Growing a Beard: My Beard Journey

We’ve all felt the urge to rip our beards off, I’m guessing almost everyone has but not many have had the b***s to do it. Well, our ambassador and friend Trevor did exactly that … and more, he shaved his hair off too. Some might say he's brave, but the decision for Trevor to take part in a beard and head shave for charity was an easy one. Read on to find out how Trevor started growing a beard, he spills all!

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I'm originally from Leicester, but I ran away to Dublin when I was 18 and came back to the UK 5 years ago. I’m a store manager for Co-op and a charity fundraiser for the Co-op too.  I put together crazy trips for charity, for example we’ve got people doing Snowdon at night in May. It wouldn't be unusual for me to dress up as a smurf or a giraffe and have a little fun to raise money for local causes and communities.

Growing A Beard with Trev
When did you start your beard journey?

It all started for Movember in 2015, I grew a moustache for charity and after about 3 weeks, I realised that it was like Tom Selleck’s! It turned into this amazing moustache and it all kind of started from there. 

Did you face any problems when starting your journey?

It was incredibly itchy for the first month!  Eating was and still is another big problem, having sandwiches and soup is a nightmare. Another downside is that my fiancé always knows what I've eaten, I can’t have a cheeky snack because there's always a piece of it left.

The other is the mental health side, you’re so used to looking the way you do, I definitely feel better with a beard.

Why did you shave your beard in July 2020?

My aim was to raise money for help the homeless in Leicester. I pledged to raise £5,000 by May and as you could imagine, pandemic fundraising became extremely difficult because we couldn't do anything. I just thought that shaving my beard and hair would be so iconic and it will give me the chance to grow a fresh beard so why not, it will grow back and I will raise a load of money. 

As it was the first time I did it, it was extremely emotional! I had a real sort of moment thinking I'm going to do this … looking back I'm incredibly proud I did it. We raised nearly 4 and a half grand only through head and beard shaving itself, so people were incredibly generous and proud that we could make a difference to the community.

Growing A Beard Trev Shaving

When you shaved your beard, did you use any products when it was short?

I hadn't seen my chin for about 5 years till that point so it was really itchy for the next week or so, which was a really weird feeling. My beard grows back quickly and I was hoping that the grey wouldn't come back but again, we all go through stages of itchiness when we’re trying to grow out our beard.

A product that is great for growing a beard is beard oil, I would rub a bit twice a day to make sure my skin was moisturised. I’m normally up at dawn, some days I get up for work at 4am, wash my beard, put beard balm and oil in, then brush it. I don’t do anything else, I just keep it really simple and that's my routine. I’m barely awake and can’t see myself, so I tend to do a simple routine as it’s important to give your beard that TLC it deserves, which will eventually lead to great results.

For those who have a beard and don’t use products I think it's essential, it’s like going for a shower and putting products in your hair, your beard is just another extension of that, so the better you look after it the better it will look. It's as simple as that and just for 30 seconds, it will improve the look and feel of your beard everyday.

Growing A Beard Trev Shaved

How has your journey been growing it back?

It was great, I have had 1 trim since lockdown and I’m hairier than I’ve ever been but it needs a good trim now, it’s a bit wild.

What’s your go to beard product?

Beard balm definitely, particularly scent orange and bergamot as it’s zesty and fresh, but the new Mo Bros Black Edition is my new top! I love it, it feels like I'm wearing an expensive aftershave. I feel well groomed when I've got it on, it reminds me of going on a night out and it kind of unconsciously delves into taking that extra time to groom yourself. It makes you feel slightly better because it's not a general beard oil, It feels very luxurious.

Do you have any advice for growing a beard?

The real simple answer is don’t touch it. We all have days where we don’t want to have it on our face because it becomes irritating, but the simple trick is to just let it grow, if you feel like cutting it just wait a day and it will change your mind.

Another piece of advice is to have a good barber, don’t trim your beard yourself because you’ll see it in 2D, whereas your barber will see it in 3D and he’ll make a better job out of it. My main 3 bits of advice is to use good products everyday, don’t cut it and get a good barber. 

Depending on the length of your beard, when you’re starting off all you really need is an oil and that's going to moisturise, soften your skin and take away the itchiness. Then as your beard gets longer, I would add in a beard wash, balm or butter. I usually wash my beard twice a week and use balm or butter everyday.

I was naïve coming into the beard world but what kept me going was the beard community , people to talk to about products, good barbers, mistakes you make etc. You realise that at the beginning no one really knows that much about beards, then you start talking about it with others so that community is something really special to me. 

How have you been taking care of your beard during lockdown?

I’ve been mean to it every single time I put a face mask over it. It’s been very neglected during lockdown, but I keep the same routine going which keeps it in good condition and shape despite the lockdown restrictions. 

So there you have it, whether you have a short beard, long beard or what to completely start fresh, Trevor’s got you covered with all the essentials you’ll need to start growing a beard. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to help. 

PS: Take care of that lockdown beard!

If you want to find out more beard journeys from our Beard Ambassadors then check out their posts below:

1. How I Solved My Beard Itch: My Beard Journey
2. How I Style My Moustache: My Beard Journey
3. Growing My Confidence: My Beard Journey
4. How I Tame My Coarse Beard: My Beard Journey
5. 5 Step Process To Better Beard Care