Beard craze: From he-goats to people

Tafadzwa Zimoyo

As the night sleeps away, a child inexplicably cries non-stop. The father, a member of an apostolic sect, dips his goatee-beard into a bowl of water. He systematically shakes the beard, showering the child’s chubby body wet.

The child’s crying increases in tone, cadence and crescendo but dies off within minutes as she slumps into sleep. The family believes the child has been treated, for, in the apostolic sect spiritual realm, watering a child from wet beard, casts of nightmares.

Beard is more than just a fashion statement. Could this be the reason apostolic sect members wear long beard? Well, that is narrative for another day.

Somewhere in a rural home, a man suspecting his wife’s infidelity, dips the long beard into a concoction and brushes the unsuspecting wife’s privates with it. That is how Runyoka, a “deadly central locking system” is administered. Once again, this is subject to yet another narrative.

These two practices and many others deemed archaic might be dying slowly but a new use of beard has emerged since early last year.

Fashion!

Understandably, in order to pull off a good look, you have to combine confidence and style without coming off looking too messy. Is it a beard or bird – as in a man who is eating a live black Indian chicken?

The he-goat is back in this life as a harbinger of beard. It makes it more masculine.

Oh, it is beard.

Beards appear to be here to stay and some local men are going interesting lengths to sustain the trend.

George Mundicha of “Blah George” barbershop at Copa Cabana bus terminus confirms that these days it is just as much about what is on a man’s face as it is about what is on his head.

“Well the bigger the beard the bigger you are definitely going to feel how macho you are or that you own the throne,” he said.

 

Well at his barbershop, beards are everywhere, and it is true that there is a demand for beard care.

Asked by The Herald on Saturday Lifestyle what if the beard just won’t grow?

The 43-year-old barber says it is simple, he will create one with original, recycled and clean human hair. In fact, fake beards could be called a form of art.

“They are called beard man weaves or man face wigs, if you want to call it that way. It was a secret before but I have been in this business for close to two years.

“We have lace-fronts for the face now, including fibres, we have all black which is on demand,” said one local Maxine Lara, a stylist of more than 10 years.

Lara who works with celebrities, musicians, soccer stars and models among others said fake beards have changed the game and admitting you have one is not an embarrassment.

“They are out in the forefront doing it. It is a lucrative business. The purchase of hair and sew in can cost from USD$10 and remember the time spent in the barber chair will be factored in as well.

“It takes about an hour to lay, cut and make it look good,” said Lara.

One fact you must admit is that men are now taking as much time in the barber shop compared to previous years where they would just go in and out of the barber shop.

The beard is here to stay.

However, Leviticus (19:27) says, “You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your heads, neither shall you clip off the edge of your beard.”

Reading down the scripture says in Leviticus (21:5), “You shall not shave your beard for the dead (a pagan practice with a baldness on the top) and they shall not shave their beard.”

It’s been over two millenniums but some men still adhere to the rule. Sometimes it is religion about religion, style or those they think they are ‘fly’ that influence their beard, a culture that seems to be a major influence on their fashion sense.

The cultural essence is somewhat eroded with many doing it for fashion, but still recognising the religious influence. Jesus’ apostles are also represented frequently as bearded men.

One of the most revered figures in Christian history – Saint Paul of Tarsus – also wore his hair long. In Acts (19:12) we learn of Paul’s “head bands,” indicating his long hair which he had to tie back in order to keep in place.

Today, too it is proven that some girls fall for boys or rather men with beard affectionately known as the “beard gang”, the same attraction that trended for United States’ nemesis Osama Bin Laden.

Yes the one who brought down the twin towers and the Pentagon which was to many the world military nerve centre.

Obviously his going against a super-power has attracted millions of followers who took on the beard style.

Then we have the “mapostori” phenomenon.

They shave their hair and keep a beard – virgin beard to be precise.

On a serious note, ndebvu, as locals call it in Shona, it is now regarded as a sign of prestige.

Again it is a proven fact that men who live in wintry climates always seem to sprout bushy beards and that is because having that extra layer of insulation does exactly what you think it would.

According to Anthony M. Rossi, a dermatologist interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, wintertime beards are essentially all-natural scarves.

According to Popular Science, these hairy scarves keep the skin underneath one degree warmer than it is in unguarded areas, which might sound small but definitely makes a big difference.

Some researchers have even proposed that the entire evolutionary purpose of the beard was to keep the face warm, though if this was the case, it makes you wonder why most women don’t also have beards. This is another reason why Santa Claus has beard by the way.

Surprisingly there is now this new phenomenon which is bugging the trend locally of having fake beard- lace-synthetic facial hair. Most salons in the CBD visited by The Herald on Saturday Lifestyle revealed that the business is booming and there is high demand of fake beard across town.

“You would wonder how a 20-year-old boy who just finished high school has grown a dark bushy beard. It is now trendy to have a beard,” said Tendai Marimo a barber at a local salon.

On average, the beard growth rate is half an inch per month. For some men, the rate will be slower while for others it can be faster.

“The speed of your beard growth is controlled by things like genetics, levels of testosterone, DHT and lifestyle habits.  The sensitivity of one’s body towards their hormones also stimulates beard growth.

“It is a common misconception that one’s beard would grow as fast as their scalp hair and that they would be similar types of hair,” said retired barber and dermatologist Mcdonald Loft of Arundel Village.

While some are opting to buy fake facial hair, others said they treat their beard just as women do with their hairstyles.

In fact they highlighted that every month they have a budget for that.

“I use a least US$10 for beard soap, beard balm and beard oil,” said beard keeper Nathan Gutu.

He has been keeping a beard for three years and he has made it a lifetime commitment.

“It has now become part of my identity. Most people do not know how I look like without a beard,” said Gutu.

Gutu’s testament affirms the view that one has to invest a lot of money in their beard.

Bra Zulu of the “Wenera” soap fame said he grows his beard naturally although he has some friends who want to imitate US rapper and business mogul Rick Ross.

For barber “Mukoma Tau” Taurai Mashonganyika, who works at a salon along Nelson Mandela Avenue, it was easy to apply the fake facial beard.

“You just put the glue but it won’t last five weeks. What you need to do is to constantly have touch ups so that it remains intact,” said Mukoma Tau.

Another point raised about the beard gang was that it symbolises masculinity.

“For men, beards stand for masculinity, so a fully grown moustache and beard is a source of great pride. I maybe thin but when girls see me with this black bushy facial hair, trust me, I become a ‘real’ man,” said a 21-year-old university student who did not want to be identified.

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