Beard care basics

A good beard starts with the skin underneath. Wash it two or three times a week with a mild beard wash, not your hair shampoo, which strips the natural oils and leaves the hair dry and itchy.

A few drops of beard oil on damp skin each morning keeps the hair soft and the skin comfortable, and a boar-bristle brush spreads it evenly and trains the hair to lie flat.

Shape matters more than length. Keep the neckline roughly a finger above the Adam's apple and the cheek line natural but clean. A barber's trim every few weeks holds that shape while you let the rest grow.