Home » Awkward Beard Phase: What is it and 5 Tips to Overcome it

Awkward Beard Phase: What is it and 5 Tips to Overcome it

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The most awkward beard phase in any man’s beard-growing journey is the first few weeks. You’re not used to it yet, and your facial hair almost feels foreign on your face. It might even itch or be prickly if you have coarse hair. You might also receive some negative comments about your new short beard during this phase, even from your friends and family.

But before you take the razor and shave it completely, please read this article.

It will help you get through this stage with some tips that may seem obvious but are worth mentioning! 

What is the Awkward Beard Phase?

The awkward beard growth phase (aka the awkward stage) is the two weeks to one month that comes after the first two weeks of facial hair growth, during which time you will have short facial hair and may experience some discomfort or awkwardness.

It is called the awkward beard stage or phase because you’re not sure how to act because this new facial hair is foreign on your face after years without it. Second, you might receive some negative comments about the beard from friends and family during this first beard growth phase. And finally, you might feel the dreaded beard itch because your facial hair is coarser than it will be after a few months.

How Long Does The Awkward Phase Last?

The awkward beard growth phase typically lasts only two weeks to one month, depending on the kind of beard style you want and how fast your beard grows. If you go for a full beard, you can expect it to last a little longer before you move to the next beard growth stage. Depending on your beard growth rate, a full beard needs somewhere between three to six months. So you should need to be determined and patient. Sometimes you will be tempted to shave, and it’s easy to choose shaving over discomfort in this first beard stage.

But please don’t shave; you’ll be disappointed if you do. Instead, follow some of the tips below. They have worked for first-time beard growers in the past, so you might as well try them.

First awkward stage

What can you do to get through this first awkward stage?

First of all, try not to act differently just because of the facial hair. Remain true to who you are, and don’t let something so trivial affect you too much. Keep reading because we are going to share some practical tips that will help you during the awkward beard stage.

Don’t Shave or Trim

As we mentioned above, the urge to shave will be strong in this beard growth phase. But don’t do it!

For some men, the urge to shave can be so strong that they end up shaving their facial hair when it’s only one month old. This is a big mistake because you have spent all this time growing your beard just to ruin it in one moment of weakness. 

The second common mistake people make during this phase is trimming because they want to style their beards. It is a bad idea to do this because, at this beard stage, you have no idea how your facial hair will grow in the coming weeks and months. Just let it grow naturally, and don’t touch the trimmer or razor for two months.

Fight the Itchiness

Itchiness is the number one problem during this phase. It can be so bad that you will start imagining that something is crawling on your face. But don’t worry, this is a normal sensation that happens to most men during the first few weeks. If you have allergies or sensitive skin, this will be even more severe, so be prepared.

There are two reasons that cause itchiness. The first one is that when you shave, you cut the hair at a sharp angle, creating little splinters on the edge of the hair. These splinters irritate your skin when they begin to grow back.

The other reason is that your skin dries out because it is not used to this new layer of hair and the oil it used to produce is not enough.

You can add several things to your beard grooming routine to minimize itchiness and discomfort.

Use Beard oil

The first thing to do is to use a high-quality beard wash that moisturizes your skin and beard hairs. Now that you have facial hair, you should use a beard shampoo because regular shampoos will strip the sebum oil from your skin and beard hairs. This causes dryness and that feeling of itchiness. If you don’t have a good beard shampoo, we recommend  Professor Fuzzworthy’s Beard Shampoo.

The second thing you can do is use beard oil to hydrate your skin. Beard oil is a mixture of carrier oils and essential oils. You can buy beard oil or make it yourself at home, but if you are not sure how to do it, the second option is better. We recommend Smooth Viking Beard Oil if you decide to buy one.

If you don’t like the feel of beard oil, you can use beard butter. The difference between these two beard grooming products is their consistency. Beard butter is thicker, so it offers more hydration to your skin, keeping it moisturized throughout the day.

The third thing you can do is drink lots of water because dryness creates itchiness. Drinking enough water will keep your skin well hydrated, which minimizes itchiness. Furthermore, you have to maintain a healthy diet because the healthier your skin, the less prone it will be to dryness.

A guy contacted us and told us that a humidifier helped him go through this phase, but we think it’s a little bit too much to buy one just for this phase. But if you have one already, you can take advantage of it and see if it helps.

Don’t Care About The Negative Comments

It is common during this phase to have people tell you that your beard looks bad. They may say things like “you look like a caveman” or “you should shave.”

These comments can get in the way of your self-confidence and make you feel insecure about your appearance but don’t pay attention to them. All you should care about is how you feel about your own beard.

You shouldn’t care what other people say, especially when it is negative. They can think whatever they want but this doesn’t mean that you should care about it.

If you start thinking about their comments and become insecure about your appearance, then they win because they made you give up on your beard.

Keep growing and ignore everyone who says anything negative about your beard.

It is always better to believe in yourself instead of trusting other people. After all, you know what is best for yourself.

Facial hair obsession

Don’t get obsessed with your facial hair

Some guys start to obsess over their beard and check it constantly. They run their hand through their beard a thousand times a day, looking at how much it has grown since the last time they checked.

This is not so good because it causes stress and anxiety. You shouldn’t care too much about your beard because that will only create negative emotions, which end up hurting you instead of helping you.

Time goes by fast, so there is no need to obsess over it. Just let it grow, and if you want to take a look at how it’s doing, check it once in a while.

If you can’t stop thinking about your beard hair, maybe it is time to finally start that hobby you have been thinking about for a while or start working out if you don’t do it already.

Conclusion

The awkward stage is a rite of passage to the glorious full beard for all beardsmen. If you are going through this beard stage, we hope this post helped quell some of your anxieties about what to expect during those “in-between” weeks and create a healthy beard grooming routine. But if you have never grown a beard, fret not! We have provided you with plenty of things to add to your beard grooming routine and deal with it! Have questions? Hit us up in the comments below. We want to hear from YOU!!

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