Beards have been all the rage for some time now and are showing no signs of going away! If you are the proud owner of a beard, or are planning to try the look out, here we’ve shared some top tips for the perfect beard from TV hair expert Dafydd Rhys Thomas.
Dafydd is a Wales and South West Hairdresser of the Year winner, not once, but multiple times. He’s also Global Director of education at ghd. British Hairdressing award Winner, FAME team 2014, BBC and S4C TV Hair Expert.
It seemed natural that Dafydd would make it into hairdressing. His mum is a hairstylist and grandmother was also. So he’d always had a fascination with the industry both practically and emotionally – from the distinct smell of his mother’s salon to the emotional impact she had on her clients and also her clients on her. There was always a real sense of family in the salon.
So Dafydd really is the man to have a word on beards……
“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.”
BEARD TRIMMERS FOR SHAPE
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.
DON’T FORGET THE SHAMPOO
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 to daily basis to your beard as the texture may be coarser than that of your hair.
Finally, 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.
Here’s our top five tips for a healthy and great looking beard……
- Proper washing and cleansing – Wash your beard at least 2 times in a week.
- Good beard moisturiser – Dry beard is the root cause of itchiness and skin disease in the facial skin.
- Proper trimming – To maintain the level of the beard, there is no option other than trimming.
- Trim the dry beard – The root cause of the itchiness under the skin of the beard is to trim the wet beard.
- Follow a manageable schedule for your beard – Maintaining the beard is one of the most notable preconditions of proper beard care.
