Throughout history, men have been growing beards. In fact, learning to groom their facial hair is one of the things that separated them from their more primitive ancestors. The benefits of growing a beard have changed throughout the millennia, but in the past few decades, the look has come back in vogue in full force.

Growing a beard is something all men should try at various points in their lives. It’s shocking to let it grow out in manhood and realize how well it grows in. Beards are an amazing way to shape your appearance, adding a unique stamp to who you are. When a man can grow or pull off a look, it can become their signature, and becomes a defining part of their identity. However, you can also play with the style, adding variety to your look for different occasions.

There are many benefits of growing a beard that is far more nuanced than you’d commonly realize. Surprisingly, beards offer some health benefits in addition to adding style and substance to your appearance.

This may sound incredibly far-fetched, but beards can act as natural air filters. Trees have a similar effect by catching dust particles and pollutants and removing them from the air. Your beard, if it’s grown thick enough, will catch the microscopic particles in the air around you and reduce them as you breathe.

If you have seasonal allergies, this will be highly beneficial to you. Your beard will catch the pollen and pollutants that irritate you during the spring and fall (or whenever you have allergies), which will reduce your symptoms.

Believe it or not, this idea has stuck for over a century when British doctors in the late 1800s prescribed growing beards to lower the risk of tuberculosis. While this theory towards germs hasn’t held up well over the years, it’s an interesting look at the prevalence of this idea.

That said, for your beard to properly filter allergens and dust from the air, it’s important to wash your beard regularly. If it stays dusty, you’ll be inhaling the allergens regardless. Similarly, if you have asthma, this will help you breathe better throughout the day.

Your skin will thank you if you grow a beard and keep it healthy. Beards will store moisture in your skin, keeping it healthier and less dry. In part, this is because, without the need to shave, you’re avoiding the harmful effects that come from shaving.

However, you’re also protecting your skin from some of the seasonal conditions that work on your skin. Winter weather takes moisture from your skin, which beards will protect you from. Beards can also be reflective of the sun’s rays, which protects your face from the summer sun. Both of these circumstances are harmful and dry out or otherwise harm your skin. A beard will protect your face for long-lasting skin health. That translates to more comfort throughout the year, but its long-term effects are also highly beneficial. Developing fewer wrinkles later in life is just another of the benefits of having a beard.

Aside from having better overall skin health, beards also reduce the amount of acne you’ll have.

This can be for a few different reasons. Beards require maintenance, and the act of keeping your beard healthy will also cause you to have less acne. However, it also provides a better layer of protection against the natural bacteria on our skin that causes acne. The hair in your beard spreads out these bacteria that will more easily cause acne otherwise.

Another possible cause for this is that shaving can cause acne to develop. Shaving tears on the skin, which creates openings for the bacteria on your skin to get into the skin, thus causing acne to develop.

Okay, you’ll probably have to shave a little bit. After all, you’ve got to keep those beard lines crisp. You won’t have to shave nearly as much, though.

Shaving has a lot of negative effects on your skin that you’ll avoid by having a beard. Shaving is incredibly tough on your skin, causing razor burns and acne, as well as cuts on your skin if your hand slips just a little bit. Putting in the effort to prevent these negative effects is time-consuming and expensive.

Having a beard will cut down the amount of time you need to spend shaving, as well as the amount of product you need to keep your skin healthy. Trimming your beard doesn’t have to be done as frequently, only about every 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the beard you have.

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Beards are fantastic balancers for your age. Usually, when men are old enough to grow a beard, they’re still fairly young, in their 20s, and often still look very young. However, growing a beard will make you look far more mature for your age. This will help you stand out and create a much more distinguished, mature look.

However, once you reach the age that you look like an adult, your beard will make you look younger. Partly this is because of the health benefits it provides for your skin. You’ll develop wrinkles far less quickly.

Once your beard starts going grey, the cat will be out of the bag. But then you’ll benefit from that refined, salt and pepper look.

High rates of sun exposure cause spots on your skin, gives it a more leathery appearance, and increases wrinkles. However, having a beard can offer protection from the sun, depending on how thick they’re grown in. Sun protection reduces your risk of skin cancer, as well as sunburn.

Naturally, this only works if your beard grows thick enough. A full beard can block out up to 95% of the sun’s UV rays. Furthermore, beards are reflective agents, so it’s not like it’s only absorbing the sun’s rays before they get to your skin. They’re actively reflecting the sun’s rays, providing further protection. This operates similarly to how football players paint black lines under their eyes.

When winter weather comes, you use your coat to keep warm as the weather drops. Having a beard acts similarly. It’s a protective layer for your face, adding a layer of insulation that helps keep your skin from losing as much warmth. While this isn’t the main purpose of beards, it’s definitely an added benefit to having one. If you have to spend a significant amount of time outside this winter, whether you work outside or are commuting, growing a beard will help keep you comfortable throughout the season.

Not only that but looking cozy in a sweater is a whole lot cozier when you have a beard too.

Furthermore, your beard will keep your skin healthier during the winter, as well. Cold air causes your skin to tighten and dries out your pores. That’s why your lips get chapped and your knuckles crack. The same thing works on your face, though not nearly as dramatically. Your beard keeps your face warm throughout the season, and in doing so, it keeps your skin moist. Skin’s moisture is what keeps it healthy, and it’s what keeps you looking young.

Having luscious, well-maintained beards are a great equalizer of manhood. When grown well (and maintained) they highlight your facial features and accentuate the positives while detracting from any negatives.

What this boils down to, is growing a beard gives you more confidence in your appearance. Partially, this is because having a beard that looks good makes you look good. When you look good, you’ll feel better about yourself.

However, there’s another layer to it, which is that growing a beard requires work. Putting in the effort to care for and maintain your beard will make you prouder of it. That pride in your appearance will make you far more comfortable with yourself and who you are, which then translates into more confidence.

Confidence itself will bring you a ton of benefits. For one, it does wonders for your mental health. Having confidence and self-esteem is associated with lower rates of depression and better emotional well-being. We’re not going so far as to say that growing a beard will resolve any mental issues you may have, and it’s best to seek treatment for any issues you may have. But it’s important for people to feel good about themselves, and growing a beard maybe something to help you feel better about who you are.

Being confident in who you are will make you more powerful and more successful. Deciding to grow a beard could be the new chapter that brings you to that success.

Growing a beard, and maintaining it is a big investment. After all, there are hundreds of men out there who have had their beard for so long they can’t remember life without one.

Beards offer men an opportunity to craft their facial hair in a way that highlights who they are, while also heightening their appearance. There are dozens of different ways to style your beard aside from just growing a full beard.

Why not try a mens beard dye and give your beard a playful look? Or better yet, stick to the classic jet black dye!

Beards also alter people’s perception of you. Men with beards are perceived as being both more masculine, as well as having better parenting skills. Men with beards are also perceived as having better personalities, being more competent, as well as being more composed than those who are cleanly shaven.

Having a beard makes you more confident and exudes confidence in others, and having additional health effects is just an added bonus.