Growing long beards, especially among the youth, has become trendy; this, Mr. Richard Nana Adu-Bhonerg, the ‘Beards Gang President’ says, is a symbol of masculinity.

It is a common thing to spot about three to four men having side and long beards out of every five men in town; while some have shaped it nicely, leaving their heads bald, others also keep hair on their heads and still keep beards and moustaches.

Mr. Adu-Bhonerg, who is the Chief Executive Officer of 90 Degrees Tribe, an event organising company in Tema, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the beard has always stood as a symbol of masculinity with tremendous importance.

He said that in Celtic tribes, the beard was so revered that Otto the Great swore by his beard whenever he had something of great seriousness and importance to say, suggesting that “if men were to have to swear on their facial hair today, the world might be a much more honest and trustworthy place”.

He added that in ancient Egypt, India, and most eastern cultures, beards were venerated at a high level and stood for dignity, wisdom, strength, and courage, as they were also regarded as a symbol of wealth, power, and importance, attributes that attract the men of today.

He noted that beards were in vogue because men were looking to a time when'men were men' as it is something tangible that men could literally hold on to in times of stress.

On how the beard is groomed, the beards gang president said the early form of grooming beards of using soaps and water alone has been replaced with magnificent waxes, oils, and balms that can help men keep their beard looking its absolute best at all times.

He said while some dyed their beards to look nice, he has a naturally black beard, and therefore “all I do is apply my oil, and I'm good to go, getting all the glimpses from the ladies who are crazy about beards.”

Mr. Adu-Bhonerg said because keeping beards is for wise men, they know how to keep saliva and other impurities from their beards by sticking to the best hygiene practices. 

Mr. Abdul Waajid Bancey, a member of the beard gang, told the GNA that he sometimes uses leele, also known as heena (a dye prepared from the plant Lawsonia inermis), to keep his beard black instead of chemical dyes.

Mr. Bancey said, just like about 75 percent of Muslims, he was keeping his beard in accordance with the Sunnah, which are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow.

He agreed that keeping a beard well groomed was an expensive venture, disclosing that he visits the salon to shampoo it every four days, even though he bathes it twice a day.

According to him, doing so helps prevent bacteria from the environment and saliva from building up in it to develop rashes and other unwanted illnesses.

He further said that to make it easy for him to comb his beard, which has a tick texture, he uses hair relaxers once a while to soften it, adding that he prefers applying shea butter to his beards as other creams dirty his shirt whenever he sweats. 

He said that while some use hair growth boosters, others also start growing their beards by applying creams that contain menthol, such as Robb, as it is believed that such creams cause the hair follicles to open and promote growth. 

As beard growth keeps trending and more young men join, perhaps a look at it biblically will help Christian men decide whether to follow the trend or not.

A search by the GNA revealed that the beard was regarded by the Hebrews and other eastern nations as the greatest ornament of a man and was as dear to them as life itself.

Biblically, just as seen in 2 Samuel 20:9, beards were objects of salutation, while other scriptures show that their cutting or shaping was frowned upon, while others also revealed that the Hebrews only neglected their beards when in deep sorrow.