Taming Your Mane
Moving on in our discussion from the previous blog, we will learn a step-by-step process into maintaining your facial hair and keeping the cool and sophisticated look and staying away from the caveman style (unless you’re into that kind of thing). The biggest advice that anyone with a beard can get is that regular maintenance is the secret.
Isn’t the whole idea behind growing a beard is so you don’t have to shave? In short answer yes, but no. In order to get your beard to grow out better and in good shape, trimming is required. This helps cut down on fly aways and dead ends.
I have never done work to a beard before, I don’t want to butcher my beard and start over! If you are uncertain about your ability to trim and maintain your own beard, you can always head to your local barber shop and have them take care of it for you. If you are serious about growing, your barber will set you up on some kind of a trim schedule that best fits you. The best part is a lot of barbers will usually talk their way through the process so after a few trims, you can start to feel more confident in your ability to trim your own beard.
I have been growing my beard for awhile and I am ready to start trimming on my own, what tools do I need? Good question here. A good beard trimmer to start. It’s a little costly upfront but you will save in the long run versus the guy that goes and spends $20 a month for the same service. Next a good set of scissors and a comb. This is where the fine tuning comes in. Getting rid of those stubborn fly aways and really setting the shape of your beard. Lastly a good beard brush and your favorite products from Furry Hippie Beard Company.
So, let’s get down to it. Depending on your beard style will determine how often you need to check and trim. Make sure you set yourself a schedule and do this regularly. I usually check mine after I shower and make my adjustments there as needed. When you are ready to trim, carry out the following steps:
- Brush your beard thoroughly. Get under your chin, your sideburns, and across your face. Make sure your brush in the same direction so it is easier to see your hair.
- If you have a style or part of your face that remains clean shaven, break out the razor and shave off the unwanted areas. I like using a one blade straight razor. It’s easier to control what direction I’m moving the blade and it always makes my face feel so much better than when I used a Gillette.
- For the good uniform length across all your hairs, you can make use of the clippers. Make sure you set the guard, so you do not cut shorter than what you want. Just remember it is a long wait if you cut too short. Take time to trim the stash too. You want to keep a blade’s thickness between your moustache hair and your top lip. If it gets too long, it can quickly fill with food and become stained form beverages. Part your moustache in the middle and comb to the sides, use your clippers, then comb straight down and get the scissors to trim off the stragglers.
- Graduate or fade as your beard heads down your neck and your cheeks. As you move away from the front of the beard, use a lower clipper setting so you fade your beard away nicely.
- Next is adjusting your beard to make it as symmetrical as possible. Use the scissors to freehand at this point.
- Once finished, give your beard a good wash and pat dry. Add your favorite oil to moisturize and keep your beard healthy.
Now, I want to back up and discuss the neckline and cheeks. Many people wonder how far down the neck you should go. This depends on your size, style, and shape of your beard. Many beard experts say to shave where the chin meets the neck. The vertical part of your neck should be clean shaven while the underside to be covered. Some choose to imagine an imaginary line that goes from one ear, down your sideburns and under your chin, across the underside of your chin and back up to the other side. The main focus here is to create a pleasing shape and avoid setting the neckline too high or low. As for the cheeks, you can generally just let it grow naturally and trim as needed. It is best to shave the top part of your cheeks in curve with your face and up your sideburns.
I hope that you have a good idea on how to trim your beard and make it look neat and clean. By all means, please listen to your local barber as they will tell you from a professional’s perspective on what you need to do with your beard.
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