Male Grooming 101: Barbers, Products, + Beards
In our current times seeing men with a full beard, trimmed and shaped, is now a common sight. But the trend of growing a beard – indeed the care of male facial hair in general – has gone through a roller coaster ride of ups and down throughout human history. In Ancient Egypt cleanliness was equated with shaving, and priests shaved themselves completely of all body hair. However, Pharaohs, while shaven, wore false beards to align themselves as followers of the god Osiris. In Ancient Greece, a lush, full beard was depicted in their art and statues in their desire to emulate the gods. While, Romans of the day preferred shaving. However, the trend could fluctuate depending on the preferences of the ruling Caesar of the time. Now, we look centuries ahead, in our own time and the question of to shave or not to shave is still on many minds. However, now, if the answer is to not shave, then what does the man’s facial care routine look like?
To understand male grooming, one must first look at the groomer. The relationship between a man or identifying man and his barber is one of intimacy, trust, and loyalty. Many men will patron the same barber for years or even decades, refusing to break the bond that has been forged.
I spoke with cosmetologist turned barber, Rosa, who has been cutting hair for 10 years. For her switching to male grooming in July 2015 was, “the best decision in my career, and I couldn’t be happier.” She currently works at Fellow Barber here in San Francisco. She describes the working relationship between a man or identifying male and his barber as being a more personal relationship, in comparison to working with women in a salon. “A barber is more a part of their lifestyle, than ours [women]. They come more frequently, since they have shorter hair,” she explains. She went on to say that at times she felt like her female clientele treated her as the servant or just the help.
Jade, a patron of Fellow Barber, identifies as male being “trans-boy,” and goes on to explains why his relationship with his barber is such an important part of his identity. “They have respect for my identity,” he explains about coming to their establishment. He went on to explain that for lesbian women who would be described as possessing a masculine of center (MOC), having the right barber who respects their identity choice is just as important as the cut itself. As the two are one and the same. Jade went on to explain that, “many barbers hesitate to work with women,” so having the right relationship is necessary to the overall
care.
So, it is undeniable that one of the most important components to male grooming is having the right barber, and building a relationship with said barber. Like any other relationship, as time passes, the bond grows, and so does the customer’s loyalty.
However, I wanted to look further into what sort of routines men use when not in the well -trained hands of their barber’s chair. I spoke with San Francisco visitor, Si, who originally comes from Los Angeles. Dressed in a sharp blazer and shopping bags in hand, he had this to say about the importance of keeping himself well groomed. “As a gentleman from the streets, you learn at an early age that if you don’t have a dime in your pocket your appearance can make the difference.” For him, maintaining his appearance is the outward expression of the sort of man he wishes to be. A well-groomed, well-trimmed, and properly cared for beard is just as important as the clothing on his back or the shoes on his feet.
So, what do men use? Like the make-up choices of women, men employ a whole host of different products and routines they believe improves their skin complexions and beards. A personal friend, Otis, ran off his list in conversation, “Eucalyptus oil and aloe vera every night,” he begins, “I also moisturize using a water-based shea-butter conditioner.” This was the first time I had ever heard that conditioner for beards existed. “Brush and comb daily, and I trim about every 3 weeks,” he ended. A routine that I realized was more complex than I could have imagined.
Following up on this line of thinking, I came across a young man named, Endurance, Eddie for short, as he made his way across Union Square. His style was as unique as his name, and he was more than obliged to share his thoughts with me on the subject, “It makes me happy,” he answers when asked what does keeping up his appearance mean to him. “I’m Nigerian, and I’m proud of that. It makes me happy. It’s my philosophy, and it makes me stand out in a good way.” He went on to share the details of his beard grooming. “I go to the barber to get a haircut once a week, but I line my beard up myself every two days,” He explains. I recall the intimacy Rosa, the cosmetologist, explained to me earlier. A person who is a regular part of your life every week, for years or decades; there is a respect for a relationship of that nature. Eddie even shared his product line up with me, “I use special products I get from Sally’s beauty supply store. I also use Rasta cream, and Indian Hemp with Vitamin E oil.”
Nevertheless, while there are some complex routines, there are those who have a simplistic care practice. Jack, a fashion design student here at AAU, explained that he has adopted nearly no care routine at all. “I shave it every three months, and it grows back in evenly. The most I do is pat it down and shape it. Oh,” he recalls as an afterthought, “I shampoo my beard about twice a week. It keeps it from getting itchy.” No creams, oils, or plant-based products for moisturizing.
Ultimately, like cosmetic choices and hair products, no one care routine is the same. Each is as unique as the men interviewed. However, there are some similarities. They all have a close relationship with their barbers, for one. I learned that to maintain neatly cropped short haircuts, pixie cuts, and manicured beards it involves seeing one’s barber more frequently than many women see their hair stylist; and in a way that is far more high maintenance.
At the end of the day, in this writer’s opinion, there is nothing more attractive than a well-groomed man who takes pride in his appearance. So, for all the effort being put out there, it is appreciated.
Photo Credit: Steve Snodgrass - Barber Pole via photopin (license)
Unless otherwise noted, all images were taken and edited by Adneisha White for 6 + done., 2016. Please do not use without permission.
