How to Grow a Gimli Beard

Co-authored by Juan Sabino

Last Updated: October 6, 2021 References

Making a Gimli beard is a fun and unique way to style your facial hair. As you grow your beard over several months, brush it regularly to prevent tangles and knots. Decide how many braids you want to add. Twist your beard braids into place, then secure them with beads.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Growing the Beard

1
Commit to making a Gimli beard. If you haven’t fully committed yourself to growing a beard, you might waver once the beard-growing process is underway. You might even feel unhappy as your beard grows. To avoid these feelings and commit fully to making a Gimli beard, look in the mirror each day and say to yourself, “I will make a Gimli beard. Nothing will stop me.”^{[1]
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2
Stop shaving. To stop shaving, set aside your razors, shaving lotion, and other beard elimination tools. Don’t touch or think about them. You could choose to put them in a box and hide it under your bed. If you’re worried that you might break down and start shaving again, give your shaving paraphernalia to a friend for safekeeping as you grow your beard.^{[2]
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3
Allow the beard to grow. The rate at which your beard will grow depends upon your genetic profile. Some people grow beards quickly. Others grow beards slowly. On average, most people grow about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) of beard per month.^{[3]
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- A Gimli beard is about 1.5 feet (0.5 m) from the chin. Thus, if you’re growing your beard at the average growth rate, it will take about 36 months to attain the proper length.
4
Brush your beard. Run a comb or a brush through your beard several times daily. Brush outward from the neck, for fluff, then smooth the beard with your hand.^{[4]
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- If you feel that the comb or brush is pulling your beard out as you move it through your beard, stop using it. Find a brush or comb with more space between the teeth.^{[5]
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- A brush or comb of natural materials like horn will prevent static when combing.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Adding Braids

1
Isolate 1-2 hanks of hair on each side of your beard. These will become your braids. Use a clip or rubber band to keep them in place.
2
Separate one hank into three strands. Take one of the hanks and split it into three equal sections.
- Use a mirror to get a better look at your beard strands, or have a friend help you.
3
Move the outer strands to the center. To make a braid in your Gimli beard, take one of the outer strands of the three you’ve separated and move it to the central position. Then, take the outer strand on the opposite side and place it in the center.
- For instance, you might move the right-most strand of the three to the center, then move the left-most strand of the three to the center.
- Repeat until the entire length of the three strands has been woven into a braid.
- Do the same for the corresponding braid on the opposite side.
4
Affix beard beads. Beard beads will keep your braids secure. Slide a beard bead with a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of your beard braid up the length of your beard. The pressure of the braid expanding outward against the bead will keep it in place.
- To make your beard braid more secure or to keep a thinner beard in place, wrap a rubber band around it, then slide your beard bead up and over the rubber band.
- Alternately, if your beard beads are of metal, you can crimp them into place using needle-nose pliers.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you maintain a beard while growing it out?

Juan Sabino
Professional Barber
Juan Sabino is a Professional Barber and the Owner of Juan's Barber Shop, a barbershop based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Juan has over 20 years of male grooming experience and over eight years of professional barber experience. He specializes in combovers, barber fades, and tapers and is focused on improving men's overall wellness.

Juan Sabino

Professional Barber

Expert Answer

Make sure your skin is clean and that you use beard oil. Beard oil does the same thing for your beard that conditioner does for your scalp — it moisturizes and protects the hairs. Taking care of the skin underneath the beard is the key to healthy hair follicles.