BEARD IN FASHION ...... How To Wear Your Beard This Summer

    How To Wear Your Beard This Summer

It took you one (very cold, extra long) winter to grow a beard. You've worn it with pride for months and revealed in its full bushy glory. But soon, the forecast will call for 80 degrees and 90 percent humidity. And suddenly, that big, furry mass on your face is feeling just a little less appealing. Not to mention that board shorts with a caveman beard is not a look you want to go for.
That doesn't mean your face should go totally bare. “You can give your beard a lighter summer spin by cutting it to where it feels almost like a shadow, but there is enough hair to tell that you have an intentional beard going on as well,” says Scott Serrata, master barber and co-founder of Imperial Barber Products. It’s a cool look to pull off — witness Justin Timberlake’s recent seasonal transition — you just have to follow a few rules.

             

Start With a Large Guard
The road to summer beardom begins with a good pair of clippers, says Daniel Alfonso, stylist to Hollywood A-listers and owner of an eponymous men’s salon in Los Angeles. “Begin shaving with a big guard, probably a #4,” he recommends. “Go over your whole beard first, then once you’ve got the length down, use smaller guards to add shape.” Bigger guards give you a larger margin for error. It’s always easier to remove more hair on the next pass than it is to grow back the areas you’ve trimmed too short.

Choose Your Style by Face Shape

Like people, beards come in all shapes and styles, and the one you opt for will probably be informed by things other than the cool factor. “You have to take into consideration your head shape, face shape, and facial features including ears, nose, and lips,” says master barber Pedro Zermeno, co-founder of Imperial Barber Products. A round face with a pointy beard looks strange. A long face with mutton chops looks equally unbalanced. But the beauty of a summer beard is that in its shorter, skin-close iteration, the facial hair can also be used to contour your appearance in ways that flatter. Says Alfonso, “You can make your face look longer or wider, simply by how you style your beard.” A chinstrap style can flatter a square jawline, while a goatee can balance a rounder profile. But your basic just-past-five-o’clock-shadow works on just about anyone. “If you have a thick beard and want more of a summer look with a drastic change in style, I suggest just taking off three-quarters of the hair length for a lighter feel,” says Serrata.

Keep It In-line With Your Hair

Alfonso calls it the chipmunk look, and it’s definitely not the style you are striving for. “Make sure when you trim your beard, the sides don’t stick out farther than the side of the hair on your head,” he advises. “The goal is for the beard and your hair to seamlessly blend into each other.” That means if your hair is cut short enough that it shows some skin, your beard needs to be thinned enough on the sides to also show skin. “Keep it really short until you get below the cheekbone, then gradually add fullness,” Alfonso says.

Fade, Fade, and Fade

Thicker beards can handle crisper edges. But once you’ve trimmed it down to a summer length, it’s critical that the edges of your beard fade gently into the night. “You want to taper from your neck to your chin,” Alfonso says. “Put a #1 guard on the clipper and gently flick the bottom of the clipper in the direction of your chin to get just the right amount of taper.” The hair on your neck should always be shorter than the hair on your chin. “A hairy neck has the effect of pulling your beard downward and making it look really long,” says Alfonso. “Keeping it clean will help your face really pop.”

If You Color, Match Your Eyebrows 

With longer beards, a little grey speckling can look downright dignified. But for summer beards, when you’re sporting a tan and a serious pair of shades, a silver beard just makes you look old. “If you’re going to color it, choose a color that matches your eyebrows for the most natural look,” advises Alfonso. You’ll need at least a half-inch of growth for the color to hold. A brighter beard tone makes your tan look better, and your face look younger.

Go Natural

Leave the beard oils for the winter months, says Alfonso. In the summer, less is more. “When your beard is trimmed this short, any additional product you put on it is going to stand out,” he says. “Keep it simple.” That said, a good beard conditioner may help both the beard and the skin beneath with any windburn incurred from summertime activities like sailing or surfing. Also, conditioners have softening properties that can ease the itch that comes with shorter lengths

Get Ready to Work

It’s the ultimate oxymoron: There is no such thing as “easy summer hair.” The shorter the strands on your face and your head, the more frequently you’ll be working to keep them looking good. “Shorter beards require regular attention in order to maintain clean lines,” says Serrata. “With a shorter beard, we’re looking for once-a-week maintenance on the line work.” The better news: With less overall hair to fuss over, each session won’t last too long.