The Prince of Wales has shown off his post-summer stubble.
William, 42, was visiting the Saatchi Gallery in London to visit a ground-breaking homelessness exhibition.
William is typically known to go clean-shaven, but showed off his new, more relaxed look in a recent video released with the Princess of Wales, congratulating Team Great Britain on their success at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
William’s rugged appearance takes after his younger brother, the Duke of Sussex, who has been growing out a beard since leaving the British Army back in 2015.
Harry revealed last year he asked permission from the late Queen to keep his beard for his own wedding in 2018, during which he wore military uniform – as normally those in uniform are required to be clean-shaven.
Perhaps William’s new beard is an attempt to portray a more relaxed side of the monarchy – or maybe he simply got bored of shaving.
Either way, if, like William, you’re ready to experiment with some facial hair, here are expert tips for maintaining the perfect post-summer stubble.
Less is more
If you aren’t sure what length you want, London-based stylist Fausta Urte Geigaite recommends starting with a higher guard head, and working your way down.
Make sure to check your guard length if you’re changing devices, as they often differ from one to the next. Sometimes a ‘1’ means ‘1mm’ and other times it means ‘1/4’.
Trial and error will lead you to find out which is which, but be sure to remember which guard length you like on your device, and commit it to memory.
Finesse the fade
Here’s Geigaite’s step-by-step guide on fading your beard – and all you need is your beard trimmer:
Buzz it: Set guard to 3 and buzz your whole beard.Clean the lower neck: Switch the guard to 1 and buzz from your Adam’s apple to two inches below your jaw.Fade it: Switch the guard to 2 and buzz that remaining two-inch area, finessing and fading the 1 zone into the 3 zone.Remove strays: Remove guard (to be on the 0 setting) and buzz below your Adam’s apple and any strays on the sides of your neck.
Keep it soft and smooth
Just like your skin, your hair needs nourishing in order to stay smooth and healthy. If you don’t feed it anything, it will start to scratch everything it touches.
“Following up with a high-quality beard oil or balm will help nourish and hydrates each strand,” Geigaite explains. “Regular application ensures that the beard will remain manageable and soft, preventing dryness and irritation.”
ESPA (Retail) Triple Action Grooming Oil 25ml, £13.60 (was £34), Look Fantastic
Invest in a beard brush
According to Geigaite, a beard brush is far from a gimmick – it’s an essential tool.
“A boar bristle brush can help in distributing the oil evenly and detangling the beard, enhancing its overall texture,” she says.
It also exfoliates the skin underneath your beard, so that you never need to worry about dandruff, and pulls debris out much more effectively than a comb.
Mission Beard Soft Bristle Beard Brush and Comb Kit, £15 (was £17.99)