In every culture, there is terminology that is used for and by the people that belong to it. An example of this is, Kenyans saying, ‘Me, I,’ before completing a sentence about oneself.
The beard culture also has its lingo.
Here is a list of some of the jargon used in this community. Some of them are self-explanatory while others are truly surprising.
Beardruff- we have used this term a lot in previous blog posts. This refers to the dandruff in your beard hair and is a shorter way to say beard dandruff.
Cheek Line- this is the line that defines the upper limit of the cheek. You should be able to achieve a defined cheek line by the hand of a great barber. Check out Mandevu Grooming House.
Density- this is the level at which your beard hair can grow in terms of thickness. The higher the density, the thicker the beard.
We will post an article that goes further into this. Stay tuned!
Mane- this is another term that we have used quite a bit in previous entries. It is a slang term that suggests a beard is like a lion’s mane.
Scruff – this is another slang word used in place of the word beard in cool circles.
Sebum- this is the natural oil that your beard produces. It is crucial to maintain a healthy level of sebum as it works well with natural beard oils to make your face a healthy environment for a perfect-looking beard.
Bearded- this describes a man with a beard, i.e “That bearded man looks so good.”
Five O’clock Shadow: this is the little growth that shows up shortly after shaving. In some cases, men who grow hair fast will have this the next afternoon after a morning shave.
Transplant- in the day and age of BBL’s, there is something out there for the men as well. This is a process where a man who finds it hard to grow a beard gets a hair transplantation via a surgical technique.
We are lovers of freedom and choice, but we stand by the rule that if you take care of your beard, it will grow naturally – no surgery needed.
Terminal Hair - this is the term used to describe a mature, full, thick beard.
Terminal Length - this describes the full potential that the beard can grow to. So when a man has grown his beard to the maximum point based on his growth patterns, he has achieved terminal length.
Let us know if you and your bearded brothers use any words that are not on this list. Whether you made it up, or we missed it, we will add it to part 2 of this article.
Mandevu’s got your terminology!
Words: Ciku Kimani