What to do When You Think Your Beard Sucks

We’ve all been there—standing at the bathroom mirror and thinking “maybe this beard thing isn’t for me.” Maybe it’s patchy, not the color you want, grows in clumps, or you wish you were more follically gifted. 

Sometimes beards just do what beards do—they poof out, they don’t stay down, and they don’t look like that male model’s beard that you modeled your beard after. Some days you want to shave it off out of spite because it isn't doing what you want it to. 

Well, Eric Bandholz has some advice on what to do when you think your beard sucks—because bad beard days happen. But, before you call it quits, watch the video, and then step away from the razor.  

Give it a day. 

Don’t make a drastic decision to shave your beard. If you’re thinking about getting rid of it because you’re having a bad day, give it a day or two. You'll likely come back the next day and see how awesome your beard really is. You'll look in the mirror and say, "Damn, my beard is rocking today! I look badass this morning!" You’ll be glad you didn’t shave it. 

Stop comparing. 

Your beard is your beard. Let it do its thing, man. You can look to others for inspiration, but coveting someone else's beard isn't healthy. It's all in your DNA, and you can't change it. Maybe in 100 years or so, we can tinker with that beard gene and all grow amazing beards, but we aren't there yet.

Work with your beard, not against it. 

Style and grooming are all about accenting your strengths. Your beard is no exception. We all have insecurities, and we all have features that, when enhanced, help us achieve our best look. Part of the fun of growing a beard is finding the style—or styles—that work best for you and your beard. Patchy beards can look really damn cool when paired together with the parts of your beard that grow thicker. If you grow in a full mustache, keep that up and trim your beard to a short length. Highlight the parts of your beard that are your strengths, and stay away from the negative parts. 

Grow it for you. 

Here's the thing about beards—we all grow for different reasons. Some guys grow because it makes them look cool. Some guys grow because they don't want to shave. Some guys grow because that's what nature intended. Some guys don't want head hair but opt for a beard instead. Some guys grow because they want to be a little different. Why you grow is entirely up to you. The reason why you grow will affect what you do with your beard. 

Look, man, there isn't a guy out there who hasn't looked in the mirror and critiqued his own beard, face, hair, body, or whatever. We can all find something wrong or something we wish was different. It's the experience of looking at yourself in the mirror and accepting the strengths and flaws that will get you to a better spot—being content and loving yourself. Once you look in the mirror and love what you see, the other things in your life will fall into place and set you on a pathway of success and happiness.

We all have crappy beard days, but we'll get through it.

Keep on Growing.