Keeping a long beard isn’t all that simple, it requires a lot of grooming and maintenance and you must look after your beard with the same diligence that one shows to a plant.

Here are some of the most horrid mistakes bearded men make and end up ruining their glorious beards:

1.  Lack of Cleanliness

The cardinal rulebook of beardedness stresses the essentiality of cleanliness, from the strands of your beard to the tools you use to groom it, everything should be kept neat and clean. A filthy beard filled with dirt and dust is the last thing you need, and if the tools are also unclean, your skin will end up suffering a horrible infection. So, be sure to cleanse, exfoliate and wash your beard twice a day without any irregularities.

And do the same for your beard grooming tools, your combs, brushes, clippers and all other equipment should be washed with a tiny amount of alcohol to get rid of the bacteria. Then, pick out all the leftover hair strands in the brushes, and be sure to rinse all your wooden grooming tools with water right after using.

2.  Post Dinner Wash

When you have a long and thick beard, all the saucy burgers, meatball spaghetti and greasy BBQ sizzlers that you eat tend to leave their tiny remnants plastered within your beard, and when it comes to liquid and alcohol spills, they are truly the worst. Therefore, it is essential to make a habit of rinsing your beard thoroughly right after devouring those delicious dripping hot meals.

Food that gets trapped in the beard creates a horrid foul odor, especially dairy products, which tend to spread the smell all over the facial area, particularly moustache and can only be gotten rid of after a steamy hot shower. If these food particles aren’t taken out on time, they give birth to skin infections, itchiness, irritation and acne.

3.  Horrible Shaping Techniques

If you can’t seem to create an even chin-strap, your extended sideburn looks more like a cheek burn, or your neckline seems to have stretched all the way up to your cheek, you seriously need to stop shaping your beard yourself. The curves and shape of the beard must be created to flatter the shape of your face, and if you haven’t mastered the accurate angling techniques after all these years of growing a beard, just let a professional do it for you. Why ruin a good thing?

4.  Moisturize Religiously

Like your scalp hair, your facial hair also needs its nourishment, and its fair share of essential oils, vitamins, proteins and minerals. So, don’t fail to take out a little bit time to give your beard a nice pampering session every day.