After the cameras and audio started rolling—but before the actual interview featuring Diego Canga and Michael Sharpe, two guys who sport and maintain beards—they got into a quick chat about how they go about their facial hair routines. Listening to them talk about the tools and products they use, the shapes they aim for with their trimmers, you might think they were aficionados of male grooming. Diego doesn’t see himself that way; when someone suggested that he and Michael could introduce themselves as “beard enthusiasts,” Diego hesitates, describing himself as just “bearded.”
Their exchange taps into something familiar: every guy has his own way of dealing with facial hair, even if he doesn’t think much of it. Still, listening to them talk about routines, products, and preferences makes one thing clear: men enjoy their own kind of self-care, even if they don’t always call it that.
Some guys want to shave it all off, some want to keep it stubble, and some embrace the full bearded look. Achieving the desired look is a whole ball game. You’ve got the electric shavers and shears, beard butters and balms, and even supplements. It takes a lot to look either scruffy or clean-shaven.
Michael has had his beard for more than a decade, shaving it off for only two or three times during that period. He says seeing hockey and soccer players with their beards when living abroad for a short time inspired him to grow his own, which he describes as “short, rugged, and full.” When asked why he chooses to have a beard, Michael shared, “I think that just back in the day, just ‘cause it looked cool, and then it just stuck. Yeah, no reason.”
When Michael trims his facial hair, he uses an electric shaver to sculpt the beard’s shape, preferring to keep the cheek beard short and the jawline beard thick. On occasion, he applies beard oil to keep it smelling fresh on a night out with friends. It’s a fuss-free routine, but it’s still care—proof that a little grooming goes a long way in helping guys feel sharp and put-together.
From Michael’s long-running beard habits, the conversation shifts to Diego, whose approach is more structured but just as personal.
Diego follows a predictable, if not disciplined, beard routine. He shaves off his beard every three or four months and trims to his cheekline, neckline, and moustache “religiously” every two weeks. He guesses that the longest he’s gone without shaving or trimming was four months. He’d describe his beard as “scruffy, natural, and black.” Even if he doesn’t label it pampering, it’s still a ritual of looking after himself—one that gives him a sense of order and comfort.
“I just grow out my beard because it’s easier for me knowing na every two weeks, I have to trim my moustache, my cheekline, and my neckline, and every three to four months, I shave everything down,” said Diego. “Kay if siya inungana, ang mahitabo ana is either mag-shave ko every day or once a week. “After three days man gud… naa man gud kay stubble, and then mas hugaw kaayo siya tanawon kaysa mas puno siya.”
Despite the attention he gives his grooming, Diego doesn’t seem to put much thought into what his beard means to him. He jokes as the cameras started rolling: “[The beard], murag man siya’g kilay, wala man gud siya’y story imong kilay.”
Diego’s response prompted a Keeta staff member present in the interview to ask why he kept his beard. He responded: “Kay di man lalim mag-shave once a week.”
How he feels about his beard could be summed up in his video introduction: “Hi, I’m Diego, and I have a beard because I don’t like shaving.” And maybe that’s the point. For many men, facial hair isn’t about symbolism or identity—it’s about comfort, habit, and doing what feels natural.
It’s also why movements like No-Shave November resonate, even unintentionally. A simple choice—shave or don’t shave—can spark conversations about routines, masculinity, and the little things men rarely talk about out loud.
Their answers might sound casual, but beneath them is a reminder that men deserve small rituals of care too, whether it’s beard oil, a clean trim, or the simple decision to skip shaving for a while.
Photography Summer Demol