Beard VS No Beard: Know Which is Better For You

As we all know that the trend of growing out a beard for men has become more popular in the last 2-3 years. Men are becoming more and more enthusiastic about growing out a beard and styling it in many different ways. There are a ton lots of videos on youtube guiding you through how to grow a beard, style them, maintain them, etc. But is growing out a beard the only way for men to look sexy, stylish, confident?. Now, most of the men are seeing it as a requirement rather than an option.

So following this trend has created a misconception, that growing a beard for men is a must to look good and show masculine qualities. In a way, a beard can indeed make you look handsome and stylish. But there are a few conditions that you have to look into before growing out a beard. So here’s “Beard VS No Beard: Know Which is Better For You”

But before getting into that let’s see the pros and cons of growing a beard and not growing a beard.

Beard Vs No Beard

Beard	No Beard
#Pros of Beard	#Pros of No Beard
1-Gives You Masculine Look	1- You Look More Professional
2-Beards Protect Facial Skin	2- Shaving Can Give You Glowing Skin
3-Beards Protect You From Allergies	3-It makes You Look Neat And Tidy
4- Beards Keep Your Facial Skin Smooth	4- It Will Make You Look Younger
5-Beards Make You Attractive	5-It is Better During Summers
6-Beards Can Give You Unique Identity	6- Many Girls Like Clean-Shaven Men
7- Beards Can Help You Hide Facial Flaws	7-It is Easy To Maintain
8-You don’t Have To Shave Regularly	8-It Exposes your Face
#Cons of Beard	#Cons of No Beard
1-It Might Not Suit You	1-Can leave Cuts or Blemishes
2-It Might Be Unprofessional	2- Shaving Can Give You Glowing Skin
3-It Can Be Messy	3-It Can Be Messy
4-Beards Will Make You Look Older	4-It Will Make Your Facial Skin Rough
5-Beards Are Not Easy To Grow	5-Cannot Hide Facial Flaws
6-You Need To Take Care Of Your Beard	6-Not Suitable During Winters

We will be discussing each pro and con of beard and no beard in detail as we go further, we will also mention the tips to groom and maintain both like a pro. So below is your guide for – ‘Beard VS No Beard: Know Which is Better For You’-

Beard VS No Beard: Know Which is Better For You-Part-1

A Pros and Cons Debate-

Looking at the Pros and Cons of growing a beard and not growing a beard will help you decide whether to grow a beard or not. So without much delay let’s start the battle between Beard and no Beard-

First let’s star by looking at the pros and cons of growing out a beard-

#Pros Of Growing Out A Beard-

1-Gives You Masculine Look

This is the most noted benefit of growing out a beard. Many feel that a beard distinguishes a man from a boy. Beard gives you that rugged and manly look. So if looking manly is your goal then growing out a beard is the way to go.

2-Beards Protect Facial Skin

Our facial skin is more sensitive compared to the rest of the body. Constant exposure of facial skin to UV rays from the sun and other environmental conditions can have a serious effect on it. According to some sources, UV rays from the sun could also lead to skin cancer.

But if you have a beard you need not worry about all these. Because a well-grown beard covers almost 70 percent of your facial skin even up to some part of your neck. Beard acts as a natural protectant to your facial skin.

3-Beards Protect You From Allergies

Apart from protecting facial skin, beards also protect you from allergies. Your beard and mustache act as a natural filter to your mouth and nose by keeping dust particles and allergens away.

4- Beards Keep Your Facial Skin Smooth

Constant shaving can make your facial skin coarse or rough. As earlier said beards protect your facial skin from UV rays, environmental pollutants, allergies, etc. Hence the skin under your beard remains smooth and young. On the other note, beards could help you get rid of blemishes on the facial skin. Either by hiding them or by preventing them as most of the blemishes are caused due to shaving.

5-Beards Make You Attractive

Most men believe that women like men with beards. It is true to some extent because beards hide the flaws in one’s face and also helps in attaining a manly look as discussed earlier. However, not all women are attracted to beards. Every woman is not the same, each one has their own tastes, likings, and preferences. So at the end of the day, it depends on the women you are seeing.

6-Beards Can Give You Unique Identity

Beards can be your thing. They can be your style statement. It is true that beards are common these days but styling them differently from others can still make you stand out in a crowd. People might even make a note of how you style your beard thereby giving you a unique identity.

7- Beards Can Help You Hide Facial Flaws

Other noted benefits of beards are they are a great way to hide facial flaws like blemishes, acne, pimples, double-chin, improper jawline, etc. If you are worried about your face’s imperfections, then covering them with a beard could help you.

Even though there are other benefits of growing a beard these were by far the best. However, growing a beard is not all good. There are also several disadvantages of growing a beard. So let’s have a brief look at them.

8-You don’t Have To Shave Regularly

You can save a lot of time and money by not shaving. Not only that but you also need not worry about those blemishes you will have for not shaving properly. No need to buy those razors, shaving creams, aftershaves etc. All you have to do is get up and get ready for action!

#Cons Of Growing A Beard

1-It Might Not Suit You

This might sound strange but it is true, few men could look unattractive after growing a beard. Clean shave might be their thing. It is not because of growing a patchy beard. Even a full-fledged beard might not suit some men. Even though beards are believed to enhance men’s attractiveness, it might not be your thing.

2-It Might Be Unprofessional

Even though stubbles are accepted in a wide range of workplaces, people still have some resistance against full-grown beards. They are considered to be unprofessional even today. You might even lose a job interview because of your beard as the interviewer might see it to be unprofessional.

Corporate companies see beards as improper grooming. This might not be true for every company, but still, there are a few jobs for which you are expected to not have a beard.

3-It Can Be Messy

You may not feel comfortable with your beard. It can be itchy and irritating at times. Your food will constantly get stuck in your beard which can make you look unhygienic which is a major turnoff for women.

4-Beards Will Make You Look Older

As earlier discussed beard makes you look more masculine but at the same time, it makes you look much older. So if looking young is your goal then trim that beard off.

5-Beards Are Not Easy To Grow

It’s true that beards are very attractive and can make you stand out in a crowd, but a patchy beard is completely the opposite of it. A patchy beard can be very unattractive and is a major turn-off for women. But unfortunately, most men are only able to grow a patchy beard.

This is because it takes a lot of time to grow a solid beard. Hence it’s better to not have a beard than to have a patchy one. However, there are some ways to boost your beard growth even by defying your genetics! Below is the blog in which we have made a clear guide on how to boost your beard growth naturally-

https://downtownhayati.com/get-beard-growth-week-by-week-beard-growth-stages/?preview_id=2926&preview_nonce=8394f6e4b5&preview=true&_thumbnail_id=3337

6-You Need To Take Care Of Your Beard

Growing beard is the tough part after that all you have to do is let it be right? Well not really , you have to take care of it at least once a while. Improper care for beard can cause a lot of problems like -beard dandruff, uneven beard , skin problems under the beard etc.

Now let us look the pros and cons of not having a beard-

#Pros of No Beard-

1- You Look More Professional

Even though many workplaces are slowly accepting beards, still they have some resistance. A clean-shave even to this day is considered to be a professional way of appearance. A clean-shave says that you are very disciplined and that you respect the job and the things associated with it.

2- Shaving Can Give You Glowing Skin

Shaving is one of the best ways to exfoliate your skin. It doesn’t only remove hair but also gets rid of dead skin cells along with it. Hence giving you glowing skin. A clear and hygienic skin promotes beard growth. Thus it is believed that shaving helps in beard growth.

3-It makes You Look Neat And Tidy

One of the most noted advantage of clean shave is that ,it makes you look neat and tidy. That’s why most co-orporate companies want you to be clean-shaven. It really makes you look like a true gentle man. Beards are only good when they are fully grown and properly groomed. No-one likes a patchy beard. Hence it is better to go for a clean shave and look neat and tidy instead.

4- It Will Make You Look Younger

Yeah beards will make you look masculine and dominant , but at the same time they will make you look older. If looking young is your goal then its better to go for a clean-shave , unless you have wrinkles to hide. In that case beards will help more.

5-It is Better During Summers

Beads can be really annoying at times , escpecially during summers when the sun is at its full power.You have to regularly hydrate yourself and the beard as it makes your face warmer. Hence clean-shave is the way to go during summers.

6- Many Girls Like Clean-Shaven Men

Even though it’s true that a beard makes you look attractive, still there’s a large number of women or girls who prefer clean-shaven men. This is because clean-shaves show that a man is well-groomed, less aggressive, younger, and kinda cute. But at the end of the day, it depends on individuals’ preferences. So if your girl wants to cuddle you without any obstruction then clean-shave is the way to go.

7-It is Easy To Maintain

Beards need to be constantly taken care of, you have to regularly brush them, trim them, use beard oil, wash them, etc. But you can skip all these if you go for a clean-shave. All you have to do is shave your beard regularly and be done with it!

8-Exposes your Face

If you have a naturally good-looking face, then you better don’t cover it with a beard. Yeah, beards indeed make you more attractive, but that doesn’t mean it will suit you. Don’t be in a misconception that girls only like men with beards. Several girls also see cleanshaven men as attractive.

Now let us look at some of the cons of no beard-

#Cons of No Beard-

1-Can leave Cuts or Blemishes

Shaving a beard is a regular process and you can’t always depend on the salon guy for it. You by yourself have to learn how to shave properly. But despite learning how to shave you still might end up with some cuts or blemishes. Most of these cuts and blemishes will heal with time, but some might stay back making your face unattractive.

2- No Scope For Styling

This is one of the major disadvantages of no beard. Without a beard you don’t get many styling options you are stuck with the same look. Beards can also be styled according to your hairstyle. You don’t get these styling options in a clean-shave. Thus it might bore you out.

3-You Will Have to Learn How to Shave

As earlier said shaving is not an easy job and you will have to learn it by yourself. If you don’t learn how to shave properly you might end up leaving lots of cuts blemishes and uneven facial hair. In the worst-case scenario, you will have to depend on your saloon guy forever. But that won’t happen in most cases, once you give it time and properly focus on it you will acquire a gentleman skill and you are set for life.

4-It Will Make Yor Facial Skin Rough

Another major disadvantage of shaving is that, it will make your facial skin rough. Not only that but it can also infections and rashes. Hence it should be done with utmost care and right products.

5-Cannot Hide Facial Flaws

Beards work great for most of the men , because they cover up to 70 percent of the face and hide the facial flaws along with it. If you have a double chin , scars blemishes or anything then growing a beard will help you a lot. A Clean-shave cannot hide facial flaws , hence it is not suited for a vast majority.

6-Not Suitable During Winters

Beards act as a shield to your face, especially during winters. They help in keeping your face warm. It feels cozy and really comfortable to have a beard during winters. And most of the winter outfits go well with a beard.

Beard VS No Beard: Know Which is Better For You-Part – 2

Beard or No Beard Here’s How to Choose

That was a close battle right! Are you still not able to understand which is better for you? Don’t worry we are not done yet and we got you covered for this one. You can grow out beard and shave it afterwards and then compare both simple right ? ]

This would be the case if it was a choosing an outfit for the prom night. But that doesn’t work here. Why do you ask? That’s because it requires a lot of patience time and effort to grow and maintain a beard and you don’t wanna just shave it off like that just to see what’s better. Most of us are in a hurry, right?

That’s why we prepared a simple checklist to see whether to have a beard or no beard. This simple checklist will help you decide whether to grow a beard or not without actually going through the process for months and maybe wasting your potential as a clean shave guy.

So here’s the checklist to know wether to go for a beard or no beard-

• If you have a face that is extremely good-looking naturally then you usually look better without a beard. –Clean Shave

• If you have a face that is symmetrical then –Clean Shave

• If your face isn’t symmetrical-Beard

• If you have any facial flaws that you wanna cover like pimples, acne, cuts, blemishes, double chin, etc then-Beard

• Avoid having a beard if it is along your jawline. –Clean Shave

• If you are unable to grow a thick beard and if it is patchy and improper it’s better to not have it and wait for some time-Clean Shave

Now lets have a brief look at each one of these-

#1-If you have a face that is extremely good-looking naturally then you usually look better without a beard.

Now, it is not true that only the men with a beard look alpha. Even clean-shaved guys look alpha especially if they have a naturally good-looking face. Take the example of Brad Pitt who looks better without any facial hair. Even TomCruise rocks it with a clean shave.

Another myth that most men tend to believe is that girls like men with a beard. This is not completely true. Girls have a mixed opinion on this one. few tend to like men with a beard and few tend to hate it. So if you have a naturally good-looking face do not sabotage it by covering it with a beard.

#2-The Symmetry will help you choose between Beard or No Beard

The concept of symmetry plays an important role in helping you decide whether to have a beard or not to have one. People find symmetric faces attractive, most faces aren’t symmetrical. But if you have a beard, it covers half your face which means half of that asymmetry is now hidden. This is one of the reasons why most men prefer growing a beard. But if you have a well symmetrical face then be proud of yourself and avoid having a beard. But if you are just like others then growing out a beard is the way to go.

#3-Covering up the flaws

This one is easy. Most men do not have a perfect face. So If you have anything that you don’t like about your face like the jawline, acne, pimples, etc. Then you should go for having a beard. Because beard will cover most of these problems or at least make them less visible.

#4-Face Shape

The beard that you grow will make you look sexy or ugly depends on your face shape. Okay, now there are many blogs and videos out there that will tell you how to style your beard based on your face shape. But this is not about that.

This is about the specific face shapes that should avoid growing a beard. The first one is a round face shape. So if you have a round shape then try to avoid having more length on your sides. Next, if you have a rectangle face type then avoid having more length on your chin. And if you have a diamond face type keep your beard short on the cheeks and face. Finally, avoid having a beard if it is along your jawline.

Beard VS No Beard: Know Which is Better For You-Part-3

#Tips to groom a Beard and How to Get the Perfect Clean Shave

Now after you are done choosing whether to have a beard or no beard, it’s very important to follow up with a grooming routine. Because without a proper grooming routine either one of them won’t look good on you. So without wasting any more time let’s get right into it-

Let’s start with the beard. So below are the tips to groom a beard and get the maximum out of it-

#Tips to Groom a Beard

As we have discussed earlier no one likes a patchy or improper beard. Beard can be a liability rather than an asset if not groomed properly. Hence if you want to rock your look with a beard then you must follow the tips mentioned below-

1)Let it Grow-

Beards grow about half-inch a month and it can be different for each individual. Age also plays an important role in beard growth. So have a little patience and wait for it to grow completely. Don’t try to shave it or trim it when it’s patchy. Most people believe that shaving will promote beard growth but it’s quite the opposite.

Sometimes shaving will give the illusion of hair growing back quicker because the new hair is darker as it hasn’t been exposed to the sun. It will also feel sharper to the touch as you’ve sliced off the end of the hair follicles. So say no to shaving at all costs until you grow a complete beard.

2)Don’t Rub It With Bare Hands-

After the beard has grown up to a certain length, most men rub their beards with their hands and constantly prick them. Constat pricking of hair can lead to facial hair falling off, at the word case it can even lead to emptiness or unpleasant patchiness. This could ruin the entire process. 

Do this instead-Apply some beard oil and massage your beard for sometime , then use a beard comb to give it a proper shape.

Beards can get extremely itchy, especially if you’re growing one out for the first time. This is when beard oil can be very helpful to avoid shaving. Beard oil moisturizes your beard and makes sure it is clean. It protects your beard from dirt and dead cells. It makes your beard smell good. Finally, it provides essential oils for nourishment.

There are tons of beard oils out there, but here are our top picks based on quality and customer reviews and mainly the ingredients that they use.

#Bull Dog Original Beard Oil

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The best thing about bulldog original beard oil is that it is made with natural ingredients like- aloe vera, camelina oil, and green tea. It acts as a good moisturizing and softening agent for your beard. It was highly recommended by its users as it didn’t contain any artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, or ingredients.

#The Gentlemen’s Premium Beard Oil

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This one a little expensive but has been reviewed as value for money by its users. It is totally fragrance-free as a result it can blend well with other beard products. It doesn’t have any fillers, fragrances, additives, parabens, or GMOs which can be harmful to the beard. It helps you get rid of beard dandruff and makes it itch-free. The oil is quickly absorbed deep into your beard hairs, making them softer and stronger without any greasy residue or heaviness. So if you are ready to spend some amount on beard oil, then this is your go-to option.

#Artnaturals Beard and Stache Oil

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Our final pick is ‘Beard and Stache Oil” by artnaturals. The main reason this is on our list is because of its ingredients. The beard and stache oil by artnaturals contains Moroccan Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Vitamin E which can boost beard growth. It is also unscented and completely organic. The antioxidants present in this beard oil deep-cleans pores gently, making the oil safe for all skin types. This one is a must-try in beard oils because its benefits are innumerable.

3)Keep it Neat-

Once you are done growing out your beard and maintaining it with beard oil, now it’s time to properly style it. So here are the basics of styling a beard-

A)Don’t let the bead grow below your neck always trim it

B)Shave the hair on cheekbones– Take a scale and keep one end at the center of the ear and the other end at the mustache. Now shave the hair above the scale or that is on the cheekbones. You should end up with a line with a beard only below it.

C)Keep the edges neat- Regularly trim the beard at the edges of your cheeks and chin so that it looks uniform and make sure it doesn’t look like it is falling apart.

D)Use a trimmer which comes with many styling variations like the one mentioned below-

E) Select your beard style based on your face shape – Once you are done keeping the beard neat now it’s time to choose your beard style. There are tons of beard styles out there that you can try out. But here’s what pros do. Just google about the beard styles that go well with your beard and try it out.

F)Use a beard balm for styling-Now most of you guys will think that beard oil is enough for styling it, but it’s not completely true. Yes, beard oil will smoothen your grass-like beard and nourish it but it isn’t helpful for styling a beard. It is only helpful for maintaining it.

What you need to style your beard is a beard balm. They are like pomade for your beard, a beard balm gives your beard the hold and uniformity you need to style it. They are also good for overall beard health because they contain beeswax and cocoa butter.

So once you are done choosing your beard style apply some beard balm and brush it with a beard brush to give it the shape that you want. Beard balm also helps you to make your beard frizz-free and look uniform. Following is our recommended beard balm –

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There you go, so these were our tips to groom a beard. These tips will help you to grow a beard, maintain a beard and finally style it. Thus they cover 90 percent of beard science.

#How to get the Perfect Clean Shave For Men

Shaving is one of the most important grooming skills that every man should posses. It is an art. How a man shaves his beard can tell a lot about him. A perfect shave shows that you are disciplined, well roomed and a perfectionist.

Now shaving is very easy if done with proper techniques. But most men turn a blind eye to these basic tips and do it improperly, resulting in a bad shave. Not shaving properly can lead to a lot of problems like inflamed hair follicles, itching, razor burn, and ingrown hairs ( An ingrown facial hair occurs when facial hair grows sideways into your skin instead of growing out toward the surface.)

So here are the basic tips you must know to get a perfect shave-

1)Get the right tools– Before you go on and learn how to shave like a pro. First, get your tools ready. A proper shaving kit will make shaving very easy and relaxing at the same time. But if you are a man who shaves occasionally then a proper razor will do the thing. Or else it’s always better to invest in a good shaving kit that contains all the things you need.

Recomended Shaving Kit–

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It has almost everything that you require for a perfect shave hence it is our go to option

• 1 x Double Edge Safety Razor with 10 replacement blades
• 1 x 30ml Sandalwood Pre-Shave Oil
• 1 x 120ml Sandalwood Shaving Cream
• 1 x 60ml After Shave Balm
• 1 x Shave Brush
• 1 x Shaving Apron with suction cups
• 1 x Carrying Bag

2)Pre-shave checks– Before shaving you gotta check the following things-

A)Know when to shave– Now this isn’t about at what age you should start shaving. Instead, it is about when you should shave depending on your beard condition and what your goal is.

So as a general rule of thumb start shaving when you have a very little facial hair or a patchy beard.

Next shave based on your goal i.e shave every 2-3 days if you are going for a clean shave look .And shave every 3-5 days if you want a stubble.

B)Check the condition of your razor blades– Make sure that your razor blades are sharp before you go for a shave. Because if you are shaving with a blunt razor you are more prone to cutting yourself.

And finally replace the razor blades immediately if they are rusty.

C)Get the things ready – Finally get the shaving kit ready, and make sure you have a dipping bowl or a mug of water to constantly dip the razor to keep it neat.

3)Start with hot water- Once you are done with pre-shaving checks, start the shaving process by washing your face with hot water. Or you can save time by going for a shave after you shower with hot water. Now washing your face with hot water helps you because it opens up the skin pores while shaving. This helps exfoliate your facial skin and gives it a bright and clear appearance. Also, it softens up the facial hair making the process much easy.

4)Apply shaving cream-Start by applying just a little bit of shaving cream on your foam/shaving brush. Most men make a mistake in this step by applying too much shaving cream. When you are overdoing it with your shaving cream it doesn’t give you a fine shave. It doesn’t allow the blade to reach the skin and shave off those hairs that are meant to be shaved off.

So just apply a thin but even layer of shaving cream on your face. For better results you can use a pre-shave oil before you apply a shaving cream so it further softens the facial hair.

5)Start Shaving- Now while shaving it is important that you shave along with the growth of the hair for the most part.

But if your beard is slightly thicker then try shaving across or perpendicular to the growth of hair.

Finally if your beard is very thick then try shaving it against the growth of the hair.

Usually shaving once along the growth of the hair and once across it will do the thing

If it is a tricky spot like below the jaw or under the neck then try shaving against the growth of the hair. But stick to shaving along and across the growth of the facial hair for the rest.

And make sure you don’t exert heavy pressure while shaving. Just give it a gentle stroke with the razor once or twice and you are done.

6)Important rules to keep in mind- Following are the rules that you have to keep in mind to get a perfect shave –

• Don’t shave over acne or pimples
• Constantly dip the razor in the shaving bowl after every one or two strokes
• Don’t miss the tricky spots like- corners of your face, neck, under the lips, etc.

7)Post-shave routine (winding up)-Now after you are done shaving it’s very important to properly wind up. So here’s the post-shave routine for you-

• After completing shaving apply aftershave on your face. This will close up the skin pores on your face and prevent something like bacteria or infection from going in. It also gives a soothing effect after applying making shaving much more enjoyable.
• Next, dip your razor in the shaving bowl and get rid of all the hairs stuck to it, and then wash the razor under running water.
• You can go a step further and apply liquid soap to your razor and dry it well afterward
• Finally, make sure your razor is dry and store the kit in a dry place for the next shave.

That’s how you shave like a pro!

So, guys, that’s “Beard VS No Beard: Know Which is Better For You”

If you have any doubts please let us know in the comments, or you can dm us @ https://www.instagram.com/downtownhayati/ our official Instagram handle.

Thankyou!