The beard is an identity sign for most men and some women. Some decide to live without it and shave, while others decide to incorporate it into their look. However, within a group of bearded people we can easily distinguish between those looking after their beard, considering it an important element of their image, and others who merely let it grow and end up with a dirty nest of hair.
While it is true that to get lush facial hair we must let it grow, it is important to know how to care for the beard during this process. Whether you are thinking of having a long beard or you just want to boast a short but well-trimmed beard, here at OneHowTo we explain how to sharpen your beard keeping in trend with Western fashion.
Sharpening the beard is a part of the process of caring for it. It makes the difference between a perfect, stylish beard and an unfinished, sketchy one. Some people forget this step when shaving and later realize that there is something not quite right about the mass of tangled fur on their face. This is precisely due to the need to trim the beard.
This process is what shapes and defines your look. The difference between a trimmed beard and a filthy one can be seen at first glance, and after learning how to properly trim it you'll always be aware of it.
First of all, you must know what you should outline. We usually focus on defining two lines: the cheeks and neck. If you do not have much beard on your cheeks, you may not need to delimit this part of your face. However, the neckline must always be kept trim, and it's probably the most difficult part to get right.
These are the tools you need to shape your beard:
- Mirror
- Electric razor
- Razor blade
- Shaving foam
- After shave
There are people who prefer to leave the line of the cheeks as natural as possible while others choose to sharpen it. This depends on the amount of hair growing in this area; for people with thicker and longer facial hair, it's advisable to polish the area to provide a more careful look.
To sharpen the hair on your cheeks it's better to use a shaver without a head, i.e., to shave completely. Gillette razor blades can be effective; however, we risk cutting more hair than we'd like to, because it requires lots of movements. By contrast, the electric shaver removes hair without too much maneuvering, which will facilitate the task of sharpening the line.
Set the electric shaver so that you cut with only one end of the blade, and gently slip from one side to another diagonally, from lip to ear. This way, you will draw the line you want and properly define the cheeks.
You must not pass the machine directly on the leafy, thicker sections of the beard, but must guess where the most natural line should be.
To shape the beard on your neck you must place yourself in front of the mirror, with your head straight, and draw a line with your finger between one ear and another across the neck, thus defining the jaw area. Due to the shape of the jaw and neck, the line should be curved.
Use shaving cream and a blade instead of the electric machine for clearing the neck hair as effectively as possible. The inconvenience of this is that once you add the foam it is difficult to see exactly where you are shaving. Therefore, if you do not have much experience it is better to use the electric machine.
- Raise your head slightly and watch the hair is in your neck trying to draw an imaginary line, giving the curved shape you are looking for.
- As a guide, cut the hair to just right under the chin. Start shaving what is below that point. Place the shaver so that the blade is horizontal and slides down.
- At this point you should notice that in the central part - where the Adam's apple is located - a defined line can already be perceived, separating the area in which there is a beard and where there is none.
- Shave the hair from the central area that you've already shaped up to your sideburns. Place the electric shaver under your jaw, around the chin, and gently slide up defining the beard. Note that you should not draw a perfectly straight line, but it should be curved, following the shape of the neck.
- If you have a little more experience, you can choose to enhance this step with shaving cream and a blade for a better finish.
Now that you know how to shape the beard, you can choose let it grow and go one step further with a more risky look. If you have a more luxuriant beard is also important to know how to care for a long beard, since the more it grows the more care it requires - otherwise you'll end up looking like a dirty Santa.
This is how to sharpen your beard - from scruffy to stylish, or both at once.
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