It’s not easy work having a great beard, or any facial hair for that matter. And I’m not just talking about the appearance, but how it feels as well. Those fellas with awesome beards put in a lot of effort to make it look the way it does. To achieve that, regardless of how good or bad your facial hair grows in, you have to moisturize your face (so you’re not bothering your partner as well), and keep that hair in check.
Growing your beard out can sometimes be seen as a form of ‘letting yourself go’, especially when it’s not tidy. I for one am very guilty of looking like a caveman at times because I don’t give my beard the attention it needs (this is a reminder to myself too, don’t worry), even though I do my best with skin care. To improve my beard’s appearance and to learn a few things, I took a trip down to Barber and Co again. Although I enjoyed my last haircut here, I wasn’t getting my hair cut this time. I was going to get a proper beard grooming, while learning how to maintain it until my next barber visit.
The service was wonderful as usual, and there’s nothing quite like a hot towel shave – especially for the neck. As a hairier guy with thicker hair, I often nick myself or get slight razor burn. Having your face pampered by a professional barber not only feels fantastic, but it also opens up your pores, allowing for the closest possible shave, including the removal of ingrown hairs. I find that I need to get one of those every once in a while, since I can’t do that myself.
Some people prefer to take of their facial hair themselves, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I do recommend trying it once – or at the very least – ensuring that you use some product for nourishment (my personal favourite is the beard balm, which is a very light, natural scented balm that makes your beard look healthier, while nourishing the skin beneath) . The best way to go on about grooming yourself revolves around three simple concepts:
-minding the shape and edges of your beard
-trimming when you need to
-ensuring that your skin and hair are healthy and moisturized
Once you’ve got those down, you’re pretty much set on taking care of yourself. If you’d like to read more on beard maintenance, here’s a great article by Men’s Health.
To wrap up this piece, I wanted to mention that if you do pop by Barber and Co, you have to check out the ‘Gift Shop’ in the back, after your cut or shave. It’s a quaint little cocktail bar that has a speakeasy vibe, perfect for any gentleman, or lady. It’s usually open later as well, so you could technically swing by just to hang out and enjoy a few drinks. I also have to add that the head bartender, H, is a wonderful fellow who whips up the most exuberant creations – and it’s always a great time having a quality chat with him.
If you’d like to read my past experience getting a haircut at Barber and Co, you can find the article here.
