Bear(d) hug

Jasmine Singh

Doodled on Punjabi singer Vattan Sandhu’s tee is—‘You can always trust a man with beard and glasses’. The funny quote generally makes one smile, making that person take a second look at Vattan, who wears a full grown beard.

So, here is returning to the caveman look, over-grown beard is what has caught the fancy of Bollywood stars and other celebrities who have given the rugged look a shot rather than sticking to that clean- shaven look.

These days we see the International Khiladi sporting a full-grown beard for his upcoming film Gabbar Is Back. Others like Ranveer Singh, Bobby Deol, Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan and closer home Punjabi singer-actor Hardy Sandhu, actor Aman Dhaliwal no longer think clean shaven is sexy any more! But rocking a full-grown beard is not possible for everyone, although if you are willing to ignore your girlfriends ‘oh yuk’ compliment or if you are ready to be called a hippie or a beggar, why don’t you give it a try!

A close shave

Ranveer Singh’s rough look, moustache and beard, created a style statement after the release of his film Raasleela, and then we saw Shahid Kapoor sporting a full- grown beard; Bobby Deol recently made an appearance in Chandigarh with his bearded look. Actor Aman Dhaliwal, calls it a symbol of masculinity. “It might be a style statement now, a beard in the Sikh community was a symbol of bravery and valour,” shares the actor who didn’t shift to beard for any role. “I can’t put my finger on any one reason, it just felt more liberating to keep one,” he adds.

A guy thing

Sculpting and trimming a beard that will fetch you compliments is a task. Hair dresser and designer (as he likes to call himself) Shahid from Patiala, who does hair styling for most Punjabi actors, says keeping a full-grown beard needs to be as meticulous as maintaining a hair style.

“If you intend to shift to your caveman roots with a full beard, then be ready for regular trimming, shaping and cleaning. Also, if you have already started growing a beard, then be ready to bear the untrimmed look for a few days.” Shahid gives a quick low down on how to start with it. “If you want girls to drool over your look, this is how it goes. Let your facial hair grow for a few weeks let the stray hairs remain in your beard as well as the moustache. When it reaches what we call the mountain man stage, trim your beard carefully keeping the shape you have in your mind. Visit a salon for this,” he laughs.

It’s your pick

Short boxed beard, chin curtain, klingon style (a full grown beard with trimmed upper lip)…there are different styles of full-grown beard that you can choose depending on your physique. Even though this might sound ‘not possible’, not everyone can get a thick beard.

Anil Kataria, proprietor Head Honchos, receives numerous queries from boys who want to sport a full beard. “This, however, needs time,” he adds. “What they need to know is that it should compliment their look and body. A beard can totally change the way to you look, even boost confidence.”

Grow it right

Now, if you have a trimmer in your closet, here are other things that you need to take care of, if you are inspired to keep an over grown beard.

• You should find the right style for your beard. A beard should compliment your face. It also depends whether you have thick, thin or medium hear growth.
• It is important to have the right length for the beard.
• This is a must, clean your beard regularly. If you shampoo your hair, don’t forget to do the same to the beard.

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