It’s the pride of bikers and hipsters, and it was said that we reached ‘peak beard’ some years ago, but quarantine has given many men excuse to navigate any potential patchiness from the comfort of their own homes.
A survey from beard experts Copenhagen Grooming found that almost a third of men in the UK are growing a lockdown beard, and exploring new ways of grooming and maintenance. Previous to the pandemic, there were 5.3 million bearded men in the country, which has risen to over seven million.
The research, conducted on 1,000 Brits, discovered that the top three bearded celebrities are David Beckham, Idris Elba, and Tom Hardy.
However, for those men hoping to beard it like Beckham, there’s a bit more to it than simply ditching the razor and hoping for the best, so we have rounded up some tips to ensure a healthy full beard.
There are an astonishing amount of misconceptions surrounding pogonotrophy (the act of cultivating, or growing and grooming, a moustache, beard, sideburns or other facial hair), such as a fifth of Brits thinking it needs to be washed several times a day.
Simon Bang, co-founder of Copenhagen Grooming says: “We were surprised to see many people believing that beards need to be washed this often.
“To ensure your beard and the skin underneath is hydrated and looked after correctly, our recommendation is to wash your beard as often as you deem necessary, however, usually two to three times a week will suffice, using a beard wash designed to remove filth and dirt, while leaving your beard’s natural oils intact.”
As with the hair on your head, much of your beard’s health is down to taking care of the skin underneath. “You need to make sure your beard is kept moisturised and conditioned,” says barber Myles Lewis, OSMO ambassador from Myles & Co. “I would recommend using a shampoo and conditioner for ultimate shine and frizz-free results.”
He also recommends investing in some beard oils, as not only do they help moisturise the hair, but also the skin and keeps stray hair unified, and a daily combing will keep it untangled, make it look fuller, and it will help distribute your beard oil.
A wooden comb is the best choice to prevent static build-up. Start underneath your beard and work your way up and out – once this is done and your beard looks healthy and full, you can use the comb to style the hair as you want.
Growing out your beard for the first time can feel a little odd. It’s tempting the shave your neck, but Lewis advises against this. He says: “Leave that to grow out, because you will want to create a shape through your neck, but it is difficult to see your own neckline. You will more likely create a shape you don’t want, and it could result in you having to shave the whole beard off.”
Lewis recommends doing as little cutting or shaving as possible because lockdown won’t last forever, and your barber will be best placed to shape your beard. “Style rather than cut,” is Lewis’s advice. “If your hair does get too wild, I would suggest using scissors to trim your hair from your top lip, just to make it easier when eating.”
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