How to maintain your beard

Whether it’s the lumberjack-style or the short maintained beard, a new wave of the beard trend has hit the Pacific Northwest. However, there are certainly mixed feelings about this popular look.

Cameron Thomson, 24-year-old Ellensburg resident, is no stranger to the bearded look.

“It’s man shit,” Thomson said with a grin.

Thomson said his inspiration behind growing his thick beard was the popular TV show, Vikings. In fact, the main reason he grew out his beard was for the opportunity to win an all-expense paid trip to Ireland to feature as a double on the show.

Thomson has been growing his beard since last November, saying that before he submits his mugshot to the show, he would like the length of his beard to at least reach his chest.

Thomson said that his girlfriend has no quarrels with the beard and that she actually loves it, but can sometimes present some interesting challenges.

“Saucy food is the worst,” Thomson said. “You have to sit there with a napkin for like 20 minutes just scrubbing out the beard.”

In order to keep his beard in tip-top shape, he uses a special soap to wash it every day in addition to a set of beard lotions and oils to condition it.

Thomson said that now that he is fully immersed in the beard lifestyle, he can’t imagine himself going back to the bare-faced life.

“I like it. I think it’s dope. I told my girlfriend when it gets long enough, I’m going to have her braid it,” Thomson said.

Carly Jones, senior public relations major, said she has no problem with a bearded man.

“I love beards,” Jones said. “A guy who can pull off a beard is very handsome to me.”

Although Jones said a beard can present a handsome look, a lumberjack-style beard is out of the question.

“I don’t like super long beards. I like short, maintained beards,” Jones said.

Jones said that when it comes to dating, she has no preference whether a guy has a beard or not.

“Having facial hair isn’t a make or break kinda thing for me,” Jones said. “The only way I’m dating a man with a lumberjack-style beard is if that beard is on Tom Hardy.”

However, some people aren’t fond of the bearded look.

Christina Densmore, 21-year-old Ellensburg resident, said “absolutely not,” when it comes to bushy beards.

“I don’t like the appearance of really thick beards because it’s not clean cut and doesn’t come off as presentable,” Densmore said.

She said she would never be interested in a guy with a thick lumberjack-style beard.

“I’m just not attracted to that,” Densmore said. “It also seems like guys tend not to know what style of beard best suits their face, so even if they could pull off a beard, they’re usually wearing the wrong one.”

Although a lumberjack-style beard is something she has no interest in, Densmore said that depending on the individual, a small amount of facial hair, like a goatee, could be acceptable.

“For me, the only way that [lumberjack] style of beard would be acceptable for me to date, was if Usher was my boyfriend,” Densmore said.