How To Shape a Beard: Expert Tips for Beginners

You’ve gone through all the initial beard-growing stages: budding stubble, awkward patchiness, and that first real growth spurt. Now, it’s time to turn those unkempt curls into something magnificent. Learning how to shape a beard takes some trial and error, but it makes the time spent growing your facial hair well worth it.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to trim a beard and which products and tools to use to get the job done right.

What You Need To Shape a Beard

Like any project, the first step is getting your tools out. And when shaping your beard, the right tools can make all the difference.

Electric Beard Trimmer

Grab yourself an electric beard trimmer with clipper guards. You’ll use it without a guard for your cheekline, and the guards will help you find the right length for your sideburns. If you’ve had the same trimmer for a while and haven’t already, replace the blades to ensure you get clean cuts.

Beard Scissors

You can’t cut hair (well) with your kitchen shears or shop scissors. Haircutting scissors have beveled blades for precise slicing. Get yourself a pair so you can enjoy the same quality trim you get at a barbershop . They’re sometimes called styling shears, barber shears, or hair-trimming shears.

Comb or Brush

You probably already know that plastic combs and beards don’t get along. Oh, they’ll get rid of the knots, alright — hair and all. Bone and wood combs are stiffer. With a bit of oil, they glide through knots so you don’t leave half your beard in the sink. 

When it comes to the brush, opt for boar’s hair. The bristles are the perfect density and stiffness for tucking rogue hairs in and smoothing your beard out.

Beard Oil and Mustache Wax

Beard oil softens the hair shafts, making them more pliable. This allows your trimmer to glide through smoothly and your brush to shape the hairs with ease. 

And if you’re growing out your mustache , pick up a can of mustache wax. The old-fashioned stuff is what you want. A water-soluble formula is great for basic styling. If you want a competition-ready handlebar mustache, go with a beeswax-based product.

How To Prep Your Beard for Shaping

Now that you have your tools assembled, it’s time to get your beard ready for shaping. Follow these steps: 

• Wash and dry your beard with a natural soap in your favorite scent, then pat it dry with a cotton towel.

• Apply beard oil by warming it in your hands and then running it through your beard. Rub the leftover oil from your hands onto your comb, and detangle your beard.

• Brush your beard downward with a boar’s hair brush to get it into the general shape you’re going for.

8-Step Beard Shaping Guide

Now that you’ve gathered your tools and given your beard a good wash and brush, it’s time to shape it. Follow these eight steps.

1. Define Your Beard Style

Go into this project with a plan. Learn which beard length looks good on your face, and find examples online. If you’re artistically inclined, draw it out. What’s important is that you have a clear image of what you’re trying to accomplish before you start hacking off clumps of hair that could take weeks or months to grow back in.

2. Trim Your Cheek Lines

Use your electric trimmer to define a clear cheekline on both sides. For most styles, aim to keep this high and natural, trimming only the rogue hairs that fall above your natural growth line. If you really want to keep that line locked in, apply some shave butter, and shave with a razor .

3. Clean up Your Sideburns

Put a size three or four guard on your trimmer. To get a uniform length, run the trimmer against the grain — this forces the hair to stand up so you don’t miss strays. If you notice uneven or patchy areas, drop down one guard size and try again.

4. Shape Your Back Line

Pull your beard back on either side, then use your trimmer to clip the neck hairs between your earlobe and your jaw. Working in a downward motion with the grain, create a clean line from the back of your sideburn to the bottom of your beard neckline.

5. Define Your Beard Neckline

Locate your natural beard neckline by placing two fingers horizontally above your Adam’s apple. The top finger marks your starting point. Avoid placing this line too high near your jaw, or you’ll risk the dreaded chinstrap look. Beginning at the neckline, hold the trimmer at a slight angle to the skin. Work from the top down, with the grain, to create a crisp line connecting to your back lines.

6. Shape the Bulk

Start by using your beard scissors to trim away any stray hairs first. This helps you see the shape of your beard before you decide on the final length. Use your boar’s hair brush throughout the process to keep the hairs in place so you can see where you’re working. 

When it’s time to cut down the length, start small. Your beard will take time to grow back if you trim it too short. If you’re making a significant cut, look straight into the mirror, reach under your beard, and find your target stopping point. Put your finger there, and position the trimmer in front of your beard at the same height. Turn on the trimmer, then pass it straight through your beard until you reach your finger. That’ll help you keep a consistent length.

7. Add Details

If your style calls for flourishes like fading or tapering, use your electric trimmer and its guards to create the desired effect. A taper changes the hair’s length gradually, while a fade is more dramatic. Start with a longer guard, sizing down gradually until you reach your desired faded or tapered look.

Now’s also the time to get that mustache into shape. Use scissors to trim along your upper lip, working from the center outward. To reduce bulk, use a one or two guard, and run it down with the grain of your hair. If you really want to get fancy with it, twist that mustache into a handlebar and apply a liberal amount of wax . 

8. Clean Up Your Space

Wipe down your sink, put your beard products away, and sweep up the floor. You’ve likely made quite a mess, and leaving it for your partner to find will undoubtedly ruin the appeal of your beard. If you don’t get exactly the look you were hoping for on the first attempt, don’t worry. You might have to train your hair a bit to get really fancy with it, so it could take a few tries. 

Your Post-Shape Routine Starts With Dr. Squatch

Taming your beard might seem intimidating at first, but like most things, it just takes some prep and a good process. Establish a routine, find what products work for you, and your beard will eventually get with the program. 

While you’re assembling the grooming products you need, don’t forget to give Dr. Squatch a try. We have natural bar soaps to give your beard a deep clean, beard oil to keep it nourished and healthy, and a post-shave balm to soothe the skin. If you need a complete overhaul, our complete shave set will get you on the right track. All our products use naturally derived ingredients to help you feel like a man and smell like a champion.

FAQ

How Do I Trim a Beard While Growing It Out?

Keep your cheeks and neckline clean, and lightly trim any parts growing longer than you’d like. Otherwise, let it grow. It takes time to grow a beard like Grizzly Adams , and that means you’ll have to go through some awkward stages. 

How Do I Trim a Long Beard?

To trim a long beard, comb it out with plenty of oil and a bone or wood comb. Then, go over it with a boar’s hair brush. You can also use a beard straightener at this point to get the hair even more uniform. Pick the furthest point on your beard that most of the longer hairs reach, and snip the rest off. Once you’ve established the length, use barber shears to trim the sides and underside so that they taper to that length.

What Beard Style Suits My Face Shape?

There isn’t one ideal beard for every face shape, but some combinations are better than others. For example:

• Square faces do well with rounded, medium-length beards that add some curvature to the profile.

• Round faces look good with longer beards with sharp angles that elongate facial features.

• Oval faces are lucky in that most any beard works as long as the sides aren’t fuller than the rest.