If you are like most men, you’ve probably noticed some kind of discrepancy between the type of hair on your scalp and the type of hair that your beard is made of. After all, beards usually tend to consist of a curlier, thicker, courser kind of hair than the hair on your scalp…Why is this? Why do most beards tend to be curly, even when the hair on your scalp isn’t?!
That is what we plan on answering for you today! There are only really 3 main answers to this question. So, if you’re curious as to why beards are curly (and how you can manage or fix this) then keep on reading!
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Curly Beard Reason #1: Kinks In Your Beard Hair
Having kinks in your beard hair is one of the primary reasons for having an unruly or curly beard. Kinks are often caused by an interesting behavior in hair follicles, where the follicle will initially grow the hair out relatively straight before angling downwards. This leaves an awkward and unruly bend-shape in the hair that causes the hair to bow outwards as it contacts your skin (causing a puffy beard look) as well as tangling and getting caught up with groups of other beard hairs that share this characteristic.
That angle and bend in the beard hair will, over time, grow out and cause the beard to appear curly, puffy, and overall unmanaged or unkempt. But not to worry! At the end of the article, we’ll talk about some solutions to these issues so stay tuned.
Curly Beard Reason #2: Genetic Lineage
Believe it or not, most men contain a wide variety of hair follicle types all over their bodies. You’ll have a combination of curly hair, wavy hair, straight hair, and more at varying parts of your body depending on your genetic code and ethnic background. Individuals with differing ethnic backgrounds are going to face different challenges when it comes to the way their beards and hair operate with one another….or contend with one another.
If you think about it, this is the exact same reason some people tend to have more red in their beards than in their normal hair, it’s merely a genetic discrepancy.
Although it’s darn-near impossible to adjust your genetic code at home (at least not without lots of money and a team of scientists) the best thing you can do is study up on your background and ancestry for clues on why your beard may be the way it is. This won’t help you change your curly beard, but it’ll lend some perspective which is always appreciated.
Curly Beard Reason #3: Your Beard is Dry
If this is the reason your beard is curly, and you want to fix it, you’re in luck! This is the easiest problem to solve in the beard community.
Think of a brand new sponge for a second. A sponge that has never touched water before is going to be shriveled up, wrinkled, dry, crusty, and overall out-of-shape. A sponge that is refreshed with a large absorption of water is immediately going to plump up, and straighten out. Hair acts the same way.
Hair is generally porous and absorbent. Meaning it can take in and soak up moisture. In fact, hair must do this to remain somewhat healthy, hence the reason your skin secretes certain oils that allow hair to remain soft and supple. If you’ve ever taken a hot shower and stripped away those oils, you’ve probably noticed how dry, flaky, and crunchy your beard has felt if you’ve neglected to replace the oil your beard hair needs.
In the same way that a sponge shrivels up when it is dry, your beard hair does the same. Without a certain amount of moisture, your beard hair will shrink and lose its overall form, causing it to not only look curly, but to also feel quite uncomfortable as well. Have you ever seen a person with curly hair get drenched at the beach or at a pool party or something? Their hair becomes perfectly straight because the moisture weighs down the hair, soaks into the strands, and the surface tension sticks the hair together.
How To Tame A Curly Beard
Apart from trying to alter your DNA or the very nature of your hair follicles (which is almost impossible) here are some simple things you can do to manage a curly and unkempt beard.
1. Add Moisture
If you aren’t a fan of your curly beard, there are a few things you can do to manage it. The first, and easiest, solution is adding moisture.
If your beard is naturally straight or slightly curly, then adding some moisture is going to help the hair straighten out and become much more manageable. You can do that with some high quality Volt beard oil or Volt beard balm. Beard oil will add all the moisture you need, and beard balm helps you add some style and hold to your beard.
And if that isn’t enough? Volt Beard Wax is made specifically for styling a beard. It is characterized with a strong and heavy-duty hold so that no beard hair will dare wander out of place.
2. Brush Your Beard Frequently
Frequently brushing your beard actually has a few benefits. The first one is exfoliation. When you use a dedicated beard brush with natural board bristles, you are digging through the beard hair and gently exfoliating the skin underneath, where all the skin cells, dirt, and debris get trapped.
The other benefit to brushing a beard is spreading oils and moisture evenly throughout. As you brush, the flexible bristles surround the hairs and evenly spreads oils, allowing each beard hair to become softer, healthier, and straighter. This may also help train the hair to lay where you want them to in a controlled manner.
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