If you thought it was only super bushy Ned Kelly-style beards that required daily upkeep, think again - beards need care from the very second a man decides not to pick up a razor, according to Greg Lally.
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Lally is the owner of Infamous Gentleman, an online beard care brand that stocks beard oil and balm suitable for growth just a few hours old (and beyond).
If ever there was a business cashing in on the best beards of Braddon, Infamous Gentleman is it.
The brand's minimalist, monochrome website, highlighted with a photo of one of the most distinguished and gentlemanly beards I've seen on the internet, is a hipster's online shopping dream.
But Infamous Gentleman's client base extends beyond Lonsdale Street to Melbourne, Caboolture and even Colorado.
A perfectly trimmed beard - pitched at around the 10 day growth mark and peppered with grey - has been part of Lally's own personal look for the past eight years.
He loves it, and reckons more and more Canberra men are growing facial hair for warmth, confidence and better sex lives.
"To beard, or not to beard, that is the question," Lally said.
"For me there are no cons when it comes to beards - only pros.
"Most men feel more attractive with a beard, not shaving makes time for more important things, and it improves your sex life - a beard is a powerful sociosexual signal and a marker for sexual maturity."
The Infamous Gentleman is also a father and son story.
Lally - owner of Narrabundah restaurant XO and a finance consultant by day - purchased the business from a friend back in 2013. He and dad Sean Lally have spent the past 12 months reinvigorating the Infamous Gentleman brand and product ingredients.
"Dad lived in Canberra for a long time but retired to Magnetic Island, so all of the ingredients in our new oil and balm are inspired by the Queensland coast and sourced nationally," Lally said.
"We're pretty fortunate to have invested in setting up a digital infrastructure that enables us to work seamlessly from Canberra and Queensland."
Currently shipping around 200 balms and oils a week and with a database of 6000 "gentlemen", Lally's vision is to have products sitting in the bathroom cabinets of almost every bearded man in the world. That includes Christian Bale and "the ultimate gentleman", fashion designer Nick Wooster.
"It's an incredibly rewarding small business – it constantly challenges you in all aspects – from generating ideas for new products to sourcing ingredients across Australia through to web design, packing and managing relationships," Lally said.
"And the beards of Canberra are always keeping me inspired."
