The Actual Real Beard Man
It is with great pleasure that we share the first blog on this site which is a Q and A session with none other than the Actual Real Beard Man, Mr. Sean Thearle! So without further delay… this blog is dedicated to Sean and his beard! Thank you Sean for a great interview
How long do you have a beard? Can you please share the history of your beard?
I have had my beard for approximately 3 years. I started to grow it to only have it very short but decided on a complete change in look. Over time my hair on my head got shorter and my beard got longer. I really enjoy looking after it and also keeping a keen eye on all things bearded via social networks (Facebook and Instagram).
How often do you groom your beard and do you have a special grooming routine? How often do you have it trimmed? What is the longest it has been?
I wash my beard twice a day, but I groom it only in the mornings. I shower and wash my beard, sometimes using a normal hair conditioner on it too. I then dry it with a hairdryer and an open brush that I ‘borrowed’ from my wife. Once dried I leave it for a few mins and then apply an oil, BUT, recently I have been using the Machado Beard Balm which I now prefer as its slightly thicker than an oil and is absorbed well. At the end of a working day I will wash it again in the shower, let it dry naturally but with no balm added. It does feel softer since I’ve been using the balm too.
I tend to get it trimmed as and when I think it’s necessary. When I do it’s usually just a tidy as I don’t like having too much cut off, I tend to have it shaped more than cut. This again all depends on who the barber is. A few months back I had a guy cut too much off and the shape wasn’t good so I had to trim it back myself. Finding a good barber is vital. There’s a trend for a lot of barbers to offer male grooming services nowadays but as with a lot of things, there are good barbers and also not so good barbers, so finding them can be a case of trial and error.
The longest my beard has been was when I grew it for a year and then one evening decided to shave it back to a few weeks stubble length. I have since grown it again after missing it.
How do you get your beard to grow so healthy and full? Do you have a secret to the success of your beard?
I try not to over comb it. Using a wide toothed comb helps and I’m always careful should I towel dry it not to pull or knot the hairs too much. I always apply oil and now balm, apart from the odd day at the weekend where I may just leave it in a mess.
Can you stick a pencil in your beard?
I’ve managed 6 pencils at one point. Along with various food items. Cous Cous is a particular favourite.
Do you have any funny incidents involving your beard?
In 2015 while on holiday I had to trim my beard back very short as we spent a lot of time snorkelling. I was having trouble with the goggles leaking water and filling up due to my moustache causing water to leak in.
This year while returning back from Mexico I was refused entry at the U.K. border control. The biometric passport reader couldn’t match my face to my passport. It flagged up so I was guided over to the immigration officer who refused my entry as I looked completely different than the photo in my passport. His words were…”this does not look like you”
I had to call the wife back to see if we had other ID. Luckily, we did.
Below is the before and after photo with my passport photo on the left.