Your beard game is strong. That epic man mane is coming in nicely...but, the situation is starting to get a bit, err...hairy. In today’s environment, proper beard care is key.

While beards can be a sign of authority and masculinity, if allowed to go unchecked it signals to others that you do not care about your appearance, or worse. Fortunately, you can easily prevent this beard growing mistake.

Beard hairs grow at different rates. This results in some parts looking full and others looking patchy. Trimming the beard allows for the slower growing hairs to catch up while keeping the longer parts of your beard symmetrical.

So, now the question becomes: how do I trim my beard?

First time trimming your beard? I recommend finding a beard-savvy barber to walk you through your first beard trim. They'll help you determine the best style/shape for your beard relative to your face. Want to know what to ask? Here is our blog post about what to ask your barber when you go in for a beard trim.

For those looking to go it alone, here is how to rock a solo beard trim. First, the beard trimming basics:

Symmetry is the name of the game. Above all else, your beard needs to be symmetrical.

Beard length: This is totally personal preference. From light stubble to full wizard, it is whatever you are most comfortable. Your beard is a reflection of you, not of society or popular norms.

Your facial hair and chest hair shall never form one continuous growth.You should always shave your neck. Now, your bead may extend down to your chest, but if you lift up your beard, you should not see a northern “happy trail.” The Adam's Apple is a good place to draw the beard and skin line. 

Scissors or clippers? The traditionalist will tell you to always use scissors. While I am a romantic and like this idea, it is simply not practical for me.

I have a lot of thick territory to cover, and not much time. Personally, I use a beard trimmer with no guard. That’s right, no protection. I like to live dangerously. But I wasn’t always this way.

When I was still in the stubble/short beard phase, I used guards to ensure beard symmetry. If you are using guards, I’d recommend starting with the largest guard you have and working your way down. You can always trim more, but you can't put it back.

Generally speaking, keep the sides of your beard shorter than your lower beard. By this, I mean the area extending down from your sideburns to the top of your jaw.

Side beards tend to poof out, causing your face to look wide and detract from the rest of your beard and handsome mug. Keep it tight and it will highlight the main part of your beard.

How to Trim Freehand

3. Take time to trim, brush, then trim your beard again. Slowly work your way down from sideburns to the jawline.

4. Once you get to the base of your beard, it is time to decide if you want to trim that as well, or let it keep growing. At the very least, shape up any stray growth. By this I mean if you have some whiskers that are outpacing the rest of your beard, get them in line.

This will also help your beard look thicker. I hold the trimmers perpendicular to the base of my beard and trim back toward my neck.

5. Once you finish, look in the mirror and brush your beard out a few times. Look for any strays or irregularities.

6. As a final step, you can trim your mustache if you so desire. I like to use a smaller trimmer head for this aspect. If that is not an option, you can use the edge of your trimmer.

7. Once you are done, wash your beard with a well formulated beard + face wash like Cleanse. It is for all skin types including sensitive skin and won't strip your skin of its natural oils.

Better yet, let the beard trim serve as a reminder to exfoliate your face and beard. I recommend Exfoliate Face and Beard Scrub. We should exfoliate 1-2 times a week. Tying a beard scrub to your trimming routine will help keep you on track. 

Regular exfoliation is key to growing a healthy beard. It helps remove dead skin cells and build up in the beard. If you have sensitive skin, exfoliate once per week.

After you wash up, apply beard oil or a Daily Face + Beard Moisturizer like Hydrate. Hydrate is excellent if you have oily skin and want to stay away from beard oils. It contains hyaluronic acid which is an amazing oil-free moisturizer. Making it amazing for those with dry skin as well.

If you have a longer beard and need some control, Groom is an excellent hydrating beard balm. 

The next day, brush out your beard and see how it flows. If you need, bust out the trimmers and do a little cleanup.

Once your beard is at your desired length, trimming becomes much easier. I touch my beard up about once every week and a half.

And with that, go forth and do great things!

-Nick

Home