When To Start Brushing Your Beard For Early Perfection

The thought of brushing a beard can be an exciting prospect for many men. It implies progress. So, when should you start brushing your beard? 

What we’re going to go through are the benefits of starting to brush your beard. Then, we’ll go on to why it’s also important that you don’t overdo it.

Here’s another article listing my favorite beard trimming and grooming products (including my favorite brush).

Now, let’s get started. 

Why after 3 to 4 weeks?

Brushing stubble isn’t usually the most productive use of time. 

The 3-week mark is also a notoriously awkward phase in terms of how the beard looks and feels. Running a brush through it once a day could relieve some of this frustration in more ways than one. 

4 benefits of brushing your beard

Beyond the 4 week mark, there are several potential benefits to be aware of.

1. It tames the beard

Beard hair is notorious for growing in different directions. In general, the majority of hairs within a certain area grow in the same direction. For example, downwards in the cheek beard and fore beard. 

But rebellious hairs often make the beard look untidy and patchy. 

This is visible and evident during the early stages. For example, from 3 weeks onwards. 

Brushing the beard can encourage these hairs to lie in the direction you want them to. Usually, this would be with the grain. In other words, in the general direction of the majority of hairs in that area. This makes the beard look much neater and fuller. 

The beauty of a boar bristle brush is that the bristles navigate through beard hair easily.

Over time, the beard hairs are tamed to grow in the direction you want them to.

2. It gets rid of loose hair

Running a brush through the beard has the added benefit of picking up weak or loose hairs. These hairs are most likely on the verge of falling out if they haven’t already. 

Removing them just ensures only the strong ones remain, making the beard look neater and healthier. 

It makes the awkward phase look a lot less awkward. 

3. It re-distributes oils

This refers to both beard oil and natural sebum.

Beard oil can be a nice addition to a grooming routine. Again, the 3 or 4-week mark is usually a good time. 

Brushing the beard can ensure these oils don’t just sit at the base of the hairs and collect. The boar bristles are great for uniform distribution.

Are all beard brushes the same?

Synthetic brushes are usually made of nylon and are generally considered to be inferior to boar hair brushes in a couple of ways. 

For one, they aren’t as competent at the distribution of oil.

In addition, they don’t navigate through beard hair quite as smoothly and easily as boar bristle brushes do.

When to start using a beard comb

A beard comb is best added to your grooming routine at around 3 – 4 months.

A common mistake that beginner beardsmen make is presuming that they can choose to either brush or to comb.

But you’ll probably benefit from both…

The teeth of a comb are longer than the bristles of a brush. This accounts for most of the differences in what they’re capable of doing. 

As your beard grows longer, the bristles of a brush just won’t be able to untangle or style effectively. This is particularly true of the deeper hairs that it just can’t reach.

On the other hand, untangling and styling long beard hair is what a comb does best. 

So, to summarize, a beard brush alone should be enough as your beard is growing. But, once you get to around 3 – 4 months of growth, consider adding a beard comb.

Conclusion

There are several benefits of brushing a beard worth noting. They often make the awkward phase of beard growth look less awkward.

Do you have any beard-brushing tips you can share? When did you start using one? Drop any comments down below!