Left to its own devices, your beard would grow wild, which might not be a bad thing if that’s the look you like. But, if you’re a bearded being who prefers a styled look and a shaped beard (or more kept), you need to learn how to trim your beard. The following 5 “beardscaping” tips will help you train and transform your facial hair into a masterpiece that matches your facial shape, preferences and personality.
1. Stock the Right Tools
Like you use specialized tools at your day job, you need high-quality “beardscaping” tools, too. The right tools allow you to train, trim and groom your beard to perfection.
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Beard scissors give you full control as you trim your beard and add detail.
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A beard trimmer cleans and shapes your beard with precision.
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Use an electric shaver and a straight, cartridge, safety, or electric razor to shape your beard carefully.
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Beard shaping tools trim your neckline and sideburns to match your existing beard and hairstyle.
2. Pick One of the Beard Styles That Suits You
Maybe you dream of entering a full-beard contest, or designing an intricate goatee. First, consider if the style will complement your face. We advocate for individuality, but you may want to consider your facial shape and choose a beard style that creates symmetry.
To discover your facial shape, look in a mirror and measure the length of your forehead and jawline, then the distance between your two cheekbones and between your chin and crown. The longest parts of your face indicate if you have a round, square, triangle, oblong, or rectangle facial shape.
After you identify your facial shape, precise beard trimming gives your face a balanced look that looks great on you. Short sideburns and short cheek hair, along with longer hair on the bottom of your chin, make your round or square face appear longer. Widen your triangle, oblong or rectangle face with thick sideburns and thick cheek hair plus a closely trimmed chin.
3. Wash your Beard Regularly
You already hit the shower daily (right..?). Why not take 2 extra minutes to scrub down your facial hair while you’re in there? Think about how often we touch our facial hair without even thinking about it, transferring germs (as safe and clean as we all are) onto your beard and facial hair. Regular washing removes contaminants, and make combing and styling your facial easier.
We recommend, of course, our beard wash. It was crafted with a proprietary formula specifically to clean and moisturizes the hair on your face. In addition, our stuff was designed to cleanse and nourish the skin on your face and beneath your beard to help stop that pesky itch, and soothe red, irritated skin.
Afterward, pat your beard, mustache or Fu Manchu dry so the hair doesn’t get frizzy.
Then, run a touch of our beard oil through your handsome whiskers to hydrate your skin and boost hair volume.
Finally, you can finish your beard care routine with our personal favorite, beard butter. It smells amazing, helps thicken your facial hair and soothes dry, itchy skin for hours (some folks get by just on our wash and butter combo depending on beard type and other personal preferences).
4. Train your Beard
Now’s the time to call on your bonsai skills and train your beard to take the shape you want.
Start by combing or brushing your dry beard so that all the hairs flow in the same direction. Then use your scissors or trimmer to cut away any hairs that don’t belong. Move the trimmer upward to thin your beard or downward to create a thicker appearance.
This beard grooming step does take precision and time, but the investment is essential. You become intimately acquainted with all the nuances of your facial hair as you spend time training it.
5. Be Patient with your Beard
Unless your beard grows like a weed, you may not need to do much more than wash, oil/butter and lightly trim it for about six weeks. That’s how long the average beard needs to grow in evenly.
While you wait, continue to provide regular TLC to your face.
You can tell a lot about a man by looking at his beard. To ensure your beard is healthy and matches your facial shape, preferences and personality, follow the 5 beard grooming tips we just covered. They help bearded beings like you create the best beard for your face.