Barber Tells This ‘Shy’ Insurance Man To Grow A Beard, And It Ends Up Transforming His Life
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If our list of men before-and-after growing a beard growing a beard didn’t convince you that males look way better with facial hair, this story definitely will. Gwilym Pugh was a 21-year-old businessman man who started a successful insurance company in his spare bedroom. However, working from home and injuries made him gain a lot of weight. 280 pounds, to be exact. However, his life-damaging lifestyle changed after his barber urged Gwilym to grow a ginger beard!
“At that time I was pretty overweight, working 12 hours a day, plagued with injuries which meant I couldn’t train at all,” the Welshman told Kathryn Williams from Wales Online. “The business was doing okay, but I decided I need to get my life in order and wanted to get healthy again.”
Gwilym and his friends formed a folk band several years ago. His barber told him to grow a beard to look the part. In line with his new look, the freshly-baked musician decided to expand his transformation cleaning up his diet. The biggest change, however, was quitting his desk job.
“It was the best thing for my health as I stopped sitting for nine to 10 hours a day,” the man who lost 90 pounds over five years explained. As he was shedding weight and growing his beard, Gwilym created an Instagram account. Eventually, Welsh tailor Nathan Palmer stumbled across the now beard model’s picture, and things began escalating really fast.
Now, Gwilym is part of the London agency AMCK Models. He has worked on campaigns with Vans, Bud Light, Diesel, and other big names. His hard work even allowed him to become an ambassador for David Beckham’s new male grooming brand, House 99!
Scroll through pictures of Gwilym Pugh’s weight loss transformation, and you might find the much-needed inspiration to change your life for better, too!
More info: Instagram
Gwilym Pugh was a shy man, working 12 hours a day from his home
Image credits: WalesOnline
But his life was never the same after Gwilym’s barber urged him to grow a beard
Image credits: gwilymcpugh
This is how the man looks now
Image credits: Adam Fussell / AMCK Models
“A picture says a thousand words…. Coming from being 22 years old, overweight, plagued with injuries, and unhappy barely leaving the house”
“I’m happier and healthier than I ever thought possible and doing things that didn’t even cross my mind to dream of”
Image credits: Adam Fussell / AMCK Models
Working as a model, Gwilym is even an ambassador of David Beckham’s new male grooming brand
Image credits: House 99
Despite his success, Gwilym remains humble
Image credits: gwilymcpugh
“I think I’m lucky I got into this profession at the age that I did”
Image credits: Gwilym C Pugh
“I try not to get caught up in it all and my girlfriend helps a great deal wit that”
“Having worked in finance for years, the opportunity to work with creative people and travel around the world is amazing”
Image credits: Exposure London
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He looks ten times better but it's not just because of the beard. He lost weight, ditched the geek glasses, sculpted his body, dyed his hair redder and started wearing colored contacts in a more intense shade of blue. All of that, together, makes him look better.
And he never smiles.... Gotta have that broody look going.....
so funny - and you hit the nail on the head - definitely brooding persona.
I think he looked very attractive even in his heavier pictures without his glasses. They took the worst picture ever taken of him in the first shot. His weight loss is great for his health but attractiveness is in your confidence, he was handsome before too
Male models rarely smile...just the way it is in modeling
TThe eye color is probably a contrast between what we see in flash versus what price fessionals do in taking the photo and ps’ing the photo.
No no no. You're getting it all wrong. Haven't you read the boredpanda title? It say's "beard turns his life upside down" Not "Man changes his lifestyle for the better" Which would be more accurate. But hey we need clicks. So gotta make up fake news. It's all in the beard man! XD For me it was brushing my teeth for the first time. It got me a 500k house, a better job, got muscular, Suddenly I had a dog I didn't ask for.(Damm teeth) Woke up wearing a suit. It was amazing. You wouldn't believe it.
Good comment! Agreed.
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Oh, look! The babyface has an opinion.
You don't get that shade of red with dye. Ever. People have tried, but it never works out that way.
Nah, his hair and eyes are the same color. It's the eyebrows, he dyed them.
Yeah, the eyebrows are definitely touched up in some manner, either make up, dye or Photoshop. I think very few gingers would have dark eyebrows like that.
Not true. There are lots of very fair people with dark eyebrows.
Actually aunty messy he has definitely tinted his eyes brows since becoming a model, it's clear as day, look at the before and after. Also there are red toners for people with red hair to accentuate the redness in your hair. Like you would use a purple toner for blondes
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potato potato potato
I love my geek glasses :-)
Plus grew some eyebrows somehow or other.
I think that his hair is probably naturally that colour, but I'm absolutely sure that he colors his eyebrows. I am a natural redhead, with very blue eyes, as well, and I have the same lack of eyebrows as he has in the "before" picture.
Obviously, as with female models, male models are "styled" before photo shoots, so none of these pictures show him as he is when he wakes up in the morning. Still and all, though, he's made a wonderful transformation of himself, and he deserves all the luck in the world.
His has brows now to which made a huge difference!
Also makeup.
But the beard is pretty hot, too.
He may have had some surgery on his nose, too. Look at the only decent side by side pic, his nostrils are clearly much narrower in his post makeover, I'm unsure that weight loss alone can achieve that. And actually in that 'before' photo he is still very good looking anyway.
I don't think so. Losing nearly 100lbs makes an incredible difference in your face.
doubt he dyed his hair redder. prob just the saturation upped on the pro model photos. but the weight thing def was the biggest.
What is wrong with glasses #love my glasses
Though I do agree with all other points
and he suddenly has eyebrows, so dies those too ;) But hey, the end effect is awesome so maybe it's worth all the trouble :)
dyes? Where are you Grammarly when I need you?!
Exactly!
Good point, although I don't think he's wearing contacts, nor has he dyed his hair redder. I think the pictures are slightly photoshopped. After all, they photoshop female models all the time, so I imagine they have upped contrast and intensity in a lot of those, which makes things look darker and fools the eye into thinking things look 'better' too.
had work done on the tip of the nose...much more angled now
No dyeing there --- you're either born with that color or you're just out of luck. Don't agree with the contacts, either. Not much experience with Celtic people, eh?
Yes you are correct, I am pretty sure the difference in colors between the old and new pics is professional editing, which often ups contrast, brightness, etc, which makes some colors look more intense. I don't think he's wearing contacts and has dyed his hair.
Why has my comment shown up four times? Jeez. I didn't do it! (but I don't think his eyebrows are dyed, either, in fact.)
He is hot, but I believe his glasses will make him even hotter ;). Btw, his humble personality,at least for me IS SEXY
you're right what a difference huh?!
OMG that's amazing. His beard even made him muscles and dress better. If I didn't know better it'd say him altering his entire lifestyle would be the cause of that and not A beard. Dressing better, working out, not smiling anymore in any pictures. Eating better probably as well. He even got a personal photographer that brings him to a lot more interesting places to take photos of him. That's some beard. Makes it also seem alot easier if you just have to get a beard to get all that. This is an eye opener Boredpanda.
That's one magical beard!!!
The power is YOURS!
Monika, I may have been born at night, but not last night. You begin things by stating that he was a shy, but successful, insurance businessman. That's an oxymoron. I have Never, ever seen an insurance salesman, who was shy. They don't exist. Granted he made a life-changing decision, but the beard was the result of, not the cause of this.
Not really! I am very very shy, and working from home, you can talk over the phone or type, and you do not have to meet the people! That's why its bad! One gets into a room and not socialise at all.
I am shy. I can talk one-on-one or to a hundred (which is the same as one, really) but 2-99 I become wallpaper.
I am very shy and used to work a sales job with people. I had a kind of alter ego that I used for work. It was like playing a role. At work, with my customers, I seemed very extroverted. In reality, I am quite shy. I can still force extroversion when I need to though.
Perhaps he's an "introverted extrovert". Laugh if you want, but that's the best way to explain some people's personalities.
Being shy doesn't necessarily mean you have a hard time interacting with costumers. Short of being shy, I have social anxiety, but I can work with people just fine. Work is work, personal is personal. When it's for work, I'm focused on the job, it doesn't matter what people will think of me, only of my work.
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so he was actually body shy, not shy. which isn't strange, he was ugly as fuck. the beard his the ugly.
Your ugly in a judgmental kind of way adrijana.
He looks ten times better but it's not just because of the beard. He lost weight, ditched the geek glasses, sculpted his body, dyed his hair redder and started wearing colored contacts in a more intense shade of blue. All of that, together, makes him look better.
And he never smiles.... Gotta have that broody look going.....
so funny - and you hit the nail on the head - definitely brooding persona.
I think he looked very attractive even in his heavier pictures without his glasses. They took the worst picture ever taken of him in the first shot. His weight loss is great for his health but attractiveness is in your confidence, he was handsome before too
Male models rarely smile...just the way it is in modeling
TThe eye color is probably a contrast between what we see in flash versus what price fessionals do in taking the photo and ps’ing the photo.
No no no. You're getting it all wrong. Haven't you read the boredpanda title? It say's "beard turns his life upside down" Not "Man changes his lifestyle for the better" Which would be more accurate. But hey we need clicks. So gotta make up fake news. It's all in the beard man! XD For me it was brushing my teeth for the first time. It got me a 500k house, a better job, got muscular, Suddenly I had a dog I didn't ask for.(Damm teeth) Woke up wearing a suit. It was amazing. You wouldn't believe it.
Good comment! Agreed.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Oh, look! The babyface has an opinion.
You don't get that shade of red with dye. Ever. People have tried, but it never works out that way.
Nah, his hair and eyes are the same color. It's the eyebrows, he dyed them.
Yeah, the eyebrows are definitely touched up in some manner, either make up, dye or Photoshop. I think very few gingers would have dark eyebrows like that.
Not true. There are lots of very fair people with dark eyebrows.
Actually aunty messy he has definitely tinted his eyes brows since becoming a model, it's clear as day, look at the before and after. Also there are red toners for people with red hair to accentuate the redness in your hair. Like you would use a purple toner for blondes
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
potato potato potato
I love my geek glasses :-)
Plus grew some eyebrows somehow or other.
I think that his hair is probably naturally that colour, but I'm absolutely sure that he colors his eyebrows. I am a natural redhead, with very blue eyes, as well, and I have the same lack of eyebrows as he has in the "before" picture.
Obviously, as with female models, male models are "styled" before photo shoots, so none of these pictures show him as he is when he wakes up in the morning. Still and all, though, he's made a wonderful transformation of himself, and he deserves all the luck in the world.
His has brows now to which made a huge difference!
Also makeup.
But the beard is pretty hot, too.
He may have had some surgery on his nose, too. Look at the only decent side by side pic, his nostrils are clearly much narrower in his post makeover, I'm unsure that weight loss alone can achieve that. And actually in that 'before' photo he is still very good looking anyway.
I don't think so. Losing nearly 100lbs makes an incredible difference in your face.
doubt he dyed his hair redder. prob just the saturation upped on the pro model photos. but the weight thing def was the biggest.
What is wrong with glasses #love my glasses
Though I do agree with all other points
and he suddenly has eyebrows, so dies those too ;) But hey, the end effect is awesome so maybe it's worth all the trouble :)
dyes? Where are you Grammarly when I need you?!
Exactly!
Good point, although I don't think he's wearing contacts, nor has he dyed his hair redder. I think the pictures are slightly photoshopped. After all, they photoshop female models all the time, so I imagine they have upped contrast and intensity in a lot of those, which makes things look darker and fools the eye into thinking things look 'better' too.
had work done on the tip of the nose...much more angled now
No dyeing there --- you're either born with that color or you're just out of luck. Don't agree with the contacts, either. Not much experience with Celtic people, eh?
Yes you are correct, I am pretty sure the difference in colors between the old and new pics is professional editing, which often ups contrast, brightness, etc, which makes some colors look more intense. I don't think he's wearing contacts and has dyed his hair.
Why has my comment shown up four times? Jeez. I didn't do it! (but I don't think his eyebrows are dyed, either, in fact.)
He is hot, but I believe his glasses will make him even hotter ;). Btw, his humble personality,at least for me IS SEXY
you're right what a difference huh?!
OMG that's amazing. His beard even made him muscles and dress better. If I didn't know better it'd say him altering his entire lifestyle would be the cause of that and not A beard. Dressing better, working out, not smiling anymore in any pictures. Eating better probably as well. He even got a personal photographer that brings him to a lot more interesting places to take photos of him. That's some beard. Makes it also seem alot easier if you just have to get a beard to get all that. This is an eye opener Boredpanda.
That's one magical beard!!!
The power is YOURS!
Monika, I may have been born at night, but not last night. You begin things by stating that he was a shy, but successful, insurance businessman. That's an oxymoron. I have Never, ever seen an insurance salesman, who was shy. They don't exist. Granted he made a life-changing decision, but the beard was the result of, not the cause of this.
Not really! I am very very shy, and working from home, you can talk over the phone or type, and you do not have to meet the people! That's why its bad! One gets into a room and not socialise at all.
I am shy. I can talk one-on-one or to a hundred (which is the same as one, really) but 2-99 I become wallpaper.
I am very shy and used to work a sales job with people. I had a kind of alter ego that I used for work. It was like playing a role. At work, with my customers, I seemed very extroverted. In reality, I am quite shy. I can still force extroversion when I need to though.
Perhaps he's an "introverted extrovert". Laugh if you want, but that's the best way to explain some people's personalities.
Being shy doesn't necessarily mean you have a hard time interacting with costumers. Short of being shy, I have social anxiety, but I can work with people just fine. Work is work, personal is personal. When it's for work, I'm focused on the job, it doesn't matter what people will think of me, only of my work.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
so he was actually body shy, not shy. which isn't strange, he was ugly as fuck. the beard his the ugly.
Your ugly in a judgmental kind of way adrijana.