The Sexy Side Of Hairy Fashion
Beards are the latest celebrity obsession – but there’s more to growing a really good beard than simply leaving off shaving for a couple of weeks. Read our tips on how to achieve a beautiful beard.
George Clooney’s is suave, David Beckham’s is sexy and Russell Brand’s is just downright rebellious.
Beards are the latest celebrity obsession and where their heroes tread, our fellas are bound to follow.
But what makes a beard good or bad? Can whiskers ever really be winsome or are tickly tashes just too much for us girls to take?
Ken Picton’s senior stylist and Prynhawn Da presenter Daffyd Rhys gives his top tips for the perfect beard.
Dafydd says: “It is a man’s duty to attempt to grow a beard at some point in his life. One might say, that to most young men it is the sign of becoming a man.
“To middle aged men it is a sign that he is in control of his appearance or perhaps sometimes, a beard is born out of plain laziness.”
If you’ve made a decision to grow a beard, the most important thing is to be confident in your decision – don’t let other people’s personal opinions change yours.
The best time to start growing a beard is on holiday or the week before. This will give your beard the chance to develop enough growth so that when you return to work it will look substantial. It will take approximately four weeks for your beard to start to take shape. It’s important to refrain from attempting to shape your beard before four weeks, even if you are only going for a goatee or handlebars, as this may result in you shaving off a little too much.
Once you have grown your beard to a reasonable thickness and length, it is time to start the exciting part – shaping. The best place to start is the neckline; using any good high street neck trimmer, and start at the neckline at your desired perimeter. Do not shape the beard at the cheekbones as this will create an unwanted almost cartoon-like effect. Most good beard trimmers will have a grade setting which will become your best friend. Start short at the beard line and work your way up to thicker or longer areas.
Although the skin is covered with hair, you must take care and remember to look after this area with cleansers and moisturisers.
Men sometimes forget to shampoo their beards but this is essential. Some shampoos will include exfoliating beards, such as Aveda Men Exfoliating Shampoo, and this will help to get rid of dead skin cells stuck around the root of the hair which may cause irritation.
If you do not normally use a conditioner on your hair it may be worth applying a small amount on a twice weekly-daily basis to your beard as the texture may be coarser than that of your hair.
Last but not least, try to set yourself a six to eight week target. This should stop you getting tempted to shave it off and will give your beard a chance to develop to its full potential.
Good luck and happy bearding!
