Gentlemen, take control of that beard
Defenders deal with the handicap of not seeing each other’s hands by signaling. Most signals are “attitude”: a high-card signal shows a desire for that suit to be led or continued. “Count” and “suit-preference” signals are also useful.
If you’re one of many men who grew a pandemic beard because it seemed like less effort than shaving, it’s time to rethink that. Unless the look you’re going for is unkempt mountain man — which, OK, anything goes these days — beard care takes time and effort.
“I think it’s important for people to realize that a beard has to be maintained, otherwise it looks ridiculous,” said Michael Gieseke, 40, of Pittsburgh, who couldn’t even trim his during quarantine as part of an agreement with his three sons not to cut their hair. “I don’t know that I would have had the willpower to do this if I had to go out in public.”
Thankfully, Pittsburgh began reopening in time for Gieseke, the dean of student affairs at Point Park University, to get a haircut before a (virtual) board of trustees meeting, but the beard-grooming he had to do himself. After all, newly reopened barber shops in many states can no longer offer beard trims (or hot towel shaves) because of the mask requirement.
So what’s a beard newbie to do? You could just shave it all off. But if you want to keep yours — and make it presentable — here’s how.
First, let’s answer the mask question. Beards can prevent the N95 mask from sealing correctly, but “having a beard is unlikely to make a big difference” in the protection offered by cloth masks and other face coverings, Dr. John Swartzberg, an infectious disease specialist and a clinical professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health, wrote in an email. (Cloth masks, he said, are also worn more to protect other people than you.) Nor is Swartzberg aware of any greater risk of coronavirus transmission with a beard. “I’m really reaching to find a theoretical risk,” he wrote.
As for what mask to choose, Alex Brenard, who has both a beard and a job that requires him to wear a mask all day, has found that one with ear loops is more comfortable than one that ties in the back. “I think because it rests on the beard instead of squishing it down aggressively,” said Brenard, manager of the Philadelphia outpost of the Blind Barber chain.
Should it stay or go? If you’re still on the fence about keeping the beard, consider: Dermatologists actually encourage growing them for men with curly hair (including Black men and those of Middle Eastern descent), because they tend to solve the problem of pseudofolliculitis barbae, aka the ingrown hairs that often come from shaving. “Go on men growing pandemic beards!” said Dr. Mona Gohara, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. “I bet all those ingrown hairs are gone.” (If they are not, she recommends Bump Clear from Frederick Benjamin.)
Take care of your skin. The first step in beard care is actually skin care, something dermatologists and barbers say too many men skip. “Under the beard is like the forgotten land,” Gohara said. Lax skin care can make a beard look unkempt — and it also means you can end up needing to repair half your face if you decide to shave.
Exfoliating — something that shaving would normally take care of — is key, because it both helps the hair grow and rids the skin of the dander, dirt and oil that beards can collect. Scott McMahan, a hairstylist and groomer whose clients include Josh Brolin, likes to exfoliate by washing his beard two to three times per week with dandruff shampoo, which has salicylic acid, a common face peel ingredient.
You’ll need tools of the trade. To trim your beard, invest in some hair clippers — preferably ones with an adjustable lever and clip guards — and a pair of hair-cutting scissors, which have a pointed tip for precise cuts. Clippers are best for cutting a lot of hair uniformly; the scissors are for fine-tuning (such as flyaways and coarse gray hairs). A dull blade can pull or catch on hair; in a pinch, you can sharpen yours by cutting through heavy-duty aluminum foil, said McMahan.
When cutting, err on the side of longer — you can cut more, but you can’t put hair back on. Curly hair may require some playing around with guards, because it isn’t uniform length and probably curls differently on one side than the other.
In today’s deal, West leads his singleton diamond against four spades: ace, 10, four. South next leads a trump to his king. If West takes his ace, he may lead a heart next: the suit East bid. South wins, draws trumps, and loses a club and a diamond, making game.
West should duck the first trump and win the second, giving East a chance to signal where his entry lies. When he discards the nine of clubs, West knows what to do.
True, East could follow with his deuce on the first diamond. That would work if West treated the deuce as suit preference: East’s lowest diamond to suggest strength in the low-ranking suit. In my view, East’s play would not clearly be suit preference. It might be attitude, saying East doesn’t like diamonds.
Daily Question: You hold: & A63 h 10 8 5 3 2 ( 9 $ 8 6 5 3. Only the opponents are vulnerable. Your partner deals and opens one heart. The next player bids one spade. What do you say?
Answer: Bid four hearts as a two-way action. If all pass, partner may make the contract. If the opponents can make four spades, you make it harder for them to get there. (Actually, you would have promising defense against four spades by leading your singleton diamond.)
East dealer, E-W vulnerable
NORTH
& Q 10 7 2
h7
( A 7 6 3
$ Q 10 7 4
WEST EAST
& A 6 3 &4 h 10 8 5 3 2 h K Q J 9 4 (9 ( K 10 8 2 $ 8 6 5 3 $ A 9 2
SOUTH
& K J 9 8 5
h A 6
( Q J 5 4
$ K J
The bidding:
East South West North
1h 1& 2h 3& Pass 4& All Pass Opening lead — (9