Sideburns: All You Need To Know

Nikita Mukherjee

David Beckham flirted with them for a little while, Elvis Presley sported them, Hugh Jackman wore an obvious one in Wolverine - sidies, mutton chops, sideboards or greaser sleeves, call them what you want, sideburns are having their time in the spotlight.

Sideburn is facial hair that grows along the side of your face, and though the name is quite obvious, it has got nothing to do with the area of growth. Sideburns may be long, short, thick, thin, or anywhere in between, however, the one key aspect of sporting this facial hair is a clean shaven chin. And, it doesn’t end there; we tell you everything you have ever wanted to know about sideburns.

1.    They are Named After a Civil War General

Sideburns were named after a Union General, Ambrose Burnside, during the Civil War. He wore a unique style of facial hair that consisted of thick sideburns connected to a handlebar moustache. Originally, this style of hair growth was called burnsides in honour of General Burnside. But over time, syllables were switched around to the more familiar form used today.

2.    Judaism Classifies Men According to Their Sideburn Length

You may have seen sideburns on Jewish men. However, did you know that sideburns worn by Jewish men are also a mark of what particular sect of Judaism they follow? Each group has its own unique style of wearing sideburns. Men easily recognize members of their own sect or a different one by looking at facial hair. In some cases, age and relative position within the religious community also determine the exact style of sideburns that will be worn.

3.    They Have a Role in Military, Too!

Given the origin of the name sideburns, it’s obvious that they had a very important role in military for many years. Military, who otherwise have a very strict code of decorum when it comes to facial hair, allowed soldiers to wear sideburns. Of course, sideburns had to be cleanly trimmed and have sharp edges that do not extend below the ears. Mutton chops and other thicker forms of sideburns are not allowed in military.

Grow them Yourself!

Growing sideburns seem simple, but many men don’t know where to begin. The problem has nothing to do with growing sideburns, but with maintaining them. Although many men think that sideburns are old fashioned, it still is a great way to create impression and stand out. We tell you how.

·         Growth

Remember, the initial stages of growing sideburns are the toughest, so if you can get past this part, you’ll be fine. Start your sideburn growth on a vacation to allow yourself time to get used to this new style. In addition to cutting off shaving in the areas where your sideburns will grow, you should try and stop shaving your entire face for a while. If possible, let it grow for about four weeks. It will be tempting to shave during this time, but you would want to make sure your sideburns are of proper thickness before you trim.

·         Maintain

Next, choose the type of sideburn you want. If your face is long and skinny, go for long, thick sideburns. If you have a rounder face, keep the sideburns shorter and thinner. The short and thin look also works well for people with square jaws. If you want to trim the thickness of your sideburns, use a beard trimmer and shave the rest of your face regularly to make your sideburns stand out.

·         Avoid fluff

Look out for the edginess and fluffiness of sideburns. If you have unruly facial hair, keep your sideburn hair short. Bushy sideburns push long hairs away from your face creating a mushroom effect.

Always remember sideburn hair grows a lot faster than your actual beard, so you need to trim them on a regular basis or else you’ll end up looking like Noddy Holder instead of Elvis Presley!

Source: Sideburns: All You Need To Know