From light stubble to full, magnificent beards, men’s facial hair is a cultural boom that will probably be around for a while. So if you’ve been waffling on growing a fine ‘stache or beard, stop. It’s time to try on a whole new look—one that includes facial hair. To help you get started, here’s how to trim your beard into two styles. We’ve also included information on some of the items that you will need to maintain and style your beard or mustache.
Two Popular Facial Hair Types for 2019
The Three-Day Beard
The “stubble” beard is still very popular. It gives you that devil-may-care look like you just rolled out of bed. The following are tips on how to groom a beard for that perfect stubble look:
- Depending on how fast your facial hair grows, you’ll need to start by growing your beard out for approximately four to five days.
- Next, set your trimmer at the maximum length that you want your beard. Make a pass over your entire beard to even out your facial hair.
- Shorten your trimmer and make another pass over the area that you want to appear shorter. Trim against the hair growth, starting at your neck and working upwards toward your face.
- It’s important to shave your cheeks and neckline clean, so you won’t look scruffy and unkempt.
The Faded Beard
This is a cool look that is almost the opposite of the three-day stubble. Instead of saying, “I’m too busy to shave,” the Faded Beard makes a statement—that you take pride in your appearance. As its name implies, this beard should seamlessly fade from the chin to cheek to hair. Here are basic instructions for how to trim a beard in this style:
- Start by cleaning up your neckline, mustache and trimming your entire beard to your ideal length.
- Next, adjust your blades to one setting shorter than you want the rest of your beard. You will start trimming at one inch above your jawline. Trim, moving in the direction of your sideburns for a one-inch distance.
- Shorten the blades and then trim another inch towards your sideburns
- Repeat, moving upwards one inch at a time until your beard blends seamlessly with your hair.
Tools You’ll Need to Get These Styles
An Amazing Razor
For these men’s beard styles, you’ll need a high-quality razor that will allow you to adjust it to different lengths. The Rockwell adjustable razor comes with a single, double-edged blade and three adjustable plates for a total of six size settings. The plates angle to follow the contours of your face.
The body of the Rockwell razor is built to last, so you’ll just need to replace the blades, which are fully recyclable. And the handle has been designed with a deep knurled grip so that you’ll be able to hold onto this razor even in slippery conditions.
Preventing a Hairy Situation
Hair, hair everywhere. If that’s what happens in your bathroom every time you trim your beard, then you need a BeardMat. It keeps those little buggers under control. Suction cups attach this mat to your bathroom mirror and then you simply drape it over your sink and countertop it can corral all of those wild hairs. When you’re done with your beard trimming just empty the hair off the mat and into the trash. The BeardMat can also be used for haircuts. Clean up is simple. Just toss it in the washing machine and hang to dry.
Lather Up with Natural Foams and Gels
After spending the day out in the elements and being scraped free of hair, your face deserves to be spoiled with some tender, loving care. And that’s why you need these all-natural shaving soaps and aftershave balms. They’re made with essential oils and other natural products, including French clay, grapeseed oil, wine, and honey.
These products will leave your face feeling squeaky clean and pampered. Hitting the road? No worries. The soap and balm products in this set are the perfect size to throw in your travel bag. You’ll also get a brush that you can use to apply the shaving soap as well as a lip balm that contains SPF 15 for protection against harmful UV rays.
An Innovative Brush for Your Shaving Cream
According to Esquire, the perfect shave starts with the perfect brush. Why? Because a good shaving cream brush will create a nice lather that will distribute your shaving cream or gel evenly and also raise up the hairs on your face. This, in turn, will help you to obtain a closer shave and help protect your sensitive facial skin from nicks and cuts.
While brushes may seem old school, this little tool is quite modern since it has a universal attachment that you can use on any shaving cream can. Even better? No more messy gel or cream-covered hands.
Waste-Not Razor Blade Sharpener
Are you tired of wasting your hard-earned money on razor blades? Do you worry about your environmental footprint and the amount of plastic and metal that gets wasted every time you toss a razor in the trash? Then you’ll appreciate owning a Blade Buddy. This nifty little device prolongs the life of razor blades. Swipe a dull blade a few times across the surface of Blade Buddy’s micro-honing surface to sharpen it. When you use it, your razor blades could actually last months rather than just a few days. Plus, the Blade Buddy can even be used on disposable blades.
Road Trip Tools for Tip-Top Beard Care
Don’t let your style slide when you’re out of town. To maintain your beard while on the road, you’ll need to carry these tools.
A Grooming Kit for the Road
This essentials grooming kit from ApeX by GorillaKilla comes with everything you will need while on the road. It includes tweezers, nail clippers, and a little hair trimmer for taming those rogue nose or beard hairs. These high-quality tools have been crafted from 440 surgical grade stainless steel and are thoughtfully designed. The trimmer and tweezers have rounded tips so you won’t accidentally poke yourself. And the nail clippers boast a low-profile design to make them thinner than a regular version. This TSA-compliant set comes in a handsome roll-up leather case that also has room for a small travel razor.
Keeping it Clean
Giving your beard a good shampooing every day is important. You need to clean it of any loose crumbs or schmears of sauce that may attract unwanted germs. But make sure to treat it after, too.
Nourish Your Beard
Frequent shampoos can strip a beard of its natural oils. So experts suggest applying beard oil to condition and soften your facial hair. The Portland Beard Company’s beard oil nourishes your facial hair with Argan oil, Vitamin E, and essential oils. Just rub a little through your beard to keep your underlying skin itch-free and your beard soft and easy to style. This oil is available in five different scents. Urban is the basic scent and contains Argan oil, meadowfoam seed, and coconut oil. The other four contain the same basic ingredients as Urban with added scents. Shuler contains bergamot and frankincense oils. Timber contains Amyris (also known as West Indian Sandalwood) oil. And Dagner contains a hint of Spruce.
Need an Excuse to Grow Facial Hair?
Having trouble convincing a significant other that facial hair should be in your future plans? Then consider using Movember as your excuse. Movember is an annual event where men grow mustaches to raise money and awareness for various causes related to men’s health.
You might be surprised to learn that Movember actually began in 2003 as sort of a joke. Mustaches were not very popular at that time so two men in Australia decided to see if their friends would join them in growing mustaches. And 30 of their best bros did just that. The next year, these men turned their little mustache challenge into a fundraiser for prostate cancer and managed to raise more than $40,000.
Today, more than 5 million Mo Bros and Mo Sisters support the Movember cause and have raised millions of dollars to fight numerous diseases and conditions, including prostate and testicular cancer and mental health issues.
Although we’ve taught you how to trim your beard in two styles, there are so many other ones out there to try. There’s the Balbo, the Van Dyke beard, and the chin strap. And who knows? You might just discover that you’re actually a guy who looks smashing with facial hair.