Trimming Your Beard | The Top 3 Methods

Trimming Your Beard | The Top 3 Methods

So you've been growing your beard for several months now and it's really starting to gain some length. If so, you'll begin to find that it can quickly start getting out of hand and begin to look dishevelled.

In this article we're going to give you 3 solutions to the problem of a wild and untidy looking beard. By the end you'll be confident on how you can keep your beard looking thick and well-shaped.

  1. Why Does Your Beard Look Messy?
  2. Get a Professional Beard Trim
  3. Maintain It With a Beard Trimmer
  4. Invest In a Pair of Beard Scissors

 

Why Does Your Beard Look Messy?

Growing a beard can be a very exciting process, it adds a whole other feature to your face. But after a certain stage you will find that your beard begins to look messier and messier.

The reason for this is that your beard is growing at different lengths. Your beard as a whole is made up of multiple sections; sideburns, cheeks, chin, moustache and underneath your jaw/neck.

The hairs from each area can vary in colour, thickness, shape of the hair itself and most importantly the speed at which they grow.

Another reason that will add to the mess of hairs that has become your beard is shedding. Just like the hair on your head each hair of your beard has a lifespan.
After a certain amount of time, each hair will drop off from the hair cell, and a new hair will start growing in its place.

This is perfectly normal, but that new hair will have some catching up to do until it grows to the same length as the other hairs.

Some of the hairs may grow to be very long and straggly (in comparison to the general length of the rest of your beard) until it finally sheds.

 

Get a Professional Beard Trim

Whether it's on Instagram or in real life, the beards that create the most beard envy aren't just well groomed and trimmed to keep them from looking messy, they have a planned shape to them.

Once they have decided on a certain shape and style, it's a simple matter of maintaining as often as required to maintain that look.

We recommend going to a barber, at least initially. A good barber will help find a shape and style of beard that will compliment your face shape, style etc.

Talk them through your beard aims and goals to give them an idea of what you're after. You should make sure you're beard is long enough before going, this will give them something to work with.

Find a barbers that specialise in beard trims, as well as hair. You may have to do a bit of research and ask around for some recommendations, but it will be worth the effort.

Be sure to ask them what they're doing and how you can keep it up yourself, they should talk you through the best way to maintain your beard. We also have some excellent guides to give you that information on our Beard Guide.

It's worth noting that it can be an expensive and time consuming way of maintaining your beard if you go to the barber every time you need to trim your beard.

We've outlined a few steps below so you can do it yourself.


Maintain Your Beard With a Beard Trimmer

An obvious way to trim your beard is to get your hands on a beard trimmer. These are an electric device, usually battery powered, and are very similar to the hair clippers that a barber would use on your head.

A beard trimmer will be able to easily shear through the thickest of beards with minimal effort. This makes trimming some length off your beard a quick and easy option.

Unfortunately the ease at which the beard trimmer does its job means that it can be very easy to lop off more than you originally intended.

To prevent this happening all you need to do is to find the right grade for the clipper head.

This will shave your beard, but it will not be able to shave it shorter than a certain length. You can adjust the maximum length the clipper will shave to dependent on the head itself.

If you really want to ensure you get an excellent beard trim, then you may want to experiment with using different grade clipper heads for certain parts of your beard.

For example you may want to use a higher number grade clipper for the hairs of your chin (leaving them at a longer length) and a lower grade for the hairs on your sideburns (trimming them shorter).

A good beard trimmer will cost you more than a couple trips to the barber, but in the long run it will end up paying for itself (with the money saved by not going to the barber so frequently for a beard trim) so it's an option that is definitely worth considering.

The drawback to using a beard trimmer is that is doesn't have the precision that comes with a pair of beard/moustache scissors. You will struggle to trim and shape certain areas, like your moustache.

A good pair of beard & moustache scissors can be a great asset to your beard trimming routine.


Invest In a Pair of Beard Scissors

A decent pair of beard & moustache scissors will be far cheaper than a beard trimmer, so you could easily use them instead or of a beard trimmer or even as an addition to one.

As mentioned before, the scissors will allow you to precisely trim your moustache without removing too much of the length.

You will also be able to more easily trim the bulk of your beard into your overall desired shape, it may take you longer, but you are less likely to make a mistake.
The edge of the scissors are far sharper than the edge of the blades of the beard trimmer. The end result is a far cleaner cut, which can be seen underneath a microscope.

The advantage is that the end of any beard hair cut by a pair of scissors is less likely to develop split ends, keeping it healthier.

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So now that you have a clearer idea of how to trim your beard, what kind of beard style are you going to aim for? Let us know in the comments section below.

Don't forget to check out our range of beard products here!

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