Believe it or not, there IS more to growing a great beard and\or mustache than simply throwing your razor away and letting nature take its course. 

Sure, that sort of approach is popular for the yearly "Novembeard" participants, but if your goal is a groomable and sustainable facial bush, there are things you can do to make the process easier. Plus, you're a lot less likely to end up looking like a hobo.

Duffy's Brew Presents: 5 Awesome Tips For Building A Better Beard

1 - Understand that genetics are a factor

Not everyone possesses the same inherent beard-growing capacity as everyone else. While perhaps in some future utopia we'll be able to pick and choose our pores, in the meantime, your beard will be in large part dictated by your body and genetics.

This includes the color, maximum length, thickness, and follicle density. The latter, especially, is what decides if your beard is full or "splotchy."

You may even find yourself needing to "work around" some of these issues, depending on how your hair wants to grow. Like, personally, I have a nickel-sized bald patch just to the left of my mouth that makes a nice-looking goatee impossible. But it's no biggie, I just use styles where my mustache is disconnected from the beard.

2 - Have a plan

Like growing a good bonsai tree, a good beard should have some method to its madness. Play around with photoshop, or peruse some fashion mags or celeb websites, to get an idea about what sort of facial you'd like to have. Look for people whose head and face are shaped similarly to your own.

Also, start thinking "silhouette." Your beard could radically alter the apparent shape of your face, so aim for designs that will give you the profile you want. Rounded? Steamlined? Spikey? You'll be cutting a whole new outline.

3 - Trim even if you're going for epic

You know what separates a ZZ Top beard from a hobo beard? Trimming. Just like with hair anywhere else, too many split ends and twisted hairs will create a tangled, unkempt mess. If the goal is having a beard that's softly strokable and inviting, give it a bit of a trim every month or so.

Plus, trimming off the last half-inch or so can help encourage hair growth, as well as cutting down on itching and irritation.

4 - Grow first, then shape

One of the most common mistakes beard newbies make is trying to style their beard too early, and ending up with a splotchy mess. While your mileage may vary (see above) you should probably grow your beard out largely untouched for a couple months before doing your first shaping trim. This ensures you have enough raw material to work with, as well as giving you some room to fix mistakes in the trimming.

And, seriously, everyone has an "oops" moment and accidentally shaves off too much every now and then. Even pros. That's the nice thing about facial hair. It only takes a few days to grow back, and you can try again.

5 - Consider scissors

Electric trimmers are certainly convenient, and they can allow full beard shaping in a very short amount of time. Unfortunately, they're not very thorough, and they often mangle individual hairs rather than clipping them, creating extra split-ends.

The old-fashioned comb-and-scissor approach is more time-consuming, but it's gentler on your facial hair as well as allowing much more precise styling. (Not to mention greatly reducing those "oops" moments.)

And if you want an even better beard... Give Duffy's Brew Citra Hops oils and waxes a try!