Von Sander - The Beardmen (The Ultimate Guide from A to Z)
Trimming your beard is one of the most important aspects of beard care. The Beard Man can well imagine that it’s hard to say goodbye to the beard hair you’ve worked so hard for: we’ve been there!
But don’t worry, you’re not trimming off your manhood. After all, a groomed beard is what makes you a real man, so it doesn’t matter if it’s a little shorter.
Find out how best to trim your beard in this Ultimate Guide to trimming your beard, moustache or stubble. The Beard Man takes good beard grooming seriously: in this guide you’ll find exactly what you need to trim your facial hair in the best possible way.
Why trim your beard?
First of all, you naturally want to present yourself with a well-groomed beard. Beard hair sometimes grows in all directions and is (often) of unequal length – which can quickly become unkempt. This is because your beard hair grows at different speeds, causing uneven beard growth. Grabbing the trimmer or beard scissors in time will always keep your beard looking sleek.
Good preparation is half the battle
It is important to have the right tools for trimming. The most important thing you need is time. Trimming your beard when you are in a hurry is a bad idea and you will never forgive yourself if it goes wrong. Trimming your beard will take around 20-45 minutes.
Beard trimming tools: what do you need?
Beard trimmer
This one does all the hard work and allows you to shave away unwanted beard growth. Think about your neckline and jawline, for example.
Beard scissors
Beard scissors make it easy to trim your whiskers. These often grow in all directions and a beard trimmer works more subtly than a beard trimmer.
Comb or brush
Before shaving, comb or brush your beard into shape. Do it again after shaving and washing. This will ensure that the beard keeps growing in the right direction.
Soft brush
Use this to brush away the beard hair afterwards. You can do this in the shower, but a brush is easier to use.
Beard oil
After trimming, your beard and the underlying skin could use some care. Lubricate your beard and skin well with beard oil. This will ensure your skin doesn’t get irritated and your beard hair feels soft again.
After trimming your beard, it is always a good idea to wash your beard. You do this with a shampoo. Using a conditioner is recommended if you smear greasy products in your hair.
Beard serum
If you want to style your beard hair after shaving then opt for a beard serum or a beard wax. Beard wax is a little firmer, making it easier to style your beard. However, you do need a conditioner to wash it out, whereas a beard serum is easier to wash out.
Beard trimming products and accessories are available in UK online stores. You can also dig around your local supermarket to find good deals.
Define your desired length & style
You want to have a plan and not just start. Determine to what length you want to trim your beard.
Trim length:
- Sideburns: smaller than 0.1 mm
- Stubble: 0.1 to 3 mm
- Short beard: 3 mm to 10 mm
- Long beard: 10 mm to 40+ mm
Beard trimming: to where do you shave your beard?
How far you shave your beard depends very much on the desired beard style you’re going for. Up to where you shave your beard has a big impact on the final look of your beard. So think about this carefully.
Basically, it works like this:
- Is the neckline too high? Then it looks like you only have hair on your cheeks.
- If it’s too low, you’ll end up with a neck beard.
Tip: Turn your head back slightly and place your finger just above your Adam’s apple. This is the natural dividing line of your beard and neck. Place your trimmer at this point and trim down from there.
Wet or dry shave?
Did you know that your beard hair is longer when wet? Don’t trim your beard when it’s wet. Chances are your beard will be shorter than you wanted. For best results, wet your skin a little and leave the beard dry. With wet skin, your pores will remain open, making it easier to trim your beard lines.
Beard trimming tips: important to know
Before we start our step-by-step plan for shaving your beard and moustache, we have a few tips for best results.
- Take your time: you’ve worked hard for your beard or moustache. Take the time to trim it- hair that has been trimmed once, you won’t get back for a while. Avoid regret by preparing properly, having a style or length in mind and taking the time to trim your beard.
- Double-check the beard trimmer: check carefully which cap is on it and whether it matches the desired beard length.
- Trim in stages: take is easy! If you plan to shave off 5 mm, start with 2 mm and see how it goes from there. You may encounter bald spots. If you find these in time, you can trim around them so that the long beard hair falls over them.
- Comb your hair into shape: before you start trimming, comb your beard into the desired shape. This will help you know which direction to trim in.
- Take it easy: trimmers have sharp blades. Always trim carefully, especially around your upper lip.
Trim beard: step by step!
Let’s start trimming. The following steps will ensure that your beard is always properly trimmed.
- Wash your beard and then dry it well. Make sure that the underlying skin remains somewhat moist.
- Comb the entire beard in the right direction. Make sure you comb all the knots out of your beard hairs.t
- Define the neck line, jawline and the line on your cheeks and chin. Up to the line trim smoothly on the lowest setting. Always trim in the same direction as the hair grows.
- Brush and trim your whiskers with scissors. Cutting your whiskers works better than shaving or trimming: with cutting you have more control.
- Now it’s time to trim the whole beard. Make sure you use the right trimmer that matches your desired length. Avoid trimming your beard too short by working in stages. For uneven beard growth, you can use scissors. Trimming is more subtle.
- Remove all hair with a soft brush or towel. Use beard oil to soften your hair. Want to style your beard hair? Then opt for a beard serum.
What if you don’t have a full beard?
Not everyone has a full beard right away. Getting a full beard can sometimes take up to 6 months. But how do you trim when you don’t have such a full beard?
The most important thing is to proceed carefully. Sometimes it can be better just to use scissors. You cut away the longer hair. As The Beard Man often says: cutting gives you more control.
Conclusion: if you don’t yet have a full beard, it is important to tackle uneven beard growth and update your beard lines. That way, your beard will always look groomed and neat.
Beard Trimmer, shaver or clipper?
Despite the fact that a beard trimmer, shaver and clipper are often mentioned in the same breath, they are completely different products.
- Beard trimmer: this works best when you want to shorten your beard hair. It gives you more control over the length of your beard.
- Shaver: a shaver is suitable for smoothing or shortening your body hair.
- Clippers: this is often a larger device and mainly intended for head hair.
Frequently asked questions
The Beard Man is here to help! Is your question not here? Then read our blog articles or send your specific question to The Beard Man’s mailbox.
Trimming means shortening your beard hair. You don’t shave them off completely as you would with a shaver.
This is possible in itself, but a beard trimmer often works better because it is smaller in size. The beard area is often small, so with a beard trimmer you have more control.
In a nutshell: decide on the length and style first. Get your skin wet, but keep your beard hair dry. Start by shaving the beard lines and then trim your beard. Afterwards, use beard oil to soften your beard again.
Different lengths make a beard look unkempt. Start trimming your beard when you spot beard hair that is longer than the rest.
You always trim in the same direction as your beard grows. It is not recommended to trim against the direction of beard growth.