By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANSlife): While the world has been busy adjusting to the 'new normal' thanks to the pandemic, a few people have been blessed and celebrate the biggest highlights of their life at home.

Many couples celebrated an engagement while other got hitched during the coronavirus. Some are revelling in the joys of parenthood as they welcome a new addition to their family. Once you become a dad, a lot of your life's choices are dictated by your baby. For instance, you start seeing the world from a different perspective, by prioritising your baby over yourself. Upgrading or even creating an additional living space for your child. Along with your change in lifestyle, you also need to update your looks. Is if your beard really baby friendly?

Mumbai-based celebrity stylist and Gillette Grooming expert, Aalim Hakim, says keep it simple, short, and soft to avoid any pain when your baby pulls your beard or causing micro abrasions from cuddles. It is important that your look is baby friendly. Father to two sons, Aalim has played a key role in styling and guiding the new dads and expectant fathers on how they must maintain their beard including the likes of Hardik Pandya, Sumeet Vyas and Suresh Raina, who have all had to alter their looks to suit their new-borns.

Aalim says, the easiest and the least time consuming is to go clean-shaven, since you can then feel your toddlers' hands on your cheek, it is an unmissable experience. But if that is too much to ask, then men can look at maintaining a light stubble or a simple moustache. The celebrity stylist shares some secret hacks to get your beard right for the baby.

To begin with, gather all your tools; pick up a good razor - depending on your skin and beard type use a Mach3, Fusion Proglide or a Skinguard. Along with this you will also need a comb, scissors, aftershave gel to get the desired style:

CLEAN SHAVE

While everyone might not like to be clean shaven, it is one of the most recommend method of maintaining personal hygiene and getting rid of dead skin.

This look is considered to be a confident and trustworthy look, because your beard can alter your face- structure. This look is an honest and open book. If you have good face structure like a sharp jawline and great facial features, why not flaunt it instead of covering up under facial hair.

The benefits of a clean shave are:

It keeps your child safe from bacteria residing in your beard

It can help remove dead skin cells (often the cause of acne and bad skin)

It often makes you appear younger

It will compliment a formal appearance

ANCHOR BEARD

Use a scissor and comb to even out your beard hair length

Wash your face with hot water or apply a hot towel on your beard as it will help soften the facial hair as well as open the pores

Apply a shaving gel or foam and massage it in a circular motion all over the face and neck area to condition the skin for a smooth shave

To achieve this look, the soul patch and goatee at the chin will be connected to create an anchor shape. The corner of the anchor will be hugging the jaw line of the face keeping the length and shape as required

You can keep your moustache in a pencil shape, or a pyramid shape disconnected with your anchor beard

Shave with a light and gentle pressure to give yourself a close shave

After the complete process wash your face with cold water and apply after shave lotion or balm as it is the best possible way to close your pores, soothe the skin and smell nice

The benefits of an anchor beard are:

Keeps your cheeks clean, giving your baby room to feel your face

Gives you a sleek, sharp and confident look

It will compliment your formal appearance, if done regularly

BALBO BEARD

Balbo beard is one of those styles that is a combination of both, the moustache and a goatee. This style is unique in its own way since the moustache and the goatee are not connected. The goatee is created in the shape of the letter 'T' where the letter is inverted.

Using your scissor and comb, reduce the density of the beard around your cheeks and disconnect your moustache with your goatee

Give yourself a clean shave with the best razor on the cheeks start shaping your goatee as an inverted T below your lower lip. It can be as thick/thin as you like

Create a straight line while you move your strokes downwards from the top. Ensure your strokes are extremely sharp & strong

The benefits of a balbo beard are:

Keeps your cheeks clean, giving your baby room to feel your face

It avoids areas that commonly experience patchiness

It's an easy style to pull off and one that transitions seamlessly from day to night

A great go-to look for men of all face shapes

HANDLEBAR MOUSTACHE

Using your scissor and comb, bring down your overall moustache length to about 1/5 of an inch. Keeping it longer at the edges around your mouth

Start defining the shape of your handlebar moustache by following your lip line to the corner of your mouth and trimming in a downward direction, create clean edges and tidy up any stray hair around your handlebar moustache

Create a neat parting with rounded edges in the middle of your handlebar moustache

Give yourself a clean shave with the best razor on the cheeks, chin and neck, taking extra care around your moustache

Comb and re-shape the ends of your moustache by twisting the edges around your fingers into a curl you like

The benefits of a handlebar moustache are:

Keeps most of your face clean

Square and wide faces are typically better suited for them.