Steve Carlin's beard started going rogue a decade ago.
"It was the first time in my life I felt I could grow it and not look like I was 13," said Carlin, of Crystal.
Now 32, Carlin's wily whiskers scream "Zach Galifianakis" when he really wants them to say "George Clooney."
"Mine is thick and full, but it's kind of hoboish, scraggly and scruffy," said the IT professional and father of two. "It doesn't look as professional as I'd like it to."
Like many men whose identity is reflected by the hair on their faces, Carlin was devoted to keeping his full beard. Besides, he's one of the lucky ones: His wife loves his overgrown look.
Open to cleaning up his act — well, just a little — Carlin paid a recent visit to barber and beard sensei Nick Steeves for some beard TLC. In the luxe, manly confines of Heimie's Haberdashery in St. Paul, the makeover began with Carlin leaning back in a barber chair, steaming hot towels covering his face. Steeves applied essential oils through the bristles. Once softened, Carlin's beard was ready to be reshaped.
"A beard can be a sign a strength and masculinity," Steeves said. "But it can throw people off, too. You still have to keep it clean so that you don't look like a warrior."
Using a straight razor, Steeves removed the overgrowth from Carlin's cheek area. The barber shaped the beard to Carlin's jaw line, and cleaned up the hair under his neck and mouth using an electric razor. A little wax and a mustache twirl completed Carlin's new look. Feeling fancy, Carlin snapped a selfie in the mirror.