Beard trimming is difficult, extremely difficult. And finding a quality beard barber is even harder!! I hate to break it to you, but you'll likely hack your hard earned growth in your first few attempts to trim and shape your beard...

Don't worry, that's what I'm here for! I've made every beard trimming mistake at least a few times over the years, and I'm going to school you on beard trimming so you can save yourself the pain of hacking off months of growth in your beard trimming attempt!

When Should You Trim?

If you're growing your beard for the first time, you probably are wondering when you should trim. A good rule of thumb is to let your beard grow AT LEAST a month before you touch it. At this point you'll have just enough hair on your face to where people will take notice of your new look and wonder if you're growing a beard, or just being lazy. 

Now at this stage of your beard growth journey you're not taking any length off, but rather trimming in lines to define your beard shape. Doing this can make a world of a difference in the way you look. So as long as you're not going for an all natural look, a month or so in is usually a good time to shape your beard. I'll show you exactly how below...

How To Shape A Beard

When you go to actually define your beard, there are three main lines you need to shave or trim in. You'll want to use an electric beard trimmer for these, and remember to take your time! Trimming these lines in just a quarter inch from where they should be will make a HUGE difference in the way your beard looks, so listen closely here...

Cheek Line

Back in the 90s this thing called a chin strap was quite the popular thing. It wasn't a good look then, and it's still not a good look today. So when it comes to trimming your cheek line, keep it as high as naturally possible. You really just want to trim away any rogue hairs that grow higher than the bulk of your beard. This line should connect from your sideburn to the top of your mustache.

Back Line

When it comes to trimming in your back line, this can vary slightly based on the beard style you are going for. In general, this line will run off the back of the sideburn straight down to the bottom of your beard. When you get to the corner, it's up to you whether you square it or go for a rounded beard style. Both can look great so it's really whichever you prefer! I've also found that a second mirror can make this much easier. 

Neck Line

If there is one beard trimming mistake nearly every guy makes early on, it's trimming the neck line too high. You do NOT want to trim your beard in on your jawline. This short and tight look has been popular in recent years, but it really just makes your beard look shrunk down on your face. 

If your beard is short, medium or long, you want to trim your beard where your head connects to your neck. This is usually right above the adams apple. The additional hairs on your neck will be the foundation of your beard, and as they grow out it's these hairs that will truly give you a nice full beard! 

3 Month Beard Trimming Tips

Your beard hairs grow in different directions and at different rates, so after about 3 months, you may notice some hairs that have grown longer than others. To keep your beard looking good, you'll want to trim these down to keep your beard shaped nicely. 

Before you do any beard trimming, I always recommend styling your beard with any beard products that you use on a daily basis, and make sure your beard is combed or brushed out as you would any given day.

Scissors Or Trimmers

Both tools will get the job done in a slightly different way. The electronic trimmers are a workhorse. They will trim off a lot of hairs quickly, so my only advice here is to be cautious when you first start. Take tiny amounts off and do multiple passes to get the final look.

The advantage to scissors is that they are much more precise. You can trim a single hair off at a time if you want, so starting with these at first may save you from a mistake. At the end of the day, it really comes down to what YOU are most comfortable with!

Treat It Like A Hedge

Whether you use scissors or trimmers, the one method I recommend to really create the beard style you're looking for is to treat it like a hedge. Work your way from the outside and trim down the flyaways to tighten the shape of your beard. The reason you want to trim this way is because your beard hairs grow in different directions and the hairs aren't usually straight. So you want to trim the hairs where they lay down.

How Often Should You Trim?

Once you have lined up your beard and created the shape you desire, it's really just about maintaining. Depending on the length of your beard style, the trimming frequency will vary. For example, if you have a short/tight beard, 2 weeks of growth is a big difference. Where as if you have a medium or longer beard, you can go a little longer without noticing a huge difference. So use your judgement/preference here and trim when you notice the flyaway hairs getting a little wild. My typical recommendation is about once a month. 

Final Thoughts

Beard trimming can seem difficult at first, but trust me it gets easier. I will be the first to tell you that even after years of trimming your own beard, you'll still make mistakes. That's OK! It's just part of having a beard. If you make a mistake, just step away and come back to fix it later, or contact us to help you out!

I hope you found this article helpful. If you did, hit the SHARE button to save some beards from a botched trim! If you haven't tried our beard products out yet, I invite you to give them a shot. We have a LIFETIME warranty on everything and we've got your back no matter what. Let us know how we can help, and as always...

Live Bearded!