Keeping long beards – Humans, naturally, are covered with hairs an aspect of which is the facial hair. Different people, male and female alike, have their preferences when it comes to men’s facial hairs (beards) while some people cannot find a logical reason why men should keep their beards, others keep their beards and like people who do prefer the length from stubble to very long and everything else in between.
People with Long Beards
This article is centered on what the length of your beards says about you (yeah, it does say something) and also peeps into the different reasons people have for keeping long beards and the different styles that they can rock.
Popular opinion has it that most devout Muslims keep long beards. The Prophet Mohammad is believed to have had a beard and Muslims who seek to emulate the Prophet’s actions keep their beards as well. Muslims learn about Prophet Mohammad’s perspectives on beards not from the Koran but from sayings, hadith, attributed to him. Muhammad al-Bukhari, a Muslim scholar, has a collection of the sayings, one of which states: “Cut the mustaches short and leave the beard”. So based on this, most Muslims keep their beards as long as possible and enjoins their Muslim brothers to do same.
Beards Length in Islam
Most Islamic scholars and those in positions of authority like the Imams keep long beards because they have to follow the five characteristics of the Muslim Fitra (being the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad) which are “circumcision, trimming of nails, pubic hair removal, armpit hair removal and keeping mustaches short” however, since it is not mandatory and certainly not a criteria for being a Muslim, some people do not keep long beards but are faithful of the religion.
Beard Length in Christianity
People also believe that folks with short beards and those who are clean shaven are Christians and usually officiate in their services like Pastors and those aspiring to be. Some churches go as far dictating to their ministers to keep their faces cleanly shaven. This is not common with all churches as there are people who do not believe that keeping beards should not be an issue and no one should dictate to anyone how to handle their facial hairs because it is personal and very much inconsequential to whether or not one is a Christian.
Beard length based on the shape of the face (Short faces)
People with somewhat short faces with oval and round shapes who feel the need to give it an elongated look also embark on this ride. To these set of people, keeping long beards enhances their facial features and gives it an elongated look. This, in turn, tilts their self-image towards a positive angle and increases their self-esteem and consequently boosts their general output in life.
Beard length based on the shape of the face (Long faces)
People who have long faces with shapes like diamond, triangle, rectangle and even heart shapes do not actually need long beards to give an elongated look. However, some of these people like to keep long beards so what is better for them is to wear their beards at moderate lengths. The beards can be full and long but not too long, at least not to the chest level as some people with short looking faces would tend to keep.
Beard length of Academicians
It is quite common to see people of higher academic standing like the professors sporting long beards. We do know that there are no law binding Professors to keep long beards but it happens that some of these academicians have long beards and sometimes grey ones. Some people are of the opinion that these people keep long beards because they do not have the time to shave. They have better and more serious things to do like attending to their students and their superiors, lecturing and marking scripts, publishing and climbing up the academic ladder. Some folks are of the view that since bearded men look distinguished and are considered brilliant and responsible by most people, Lecturers and Professors keep their beards to maintain these accreditations and quite agreeably, they act the part, what with the nature of their jobs and the fact that they shape lives and build nations and building enlightening the people.
Beard length for special fields
There are some group of people who cannot keep beards whether or not they like to as a result of the nature of their jobs. For example, people in the military are not allowed to keep beards although there are exceptions. Also, persons with certain skin conditions and religious beliefs may be considered. In all, military men who keep mustaches and beards do so under recommended guidelines and keep them within sensible limits.
Also, anyone in any field that may require them to put on respirators is required to be cleanly shaven in case there is a situation that mandates them to put on these breathing apparatuses. This is because facial hair can prevent proper sealing and thus allow external contaminated air to leak into the mask and be breathed in. for this same reason, firemen are not allowed to keep beards; mustaches may be allowed but within specified recommendations and stated policies.
Reasons Why People Keep Long Beards
People keep long beards for different reasons. For some, it is because of people’s favourable perceptions; most people believe that bearded men are more attractive and masculine and this actually endears them to most women. So, some men take it to the next level by keeping long beards which, to them, heightens their masculinity and attractiveness.
As stated above, some people keep beards for religious reasons, especially the Muslim. It is a sign of dedication to the Muslim religion and perspective of the Prophet Mohammad.
There are folks who keep beards just for the prestige of it and of course to have something to stroke reflectively while giving speeches or counsels.
There people who keep long beards mainly to complement the shape of their faces and enhance their physical features. For some people, it keeps them warm and shields them from cold
How to Grow A Long Beard
Some people will like to grow long beards but are wondering how to go about it. Here are a few things you can do.
- To grow a long beard, you just let the beards grow out naturally. Now, this requires a great deal of patience because different people have different hair growth rate; if some men do not shave their beards for a week, they would look like cavemen whereas some men can stay for a week and their beards will just peek out a little.
- If need be, use supplements that aid beard growth.
- You should have a healthy grooming routine; use beard shampoo and conditioner and beard oil regularly.
- Comb and trim the beards in the direction suitable for you.
- Eating well (balance diet) adequate water intake helps in nourishing the body and this in turn aids body growth generally, beards inclusive.
NB: Now, there is no specific period of time it takes to grow a long beard but popular opinion has it that on a general basis, one can grow a long beard within the space of three to six months.
Important warning to people keeping long beards
A very important step to take when growing your beards is to know your skin type. Some people do not keep facial hairs because they are scared that it will affect the skin in the beard region. The question of whether or not beards tell on the skin negatively depends on the individual and the grooming routine he maintains. For those who trim their beards outside, the barber and the kind of clippers they use matter a lot. Some people have delicate skins that react under the slightest touch so whether they are clean shaven or keep their beards, they should pay extra attention to their skins.
Beard styles that can be carved out of long beards
There are different styles that can be carved out of long beards. So for those who want to keep long beards, they have a variety of styles to choose from depending on the shape of their faces and their personal preferences. The variety of styles one can pick from are, but not limited to:
- The stubble: this is also called scruff. It a style that is very simple to wear. Although, this is considered as a short beard style, for those who are not so rich in hair, this style can be a consolation as it doesn’t really require lots of beards to pull off.
- Natural beard: this is very simple to groom because it does not require much work. Just leave the beards to grow at a natural pace and trim form time to time to guide it in the right direction. For people whose hairs do not grow out fast, a full dose of patience is highly recommended.
- There is the whaler style which is a long and full beard without the mustache. This is similar to the style some Muslim men go with because they often keep long beards but with keep their mustaches low and close to the skin or shave it off completely.
- The Hollywood style is another style that is easy to wear. You just let the mustache and beards grow out with the mustache extending to the beards but you will shave off the sideburns.
- The Uniform style: as the name implies, the mustache and the bears are trim to be at the same length unlike the whaler style
- Other styles are Razor edge, the woodsman style, the wave, the larger than life, etc.
What the length of your beards say about you
From a larger opinion, people believe that your beards, Long and short ones alike, says a lot about you. Also, people draw different meanings from men’s facial hairs depending on what they prefer. To people who do not like beards, long beards is a sign of irresponsibility and they see long bearded men as unkempt.
For some people, especially some religious men, men who keep long beards are undisciplined and neither assigns any duty to them nor places them in positions of authority. Pastors who don’t keep beards advices their members, mostly the preachers and those aspiring to be, to shave off their beards.
Some folks do not buy the idea of men leaving their facial hairs instead of shaving them off. They do not like it short and neither do they like it long. They just have a natural dislike for beards and anything that looks like it.
When your beards are long, to some people, it means that you live a free lifestyle, and are rough. These people do not like beards but will wear them if they are well-shave, black, shaped, scented,
There are people who admire beards and hold those who keep them, especially the long ones, in high esteem. For them, beards of any length, passes across a positive signal and message.
Most people see bearded men as mature compared to clean shaved men. It’s a sign of maturity. For them, bearded men fall within the rank of students, the unemployed, self employed, etc.
Some people think that long beards are fashionable and even ascribe them to celebrities.
Another thing that people look at is not just the fact that you have long hairs but how you are presenting it to people…
Some people, especially youths, dye their facial hairs and there are some who plait them. These acts send messages across to people; some people find this disgusting because it does not portray them in a good light.
Some folks do not like beards because it irritates them when it touches their skins especially the part under the chin. For men with the strong hair, when they hug you, the beards feel like pins. Some people who dislike beards for this reason can cope with it if the men shave off the hairs under their chins.
People have different preferences when it comes to the length of their beards and every man should be allowed to make his choice. It is one thing to decide to keep long beards, it is another to walk the talk. Whoever finds reasons to go for long beards should go for the style that suits his face take adequate care of it.