So, what is in a beard other than the obvious answer, “Hair, and lots of it” (to abate the sarcastic characters in the room). Where did it come from? Well first and foremost, it is a symbol. Scientifically speaking, usually only pubescent or adult males are able to grow facial hair. As such, Beards are a symbol that you are a Man, and in the world of gender identity crises on the rise we need something to separate us from the “Others”. Beard and beard grooming is part of style. It is just as important as rule of the width of a tie and how it should match the width of the lapel. As such, a beard should complement your body type, facial features (Like your jawline), and overall vibe.
Beards are my Religion
However, we still do not know how beards came to be and what their significance is throughout history. There are several influences of beard growth in society. First influential and most prevalent is Religion. According toHasidic Rabbi Aron Moss: “The beard is hair that grows down from the head to the rest of the body. It is the bridge between mind and heart, thoughts and actions, theory and practice, good intentions and good deeds. [...]”. As for Muslims, beards are set forth in the hadith (the collected sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) describing that Muhammad ordered his followers to wear beards. However, this is not true in every religion. For example, Christians kind of have this on-again off-again when it comes to beards. But haven’t you ever heard “Majority rules?
Beards through History
Beards forPrehistoric menwere grown for warmth, intimidation and protection. Facial hair kept prehistoric men warm as well as helped to protected their mouths from sand, dirt, the sun and other different elements that might come their way. Beards on a man, help to present a stronger jawline. Because you cannot see the jawline leaves people to assume it is more pronounced then it may or may not be. Ancient Mesopotamian men were very obsessed with their beard symbolism. Mesopotamian men would spend hours curling the tips of their beard into tiny locks and arranged in three hanging tiers. The more important you were the longer and more elaborate your beard would be. Mesopotamian men would even use a musky, warm, masculine, mysterious, balsamic, woody, slightly spicy and sweet scrub known as Labdanum to add oil to their beards. They would soak it in Sheep or goat’s wool and apply it to their faces to oil their manes.
Stubble & Stache (Short Beard)
If you have the proverbial “Baby-face” or if you have a more agile body type maybe the Stubble & Stache is the right option for you. The beard should say something about your personality, as with agile body-types it screams well kempt and a lot of maintenance as with the rest of your aesthetics. The Stubble & Stache may help to add somecontrastto your face. Additionally, now that beards have been around for a few years and mainstream it have evolved into a whole new aesthetic to further refine your individuality and personality.
Extended Goatee (Short Beard)
This style gives you a little more length then the Stubble & Stache while still keeping your face rugged. This look may be best for those guys out there who may not be able to grow a full beard but still want to show off some facial hair.
The “Box” Beard or “Square” Beard
TheBox beardis a less conservative beard choice then the Stubble & Stache or the Extended Goatee. However, it may be more ideal for those not wanting to go full mountain man. This beard sculpts the cheek and jawline even if you have an extra chin or two. As this beard is more groomed then our last two it helps more in distracting away from your undesired features and draws a person’s eyes to areas you want them to focus on more. The Boxed Beard name is derived from its representative look of a box along with its close crop and defined borders. This beard helps to compliment the angle of your face and provides more mystery to jawline helping to promote a more domineering look.
Long Thick Beard + Long Mustache A.K.A The “Bandholz”
This beard is the visage of Mountain man. Accompanied with long full-bodied hair will give you the Mufasa (Disney’s “The Lion King”). This kind beard takes the longest time to grow. Even more shocking, some people will not even be able to grow one. This is known as Terminal length and is indicative of a hairs lifecycle. As there is a whole scientific and genetic reasoning for that we will save that for another day and focus on the style of the Long Thick Beard or the Bandholz. This type of beard takes the most care. It takes longer time to apply oils and balms. Additionally, if you do not keep up with daily maintenance and complimented with occasional grooming split ends can form. This style is Unlike the Garibaldi, the beard does not stop at the 20 cm mark but is allowed to grow freely. Regardless what beard style you go with, make sure that you continue to maintain good beard hygiene and maintenance. Ensure you pick a style that is best for you, one that accentuates your personality, appearance and overall vibe.
