How To Trim My Beard For The First Time

Complete guide to trim a beard for the first time

Every man can agree that beard grooming is a non-negotiable part of their daily routine. And regardless of whether you trim and maintain a full beard or shave grooming is never as easy as it looks. Therefore, in today’s article, we will primarily focus on how to trim your beard for the first time and help many beginners grow the beard of their dreams.

How Should I Trim My Beard – For Beginners

You should see trimming as a version of shaving that allows you to decide how much beard you want to keep or remove. Learning how to trim your beard is very important as it saves you a lot of time and money as you won’t have to go to the barber every week or two. Therefore, here are a few tips on how to trim your beard like a professional.

1. Prepare your beard & tools

Before you begin the whole process, ensure you have the necessary tools. These include a high-quality trimmer, scissors, razor, beard brush, and a beard comb. Also, ensure all the tools are perfectly clean, as beard hygiene is very important. 

The beard needs to be prepared for trimming. That is why you should first wash your beard thoroughly using beard shampoo. After that, you can also apply some beard conditioner if you have it. Brush the beard before it dries to remove tangles. 

It is important to let the beard fully dry before you start trimming. While the beard is wet, hair may seem longer than it actually is, and thus, you may remove too much. Keep in mind that a beard comb can be pretty helpful while trimming. 

2. Trimming

If you don’t have any experience with beard shaping or trimming, we highly recommend you start the process using a bigger guard. While using a trimmer, go against the growth of the beard. Once you are done, you can repeat the process using a smaller guard. Still, depending on what length you are looking for, you can stop whenever you feel satisfied. 

3. Defining the lines

Once you have given your beard a uniform trim all around, it is time to define the important lines such as the neckline and the cheek line. But before you do that, you should first choose the right beard style for your face shape. If you want a perfectly groomed beard, you should avoid going beyond your jawline. Still, if you are aiming for a short trim, you can skip this step. 

4. Final touches

Last but not least, take a pair of scissors and start shaping up your beard. Scissors are essential for the precise removal of stray hairs. Of course, you could do the same with a trimmer, but cutting off stray hairs with scissors is much easier as they allow you to be way more precise and easily access any part of the beard. 

Below are the products that I use to trim my beard. I have tried a lot of different products, and these are my favorites that are easily purchased on Amazon. If you use our links below it helps support our website in a small way and we appreciate each click.

Viking Revolution Natural Boar Bristle Brush and Pear Wood Comb Set for Men...
Wahl USA Stainless Steel Lithium Ion 2.0+ Beard Trimmer for Men - Electric...
Motanar Professional Grooming Scissors for Personal Care Facial Hair...
Merkur Mk34c Double Edge Razor with Heavy Duty Short Handle
Viking Revolution Natural Boar Bristle Brush and Pear Wood Comb Set for Men...
Wahl USA Stainless Steel Lithium Ion 2.0+ Beard Trimmer for Men - Electric...
Motanar Professional Grooming Scissors for Personal Care Facial Hair...
Merkur Mk34c Double Edge Razor with Heavy Duty Short Handle
$9.88
$89.99
$5.99
$44.95
Viking Revolution Natural Boar Bristle Brush and Pear Wood Comb Set for Men...
Viking Revolution Natural Boar Bristle Brush and Pear Wood Comb Set for Men...
$9.88
Wahl USA Stainless Steel Lithium Ion 2.0+ Beard Trimmer for Men - Electric...
Wahl USA Stainless Steel Lithium Ion 2.0+ Beard Trimmer for Men - Electric...
$89.99
Motanar Professional Grooming Scissors for Personal Care Facial Hair...
Motanar Professional Grooming Scissors for Personal Care Facial Hair...
$5.99
Merkur Mk34c Double Edge Razor with Heavy Duty Short Handle
Merkur Mk34c Double Edge Razor with Heavy Duty Short Handle
$44.95

How to Know Where to Trim Your Beard

For a sharper, neater beard appearance, defining the lines and knowing where to trim and what parts of the beard to remove is crucial. Let’s say you have a round face and want it to appear less round. In this particular scenario, you should trim a straight line from your sideburns to the lips. 

On the other hand, if you want to put more emphasis on the roundness of your face, the upper edge of your beard should be a bit more curved. Speaking of which, here are some of the best beard for a round face.

Once you start growing your beard, you will eventually notice that your mustache is growing over your lips. You can quickly fix this by defining a line just above your lip and trimming off everything below it using a trimmer or scissors. I linked to my favorites above.

How to Know Where to Trim Your Beard

How to trim my beard under the chin?

When it comes to the neckline, it is a good practice to keep it just above or right at the Adam’s apple. Still, the best way to define the lines is to look straight in the mirror with your head upright. Looking from this angle, if you see any hair below the chin, you should definitely trim it. 

Now that you have defined the neckline, you can start trimming away from the center, working your way up to the ears. It is important to do one side first and, according to that, finish the other. This way, you will be able to keep the beard more symmetric. 

How to Trim a Short Beard at Home

Before diving deeper into styling and shaping your beard, you must let it grow out first. At that point, you will be able to do the rest of the job much more quickly. So, if you are looking for a short trim, all you need to do is choose the desired length, set up your trimmer, and start trimming. Define the lines according to the desired shape and style. After that, you can fade the sideburns and enjoy your new look. 

How to Trim a 2-Month Beard

The average beard grows about half an inch a month. Still, how fast the beard grows can vary between individuals. In other words, if you haven’t trimmed your beard in 2 months, it should be about an inch long. Therefore, you need to be very careful as people usually rush things up at this point and ruin their look. 

So, if it has only been two months, you should only define the neckline and cut away stray hairs and the parts of your mustache that are going over your lip. This way, your beard will look sharper and more groomed. After that, let your beard grow for a few more months before you do any real shaping and styling. 

How to Trim a 6-Month Beard

Trimming, shaping, and styling a 6-month beard is a much simpler task as it is probably around 3 inches long at that point. Once you have determined what style you want, you are ready to start. 

  1. Trim according to your preferences – This part is quite simple once you go through the steps from the beginning of this article. Keep the lines well-defined by removing anything below the neckline or the cheek line. Try to keep the space between the sideburns and the ears clear. 
  2. Take care of loose ends – Removing stray hairs is essential for a clean look. However, it requires a certain level of precision; otherwise, you may remove too much beard. So, scissors are your best bet if you are still not confident doing that with a trimmer. 
  3. Don’t forget to comb – Combing is something you should always do, not only when you are trimming. Combing your beard with some beard oil or balm does a great job of keeping your beard in the desired direction as it grows
How to Trim 6-Month Beard

However, when it comes to a 6-month beard, maintenance is just as important. Therefore, here are some of the most important maintenance tips:

  • Use a high-quality beard balm or oil to keep your beard healthy and hydrated.
  • Removing stray hairs and caring for those loose ends is not something you do occasionally. It should become a part of your routine if you always want to have the perfect beard. 
  • Staying healthy, in general, is also very important for the beard. Therefore, the best thing you can do is maintain a healthy diet and drink lots of water. 

Once again my personal favorite beard products for maintenance and growth are listed below with links to Amazon. Help a bearded brother out by clicking below. Clicks are like beard hair every little one counts.

Viking Revolution Beard Wash & Beard Conditioner Set w/Argan & Jojoba Oils...
ROSELYNBOUTIQUE Derma Roller for Hair Beard Facial Skin Face 540...
Honest Amish - Classic Beard Oil - 2 Ounce
Viking Revolution Beard Wash & Beard Conditioner Set w/Argan & Jojoba Oils...
ROSELYNBOUTIQUE Derma Roller for Hair Beard Facial Skin Face 540...
Honest Amish - Classic Beard Oil - 2 Ounce
$17.88
$8.95
$12.22
Viking Revolution Beard Wash & Beard Conditioner Set w/Argan & Jojoba Oils...
Viking Revolution Beard Wash & Beard Conditioner Set w/Argan & Jojoba Oils...
$17.88
ROSELYNBOUTIQUE Derma Roller for Hair Beard Facial Skin Face 540...
ROSELYNBOUTIQUE Derma Roller for Hair Beard Facial Skin Face 540...
$8.95
Honest Amish - Classic Beard Oil - 2 Ounce
Honest Amish - Classic Beard Oil - 2 Ounce
$12.22

Our Bottom Line

Trimming your beard for the first time may seem scary at first, but it becomes the favorite part of your daily grooming routine. Even though it may be simpler to let the barber trim and maintain your beard, learning to do it yourself will save you a lot of time and money. Therefore, let your beard grow for a few months, choose the style that suits you the best, prepare the tools, and you are ready to start your beard adventure. 

Beardition Team Contributor
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Last update on 2024-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API