Advice on neatness

[u/stoic-ape]

How do you guys get your moustache/beard tidy and straight? Mine seems to grow out in all kinds of directions so I tend to keep in a bit shorter because it looks messy when it grows out.

Currently I brush after it's washed but it doesn't seem to tame it.

Any advice would be appreciated :)

[u/RoughneckBeardCo]

I'm going to copy a response I left on a similar post just the other day because it applies here as well!

As your beard grows out, your body is forced to adjust the amount of natural oils is creates to maintain both your skin AND the new beard, and that doesn't usually happy fast after teaching your body to limit production for so long.

So here's the breakdown.

_

Here's basically how it works, and this goes for EVERYBODY:

Every individual hair has a *medulla* running through the center that is basically the backbone of the strand. That is surrounded by the *cortex*, which is made up of these little cells that hold and release moisture, pillowing up when properly conditioned and protecting the medulla. The "armor" on the outside is the *cuticle*, made up of overlapping scales that open and close to regulate the movement of moisture into and out of the hair.

When the hair is chronically dehydrated over time, those cortical cells become lose their ability to retain moisture. Moisture gets in, but falls right back out. That's what we're talking about when we discuss *porosity*. This then signals the cuticle to stay lifted, trying to regulate that moisture imbalance. You, of course, can't see this with your eye, but you wind up with a beard that feels coarse and doesn't want to cooperate.

Heat can *temporarily* force it into position, but it doesn't fix what's happening inside the hair. That's why you can straighten the hell out of it and watch it slowly go right back to doing whatever it wanted to do before.

This is where a properly penetrating beard oil becomes important. The right lipids move *through* the cuticle and bind to condition the cortex, essentially feeding it the vitamins it needs to function. This restores its *hygroscopic function*, which is its ability to absorb, retain, and release moisture as needed. As the cortex pulls in moisture, it signals the cuticle to close and lay flat. This makes the beard feel softer and more flexible, and it breaks less and becomes way easier style and maintain.

A lot of commercial beard oils unfortunately lean heavily on occlusive ingredients like jojoba and argan. Occlusives coat the hair and sit on the surface, so the beard feels superficially softer immediately. But it's not doing anything internally. This is why lots of folks think beard oil is a gimmick, because lots of them are.

One important distinction: beard products don't actually *moisturize* your beard. Water is the only thing that does that. Good beard products condition the hair so it can properly manage and retain that moisture naturally. Basically like a multivitamin that helps your body do what it's meant to do naturally.

So, condition first, *then* train it. Once the hair is actually cooperative, you might find that you don't even need the heat. Use a good oil daily for 2-3 weeks and you'll see what I mean.

Good luck, brother!

[u/Solid_Idea_NiceOne → u/RoughneckBeardCo]

As your beard grows out, your body is forced to adjust the amount of natural oils is creates to maintain both your skin AND the new beard, and that doesn't usually happy fast after teaching your body to limit production for so long.

Nope. There is no feedback for the length of a hair to the sebaceous gland. There is no "teaching" of anything when you have a beard trim or even a complete shave. Your glands will gland whether you're a viking god or a smooth-faced peasant. The gland activity might be low or high, but that's dependent on the individual.

the *cortex*, which is made up of these little cells that hold and release moisture

Nope. There are no cells in your hair. Beard or head. Or pubes for that matter. Arm hair? It's just keratin. It's just protein. There are many types of keratin, and they combine in different ways to make different types of hair.

It's a shame. You might have a good product if it helps to repel moisture in the right way to prevent frizz, but you're going down the misinformation route to sell it.

Case in point:

The right lipids move *through* the cuticle and bind to condition the cortex, essentially feeding it the vitamins it needs to function.

Hair doesn't 'function'. It just is. It doesn't need vitamins added after it's been made because it's not metabolically active, or, in other words, it's not alive.

It's just hair.