You’ve probably heard that when a woman cuts her hair it’s due to a change in her life, and you could say the same about a man tempted to shave off his beard. Whether it’s social pressures, personal reasons, or anything else, all bearded men have been there. Shaving off your beard is a big decision—you’ve worked hard growing and maintaining that glorious mane—and it’s best to mull it over rather than run to the bathroom and grab a pair of clippers.

Sure, your beard will grow back, but remember how long it took to get to this stage in the first place—do you want to start all over if you change your mind? Growing and maintaining a good-looking beard takes a serious time investment; don’t make a hasty decision. 

Whether you’re debating shaving your beard because you made a grooming mistake, for a new job, or for any other reasons, here are some things to think about when you get tempted:

Common Reasons Why We Get the Urge to Shave Our Beards

We’ve all had the urge to shave off our beard at one time or another. Here’s how you can take care of some common beard complaints that lead to these urges.

Itchy Beards

“Beardruff” is no joke, but it’s easy to fix. Usually, when your beard is itchy, it’s because your skin and hair is dry. So, what’s the solution? Hydrate it! Beard balms and oils can help add moisture and nutrients back into your skin and beard, keeping it soft and, more importantly, not itchy! Beardruff is no reason to shave off your beard—it just needs a little moisture!

Related: Why Bearded Men Shouldn’t Overlook Skin Health

Grey Hairs

It’s normal for bearded men to be a little self-conscious when they find some grey hairs in their mane, especially when it seems to be much more noticeable than the hair on their head. There are two real options: own it or dye it.

We say own it. Grey beards can look fantastic—check out Pierce Brosnan’s and George Clooney’s grey beard; they rock it, and so can you.

On the other hand, if you’re adamant about not rocking a grey beard, you can dye it. Make sure to use dye designed for beards if you do it yourself, but we recommend consulting your barber first—that stuff you can buy at Walmart isn’t the same as real beard color.

Looking a Little Too Rugged

If your boss or the lady in your life (aren’t those the same things?) feels like you’re looking a little bit too rugged, you might feel some pressure to shave your entire beard off. Why not try a grooming session first?

Beard products will keep your beard feeling soft and smelling great, which might be enough for the missus, but it might not satisfy the way your boss feels about a long beard. It’s perfectly okay to give your beard a trim and clean it up from time to time; actually, it’s more than okay; it’s a good idea for every bearded man.

If you’re not totally confident in trimming it yourself, get in touch with us at FINO for MEN—we’ll have your beard looking amazing in no time.

Related: The Best Beard Barber for You

Take Your Time

Don’t grab your razor at the first thought of shaving off your beard. When the shaving urge hits (yes, we all get it at some point), stop and think about it. Taking a few moments to really think about shaving off your beard can save you some serious heartache later on in the day.

 After all, growing a healthy, full beard takes effort and (a lot) of time. Don’t you owe it to your beard to pause for a moment before undoing all of your hard work? Don’t rush it.

 For many bearded men, their beard is an important staple of their style, and while there might be some outside reasons that are tempting you into shaving it off, remember there are other options than cutting off your entire beard. You’ll thank us later.

Made a Shaving Mistake? Don’t Worry

We’ve all made shaving mistakes—it happens, and it’s okay. If you’re panicking a little bit after making a mistake grooming your beard, you might jump right to chopping it off and starting all over. But, luckily, there are rarely any mistakes that you can’t fix.

Did you cut too deep into your beard’s shape? Even it out with a trim all over and work on shaping the edges—you might lose some length, but you’ll lose a lot less than if you cut it all off. Even if your shaving mistake left you with some less than desirable patches in your beard, you can easily style your beard in a way that covers up those patches while you wait for them to grow back in. With the right tools and techniques, no one has to know that a mistake ever happened.

Make Other Changes

Many men get tempted to shave their beard off when they feel like they need a change in style. But what about changing something else first? If you shave off your beard and change your mind later, there’s not much you can do besides start over, but making other style changes can easily be undone if they’re not to your liking.

You can try a wardrobe change, or get yourself some new accessories like a different pair of glasses or sunglasses, or even a new haircut if you’re looking for a more drastic change.

It Will Always Grow Back

Maybe after thinking long and hard about shaving off your beard, you decided that it’s time to do it. You shaved off your beard, and now you’re panicking. But, don’t fear, former beardsman, your beloved beard will grow back. You might’ve lost your mane for now, but give it a few weeks, and it’ll be back.

Related: How Long Will It Take to Grow a Beard Back?

Deciding whether or not to shave your beard off is a hard decision, but follow these tips and choose what is right for you.