Ignore the naysayers’ cries of “peak beard”. Not since the 1970s has facial hair experienced such, well, prominence. Patrick Bateman’s morning regime has given way to a less psychopathic approach in the bathroom and even in the rarefied world of finance, beards are a buy. That is, so long as they’re the kind of well-groomed facial hair that marks you out as a man of equal care. Not hints at a downtime spent felling trees.

While a beard trimmer and a steady hand will get you so far, for a follicular advantage you need to enlist the experts. Fortunately, as men’s faces have sprouted, so have those doyens of the straight edge, the traditional barber.

Unless your morning shave is served with a glass of whisky (and we sincerely hope it’s not), these should be your new favourite spots to treat your beard, and yourself.

Barber Barber, Manchester

Owner Johnny Shanahan isn’t shy about standing his ground, having unapologetically banned women from any of his premises. It doesn’t seem to have hurt business, though. That’s probably because Barber Barber is a purveyor of the kind of hyper-traditional gents styling that the fairer sex have little need for, with salons in Manchester and Liverpool offering beard-sculpting and cut-throat shaves.

Expect glossy dark wood floors, tattoo prints on the wall, old-school red leather barber’s chairs and service from barbers who look like they belong in a rockabilly band.

Address: 3 Barton Arcade, Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BH

Price: £25 (for a traditional cut-throat shave, with hot towels)

Best for: basking in your beardsome masculinity

Web: barberbarber.net

Ruffians, Edinburgh

Despite just three short years on the scene, Ruffians’ mantelpiece is already groaning with best barbers awards. That’s thanks to a combination of old-school style – their Edinburgh and London salons boast sumptuous leather chairs and enamel front wash sinks, finished with natural wood panelling and subway tiling – and modern service.