#BeardGang

For a lot of men, beards represent masculinity. This is why so many men pride themselves on having well maintained facial hair and a big reason why #BeardGang has been trending on social media.

While maintaining and growing a beard, keep in mind that overall manscaping and taking care of your skin and health as a lifestyle is the ultimate goal. It’s 2018 and the time for pampering ourselves is here. The Weekender looks at how best to do it.

A local barber who preferred to remain anonymous shared that the first step in having an appealing moustache is letting your facial hair grow without attempting to trim it.

“When you decide to grow your beard, you will have the urge to trim it so you look more presentable but the secret is to let it grow for at least a month. This will allow the hair to grow steadily and help you pick a style that suits its length and texture,” he said.

Lynn Komu, founder of ByDesign Cosmetics which specialises in beard products, told The Weekender that if a man has chosen to grow his beard, the most important thing to do is groom it regularly.

“Like the hair on our heads, beards also require some tender love and care. In Namibia it is hot so I would recommend a beard mist for something light and fresh yet still helpful in making grooming easier,” said Komu.

Along with taking care of your facial and bodily hair, Impy Amutenya, the brain behind NamBeauty, also thinks that clear skin and a bright white smile are a must for men. While Amutenya’s purifying peel-off mask and teeth whitening kit aren’t her own products, she is currently working on her own brand of scrubs and oils for in-grown hair as well as oils for natural hair which men can also apply to their beards.

“It’s important for men to take care of themselves as much as women do,” she said. The young entrepreneur mentioned that speaking to the older generation, she realised that natural products are the secret to healthy skin and hair.

“Some of the products we use today have too many chemicals, which take their toll in the long run,” Amutenya said. On a natural hair journey, Amutenya uses her own products to assist in having healthy, soft hair – a dream for men when it comes to their beards.

Young Namibian creative Kevin Perestrelo achieved that dream through investing in natural products from ByDesign. “I have a beard balm, beard mist and beard oil,” Perestrelo said adding that he uses a balm once a week on Sundays, while he applies the beard oil every day. “On days that it’s really hot, I opt for the beard mist.

“My beard is healthier, it grows faster and it’s also much softer. The oil also smells really nice,” he said of the benefits of using organic products.

“Considering that growing a beard is becoming somewhat trendy, if you want to grow a beard, you should take care of it best,” Perestrelo concluded.

Speaking to on how he maintains his beard, kwaito superstar Lazarus Shiimi, popularly known as Gazza, shared that growing a beard requires a lot of patience. Gazza said that he uses beard oil and goes for facial massages from time to time as a way to maintain his beard. “It is like having a garden. You have to take care of it and make sure it looks good,” the superstar said.

The most important way of keeping your beard looking healthy is by regularly washing it and treating it with beard oil. This is especially important in the early stages of growing your beard.

“Washing it every day is crucial as it helps with the growth process and keeps the beard healthy,” said Gazza.

Just like there are life lessons that come with various personal journeys, growing your beard is no different. Gazza shared that the lessons he has learnt from his beard journey is that there is nothing wrong with being yourself and being different.

“Being yourself means being different. This is why even if you see guys with beards, every beard will be different in colour, length and texture,” he said.

He revealed that when he started growing his beard, a lot of people were not sure of what he was doing and some advised him to cut it. However, the perks of having a well maintained beard is that it contributes to your confidence.

“People will judge you at first but as long as you know what you want and you are comfortable with it, it does not really matter what people say,” concluded Gazza.

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