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Back in the day, you’d just stop shaving if you wanted a beard. You didn’t care where your beard ended—chin, neck, or somewhere below the belly—and nobody else cared either. For better or for worse, those days are gone.

Most employers have certain guidelines in place in terms of how the staff should look, and these guidelines don’t apply exclusively to women anymore. This is especially the case for office or administrative jobs.

A crazy, scruffy beard might show manliness, but it won’t do you any favors where dating and employment are concerned. The 90s are long gone, and it’s not popular and cool to look unapproachable anymore. Without further ado, here’s how to properly trim your beard.

Tools You Need To Trim Your Beard

· Beard oil or moisturizer: for softness and health

· High-grade clippers: for trimming

· Comb or brush: for detangling

· Scissors: for details

Start by washing your beard with a beard shampoo, and then condition it. This is important because the conditioner will help soften the beard, making it less of a hassle to go on with the next steps.

Comb your beard out. Comb against the grain so all the hair settles into one direction and goes up. Comb everywhere, including the bottom parts and mustache.

For an even cut, we recommend using clippers. Try setting 4 if you want to maintain a length of around half an inch. Start with a bigger clip and work your way down if you aren’t sure. As your beard continues to grow out, increase this size.

Trim The Mustache Properly

To trim it properly, comb all hairs to the side, and switch the clip on to your setting of choice. Then comb down over the lip and take the guard off to cut any hairs hanging over onto the lip.

To fade the neck and cheeks, reduce the clipper setting by 1 or 2 as you move outward. You will need scissors for the final touches, like cleaning up stray hairs and giving your face a more natural look.

Finally, end with a beard moisturizer or oil. The product would depend on your hair texture and strength as well as your skin type. Don’t skip this step because moisturizer or oil will keep your hairs healthy and prevent itching or drying.

Fading Your Beard Neckline

The neck beard is no longer in. To get rid of it, reduce your clipper settings and aim for a little space right above the Adam’s apple. Trim the bottom half with this shorter setting.

The top half should be left at the length of the original setting. This will create a slope instead of a hard stop along your neckline.

Further Beard-Trimming Tips

· Don’t trim your beard when it’s wet, because you won’t get a good sense of how it will look.

· Don’t assume all guards are the same length – every brand’s measurements vary slightly, just as with clothes. Before settling into your preferred length, always test on a higher guard. Usually, a 4 guard is half an inch.

· Buy a solid pair of clippers – durability counts when it comes to trimming your beard.

· Stretch out the skin when you trim the underside. Make sure you’re grazing over the actual surface of the skin because the neck skin can bunch together.

Beard Styles

If your face is round, grow hair longer on the bottom, and shorter on the sides. If it is rectangular or oblong, keep the bottom shorter and the sides fuller.

It might seem illogical to trim your beard if you want to grow it out, but a little pruning goes a long way!

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