How to Trim a Beard

Man who is trimming his beard
Photo: Vgstockstudio/Shutterstock
Q: How do you trim a beard?
 
A: Beard-trimming is one of those chores men who have facial hair sometimes neglect. Many men that I know simply allow their facial hair to grow unchecked and then once a week (or longer) take their beard trimmer and crop everything back down to a base level.
 
But frankly, well-kept facial hair can be truly sexy. You simply need to consider what shape of facial hair works best for you.
 
Keep the lines clean. Use the edge of a comb when trimming the outline of your beard, set the lines you are going to follow by using your facial landmarks. The line from the tragus of the ear (the little nub in the front of the ear) to the corner of your mouth makes for a great line to follow as the top of the beard area. Goatees generally look best when they are as wide as the middle of the eye.
 
Once the outlines have been determined, use a razor to shave the outer areas to the skin and leave a really clean look. Then use the length guides for your beard trimmer and shorten the interior area to the desired length.
 
Once the perimeter is defined, you can do daily maintenance with a razor to keep the outline clean, then every 4 to 5 days, use your trimmer with a guard to keep the length uniform.
 
And don't forget to condition your beard. You can buy and use the specially made after-shave lotions, but you don't need to. Simply use a bit of your hair conditioner in your beard when you're using it on your head. It will help to keep the hair soft and pleasing.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
Beards and the shape of your face
 
Basic styles for moustaches and beards
 
Is there anything I could do to get my beard to come in fuller?
 
Can you give me advice on how to shave neat symmetrical facial hair styles?
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