How to braid a beard?

From ancient times, a beard was considered a man’s decoration as a symbol of masculinity and maturity of its owner. Over time, fashion changed, and with it, both the shape of the beard and its length underwent changes. Well, since experiments with one’s own appearance are not only for women, but also for the strong half of humanity, men tried to contribute to the decoration of the hair on their faces. One of the ways to decorate yourself and give the appearance of originality is weaving braids on the beard.

History tour

Since time immemorial, among many peoples of the world, a man’s beard has been considered a talisman that protects its owner from evil spirits and all evil. Luxurious lush multi-level beards of Assyrian men symbolized their high morality. The upper level, as a rule, was twisted, the lower one was plaited. Mustaches, tanks and part of the hair from the beard, which did not fall into the braids, curled in a special way. Beards were decorated with ribbons and other decorations.

Egyptian pharaohs wore beards made of precious metals. The pigtail on the beard was pyramidal, it was tied with a braid, and the ureus ornament was applied on top in the form of a golden snake, symbolizing immortality.

Ancient traditions were continued by more modern beard carriers - sailors and pirates of the Middle Ages. So, the notorious pirate named Blackbeard braided dozens of braids from the vegetation on his face, tying them at the ends with knots. In these pigtails, he wove tow soaked in nitrate, and during the battle he set them on fire to intimidate the enemy.

Traditions of the Northern Peoples

Let us turn to the traditions of geographically closer ethnic groups. As you know, among the northern peoples - Scandinavians, Russians, Slavs - a man’s beard was an indicator of his maturity, a matter of pride, as it symbolized his belonging to the stronger sex, as well as the connection of its owner with the gods, with nature. To chop off or cut off a beard was considered a shame for a man, therefore a similar measure was used as a punishment for the guilty.

For northerners, the beard was also a kind of amulet that protects from the cold wind and allows you to keep warm in the cold. As the song says: “The beard warms in the cold.” The thicker and longer, the warmer was its owner. However, fluttering in the wind, she was constantly confused in clothes and military equipment during military campaigns or sea raids. The beard could also become a hindrance in everyday life, while eating or doing household chores and crafts. Therefore, men tried to lay a beard, collecting it in knots, in tails, and also braiding in braids. That is why we often see images of the Vikings, as in the photo here, with pigtails on the beard.

Modern fashion trends

As you know, fashion is a cyclical phenomenon. At different times and eras, a beard periodically became a fashion trend. Today, wearing facial hair has again become popular with representatives of the strong half of humanity. And with beard fashion came fashion for various ways to decorate them. There is a version that the fashion for pigtails in a beard returned due to the release of the films “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Lord of the Rings”, as well as numerous fighters from the life of the Vikings and Scandinavian gods. Vivid images of the heroes of these films with not-so-neat beards decorated with pigtails appealed to many fans as a symbol of strength, masculinity and some brutality. So fashion returned to modern society to weave pigtails on a beard.

Who is suitable for

Nowadays, men of different ages and nationalities adorn their appearance in a similar way. Most often, the carriers of such jewelry are young men and middle-aged men - people who are not afraid of experiments with their own appearance and tend to stand out and emphasize their own individuality. Usually they are representatives of various informal movements - hippies, rockers and other representatives of the youth subculture. As a rule, those who are not afraid to stand out so radically from the general mass are brave, confident people, leaders and organizers, strong, vibrant, creative personalities, mobile and communicative.

However, the exact opposite is also possible. To stand out in this way, to attract attention can a person experiencing self-doubt and lack of communication. In this case, the braid in the beard may indicate a man’s desire to change his opinion of himself in the eyes of others.

Criterias of choice

There are currently several ways to braid a beard. The most popular of them are:

• viking style;
• Afrokos
• dreadlocks;
• Slavic weaving.

The pirate style is also relevant.

The question of how to make a beard a pigtail is very important in terms of choosing the right image suitable for each specific person. Here, an important role is played by hair color, the way of weaving, the length of the beard. To create a harmonious image, it is best to turn to stylists who will take into account all the factors that characterize the client:

• lifestyle and occupation;
• body features and body proportions;
• color type;
• face shape;
• customer preferences in clothes (style and color scheme).

Taking into account all these factors, a beard design option will be selected that is suitable specifically for this client.

Beard Compatibility

Choosing a similar option for decorating the vegetation on the chin, it is important not only to decide how to braid the braids on the beard, but also to choose the right hairstyle for her. A beard decorated with braids goes well with long hair gathered in a neat tail.

Such a beard in combination with a bald head looks rather interesting, which seems to draw attention to the brutality of the image.

Recently, hairstyles with shaved temples are considered a fashionable trend, thanks to which the head seems more elongated, and the line of the chin is visually strengthened. Pigtails on a beard of young people are especially harmoniously combined with such a hairstyle.

Another option for the actual youth haircut is the strands that are highly laid on one side, creating an asymmetric effect. The combination of shaved temples with a powerful mane on the crown, contrasting with a long beard braided in a pigtail, gives the image of masculinity and originality.

Dreadlocks

Dreadlocks or dreadlocks are strands artificially felted. To create them, you need to grow a beard as thick and long as possible. The vegetation is divided into locks, combed, felted and twisted using a special hook for making dreadlocks. They are fixed with wax, which gives the hairstyle strength and durability. The disadvantage of this weaving is that dreadlocks cannot be braided like a normal pigtail. They can only be cut.

Much safer is the use of artificial dreadlocks, which are harnesses from Kanekalon. How to weave pigtails on a beard with their help? They are intertwined with natural hair on the chin. If necessary, they are easy to remove. For weaving artificial dreadlocks, only five to six centimeters long hair is enough. They are comfortable to wear and easy to care for.

Afro-braids

A feature of braiding braids in a beard in this style is the use of bright threads and ribbons as they are braided. The valley of vegetation on the face can be any, starting from six centimeters. The duration of weaving depends on the length and density of the beard. The result of this process will be a lush colored beard, which will undoubtedly allow its owner to stand out from the crowd and leave an indelible impression on himself. The weaving process is as follows:

• vegetation is divided into small strands;
• moisten the hair and ribbons that are to be woven into them;
• the tape is doubled, the loop formed is thrown on the lock;
• weave a pigtail consisting of a strand of hair and two locks with a ribbon, starting from the very base on the chin and to the very ends below;
• the braid braided over the entire length is fixed.

Weaving weights a beard an average of one hundred and one hundred and fifty grams.

Loki

This type of braids is a cross between dreadlocks and afrokos. To create them, artificial material Kanekalon is used. There are two ways to weave them.

Method One:

• a strand of kanekalon is taken, the ends of which are fixed with an elastic band;
• the strand is combed in the form of a dreadlock;
• the dreadlock obtained as a result of fleece is folded in half and applied in the middle to a strand of beard;
• a braid is braided from this fiber and its own hairs;
• the end is fixed with an elastic band;
• the pigtail is fixed with wax.

The second way:

• a strand of hair from a beard is divided into three parts;
• a kanekalon curl is approximately three times longer than its own hair;
• add this curl to one of the parts of your own lock and weave a pigtail;
• the end is fixed with an elastic band;
• the remaining free strand of Kanekalon is wrapped around the braid along the entire length;
• the edge of the kanekalon from above is also fixed with an elastic band;
• the pigtail is fixed with wax.

Loki looks very original due to the unusual shape of the strands in the beard.

Viking style

For weaving braids in the style of the Vikings, the beard should be long, at least twenty centimeters, and thick. The number of braids in the beard can vary depending on the taste of its owner. It can be one thick braid, two or three braids, or many small and thin braids. The whole beard or its individual strands can be braided into braids. To fix the braids, you can use ordinary elastic bands, but it is better to have special stylized jewelry for these purposes - straps, metal rings and all kinds of clips.

And you can do without these accessories, fixing the ends of the braids, tying them on a knot.

If you intend to braid a beard into one braid, it is better to grow it in the form of a goatee with a pointed end. If you plan to weave several braids, you will need to grow a full beard with a shovel, which will be divided into several parts, each of which will turn into a pigtail.

How to care?

It is important for those who decide on such a hairstyle to know how to braid pigtails on a beard and how to care for them. The simplest care is the Viking-style braids. They are simply untwisted and washed with shampoo.

Caring for afro-pigs is also not difficult. They are washed with shampoo no more than once a week. Moreover, the bases of the braids and the skin of the face are washed, rubbing the shampoo with massaging movements. The braids themselves are also washed with shampoo, but in no case should they be rubbed so as not to violate the integrity of the hairstyle. After that, the beard is rinsed with water and dried. If desired, you can re-coat the pigtails with wax. In the same way, dreadlocks from Kanekalon are washed.

Dreadlocks from your own hair require more complex care. In the first month they are simply rinsed with clean water. You can wash your skin with a decoction of chamomile to prevent irritation. Further such dreadlocks are washed with shampoo in the same way as Afrokos. In such dreadlocks, broken strands and regrown roots need to be rolled up again into “sausages” and fixed with wax.