How to Shape a Beard

Posted on September 18th, 2009 by Marck

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What makes a man a man? For some men, the beard tells all about one’s machismo and sense of masculinity. A well-shaped, well-trimmed beard can accentuate your masculine features, and make you feel better about yourself. You don’t have to go to the barber shop or a male salon to get a perfectly trimmed and shaped beard. All you need are the right tools and steps to shape a beard.

While you can use a disposable razor to shave off parts of a beard, it’s best to use a pair of sharp scissors and a safety razor. A disposable razor is meant to shave off morning stubble and to remove the beard entirely, while scissors and safety razors aim to shape the beard to your liking.
Make sure that you’re using sharp tools. Blunt tools will give you a misshapen beard, and you could also risk infection from the nicks and wounds that they cause. Run the razor blade and the scissors blades through a honing strap to ensure the sharpness of the blades.
A beard growth of at least 3/4 of an inch can be easily trimmed and shaped. Shorter beard lengths are quite difficult to shape, and you’re often better off just shaving all the hairs off if they’re shorter than the desired length. At least a month of beard growth should do nicely for shaping.
Some men find it easier to work with a wet or moistened beard, although some may find a dry beard more workable for trimming and shaping. Whether you work with a wet or dry beard depends on your own preferences.
For a clean look, shave all the hair off from the neck line with the straight razor. If you want a more scraggly, rugged look, you may want to use a pair of scissors or a beard trimmer instead to cut down the hair follicles to your desired length.
If you want that clean look, but want to preserve a pencil-thin line on your cheek, you can use the corner edge of the razor blade to define the edges of the part of the beard you want to remain. You can then shave off the remainder of the beard while keeping the defined line in place. You can then trim the remainder with the pointed end of a pair of scissors.

Shaping and trimming a beard is not only good for general hygiene, but also great for making yourself look impressive. Try to follow these steps to make the most out of your masculine appeal.