There are a lot of polarizing opinions about what to do with your beard during the summertime. We’re all about Beard Confidence. Many times, Beard Confidence means doing what you want, rather than forcing your beard to fit into some mold. So, we’re not going to stand on a soap box and preach that you have to do one thing or the other. 

However, we're all about keeping the Smoky Mountain Beards Family informed.

Why men grow out their beards during the summer:

Increased Sun Protection

Make no mistake about it. Your beard, no matter how glorious it is, is no substitute for sunscreen. However, hair is a physical barrier that filters out some of the UV rays your face is exposed to from reaching down to your skin. This is one reason that makes keeping your beard long and strong during the summer an excellent choice. Do you need a little help with length? Try our brand new beard growth spray. 

Staying Cool

Beards work with your body's natural defenses against extreme heat to keep you cooler. When you sweat on the non-hairy parts of your body, that sweat evaporates away. This is the entire reason for sweat, and it helps regulate your body temperature when the external temperature is high.

Your beard gives the cooling-down power of sweat a bit of a boost. The beard helps to keep some of the sweat around your face for longer. Sweat grows cool rather quickly, and it has the same effect as pouring cold water on your body. 

Here are some reasons why guys trim their beards for the summer:

Sweat

Beards are not inherently sweaty, but your beard can really weigh you down if you are a very sweaty person. We’re not talking about people who just happen to sweat a lot. Rather, we’re talking about people who have a medical condition like hyperhidrosis. If you’re in a situation where you really can’t control the amount of sweat on your face and it keeps running into your beard, you could be susceptible to skin problems. 

A build-up of sweat in your beard can cause dirt, dead skin cells, and other debris to get trapped there. That puts you at an increased risk for beard acne, skin infections, irritation, and breakouts in general. That’s no bueno for your skin or your beard. If a collection of beard sweat is an irritant for you during the summer, trimming things down for the hot months may be just what the doctor ordered. 

Style

Even if you’re camera shy, summer is the season of weddings, cookouts, pool parties, and other events that increase your likelihood of being pictured. Fads come and go. Depending on what year it is, having a short and tidy beard may be more "in" than having one that’s big and bushy. 

Especially if you're used to having a shorter beard, it may be a thing of comfort. It's much easier to style your beard at the length you're used too, and there's no shame in keeping things easier for yourself, especially during party season. 

Keep your beard long. Trim it down. Do whatever floats your boat.  Summer, winter, spring, or fall just make sure to keep your beard healthy. Maybe you use a little less beard oil in the summer, but you still need beard oil.  Being very thorough about reaching the bristles of a boar bristle brush down to your chin is exfoliation. Very gently agitating your skin with a soft cloth is exfoliation.