The look has been popular for many years ranging from big and bushy to hipster and trimmed, made popular by celebrities such as George Clooney, Jamie Dornan and Ryan Reynolds.
So why are men binning the razors now? Session stylist and barber Joe Mills, from Joe and Co, London, believes it’s a great opportunity for men to experiment with a new look. “Some men aren’t allowed to grow a beard because of the work they do, some can go through a patchy stage and others have never considered it before,” Joe says. “Whatever the reason, it seems guys across the land are growing a beard for the lockdown. Once they have made that jump from clean shaven to facial hair, they will need to care for it.”
Growing a beard is just the first step – caring for it will make it look luscious during lockdown. Here’s Joe’s tips for first-time beard wearers.
1 Condition the beard. Treat the hair on your face like the hair on your head and keep it clean and conditioned.
2 Brush your beard. A boar bristle brush is ideal to brush the bush – once a day will remove any dirt or dead skin cells. Use it gently so not to irritate the skin.
3 Use a beard oil. Like a leave-in conditioner, a beard oil will rebalance the natural oils in your beard and on your skin.
4 Keep it in shape. The first cut is the scariest but once you’ve decided on the shape and length you can trim it regularly.
5 Invest in a beard trimmer. Investing in the proper equipment will make looking after your beard simpler and easier.
