Fuzzy Faces For Fall Are Back At Believe

Autumn is here and with that first hint of cold weather, the man in your life may be itching (excuse the pun) to grow some facial hair. We also know that, left to his own devices, he would probably just grow the hair out, wash it with bar soap, take some scissors to it if it got too long and call it a day. But you (being a woman and a reader of Believe's blog) know better. If its a beard he's hankering for, here's some hint on how he can look more like Johnny Depp and less like Zach Galifianakis.

First, let's talk about beards and facial shapes. Just like a great hairstyle can divert from our weak features and enhance our best ones, so to can a beard do the same for men.

If a man has a long face, he'll need a beard that is fuller at the sides and shorter at the chin. Adding width to the sides will make his face appear shorter.

The exact opposite is true if he has a round face. Then he'll want to go longer at the chin to add length. Keep the sides short and no bushy sideburns (a goatee looks good on round faces.)

If the guy has a square face, he should have the beard longer at the chin and shorter at the sides to give the illusion of a longer face. (Goatees work with this shape face, too.)

Small faces should have small facial hair. Just like large jewelry on a small woman, a big beard can overwhelm a little guy. Keep things in proportion.

With a large face, the opposite is true. Go big or go home and then just follow the tips above about face shape.

If a guy has an oval face, congratulations! He's got what is considered the ideal shape and can wear any facial hair he chooses.

Here's a few beard styles for him (and you) to consider:

Van Dyke Beard -This is a moustache combined with a goatee (or Soul Patch--see below) with no hair connecting the two and no hair covering the cheeks. By the way, there was a Van Dyke--he was a 17th century painter--so maybe this will bring out the creativity in your man.

The Goatee -This is confined to only the chin area and can be short, broad or of any fanciful shape (think Hunger Games). By attaching it with a moustache and a small beard bridge, it is called a French beard and is great for man with small chins.

Soul Patches -This feaures a small patch of beard under the lips and above the chin with no mustache (and no other facial hair). It can be triangular pointed and requires only a minimal amount of trimming.

Stubble Beards-Like those made famous by such men as David Beckham often sports is a two (or more) day growth of beard and gives your man a tough guy image. (This type of beard may make a kind of tough guy of you, too, if you get razor-burned by this beard. Take care of your own skin while kissing him.  Rub some emollient, like Aestelance Butter around your own lips and jaw after some heavy smooching.) An electric razor hovering just above the stubble is the way to maintain this type of beard.

Full Beards-To avoid looking like a member of  the ZZ Top band, Brad Pitt on his bad days or Charles Darwin, your man has to keep his full beard well-trimmed and pay attention to its maintenance and condition. Treat it just like the hair on his head--get it cut well (we are happy to do this a Believe), maintain its shape (we at Believe will teach you how) and use shampoo like Aestalance G and conditioner like Chromastics TriOrganic Light Conditione to keep the beard hair in tip-top shape.

Chin Curtain Beard -Easy to maintain, this is grown only on the lower part of the guy's face along the jawline, from cheek to cheek. It looks sleek and slightly historic.

Sideburns Beards-Coming down from the temples and running along the jawline, whether or not its accompanied by a moustache, this type of beard is for the guy who is an individualist. Bring your guy into Believe to consult on just how busy those sideburns should be to suit his face and we'll even teach him to use a trimmer to keep that Civil War look from taking over.

Caring for the new beard:

Have him use the same shampoo and conditioner on his face as he does on his head.  Good ones carried at Believe include Camellia Sinensis (green tea extract) and Annuus (Sunflower) Seed extract.

If his beard is gray, conditioning is key because grey hair can grow thicker and more bristly than colored hair. The conditioning will help soften the beard (and help you with that kissing problem.) Try Chromastic molding cream or Aestalance Butter.

For unruly beards, a dab of conditioner like Aestalance Hydrate will work wonders.

To give his beard the best shape possible, make an appointment at Believe and have his beard trimmed professionally.

A clear shaving oil will allow him to see what he is shaving at home and will help ensure clean lines around his beard.

Choose a trimmer with an adjustable trimming guide for mistake-proof trimming and consider buying two clippers. A full sized clipper will make overall trimming easier, while a small fine-toothed trimmer will cut closer and allow him to get a clean outline.

Keep the beard smooth and free from tangles by using a fine tooth comb through the beard in the direction of the hair growth.

If his beard is graying or a dramatically different color from the hair on your head, make an appointment at Believe and we will dye it for him (avoiding the mess and keeping him from dyeing his neck, his chin skin and the whole bathroom.)

Invest in a wall-mounted mirror with a telescoping arm for your new bearded wonder. This will prevent him from having to lean across the bathroom counter and ensure he can get a close up view for trimming.

We've got more tips (including the latest styles) for those men who want to sport a moustache this fall or winter. Check back here soon for our blog about 'staches. For now, call Believe soon for an appointment for that guy in your life so we can get his beard off to its best start.

(And don't forget to come in for your pink hair extension through October. Only $10 and all money goes to Pink Hair For Hope to fight breast cancer.)

Beards On Vacation--Get Growing!

Flip flops instead of shoes, tan legs instead of pantyhose, T-shirts instead of business suits...all signs of summer vacation. But, at Believe, we know of one more: Beards! Throwing off the tyranny of daily shaving, more and more men are choosing to grow beards and summer vacation is the perfect time to get growing.

Here's a few tips to get your beard off to a good start:

• Make a commitment: Just like anything worth doing—like running or learning a new language—growing facial hair takes a while and you should commit to a certain time period to see it through. Don't quit in the middle and the results could be great!
• Seeing is believing: You should at least try to grow a beard once in your lifetime. Until you do, you'll never know if you suddenly sprout a full red beard (though you are a blond) or if it will come in silver (so distinguished) or if you have bald patches on either side of your chin just where your dad did. You can't fight genetics, but how do you know that your great-great-great granddad wasn't Blackbeard (whose luxuriant facial hair—into which he wove lighted sparklers—made the ladies swoon and the men quake in fear)?
• Tell everyone else to put a cork in it: Make a pact with your wife, kids and friends that you want to try to grow this beard and that, for awhile, you will look like a beach bum. Ask that they hold their opinions until the growing season is complete. (Your opinion is the one that counts in the end anyway.)
• Prepare to be a little uncomfortable: Yes, yes, as your beard grows in, it will be itchy, but let it grow for six weeks—no cheating. Don't trim it, shape it, or cut it during this time. Just let Nature takes it's course (and try to look like you are deeply pondering the problems of the universe while scratching your beard.) Wash it with gentle shampoo, like AESTELANCE  G  and condition it with IDEN TREATMENT. A little extra moisturizer like ZUM BODY(in assorted scents) rubbed into the skin beneath your beard will also lessen the discomfort.
• Let it grow, let it grow, let it grow: Even if you have only a goatee or a luxuriant mustache in mind for the finished product, why not let everything grow so you will have more hair with which to decide how you want it styled in the end? You can always cut hair off, but it takes a while to grow back.
• Get it professionally trimmed: Make an appointment and come into Believe for us to professionally shape your beard. In the trade, this is called “designing a neckline.” Usually where the beard grows to its upper limit on your cheek is best left natural. Our trained stylists will then take into account your jawline, the measurement from your sideburns to the proper section of your neck, your ear placement in correlation to your jaw—many things that will make your beard look natural, clean and neat. (This is not a job for amateurs! Come let us teach you how to trim your beard properly or visit us at Believe every time you need a trim and enjoy a little pampering. You deserve it.)
• Put down the dye: Here is the problem with do-it-yourself beard dyeing—the final result looks like you are wearing a fake beard. Products like “Just For Men” dye your beard (and usually parts of your neck, ears and bathroom counter) one flat shade making it appear much darker than your hair and looks as unnatural as if you had dunked your chin in shoe polish. If you truly can't stand the grey, come on in to Believe. We are experts at multi-tonal dyeing and can help hide the grey in a way that won't scream out “I dye my beard!”
• Don't be hasty: Put off the decision to ditch the beard until after your “neckline design” appointment at Believe. If you then decide to shave it off (or leave a soul patch/imperial or a luscious mustache) we can do it for you. Trust us; Our sharp scissors, professional handling of a beard trimmer and follow-up skin care will save you from lots of bumps cuts and ingrown hairs.

From Abe Lincoln to Jerry Garcia and Jim Morrison to Sigmund Freud, famous men have been almost as celebrated for the facial hair as for their deeds. Should you decide to join such renown company (and agree with an anonymous ancient Greek who said, “There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless—boys and women—and I am neither one,” call us at Believe to make an appointment for that shaping and put down the razor!