Why You Should Delegate Your Beard Maintenance To A Pro

Barber Surgeon’s Guild’s Master Barber, Brandon Barney, shares his expertise on things to consider when determining the best beard style for you and your lifestyle.

A person will choose a haircut for themselves because they like how it looks without taking their own hair patterns, style, etc into thought. The same thinking goes with beards. We want to see what we think we want to have, not what we can actually manage. The reason a person should delegate beard styling to a professional, at the very least in the beginning, is because we lend a professional and impartial eye. Some of the things I take into consideration when I am choosing a beard include: the shape of the person’s face and head; how much effort are they willing to put into beard maintenance; are their ideas for what realistic for them.”

Hair patterns or “whorl” can play a part in what beard styles or trimming maintenance is right for each man. While hair may be growing at the same rate, difference in in the hair growth may make the beard look off kilter or askew.

“Anyone can wear their hair in anyway they see fit. I just hope it is not worn in shame or embarrassment to cover up an insecurity about themselves. Consulting your barber and finding what is best for you can have you feeling better about a perceived shortcoming as well as just feeling better about yourself. Styling a beard is working with the beard. I cut and sculpt in the way the hair naturally grows. If you try and go against it, well… you just made it patchy and possibly ruined it. You cannot make a straight arrow crooked and vice versa, so you can’t cut or sculpt a beard in a way it does not want to flow.” 

Maintaining a great beard can hold the same difficulties as maintaining a great head of hair. Periodic trimming and styling can help to maintain the shape of the beard as well as preventing unsightly split ends. This allows hair to maintain it’s health throughout the strand as it grows. 

“Beards can suffer from pretty much anything the hair on your scalp can. You can experience dandruff, breakage of hair… etc. The way to prevent it is to maintain good beard maintenance. Oiling or applying balm will help the hair in various ways, one of which is the luster and sheen of the beard. When properly applied, the result will be a healthier looking and feeling beard.”

When asked what his favorite part of working at BSG? Brandon had a quick reply…

“My clients. I love investing in their lives, talking them through whatever they are going through all while making them look their best possible. I also have a degree in counseling which never goes without use when I have clients in my chair. Being able to benefit their lives in a positive way, being able to impact my community in a constructive way; those are what bring me the most joy. I have the ability to create art in what I do, and when I help another person feel that about themselves, then they are walking art to be appreciated. It’s a beautiful thing. (Yes, I very much romanticize how I view my work and career.)”

Drop by BSG’s Los Angeles Outpost for a consultation with Barney. Book here.