Beard and Hair Coloring Tips from Shane Michael
Hello Bearded Bear Family! This week, I wanted to speak a little on Hair and beard coloring. The one thing many people that truly know me as a friend, stylist, and beard advocate can tell you about me, is my stance on beard coloring.
When you are deciding on coloring your hair, seeking out the services of a qualified stylist/colorist/barber is the wisest thing you can do. Jumping into it feet, or head first, in this instance, may lead you down a road most bears don’t have the time, nor the funds to travel.
Take my hair for example. When looking at it, you’d think that my natural hair color is black. This is not the case. At 34 years old, I developed a patch of silver hair in the front left side of my hairline. This caused the rest of my hair to appear darker. My hair color is actually dark brown. If I’d gone to the store and bought a box of black dye, it would completely change my overall look, and it would be too harsh for my skin tone.
As professional colorists, we know that there are different levels, or tones, to each hair color. Having a colorist from a salon or barbershop formulate a color specifically for your natural color and tone combination will yield you the best results without causing a color that may make you look Goth, washed out or too severe.
Another great example would be singer, Adam Lambert. He is known for his deep raven, (dark brown), hair, and tanned skin. This look was achieved by his hair team and colorist. The natural color of Adam’s hair is strawberry- blonde. He also matches his beard with the darker color.
Coloring your beard is definitely NOT my favorite service, as it rarely has a natural look. The service tends to mostly produce a color that is too dark or just not light, or “on the money enough”, resulting in an obvious artificial color. While I am staunchly against coloring beards, I do it on the job to prevent clients from purchasing boxed color from drugstores. This could result in the wrong color, burns, or allergic reactions to their faces.
There are so many men that look incredibly sexy with a little silver in their beards. Likewise, there are a ton of men out there with full silver/ gray beards that are incredibly hot. I personally enjoy the the contrast of color in my hair and beard because it gives me a unique look that also works for my twin brother. So, we keep it natural.
Remember that keeping your beard well hydrated with great products like Bear Essentials Hair’s Beard Wash and Styling Cream should always be the foundation to your grooming process.
As always, stay bold, stay bearded, and stay YOU!
Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you proceed with any color service;
- Why am I considering beard color?
- Who am I doing this for?
- Will my gray be a nice natural tone like Silver, White or Titanium?
- Will the coloring process be too time consuming to keep up? (Roots don’t lie)
- Will the color service be a harm to my face or to my beard in any way?
Make sure to tune into the next episode of Bear World Podcast, where I will address these questions in the next Beard and Hair Care Segment!
