As a man, it's more than likely you will have thought about growing a beard at some point in your life.

Most of us have certainly tried to do it too. For many who have attempted, it may just not have worked out the first time. You were young, you were silly and it truly did look awful didn't it? Getting back on the horse further down the line however is something that we truly advocate. Any man with the ability to grow even the finest facial hair should give it another go - staring up in admiration at those already stood at the top of the furry-faced mountain with their flags firmly pitched.

Beards enhance confidence, allow men to stand out and can even define careers. They unite men socially - have done for years and essentially represent a right of passage in the marathon that is life. It is something that some manage to achieve seemingly easier than others. This is, however by no means due to a natural difference in hair type or skin tone as commonly believed. As you will soon discover, it is all down to a crucial difference in approach and attitude.

Treat this guide by our Master Barber Alex Glover  as the essential lifestyle propaganda that it is. This gentlemen, in assured writing, is how you grow a beard...

If you’re looking to start growing a new beard, be sure to start from nothing. Set aside some time and have a proper shave so that your skin is fresh and well treated. This will minimise any early signs of irritation or underlying skin problems.

Remember that thorough preparation is crucial in regards to how your skin will respond to your blade. Before shaving you should wash your face using Cleansing Facial Wash to cleanse pores of excess oils, dirt and dead skin. After gently drying your face, applying Pre-Shave Oil will help soften the beard and nourish the skin ahead of applying your Shave Cream lather and beginning to work with your blade.

Master Barber Alex Glover with Murdock London's GQ award-winning Beard Moisturiser

Your beard may be itchy for the first two weeks or even up to the first month and a half of growth.

Primarily caused by a daily accumulation of dirt, dead skin cells and dehydration, the levels of discomfort endured can be a struggle - even a few day's worth of stubble can be enough to spur irritation. It's also important to remember that no matter how clean you keep newly grown facial hair, natural itchiness as part of your bearded initiation will occur, generally caused by new hair's capability of collecting rogue dirt.

Products such as Beard Moisturiser and Oil can be used to combat this, but the main thing to remember is that the itchiness will eventually leave. You realistically want to grow your beard for about three months before you can appreciate its true potential and the true fullness.

Be sure to also read the Murdock Barbers' expert 3-step grooming guide, guaranteed to help treat immense levels of irritation.

Different shapes suit different beards. There are charts all over the internet that you can look up for comparisons. Ideally though, you should pop in to your local Murdock branch and get some professional advice. Once you’ve decided where you want to go with the beard, stick to it. There’s always the temptation caused by beard envy to hack away and try something that really just looks better on your mate or that particular male model...

If your beard is patchy in areas you can work with this. Incorporate this into shapes with your barber or even exaggerate patchy spots by using a razor and shaving into the beard (i.e. achieving low cheek lines or a high neck line). Avoid trying overly-extravagant shapes as they will be difficult to re-create at home yourself.

 Look how happy having a beard makes these two beaming chaps!

To maintain your beard, be sure to use a specialist Shampoo & Conditioner to cleanse, soften and untangle long and coarse hairs. A well-groomed beard is second to none when further combed or brushed through - leaving no knots and a healthy shine. For a complete maintenance guide, see the Murdock Barbers' expert step-by-step recommendations.

For regular care, pop in to see your barber every couple of weeks for a tidy-up and trim to help reach those tricky areas. Beard Trims can range from £20 -£45 so if you’re in the mood, book an appointment to treat yourself and your beard. From this point on just enjoy your fine facial hair and the compliments that should come with it.

It is possible to grow a beard faster than normal – well at least there are things you can do or not do in order to get the best growth from your beard. Genetics will always decide the amount of hair that you will produce on your face but we can put steps in place that maximise any growth.

When we stress out or are stressed we release more adrenalin and as a result we get an increase in blood pressure and air take. This causes our blood vessels to contract and these supply our hair follicles. So by getting stressed less goodness and nutrients are getting passed to our hair folicles thus reducing the growth potential.

We all know and are always told that exercise is good for us and guess what – it is! By getting active and doing exercise we break down stress and release a whole host of feel good hormones. Remember stress is our enemy when it comes to beards growth so get out there and start doing. We recommend HIIT  (High Intensity Interval Training) as it burns more calories, is a great hard work out and you don’t need specialist equipment to do this.

These are everywhere and are in lots of our daily care products. So avoid them if you can, chemicals in aftershaves and other products take away our bodys natural oils. We recommend applying some nourishing beard oil to your beard so that it stays well maintained and healthy.

Our body repairs when were resting so it makes sense to get plenty of own time when were trying to grow our beards. This will maximise your chance of recovery and likely to aid in beard growth and nutrients supplies to your hair follicles.

So eating clean is a great way to stay in shape and also make sure that your body is getting the best nutrients possible. So once again lets stay away from the crappy food with minimal values and replace them with a good clean – non-processed foods. As we have learnt the better sources of nutrients we can get inside of us the better the chances of us being healthy and in return the best chances that we will grow an epic beard.

Vitamin D3 is what our body uses to make and repair your nails and also your hair so it makes perfect sense that if we want straong hair and nails it is essential that we get our dosage. Naturally the biggest source of D3 is sunlight so get outside people – it’s really good for you (sunlight in moderation obviously!). You could also choose to supplement with some high quality vitamins or get out more, not to many foods contain D3 but fish oils can be the best sources.

So Avoid Stress, Exercise more, eat clean, get some good nutrients and get out more – all of these things will help you grow your beard as fast as possible. 

For men, beards stand for masculinity, so a fully grown moustache and beard is a source of great pride. That is probably why 'grow beard faster' is one of the most popular search phrases on Google. We try and decode facial hair growth and list some ways to make your beard grow faster, naturally.

Tip No #1: Exfoliate your skin once a week. This will help remove dea

Tip No #2: Wash your skin with warm water using a mild cleanser twice a day. Clean skin accelerates hair growth.

Tip No #3: Eucalyptus helps promote facial hair growth, so use a moisturiser with eucalyptus as the main ingredient and massage it on your face to grow your beard faster.

Tip No #4: Make sure you sleep well as this will help repair damaged skin cells and promote beard growth.

Tip No #5: Certain vitamins and minerals help increase the speed at which facial hair grows. Include Vitamins A, B, C and E in your diet as they speed up the hair growth process.

Tip No#6: Keep a tab on ingrown hair; beards usually don't grow evenly if there are ingrown hairs on your face. Here are some home remedies to prevent ingrowths.

Tip No#7: Take 2.5 mg of biotin every day to help your beard grow faster.

Tip No #8: Beards will grow more quickly when you are relaxed, and many beauty and health experts believe hair reveals stress. Manage stress in healthy ways through meditation and yoga for better results.

Tip No #9: Increase the amount of protein in your diet. The protein found in meat, fish, eggs and nuts will help the hair on your face grow quicker.

Tip No #10: Refrain from shaping or trimming your hair very often. Groom your beard only after six weeks when it is full grown.

Tip No #11: Facial massage improves blood circulation to the face, which will stimulate new hair growth.

Tip No #12: The popular logic that shaving every day makes beards grow faster is a myth. There is no scientific research to prove it.

Tip No #13: In case you experience itching or rashes during the initial days of growth, apply hydrocortisone cream to your face

Tip No #14: Amla oil is a natural remedy to increase facial hair growth. Massage your skin with amla oil and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse your face with cold water and then clean it.