you met once six years ago may recognise you immediately.

People ask beard questions.

Children stare at it.

Random men ask how long it took to grow.

Someone inevitably asks what happens if you shave it off.

It becomes part of how people recognise you.

For me, obviously, that's been amplified because I've spent more than a decade running a beard-care brand.

But extremely long facial hair is distinctive.

That's part of the fun.

Is Having a Long Beard Worth It?

For me?

Absolutely.

Everything I've described is a minor inconvenience.

Eating requires a little adjustment.

I tie the beard to sleep.

Wind makes it look mental.

It needs grooming.

Sometimes it catches on things.

None of that comes close to outweighing why I enjoy having it.

It's part of how I look.

It's part of my identity.

I've had facial hair for such a large part of my adult life that being clean shaven would feel considerably stranger than dealing with a bit of beer froth in my moustache.

The inconveniences simply become normal.

Should You Grow a Long Beard?

If you want one, yes.

Don't let somebody else's list of minor inconveniences put you off.

Just understand what you're getting into.

Growing a large beard is a long-term project.

You'll need:

• patience;
• consistency;
• a sensible grooming routine;
• acceptance that it won't always look perfect;
• willingness to work around its length.

And you'll probably need to start eating certain burgers with a knife and fork.

That's the sacrifice.

My Basic Long Beard Survival Kit

After years of living with a large beard, the things I'd want around are simple:

A Gentle Beard Wash

For keeping the hair and skin underneath clean.

Beard Oil

For conditioning the hair and moisturising the skin.

A Wide-Tooth Comb

For removing tangles without forcing closely spaced teeth through coarse hair.

A Beard Brush

For distributing products, shaping the beard and adding volume.

Beard Balm or Butter

For controlling flyaways and providing light hold.

Beard Bands

For sleeping, exercise, wind and anywhere else I need to contain the length.

Nothing particularly complicated.

You don't need an entire bathroom cabinet of beard products.

You need the right tools and a consistent routine.

Final Thoughts

There are problems with long beards.

Eating can get messy.

Your moustache ends up in drinks.

You can trap the beard while sleeping.

Wind destroys it.

It tangles.

Helmet straps and other equipment can irritate the skin.

Grooming takes longer.

And eventually you start carrying beard brushes around like that's completely normal.

But you adapt.

That's the bit people miss.

After a while you don't think:

“How do I live with this enormous beard?”

You just live with it.

You tie it when you need to.

You brush it when the wind destroys it.

You alter how you eat certain foods.

You keep it clean and conditioned.

And you enjoy having the beard you spent years growing.

For me, the positives massively outweigh the inconveniences.

Otherwise I'd have shaved it off years ago.

Feel the difference and join the #Brawtherhood

Scottish beard care.
Born in Scotland, enjoyed Worldwide.

P.S. Use code – brawblog – at www.brawbeard.com for 10% off

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