A close shave — has the beard finally had its day?

If you were hanging around in London’s Shoreditch area in 2007, you would have noticed something of a strange phenomenon. As this corner of East London became increasingly gentrified, seedy shops were replaced by cereal bars and McDonald’s replaced by microbreweries. As the storefronts began to change, so too did the residents and, slowly but surely, Shoreditch and Islington’s streets were filled with young men wearing skinny trousers, smoking pipes and growing big bushy beards.

Until this time, the beard had been firmly left behind in the 1970s along with bell-bottom pants and flower power but now it was back — with a vengeance.

On the face of it

The hipster signalled a new era for men’s fashion and suddenly, there was barely a clean-shaven face to be seen on the city’s streets. As well as freeing men from the daily ritual of shaving, it also provided a welcome boost to the male grooming industry who found themselves scrambling to meet an increased demand in beard trimmers, beard oils and balms and other tools for keeping facial hair tidy. Year after year, the beard trend continued to grow and, in 2020, when workers were sent home to slow the spread of the pandemic, many more men took the opportunity to let their hair down and embrace a more casual look which may have been frowned on within the workplace.

A cut above

Now that the world is opening up once again and people are beginning to return to the office, some experts feel that this may be the death knell for the beard — almost 15 years after it first began. A quick look at our city streets shows us that men are once again embracing the clean-shaven look with neat new haircuts to match. Having said that, if you’re thinking that the beard is going to disappear completely — don’t be so sure.

In recent months, UK barbers report that they’re seeing an increase in appointments by men who are looking to retain their beard but want a neater, more groomed look as opposed to the long, bushy beard that looks like it may or may not have something nesting in it.

“We can all agree on one thing — a tidy and maintained beard is never out of fashion”. Stacia Kelley, Artistic Director, Sport Clips Haircuts

Along with a more defined beard, it seems that in 2022 we’ll be seeing a surge in beard colouring as men strive toward a more youthful appearance. Pierre, CEO of Dash Stylists, says: “For a few months now, we have observed a new trend for beard colouring. Beard colouring has always existed, but it was marginal. It has become a more and more usual demand in 2021”. As barbers rise to the challenge of increased demand while keeping an eye on safety guidelines, many are discovering the benefits of Booksy’s salon management system.

The new face of salons

In 2014, Booksy was a fledgling appointment booking system for salons but, just like the beard of 2021, the brand is now all grown up, with a whopping 13 million customers worldwide. These days, Booksy offers a huge number of benefits for customers as well as barbershops and salons, including:

Appointment making — The Booksy mobile phone app allows customers to book, manage and even cancel their own appointments in just a few clicks — in fact, less time than it would take to dial a telephone number. This is super convenient for customers who are able to manage their appointments at any time of day or night and is also a money-saving boost for salon owners who no longer need to employ a receptionist.

Fast, contact-free payment — With Booksy, salon owners are able to request payment and prepayment for services directly through the app — thus cutting down on in-store hand to hand contact as well as no-shows which can cost a salon dear.

Sales — The beard grooming products mentioned earlier in this article offer barbers a great opportunity to boost their revenue through product sales — and they don’t even need to keep them in-store. Booksy allows salon owners to sell products and upsell services through the app, helping them to better manage inventory and increase their profits.

Marketing — In 2021, we all know the importance of marketing but, many salon owners simply don’t have the time to devote to this. Booksy’s marketing features, including posters and email outreach, provide some great tools for salon owners looking to grow their client base for 2022.

Conclusion

As we head towards the end of the year, it seems that the jury is still out on the humble beard but we suspect that it’s not going anywhere just yet. As salons continue to experience demand for beard grooming and colouring, Booksy is beside them every step of the way to help them to keep their customers — and their profits — well-groomed.