Complete Guide On How To Trim Your Beard Like a Pro using Clippers or Scissors
Beards have become somewhat of a fashion statement of late. Because beards no longer raise eyebrows at the office of public places, and is no longer frowned upon or seen as scruffy, men want to sport their well kept facial hair with pride.
In recent history, there were many famous men sporting facial hair. One example is Charlie Chaplin. Although we don’t commonly see his type of moustache anymore, this was the trademark that he was famous for.
Charlie wore what was known as the “toothbrush” moustache, which was about an inch wide and long. Chaplin preferred it because it did not hinder his many facial expressions used in his movies. This was his low maintenance look and was favoured by the upper class back then.
Another example is Tom Selleck – the American actor and film producer. Having worn a moustache for a good many years, Selleck shaved it off in 1997.
Tom Selleck
Many women everywhere were very unhappy about this, and after realizing what he had done, grew back his famous moustache years later.
Abraham Lincoln was the first to present The White House with its first beard. His facial hair was known as a chinstrap because it did not include a moustache.
While he ran for office, he was beardless. A young girl wrote to him telling him that his face is thin and that he should grow some whiskers. He took the advice and grew his beard.
Abraham Lincoln
There seems to be a huge improvement from how facial hair was worn years back, compared to the beards and moustaches you see around today.
Facial hair used to be rather wild and kept in strange shapes and sizes. Keeping that in mind, who can really blame the employers back then for complaining and insisting on clean shaven faces?
Something to keep in mind is that beards can grow rather unevenly and the shape can differ greatly from one man to another.
There are a few things you need to know before trimming your beard.
Regardless of how much you love wearing your beard, you are going to have to consider trimming it at some stage. Maintaining, trimming and shaping your beard is far from easy.
For some it takes months of growth to get their beard to a desired length and thickness.The last thing you want is to mess it all up and having to clean your face completely and starting from scratch.
Having your facial hair trimmed and maintained by a barber could get very pricey very quickly, and some may see it as an unnecessary luxury as you can easily learn to do it properly at home instead of paying someone a lot of money for what you can achieve at home. You simply need your hand and a good quality beard trimmer.
It may be a good idea to visit your barber once, but know what shape you want. Regardless of who your barber is and how good he is at what he does, this seems to be the biggest reason for being disappointed after visiting your barber.
He needs to have a clear idea of what you want out of your trim. Keeping that in mind, you also need to figure out at what length you want your beard to end up at.
If for example you want a big and thick beard, you may not want to do much with it for a while. You can just continue to grow it and just get it trimmed to the extent that it stays even.
Then, it is crucial for your barber to understand exactly what you want to do with your beard so he can assist you in getting the desired look and shape.
It’s also a good idea to take along a picture of what you ultimately want your beard to look like after you’re done getting it trimmed.
However, don’t expect your barber to be a miracle worker. He will not be able to help you achieve your desired look each and every time.
He should be able to tell you beforehand if your look is obtainable, but keep in mind that the end result also depends on how your beard grows genetically.
One more tip to keep note of before you trim your beard by yourself:
A man who has been in the beard business for decades now, Steve Purcell, mentions that he blow dries his beard every morning.
This straightens your beard, keeps it in shape and helps get rid of the water that remained in your beard after bathing/showering. If you can make the time, try it out!
How To Trim Your Beard Like a Pro using Clippers or Scissors
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If you have never trimmed our own beard before, we recommend that you go visit your barber initially the first time so that you can learn from him and emulate it thereafter.
Once your beard is trimmed to the right length by your barber, you can certainly carry on from there and continue maintaining it yourself. You do need to keep a few things in mind though to avoid making a mess of it afterwards.
Step by step tips on trimming your own beard:
Tip No 1
Don’t let water stay in your beard. When your beard is wet it appears to be longer than it actually is, which will make you go too far with trimming it.
So always avoid trimming your beard when it is wet. You can even towel dry it before trimming, but blow drying it will probably get the job done better and a little quicker.
Tip No 2
Pick between a clipper and scissors. Some people tend to be more comfortable with scissors. They tend to give you a better feeling of control, as well as make the process more comfortable. It does tend to take longer, and realistically does not give you the best trim compared to an actual beard trimmer.
Besides being faster, a clipper offers you a significantly better level of precision than scissors. Take the time to learn how to use your trimmer properly, once you have mastered it, it will definitely be worth it.
Tip No 3
Don’t make the most common mistake! Never mistake your jawline for your neckline. This will result in a totally messed up beard.
Check that you don’t trim up too high on your neck and that your beard is covering the area where your chin begins and your neck ends. Read tip no 7 for our recommended two finger rule .
Tip No 4
Choose the right length setting. It may take a few times to get it right, but you will have to find the perfect length setting for the beard that you want.
Rather start with a longer length, you could always go shorter afterwards if you feel it is still too long. It takes a lot less time than having to wait for it to grow back.
Depending on your type of trimmer, you will either insert the predetermined length comb or adjust the built in length setting on the newer types of beard trimmers.
Tip No 5
Prepare yourself for great shape. A good way to ensure your beard ends up in the ideal shape is to first comb it upwards before you trim it.
This eliminates the uneven areas in your beard. Comb it downwards again and trim up areas that don’t look natural. If you do this correctly, you will attain a great shape.
Tip No 6
Start with your chin and work towards your ear. This is the ideal technique to follow. Then, work your way from the opposite ear toward your chin. This will ensure an even trim.
Tip No 7
Get the perfect cheek-line and neck-line. Your perfectly trimmed beard is about the neck and cheek lines. This created a neat and clean look and does not take ages to achieve.
You need to figure out where to create a cheek-line that goes from your sideburns to the rest of your beard. This can easily be done by looking in the mirror and following a straight line. Take your thumb, place it parallel to your jawline and make sure not to go below that definition of your thumb.
Even out the straight line by trimming of shaving the area right above it, making a clear line that enhances the overall shape of your beard.
In terms of neckline, the idea is to tilt your head up, put your middle finger right on your adam’s apple, your index finger right above it trimming everything below that index finger.
Be sure to tilt your head up when you do this so you can see your neckline more clearly. All you need to do then is to follow your jawline down and towards your right and left jawbone.
You can then use your trimmer’s stubble setting or a safety razor to completely trim down and get rid of the unwanted hairs to get a smooth neck.
Tip No 8
Maintain your beard. You need to maintain your beard so it stays even and in the shape it should be. Even if you trim your beard often as your experienced barber would, it can get completely out of shape in a matter of days.
You should set up and follow a weekly grooming schedule to make sure you don’t have any strays that show up every so often.
Do this by using your scissor or electric trimmer and remove the stray hairs that sprout and spoil your look by standing up in different directions on your face.
Tip No 9
Moisturize. Be sure to keep the skin under your beard moisturized. If the skin becomes dry, your body may over compensate and start producing extra oil, which in turn can cause breakouts. Massage a spot of moisturizer into your skin as you cover the rest of your face.
Tip No 10
Your Facial hair needs shampooing too. Just as the rest of the hair on your head needs washing, your facial hair does too, or it can quickly look like the fur of a deceased animal.
Most guys use regular shampoo, but make sure to fully rinse off any soap residue to avoid drying of the skin and flaking.
For especially wiry or unruly beards, you could consider using beard oil or balm. It helps to weigh down flyaways and seal moisture in the hair, making it appear healthy and shiny and feeling soft instead of bristly.
Tip No 11
Maintain a healthy diet. Healthy skin translates into healthy hair. And your beard is no different. In addition to eating well, you can take omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins which will dramatically improve your skin, thus the whiskers sprouting from it.
How to Trim Your Beard | Shaving Tips
Final word:
Practice makes perfect. By practicing, you will improve and get better each time. Research so you gain the required knowledge needed to sport a sexy beard, and make sure you have the right tools at your disposal.