Help me make my balbo behave

October 31, 2009 4:41 PM

Please help me tame my balbo.

I'm looking for suggestions for A] products that will help me make my new beard look less like a bush while I'm growing it & B] keep it under control once it's long enough to style.

The lesser problem I have at the moment is that the new growth isn't styled at all, because I'm not sure what to use. Some of the hairs are growing straight out, while some are curly. I'm going to try various hair styling products, but specific product recommendations (or other ideas, other than "shave") would be cool.

My main problem is what to do with my beard when it's long enough to style. I'd like to grow it long enough to plait or tie up or do other random stuff with, and I'm looking for ideas as to what to hold the entire affair together with. Again, suggestions are welcome as to what I could use. I'm pretty open to ideas as long as they're on the "manlier" end of the scale. I don't want to end up using one of these. ;)

posted by Solomon to clothing, beauty, & fashion (3 comments total)

I wore my beard in a ridiculous almost-waist-length plait for a while - I held the end together with an assortment of beads purchased from eBay. Decorated pewter in celticy patterns, skulls, that sort of thing. You might be able to find suitable things at the hippy stall at a market near you. It won't be terribly bushy if it's only a balbo-worth and not a full beard - you'll be able to poke the end through a surprisingly small hole, maybe 5mm or so. Scrunchies wil not be an issue.
I never found a product that did anything more useful than using the same (expensive) conditioner as on my hair and combing straight as the beard dried.
As soon as you can braid it, do so and it will grow much faster and be kept under control.
posted by nowonmai at 5:42 PM on October 31

My husband, who has a magnificent beard, just uses conditioner on it daily and combs it down while it's still damp. He doesn't use any styling products on it.
posted by bedhead at 8:02 PM on October 31

I don't really style my beard, but I do try to manage it on work days. The best recipe has been to brush it, after patting dry, right out of the shower. I use a boar bristle brush and then some of this wax. I don't think is the kind those show-beards use though. I mainly use it to keep the side-burns tame (way less amish look this way).

I will, in dry air, apply the wax more liberally on certain days. Also in the past I've used these. I find the oil more satisfying, but it leaves my beard too "shiny" (so by default I lean towards the 'beard saver'). I don't use either too regularly, only when my bears natural oils are lacking.

Also, I wouldn't over do it on the washing. I know a lot of people say to shampoo and condition it as much as your normal hair, but I find that it dries mine out, which in turn leads to a wild face mane and more random checkpoint screenings. For reference this is on a caucasian male, with about a fists length of growth.
posted by syntheticfaith at 4:21 AM on November 2