Hair and Grooming Tips for 2018
We spoke with House 99 Barber Ben Copeland about his Hair and Grooming Tips for the year ahead. Here’s what we found out…
How Important is it to get the right haircut for your face shape and how can it enhance your look if you get it spot on?
Face shape is certainly important but it does depend on what you’re going for and some styles do actually suit all face shapes. As well as taking into account face shape, a good barber will also look at the texture of your hair, the thickness, your personal look and your lifestyle. Culminating all of those factors, as well as your face shape will achieve the best cut for you.
Looking at it in a little more detail, if you’ve got quite a long face you want a style that will widen your face, which will make it appear shorter. To achieve this, leave a bit of length on the sides and less height on the top; something like a crew cut works as it’s flatter at the front.
For a round face you want to keep the sides short and elongate the face, so something like a pompadour or a big quiff will work. Just remember to also take into account the texture of the hair because if you’re thinning, a big quiff is going to enhance the recession and I imagine that’s not want you want the main focus to be.
Face shape is important but a good barber will take into account all of the other factors mentioned above.
Who do you feel are the leading pioneers for men’s hairstyles and grooming trends right now? And why is that the case?
David Beckham – L’Oreal recently conducted a study on grooming trends and discovered that when millennials are researching online for style and hair tips, David Beckham is mentioned once in every four articles. I.e. plenty of people are searching for Beckham regularly, which shows he still remains at the top of the tree in terms of grooming goals. Beckham endorses the refined look and he’s image-aware; he knows people will look to him for inspiration and he always delivers.
Tom Hardy – This guy keeps cropping up, particularly in my line of work. Where David is an advocate for the well-groomed man who likes to take particular pride in his appearance, Tom Hardy has that effortless look about him, which is one many blokes really yearn for. They don’t want to appear like they care too much but also want to remain stylish and current. Tom typifies a British guy who has quick, simple and attainable style through the likes of simple stubble and crew cuts. Britain’s very own Ryan Gosling.
To beard or not to beard…We’ve seen the time of the big, bushy beard come and go – is clean shaven the next big trend or do beards and designer stubble still have a place within the contemporary man’s world?
I’ve seen a lot of stats over the last few months from working with House 99 and I can say that beards are very much still on trend. Obviously fashion leads the way but trends from the catwalk can take some time to filter through. What I would say is big beards are definitely being tamed, with 3-6 day beards and designer stubble becoming a lot more prominent and popular amongst gents.
Facial hair gives your face structure that you wouldn’t necessarily have with a clean shave, and so that’s another major reason for them being so popular. Those with rounder faces can benefit massively from growing a beard.
If you’ve got the right face and bone structure, the clean shaven appearance can look extremely slick and I can definitely see why it’s relevant on the catwalk but I would say to the average guy, a little bit of stubble can definitely enhance facial features and add an element of refinement. It can also add a little bit of individuality so you can stand out, especially if you’re in the position where your hair won’t style they way you want it to, perhaps due too thinning or recession.
What are the main facial hair trends for 2018?
3-6 days growth is what you’re going to start seeing more of as you can maintain a defined look that appears effortless (and it basically is). Clean shaves will start filtering in but there will always be stubble and beards on the streets.
With the stubble and 6 day beard trends, I would definitely advise using balms and oils in order to keep the shape and healthiness in your facial hair, as well as keeping the skin moisturised. Many believe you don’t need products until you get some serious growth but I’d advise using them sooner rather than later.
Oils are good for longer, bushier beards, as they add a gloss and condition the hair. The balm is good for the skin and lock down any loose bits of hair – the other key of the balm is that it densifies the areas where hair growth may not be as intense. Yet, as I said, these are already becoming less prominent on the streets.
What’s the one tip you’d give to all chappers in terms of male hair care?
My motto = Less is more.
Style your hair and beard, stand back, check out the shape and structure, ensure you’re happy and then walk away.
Don’t keep messing around with it trying to get that ‘perfect’ look because trust me when I say, no one will be looking nearly as hard at your grooming as you just have. Style and walk away.
Visit: Ben Copeland