Having and maintaining a strong, healthy beard isn’t something that just happens – your facial hair needs care to grow and look good. Your beard needs to be washed regularly, cut, stylized, and protected against everyday irritants and dirt. That’s why trimming is one of the most important grooming steps to incorporate into your beard care routine.
Trimming your beard is the best way to make it look neat, not to mention that cutting it actually boosts its growth. But if you’re still learning how to do it properly, here are a few pointers that could help you along the way.
How often should you trim your beard?
The answer to this question depends on your beard ambitions, as well as how fast your facial hair grows. You’ve got two options – either you’re maintaining its length or you’re letting it grow.
If your beard has already reached the length you’re happy with, the rule of thumb is to trim it every 10 days or so, to keep it looking healthy and clean. If you decide to follow in the footsteps of Vikings and have your beard long and strong, then a trim every 4–6 weeks will keep it in great shape and prevent it from becoming unruly.
Here it’s important to note that beard trimming requires a steady hand and quite a bit of patience. If you’re not sure what you’re doing, schedule a visit with a barber and let them do their magic. You can pick up some tricks of the trade from the professional, so when you do start trimming your beard on your own, you’ll have a better idea of what you’re doing and how your beard should look at the end.
Why should you trim your beard?
We already mentioned that your beard deserves as much attention as your hair, even though they’re not the same. Your facial hair can have a different texture and even color compared to the hair on your scalp, so it should be treated accordingly. However, there’s one thing they do have in common – both your hair and your beard need to be trimmed on a regular basis.
If not trimmed every few weeks, your beard will not look its best. The most common issues that arise are split ends and dryness, which can result in your facial hair becoming dry and coarse. You can use oils for your beard and conditioners to make it look sleek, but cutting and shaping it remains a must.
Trimming helps you keep the beard healthy and soft, and it also plays a big part in preventing ingrown hair and dry skin underneath the beard. It doesn’t hurt that having a well-trimmed beard gives you a clean, well-groomed look, that makes you feel more confident. Who doesn’t want that?
How to take care of your beard?
You can make your beard care as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. There are more and more products out there that can help you take your routine to the next level, but if it all seems a bit overwhelming, you can start with a few simple steps and work your way up.
Wash Your Beard
This is the number one rule of good beard hygiene – make sure to wash it often and do it with care. There are different recommendations on how often you should do it, some say you should do it as often as you wash your face, while others claim that doing it a couple of times a week will do the trick. Since everyone’s beard is different, you can experiment to figure out what works for you. Remember to use beard shampoo and conditioner, not your regular hair products.
Preparation & Trimming
Before you get to trimming your beard, you want to prepare it for the process. It’s a good idea to wash it just before you trim it and dry it slightly so that it’s still damp but manageable. Comb your beard with a dedicated wide-tooth comb so that there are no messy tangles and so that you can clearly see which parts need trimming.
After that, use your grooming essentials like electric trimmer and beard scissors to style your beard to your liking, while getting rid of the excess hair on your cheeks and neck. Be extra careful with your skin to avoid nicks and burning, and you can even use a pre-shave gel if you’ve got sensitive skin.
After the Trim
When you feel like you’ve trimmed enough and you’re happy with how your beard looks, you can brush it to check your handiwork, and after that, it’s time to style it. You can use whatever works best for you, beard oil, butter, or wax, to make sure your beard looks stylish. Next time you shower, check your beard, to make sure the shape of it is just as you want it to be.
Beard trimming doesn’t have to be intimidating, as long as you take it slow and learn from the process. Dedicate some time to figuring it out, and as a result, your beard will always look amazing.
