Beard Trimming in the City

Looking to keep your beard in tip top condition and have it trimmed to perfection? Then look no further, because luckily for you, Pall Mall Barbers are the beard experts!

And with 3 barber shops in Central London and another about to open near Liverpool Street,  beard trimming in the city is going to become very convenient.

Whatever the length of your beard, whether you’re just starting to grow it or it’s a full on bushy mass of facial hair, the most important thing is to keep it in good condition. Regular beard maintenance is crucial.  Washing and conditioning your hairy face, as well as regular beard trimming to keep it in shape and applying a really good beard oil to keep it soft and tamed and the regular things that you should be doing.  No-one wants to look at a musty, scruffy looking beard that may contain all manner of things from crumbs from your lunch to toothpaste to drops of your favourite tipple. And image all that sitting right under your nose.  Not good!

So, here are some tips on not only getting your beard in good condition and shaped well, but for on going beard maintenance.

Firstly, we’ve got a  great beard shaping video from Pall Mall Barbers if you’ve got a bit of growth started and don’t quite know how to shape it. Erin’s tips will help you make your beard look a lot thicker and more even overall. If you’re not that confident, or you’re a first time beard grower, make an appointment for beard trimming in the city and one of our experienced barbers will not only shape and trim your beard for you, but can also show you exactly how to do it at home yourself.

As it grows, it’s important to wash and condition your beard just as you would your hair. So every time you’re applying shampoo to the top of your head, do the bottom of your face too. It will only add seconds to your showering routine.  We’ve developed our own range of shampoos and conditioners for men that are ideal for your facial hair too. If you’ve got drier hair, go for the Argan Oil range, or if your hair is finer, greasier or your have a sensitive scalp then the Tea Tree Oil range would be a better choice. You can buy all our men's shampoos and conditioners online or instore.

So, you’ve got to the stage where your beard is looking pretty impressive. What now? Facial hair can get unruly quite quickly as it tends to grow in all different directions. Trim it regularly.. and carefully!  We’ve seen many a wonky moustache that needs rescuing! Come along for beard trimming in the city and then keep it looking as good as possible by using a quality beard oil.  It can be used for styling – it’ll look healthier and shinier and the hairs will sit in place better. But also, beard oil is a great deep conditioner for your facial hair applied when it’s wet. This will help you to style your beard as the hair becomes softer and more pliable. If you want to see exactly how to do this, here’s  another video featuring the top beard skills of Erin!

So don’t forget, wash and condition your beard, get it trimmed regularly and use a beard oil.  Easy! And for beard trimming in the city, book an appointment online or call one of our Central London Barber shops.

History of the Beard

The history of the beard is fascinating. We've been going through a particular phase of beard loving in recent years so no doubt sometime in the future, people will look back and analyse our own social landscape as reflected by the hirsute amongst us right now.

When you look into the history of the beard, you can often identify a period by the style of beards popular at the time. For example, Henry VIII's bushy, fully grown beard was shaped as a "spade" and squared off at the chin. The style was much copied in the 16th century with most noblemen growing their facial hair as it was widely considered a sign of a man's virility!  The King even introduced a Beard Tax in 1535, knowing that men would pay it, as they wanted to keep their facial hair as a reflection of their masculinity.  Sneaky, eh?

By the time of the Stuarts reign in the 17th century, beards were shaped into a more of a pointy style quite often with the moustache separated from the beard hair under the lip and on the chin. This was known as a "Van Dyke".  In more recent years, this style has been sported by Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger and Jonathan Ross at various times.

When you look into the history of the beard, one thing is fairly constant. Beards being a reflection of a man's virility.  But they were also thought to prevent germs by preventing noxious substances getting into the mouth. Although given the lack of personal hygiene over the centuries we think a beard could have actually been harbouring more germs than was good for anyone.

Luckily, that's not the case today, even though the most favoured style of the moment is still a bushy, full on face of hair. With beard oils to keep beards in good condition, combs to shape and the general recommendation from barbers being to wash and condition the beard as you would your hair, then they really are something you wouldn't mind getting close to.

If you'd like to know more about the history of the beard, there's a great piece on The Conversation Blog.  It's written by Dr Alan Withey, who we had the pleasure of meeting when he came into Pall Mall Barbers and was filmed having a luxury wet shave as part of his research for a show on the BBC.

It's a fascinating read and you'll learn some little known facts about the history of the beard - like the development of fake beards made from goats hair in the middle of the 19th century for those who couldn't quite manage to grow their own!

Don't forget to call into one of our Central London barbers shops for all beard related products, beard trimming appointments and general beard care advice from one of our professional barbers.

Exhibition About Beards

We know beards are still really, really popular.  Whether that's the full on bushy variety or the more subtle stubble look, even though on the grapevine, it's reported that the whole hipster look seems to be waning.

We disagree and a clear indication that beards are as popular as ever, is an exhibition about beards currently on at Somerset House in London.

Featuring 80 portraits of men (and one woman!) with beards by the photographer Mr Elbank who has a fascination with facial hair and beards in particular.  At his exhibition about beards you may even recognise some pictures, particularly if you use social media as one of his early portraits of Australian charity campaigner Jimmy Niggles, who grew Oz's most high profile beard, went viral and he became a social media sensation.

Some of the images at this exhibition about beards are being shown for the first time, exploring that art of male grooming and featuring some amazing pictures of the likes of John Hurt, Ricki Hall, Billy Huxley plus the bearded woman Harnamm Kaur who's been growing a beard since the age of 16 as a result of a medical condition which causes excess hair growth.

It's a fascinating exhibition about beards that we'll definitely be going along to see, and it's on from March 5 - 29th.  You can get more information on the Somerset House website.

And don't forget if you need some grooming advice on your own beard care and how to look after it, book an appointment for a beard trim or shaping with one of our top barbers.  We've also got some great beard grooming products such as our Sandalwood and Clove Beard Oil, available online or in store.

Look after your own beard, keep it in shape and healthy looking with beard oil, and you never know, you may be featuring in your own exhibition all about beards!

Beard Oil Recommended by the Experts

We think our Beard Oil is really something special. We can't help it.  We know about these things and Pall Mall Barber's Sandalwood and Clove Beard Oil really is the dog's b*****ks!

So you can imagine our delight when someone else who really knows their stuff thinks so too.

The Grooming Guide aims to offer an unbiased, informative and entertaining insight. Their focus is real men as well as icons, expert access and products that really work. To that end every item they feature has been tested by them or referred to a panel of testers. Whether Firemen, Junior Doctors or Mountain Recue Teams they have done the hard work so you don’t need to.

In a recent post on the Grooming Guide website,  they've featured our Beard Oil which left their tester's beard hair "revitalised and left in the perfect condition to style and manage".  So glad you liked it mate!

Why not check out the rest of their site, it's full of useful advice, tips and product information to keep the modern man looking good. You can also follow them on twitter.

Our richly opulent Beard Oil contains three different oils combined to leave your skin and beard hair in unparalleled condition. Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E Oils not only protect and moisturise your skin, but also leave your beard hair soft, easy to shape and looking refreshed. Scented with the barber shop traditional favourites sandalwood and clove our beard oil will fit perfectly in the dob kit and at home.

So if you want a beard care product that works and will help to shape and condition your beard hair, then why not try our Beard Oil for yourself? You can get it online or in any of our Central London barber shops.  And if you want to know how to use it, we've got a video of Erin demonstrating exactly how to apply it. Have a look at the beard oil video here.

And if you are popping into one of our barbers shops, then book in for a beard trim and get your beard in the best shape possible at the hands of one of our experienced barbers.

Beard Care Advice

For all things beard related, Pall Mall Barbers really are the experts. So if you're looking for  beard care, styling and maintenance,  the team have compiled their top tips for guys participating in Decembeard.

Since 2011 Beating Bowel Cancer has invited men to take part in Decembeard and raise money to help those affected by bowel cancer by getting sponsored to grow a beard. Every December, the campaign is designed to raise money for the charity, helping and supporting people with bowel cancer and their families and raising awareness of the disease, its symptoms and the need for early diagnosis.

TOP TIPS

• In the initial stages,  use trimmers to beard trim and keep it sharp. Even light stubble can look stylish with some lining out and shaping.
• Don’t throw your razor away just yet; keeping the neck and cheeks clean shaven, this gives the beard a more prominence and adds to the overall shape.
• Shave away the flyaway hairs on your cheeks and keep the lines on the face quite natural with a nice curved line.
• Your neck line, depending on your beard type i.e. natural, styled or stubble, will vary.  But try not to let the beard grow too far down the neck; taking the neckline higher will give a fuller and thicker look.
• When determining the neckline, start anywhere between the top of your Adam’s apple and the crease in your neck that leads to your jaw.
• To keep the beard looking neat and healthy use a shampoo and/or a conditioner, you will notice the difference straight away; it will be easier to manage and will become a lot easier and a comb will fly through those knots.
• A good looking beard requires good styling and home maintenance. A small beard kit is essential to keep it  in line. A basic kit should consist of Scissors, a fine tooth comb, beard oil and a moustache wax.
• To keep unruly facial hair in order with a healthy shine, add a few drops of beard oil and smooth over the beard. Pall Mall Barbers Sandalwood and Clove Beard Oil which helps to condition beards.
• Even with these great tips, you may not fancy doing it yourself. If that's the case, call into one of our barber shops or make an appointment online and book in for a beard trimming service from London's beard experts.

We trim your beard and get it into shape for you, so that it'll be easier to care for and maintain.

You can also pick up our luxury Beard Oil in store or order it online.  And we've got a great video of Erin from Pall Mall Barbers showing you how to use it. Watch the beard shaping video here.