If you’ve recently grown a beard and realized that it doesn’t look as good as you would hope it to look, there might be a solution for it.
Would Beard Beads be something that could solve your problems?
Probably yes! Beard beads can significantly elevate your beard game and make you and your beard look awesome!
In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about beard beads, how to use beard beads, the best styles and types that you can choose from, and much more!
Let’s get started!
What Are Beard Beads?
In definition, beard beads are a decorative piece that the Vikings used to thread through their facial hair back in the day. We have no clear evidence why Vikings used beard beads, but the most logical explanation is to keep their beard away while battling or pillaging various villages.
They would also put beads on their hair.
All in all, customizing facial hair is nothing new as it has been around since Ancient Egypt.
The reason people put beads on their beards in the modern’s world is primarily to look way cooler. Using some of these can make your beard look fantastic and even more intimidating.
Types Of Beard Jewelry
Beard Rings are actually something that you could almost put on your finger. The main difference between finger and beard rings is that beard rings usually come in much smaller sizes.
Beard Beads are very similar to beard rings, and the difference between the two is that beard beads are taller than beard rings. That’s why they work better with thicker and longer beards in general.
Khal Drogo is just one of the movie characters that would make beard beads look amazing.
But there are plenty more, such as Jack Sparrow, Dwarves from The Lord of The Rings, and you will also use these if you want to look like Vikings.
Read Also: Johnny Depp Beard Styles
How Long Does A Beard Need To Be To Put Beard Beads?
This is one of the essential things regarding beard beads. Having the correct length is crucial. You can’t just put the beads on your beard if it’s only an inch or two long or if it’s patchy.
Your facial hair needs to be at least 3 or 4 inches long so you can customize at least one bead on it. You will need to have a full and long beard for something like this.
This is probably the only con regarding beard beads, as many advantages come with them. We will go through them later on.
How To Use Beard Beads Step By Step
- Wash and dry your beard
- Comb your beard.
- Get a thread and make a loop
- Pass this through the bead
- Hold the loop and place it all the way to the exact point that you want your bead to be.
- Then, simply pull the bead towards the loop.
Before the process of putting the beads on your beard, the ideal situation would be if your facial hair is already shampooed and dried. Using various natural softeners could also be the way.
The beard needs to be as soft as possible before applying beads to it.
After that, you’ll want to either comb or brush your beard for several minutes. Of course, you don’t need to do it for too long, but the best way to apply the beads is if the facial hair is as straight as it gets. But still, just a few minutes of brushing should be just fine.
You’ll also want to tie off a part of your beard. Just grab a piece of your beard where you would like to put the bead, and apply a beard tie there to stop it from fraying.
There’s also an option of using quick beaders for this process, but most people don’t have them. Using a thread will do just fine.
Just take the thread to make a loop, and use the top of the loop to stick it through the bead. Grab the part of the beard you want to use and place it inside the said loop. While pulling the bead toward your beard, pull the string in the other direction, which will finish the job for you.
The last step will be to position the bead exactly where you want it to be. This step is only up to you, and you will be able to place the bead almost at the edge of your beard as well.
Removing a beard bead is a pretty easy task, as you’ll only need to pull it down, and it will come right off.
Beard Styles with Beads – Ideas
Using various beard beads could be a fantastic way to put your creativity to the test. There are several ways you can make your beads look badass, and we’ll go through them.
- Dreadlocks
Making your beard look like dreadlocks with beard beads or rings is a fantastic way to customize your beard. Placing several beads or rings at different beard lengths is an excellent way to make your facial hair look like dreadlocks. It’s not something you see every day, and it will definitely make you stand out from the crowd.
- Braided Beard Beads
Braiding your Beard is definitely one of the most popular ways when it comes to customizing your facial hair. A long and thick hair will be required for a braided beard. Beads instead of elastic bands will make your beard look epic.
The best option here would be to use a beard bead to hold the end of your braid.
Types of Beard Beads
There are lots of choices regarding beard beads in general. People will usually look for something that a Viking would wear on his beard.
There are many choices to choose from, but this is probably the main one, as it’s what people first think of when they picture beads.
Another choice would be to use various pirate beads. There are lots of beads on the market in the shape of a skull. If you’re going for that Jack Sparrow look, this is definitely one of the best choices for it.
There are also dragon beard beads that could be related to the dwarves of the Lord of the Rings, but they don’t have to be. They’re also fantastic if your plan is just to look cool.
How To Braid Your Beard?
Instead of putting beard beads on a ”straight” beard, you have the option to also put beard beads to hold and decorate braided beards! This is actually very usual.
The first step regarding braiding your beard would be to make each strain you’re about to use silky smooth. A great way to do so is by applying oil to the facial hair. This will also make your beard less dry.
You can also read our full guide on how to braid a beard, here.
Afterward, you’ll want to separate the beard into three sections, hold the right section in your right hand, the left section in your left hand, and the middle one should just hang off your chin.
You should start braiding by placing the right section over the middle one, ultimately making it the “new” middle section, and the middle section will now be the right one.
Now you’ll want to put the left section over the “new” middle section, switching their places by doing so.
This is one loop that you’ll want to go over and over until you reach the edge of your beard. People usually use hair ties at the edge, but the beads will come in place in our situation.
Is The Quality of Beard Beads Important?
As with most stuff, quality will indeed make a difference, and if you want your beard beads to last, you’ll want to get the higher-quality ones.
If you like changing beads a lot, then quality wouldn’t really matter as you wouldn’t be wearing the same ones all the time, which is not a bad thing.
High-quality beads will usually come from skilled artisans that put all of their time into making beautiful and long-lasting handmade beard beads for our desire.
The lowest-quality beard beads are most traditionally made out of plastic, while the highest-quality ones are most likely made out of metal.
What To Do Before Placing Beard Beads
You should always look to use the highest-quality beard grooming kit before applying beads to your facial hair.
I mean, this should pretty much be the base rule regarding beard in general, but making each hair strain strong will help you with beads as well. This is also important if you’re planning to braid your beard.
Maintaining the shape of your beard by trimming regularly is another crucial thing here. You don’t want to have split ends when applying beard beads, and this is a way to prevent it from happening.
We should also mention that wearing your beard jewelry too tight on the base of your facial hair is a bad move.
By doing this, you could also pull out some of your beard from your skin, but it could also get itchy and annoying there. If you already got to that point, applying a moisturizer to that spot will definitely make the pain diminish quicker.
Beard Beads Frequently Asked Questions
Can Everyone Wear Beard Beads?
Well, there are two very different answers to this question since it’s not specified. Ultimately, pretty much everyone with a decent enough facial hair length of 3 or 4 inches could wear beard beads.
On the other hand, if you’re asking about cultural appropriation, that won’t be a problem. You don’t have to be of Scandinavian descent to wear beard beads. Give it a try. No one will get offended.
How Do Beard Beads Stay In Place?
This isn’t really as complex as some people are expecting. Beard Beads will stay in place because their holes are so tight, and only the friction between the facial hair and the inside of the beads will keep them in place. However, if you want it to be more secure, you can place silicone hair ties where you were planning to apply the beads.
Conclusion
Beard beads are decorative pieces that we can on our beards. You can put them on a braided beard which in my opinion is the best option.
Read Also: Viking Braided Beards
Beard beads come in different sizes, colors, and designs.
The process of placing a beard bead on your beard is very fast and easy if you have tried it 1-2 times. It literally takes seconds to do.
And…. that’s it for today!
I really hope you learned some new stuff and found our article interesting and helpful.
If you have any comments or questions feel free to write them in the comment section below and we will be more than happy to answer.
Until next time,
Stay safe,
Tasos
Tasos Moulios is the founder of Beardlong. He loves trying different beard and hair styles and blogs about them. The tips he shares come from his own experience and love for what he does.