At one point or another, every bearded man has dealt with a shorter beard. Think about it, long beards have to start somewhere, and every bearded man has to go through the awkward and hard to maintain stages of the short beard before the beard starts to grow longer and longer. Well, whether you plan on growing your beard out or not, we’re here to help by giving you the 3 steps to maintaining a clean and sharp shorter beard with a dedicated beard trim!
There are a few tools you’re going to need before we can really clean up your beard and make that “awkward beard phase” look intentional and professional! Here are the tools you need for the beard trim:
- Trimmer
- Length Guards For Trimmer
- Razor
If you think about it, when it comes to the shape and overall fashion of your beard, these are the only tools you need! We’ll go into extra things for beard health later.
If you’d rather watch a quick demo video on these three short beard shaping steps, click the video below! And don’t forget to subscribe to Volt Grooming’s YouTube Channel!
Beard Length
The first thing you’ll have to manage when it comes to maintaining a shorter beard is obviously your beard’s length. Beard length actually makes a huge difference when it comes to how your beard is perceived as well as how clean and intentional it looks. For example, longer hair around your chin and mouth can give you the appearance of having a fuller jawline, however longer hair on your cheeks can make it seem like your hair is thinning in front.
The best way to trim your overall beard length is by using your trimmer/clipper guards. Shorter beards tend to hover at or below 10mm, so use one of those guards all around until your beard is even and looks natural.
Now, if you’re growing your beard out longer, and just want to manage the shape while your beard is growing, all you have to do is remove your guards and just trim off all the flyaways and split ends that are sticking straight out of your beard. Trimming these flyaways and split ends help give the beard a managed and clean look without affecting the length of the rest of your hairs, allowing them to continue growing unscathed.
Beard Blending
The next part of managing your beard is blending. Blending helps keep the connection points between your normal hair and mustache looking cohesive with the length of your beard. After all, it would look rather strange if your sideburns were shaggy and had a random point where they cut off into a shorter beard. Same thing with your ‘stache. So let’s blend them!
For reference, use the top part of the lobe of your ear (where the ear connects to the top of your head) and the sides of your mustache as your reference points for blending. All you have to do is knock the guard down (or put a guard on) that’s just a few mm longer than you had it while trimming.
This ensures that there is a space of hair that is blended longer into the rest, creating a kind of “fade” into your longer hair and mustache.
To get this areas even sharper, just take the guard off your shaver or clippers and ride up the line of the sides of your mustache and hairline by your sideburns. Clear all the stray hair from these areas that tend to head towards the top of your cheeks and forehead to give you a sharp finished hairline.
Beard Shaving
Shaving probably makes the largest difference towards making your beard look clean and sharp. You’ll want to use your preferred method of shaving (whether that’s a safety razor, straight, etc.) to clean up your neckline and cheekline.
Your neckline should go straight across your neck, and never underneath your chin or jaw in any way. The best way to figure out where your neckline should start is by looking forward naturally, and sliding your finger into the crease between your neck and your jaw. then lift your head up and shave everything below the top of your finger. (Check out the video for details)
Your cheekline is easy, imagine a straight line from the top of your ear to the corner of your mouth. All the hair on your cheeks above that line should also be shaved.
The contract created by cleanly shaved necklines and cheeklines, and the bare skin, is what does the most to make your beard look up-kept and clean.
Beard Health
Now that we’ve determined your overall beard shape and style, it’s time to think about the literal health of your beard hairs themselves. Beard hair, much more than scalp hair, tends to become dry, stiff, and generally uncomfortable. It’s good to take some time to apply some hydrating beard oil and/or beard balm to reintroduce some moisture to your beard hair.
Beard oil has a multitude of uses. Not only does it make your beard softer by providing hydration, but it also helps keep your skin soft and healthy as well. Doing so prevents redness, ingrown hairs, beard flaking, and irritation also. We obviously recommends Volt’s all natural and quick-drying Beard Oil!
If you’d rather add a styling edge to your beard, then check out Volt’s Beard Balm! It’s a combination of the oils in beard oil along with butters and waxes that not only hydrate your beard but help style it as well!
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