No matter who you are, if you’re a guy with a beard, proper grooming and upkeep is a must. This means actively washing your beard, applying oils/butters/waxes, trimming it when need be, etc. This might seem like a lot of work at first, and while it sort of is, it’s important if you want to have the healthiest and best-looking beard that you can. If you don’t maintain these regular grooming tactics, a very possible annoyance you’ll need to deal with are beard split ends.
Split ends occur as a result of improper grooming/maintenance, and they’re never a fun thing to deal with.
However, they’re quite easy to avoid.
Also sometimes referred to as beard breakage, split ends on your beard is something that’s very much so under your control. It’s easily avoidable as long as you do the things you should for growing a happy and health beard, and today, we’re going to be talking about everything there is to know about damaged beard follicles.
Whether you want to know the causes of this, how to stop it, or how it occurs in the first place, this is the guide for you.
Why In the World Do Split Ends Happen?
Whether you’re talking about beard or mustache split ends, understanding why this happens will make it much easier to ensure that you prevent them from popping up ever again once and for all.
There are a few different reasons why you might encounter split ends with your facial hair, and we’re going to briefly talk about all of them:
Your Beard Isn’t Getting Enough Sebum Oil
At the root of every beard follicle on your face, there are things called sebaceous glands. These glands are very, very tiny, and they produce sebum oil. Sebum oil is essential to properly
When the oil your body provides decreases, your beard will consequently not get the same amount of sebum oil that it once did. As a result, you’ll get a beard that’s dry and riddled with split ends.
As your beard grows longer and longer without the proper sebum oil that it needs, it’ll become even more
Facial Hair Coloring
Facial hair coloring can be effective for hiding grey hairs throughout your beard, but you might want to think twice before you do this.
The chemicals often found in these dyes can easily damage your facial hair, and if you’re applying the coloring to your beard or mustache on a regular basis, the damage is going to be even more noticeable.
There are some more natural facial hair coloring products that you can try, but if you want to be as safe as you can, we advise steering clear of these altogether.
Watch Your Time With the Blow Dryer
You just got a good shower, you need to get ready for work, and you’ve got a soaking wet beard to deal with.
What do you do?
Some guys will simply go for a towel, but there are others that will plug in a blow dryer and take that route.
Will the blow dryer dry your beard? Yes, definitely.
However, in that same sweep, it’ll also dry out the whole shaft of your beard follicles — if you use it too often or excessively.
We aren’t advising to skip the blow dryer entirely, but simply keep an eye on how often or long you’re using it when you do. Excessive use with a blow dryer can cause for your follicles to get dried out, and when this happens you end up with pesky split ends.
How Can You Prevent Beard Split Ends?
Now that we know how split ends occur, what can we do to prevent them from happening in the first place?
One of the best things you can do for preventing split ends is by regularly brushing or combing your beard. We have an entire article going over how to comb your beard and the differences between brushing and coming, but we’ll briefly mention the important bits here.
If you're a guy with a thick beard, you’ll find the most success with a comb that has a thicker gap in between the teeth. Using a brush will give your beard a more natural look, and opting for the comb will make it look more styled.
What most guys end up doing is using a combination of both a brush and comb. The comb can be used to get out any knots in your beard, and you can then use a brush to get it back to its natural state.
In addition to the regular combing, we also recommend investing in beard
How Often Should You Trim Up Your Beard?
If you’re currently struggling with split ends and want to get rid of them ASAP, the best way to do this is by trimming your beard.
We understand this might not sound all that appealing if you’re trying to really grow out your beard, but you don’t have to go too crazy. Just trim up the ends of your hair, and then let it grow out while properly taking care of it this time around.
As for how often you should trim your beard, this all boils down to your own preference.
Some guys like to trim their beards as often as they can, but others will do it less often on a weekly or every other week basis.
There’s no right or wrong answer here, so feel free to experiment with a few different frequencies and see what works best for you.
Final Thoughts
Split ends aren’t something that any guy looks forward to dealing with, but as you can see, avoiding them is rather easy. As long as you make time for proper beard grooming and know what to do to avoid the likeliness of split ends from cropping up, you’ll be golden. None of this is rocket science, but more of being responsible for your beard/mustache. Follow the tips listed on this guide, and split ends will be a distant thing of the past!
