re: You guys with a beard, what are your answers to these questions

Just as a note, these are my recommendations based on my beard hair which is extremely thick and coarse and with an overall very full beard. You have to make your own decisions based on what type of hair you have. Some people hardly do anything to maintain their beard and others have to do a lot to maintain it. Definitely look for recommendations like you're doing but honestly it's a bit of trial and error to figure out what works for you.

1. Have you found a barber that is able to shape and trim your beard the way you want or do you do it yourself?

Completely depends on the overall length and look you're going for. If it's short, you can probably do it all yourself with a beard trimmer and a pair of scissors. If you're going for a longer look, I would recommend growing it out with minimal trimming until you get to a length you're going for and shape/trim it then. Overall, once you're at the length you want, you should be able to do routine trimming and maintenance yourself but it's good to have a barber shape it every time or every other time you get your hair cut. I have had 2 barbers mess up the shape of my beard but both times I didn't specify exactly what shape I wanted, I just let them "trim" it. I would find a picture of your desired beard and show it to them before you let your barber trim it so they know exactly what you want.

2. Do you apply beard wax or balm to your beard? How often?

I don't use wax, just oil

3. Do you apply beard oil over the wax or balm? Or just use the oil without the wax?

See above. With a beard around 2-3" in length, I use 2-3 drops of oil, spread it through my hands, and then rub my hands throughout my beard after getting out of the shower and blowdrying it.

4. Do you wash your beard with beard shampoo or use regular hair shampoo?

I use regular shampoo and because my beard hair is extremely coarse, I use conditioner to keep it soft.

5. After applying wax, balm or oil how long do you spend brushing your beard?

30 seconds? I prefer a comb to be honest and I just carry it around with me all the time to keep everything in place throughout the day.

6. If you use any of these products, what brand do you prefer?

Almost all of the oils are essentially the same. The big preference is scented or not and if so, which scent. Can't speak to the wax/balms.

Once again, everyone's beard is different based off your type of facial hair so keep that in mind. One major thing that initially frustrates a lot of people who grow beards is dealing with the itchiness. In general, this is caused by the skin underneath the beard drying out. You can pretty much eliminate that completely by lowering the shower water temperature since really hot water will dry the skin out and using a blowdryer on it after you get out of the shower but before putting on the oil to prevent moisture from getting trapped between your skin/hair and the beard oil.

Hope that helps!