While women everywhere have been embracing their natural hair during lockdown, many men working from home and being in isolation have decided that now is the time to embrace the facial fuzz and grow beards.
Even though the look has been popular for many years from big and bushy to hipster and trimmed- made popular by celebrities such as George Clooney, Jamie Dornan and Ryan Reynolds- the current crisis has clearly made it a must.
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. “Normally, 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.”
On that note, barbers, now it’s the time to contact your clients and share some advice on how to look after their new beards. Especially the ones trying this for the first time. 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 – feel free to contact clients and spread the word:
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 re-balance 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.
Joe Mills
Joe MillsJoe Mills is a hugely respected session stylist for men’s hair, regularly working with magazines and celebrities on editorial, film and project work. His salon, The Lounge Soho, has recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, with the Joe and Co barbershop in Soho offering an informal but immaculate grooming space. Joe was recently nominated for GQ’s Barber of the Year and Barbershop of the Year at the British Hairdressing Business Awards, and has launched his new brand, MILLS, in select Primark stores. You can find more at joemills.net, theloungesoho.com, millsbarbers.com and joeandco.net
Instagram: @joemillshair @joeandcosoho @theloungesohohair @millsxprimark
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