Maintaining a well-kept beard requires effort from your end and that can be minimized simply by using a beard trimmer and a few tricks here and there.
No other tool will help you out in this regard as a beard trimmer, therefore learning how to squeeze the most out of it is very important.
Men with trimmed beards often seek refuge in barbershops to retain the neat look but this not only is time consuming, but also is costly.
Therefore, learning how to use a beard trimmer at home can solve all of your problems and might lead you to discovering new styles on your way!
Contents
Preparing Your Beard for Trimming
Before we dive into the step by step trimming guide, let me tell you about a little bit of preparation work you should perform.
Start with a clean and dried out beard. If your beard is unclean, there’s a chance the trimming might cause tugs or pulls.
Should your trimmer not be lubricated, make sure to lube up the blades to enhance cutting efficiency.
Then, pick out the specific guide comb of your desired cutting length. Attaching it is quite easy and intuitive, still check the user-manual if you require further assistance.
Once you have a clean beard, lubricated and fully charged trimmer, and a guide comb attached to your beard trimmer, you’re ready for the grooming session!
Step-by-Step Guide to Trimming Your Beard
In this section, I’ll be teaching you how to use a beard trimmer with a simple five step guide. Following this can help you learn to take care of your beard by yourself at home!
- Tools You’ll Need: Trimmer, Scissors, Comb, Guide Comb, Brush.
Step#1: Start with a Longer Setting
I generally start with a longer setting for my primary trim. Certain trimmers have a built-in guide comb which can be adjusted on the fly.
Others require manually attaching a comb of your preferred length. In either case, the longer setting will leave you some room for error.
With the longer setting, trim your entire beard area starting from the side. Since it’s a primary trim, you don’t need to be too careful, an overall trim should do it for now.
Step#2: Trim in the Direction of Hair Growth
It’s better to trim toward the direction of your hair growth in all situations. This might demand a few extra passes, but it’s safe for your skin.
Because shaving against the growth is known to cause irritation, ingrown hair, tugs or pulls. Therefore, identify the growth direction in each part of your face beforehand.
It’s worth noting that not all the areas of your face contain seamless growth direction. So it’s better to break your face down into imaginary sections for better results.
Use the hair-cleaning brush every now and then to remove the stray hair from your face. Otherwise it could compromise the quality of your cuts.
Step#3: Define Your Neckline and Cheek Lines
You should define your neckline and cheek lines even with the longer setting. This helps you get the general idea of your beard area.
To achieve that, you can remove the guide comb and draw outlines on the cheek and clean everything toward the non-beard area.
For better results, comb your beard as you go on with the trimmer. Keeping your beard neat during the process will ensure that the cut is seamless.
Same is applicable for your neck – after lining up the region, trim off the excess hair that falls on the other side.
Step#4: Gradually Reduce the Length
Gradually, keep reducing the length of your guide comb and trim your beard. Certain styles require varying lengths, so it’s essential for you to identify and match the threshold areas.
Otherwise, your final outcome might look uneven and the only way to fix that would be to climb down in cutting length and apply an overall shorter trim.
Commonly the cheek and neck areas contain shorter beards as opposed to the chin and jawline. However, base this length distribution on the beard style of your choice.
Step#5: Detail and Refine
As the final step, you have to work on the details like the outlines of your beard region and it’s best to use a zero-gapped trimmer for the cause.
For the rest of the beard body, pay close attention in the mirror and use your thumb to look for uneven cuts.
Then, use your trimmer at that precise length to make the cut an even one. At certain points, you may want to use a pair of scissors to trim a certain extrusion of the beard.
After completing this refining process, you’ll end up with a neat and tidy beard achieved solely by using a beard trimmer!
Easy Post-Trimming Beard Care
The care after beard trimming is not only for your skin but also for the trimmer. A few swift actions can soothe your skin and prolong the life of your beard trimmer.
- Clean Your Beard: After the beard trimming, clean out your beard either using a brush or simply wash your entire face. Use a towel to thoroughly dry out your skin. A quick wash usually comforts the skin after the vigorous cutting motions with trimmer blades.
- Apply Beard Oil: To enhance your beard, you should apply beard oil on your beard. The quantity doesn’t need to be excessive, a generous amount will suffice. Alternatively, you may use beard balm for the same outcome.
- Comb the Beard: Comb or brush your beard to control the direction of hair flow. It works like hairstyles as you’ll need to guide your beard to match the style you had opted for earlier.
- Maintain the Trimmer: It’s equally important to clean your beard trimmer after each session. Trimmer maintenance is similar to clipper maintenance but relatively less hectic. It mostly includes cleaning and lubrication followed by safe storage.
I’ll urge you to follow these care steps to render your beard grooming journey a fruitful one!
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Using a Beard Trimmer
There are a few mistakes that groomers make while using a beard trimmer which I believe should be avoided or at least regulated. Let’s find out what those trimming mistakes are!
- Trimming on Wet Beard: Unless you have a waterproof beard trimmer, it’s unwise to trim on wet beard. It can not only compromise the electronic components of the trimmer, but also damage the blades in the long run. Also, trimming on a wet beard leaves you vulnerable to uneven cuts.
- Trimming Too Much at Once: Another common mistake groomers make is trimming way too much beard at the beginning. This mistake might lead you to fully trim off your beard or end up with a very short cut while trying to salvage some style.
- Not Maintaining the Trimmer: If you didn’t know – a well-maintained trimmer increases its performance and the cuts become effortless and pain-free. With an unkempt beard trimmer, you might face a wide array of grooming difficulties.
Avoiding these basic mistakes can lead to more comforting beard maintenance routines for groomers at home!
FAQ
There are a few more questions that require answering and this FAQ section will inform you about these queries related to beard trimmers.
Q: How often should I trim my beard?
Ans: It solely depends on the beard style of your choice. While some beard styles can sustain with weekly maintenance, others will require touch-ups on alternate days. In general, trimming your beard twice a week is the baseline routine you can follow.
Q: What should I do if my trimmer pulls or tugs at my hair?
Ans: If your trimmer tugs or pulls at your beard, there are a few things you can do. Start by cleaning and drying your beard, then follow it up with the maintenance of your trimmer. Also, make sure your trimmer is fully charged. If none of this works, replace the trimmer blades. Should the issue persist, it would then be time to consult a professional trimmer service.
Q: Can I use a beard trimmer on other body hair?
Ans: Most beard trimmers are equipped with blades meant for facial or hair trimming. You might be able to use them for your body hair grooming, but the results can be painful and in my opinion, not worth the risk. It’s better to pick a dedicated body grooming tool for convenience and comfort.
Final Thoughts
I believe all the basic principles of how to use a beard trimmer have been covered in this article for a wide variety of groomers out there.
If you’re new to beard trimming, there’s no shame in taking things slow at first and asking for help at any given point.
The grooming community on the internet is huge and very helpful, and you can even ask us questions of any sort.
Lastly, it’s important to maintain your beard trimmer – almost as vital as applying proper trimming methods. A well-maintained trimmer paired with neat techniques is bound to give you the perfect trimming results!