Is the Hipster beard trend completely dead?

Grooming trends tend to come and go but one of the biggest in recent years was beards.  Men everywhere were spurred on by a new breed of bearded social media faces to put down their razors and embrace the bushy look.  In fact, just a few years back, finding a clean-shaven man under the age of 50 was a bit of a rarity.  Not all went for the full-on hipster beard though, many (like me) preferred the 3- or 4-day stubbly look.

Like all good things, the beard craze was sure to come to an end at some point, but it was when the men’s style bible, GQ magazine declared earlier this year that the beard was officially dead that a lot of guys took notice.  The big fashion designers started opting once again for clean-shaven faces on the runway and in fact an altogether more groomed style in general.

This week a poll from  BIC SHAVE CLUB, the subscription service delivering refillable razors directly to your door, seems to show that the news has now filtered down to the Great British public with over half (55%) stating that they think the hipster beard is dead.  Unsurprisingly, it was the 45-54 age group who were most against them, with 67% believing they were dead.  I wonder how much of this is linked to the older generation’s general hatred of them though?  I always found that it was the over 50’s who least liked my beard back when I had it a lot fuller than it is now.

So, should you reach for the nearest razor and go back to being smooth cheeked?  Well, I still think that’s up to you.  If you’re a dedicated follower of trends then, yes, but otherwise go with what works for you and your face shape.  Some people use a beard as a way to make their faces look longer, fuller or more rugged.  Some like to be clean-shaven to show off their jaw line or bone structure.

If you’re still rocking a full beard, you should consider giving it a bit of a tidy up and trying a shorter beard for a while instead of going the full monty.  If you already have a short beard, try to whip it all off.  Trends come and go but beards are never going to go extinct.  Tom Hardy’s new look at the premiere for the movie Venom is testament to that.

No matter what kind of facial hair you have, just remember that an element of maintenance is still required.  Necklines and cheek lines still require lining up and moustaches still need pruning.  Beards are often thought of as a lazy option but in fact a well-groomed beard takes more time and commitment than simply shaving it all off.

A few guys have told me that one of the reasons that they grew a beard was because of the really high cost of regularly buying razor blades.  If you are looking for an inexpensive way of battling your stubble, the BIC SHAVE CLUB is a great option.  Once you sign up, you receive a starter kit (currently on offer for £3.90) containing a handle, blade and shave gel in your first delivery then a pack of 4 blade refills at the frequency of your choice.  There’s no commitment either, so if you find that you’re missing your beard like crazy, you can cancel your subscription at any time.

Remember, facial hair grows back so even if you decide to get rid of your beard and you hate it, it won’t be ln growing back in!

This is a partnership post in collaboration with the BIC SHAVE CLUB.