As people who strive for Beard Confidence, we know more than anyone else what a struggle it can be to grow a beard for months only to have all of your hard work come to naught. 

When it comes to trimming your beard, you want to make sure everything is uniform. The worst thing is thinking you’ve done a great job only to take a look in the mirror and find that you’ve just made your pride and joy lopsided. Here’s what you need to know to get it right the first time. 

Know the Process

Start with a clean and dry beard. Big Beard Soap gives the right balance of moisture and cleaning power. Dampness or products could elongate curly or wiry hair. You need to see how your hair looks dry so that you can cut it to the right length. 

Next, use your favorite styling tool, either a beard brush or a beard comb, to comb your beard from roots to ends. Make sure you get all of the tangles out and make sure you guide all the strands of your beard to face the same direction. A good beard brush may be perfect for straightening out a shorter beard. If you’ve got a longer beard, a comb may be just what you need to get all of your strands going the same direction.

When it comes to trimming your beard, you need to color inside the lines, so to speak. In order to color inside the lines, you first have to know where they are. That’s why the first step will be some fine trimming to clean up the lines of your beard. These are the thinner sections of hair that form a border around your beard. Finally, you can focus on trimming the length. 

If you’re just starting your beard journey, it’s best to let your beard grow freely for about a month before you start trimming it. After that first month, you can trim your beard once or twice a month, according to your preference. 

Know Your Tools

Getting your lines right is going to make a world of a difference between whether your beard looks right or rough. The key to all of this fine trimming is to use the right tools. 

This isn’t easy to accomplish with your average four or five-blade razor. You need something that’s better at creating fine lines.  An electric trimmer makes life a whole lot easier. If you’re more of a straight razor man, that can work too, but make sure you really know what you’re doing and have a nice, steady hand. 

To trim the length of your beard, use beard scissors. Don’t use household scissors. Although they may be sharp enough to get the job done, they are not meant for hair. Their beveled edges crush the hair shaft, leaving split ends in their wake. Using scissors meant for hair is a step in the right direction because they won’t damage the hair shaft, but they could be so large that they are cumbersome. Beard scissors are small enough and designed to make the angles you’ll need to trim a beard. 

Trimming the length is likely the easiest part. Use a fine-toothed comb as a guide to make sure your cuts are even. Cut to the length you prefer and trim away any stray hairs that are left behind. 

Know Your Lines

If you’re going to get those all-important borders of your beard right, you need to know where your lines should be. The concept behind the lines is that you shave away all hair below a line for the lower ones and above the line for the higher ones. This will give your beard a cleaner, sleeker look. 

This will be a combination of following the natural shape of your face and making a few changes to the style you prefer. A line might naturally rest straight, but you might like a curved look better. Understand the thought behind the guidelines. Them, do what you need to do to feel Beard Confident. 

For good optics, your neckline should rest right above your Adam’s apple and it should follow the natural shape of your jawline. The sides of your neckline should end underneath your sideburns so that you could draw a straight imaginary vertical line from the top of your sideburns to the bottom of your neckline. 

The cheek line is a horizontal line between the intersection of your beard and sideburns and the corner of your mouth. This line can be diagonal or straight depending on the shape of your face and the style you prefer. 

The top of your upper lip and the top of your mustache should run perpendicular to form your mustache line. Aside from starting at the top of your top lip, there are no natural lines for the mustache line. This too is a style point. If you want a pencil-thin ‘stache, go for it. If you want your mustache to knock on the door of your nostrils, knock yourself out. 

After each trim, use beard balm to smooth down your hairs into their new position. Practice makes perfect! As you start to trim your beard more often, you’ll be happier with the results each time. If you don’t trust your skills, it’s also an option to have a barber get you started in the right direction. Then you can just maintain the style in the weeks to come. 

By Smoky Mountain Beards Co.

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