Three Super Simple Tips For Styling Your First Beard

If you're new to the beard game, you might be unsure how best to maintain it. With hundreds of unique styles in various shapes, colors, and sizes, learning how best to wear your beard can be a daunting task for newbies. Luckily, the basics of beard-keeping are simple. Below are three hassle-free tips for growing a killer beard with little to no experience. 

Grow It Out for a Month 

Before you put trimmer to face, you have to know what exactly you're working with. After about four weeks, most men can grow moderately thick facial hair, so let your face go wild for a month. Once you've allowed your beard to form naturally, take a closer look at it. What directions do the hairs start? Are there empty patches devoid of any growth, or is it dense throughout? What texture is your beard? Is it scraggly and dry or smooth and oily? These are essential questions you should ask yourself before deciding how to wear your facial hair and what products you need to supplement that choice. 

Trimming It the Right Way

Once you're ready to start trimming down the fuzz, you need to follow a few simple rules. First, invest in a solid beard trimmer. There are a ton of high-quality and budget-friendly options available so do your research accordingly. Once you've decided on your trimmer of choice, set the trimming cone to your desired length and run it thoroughly through your entire beard, from top to bottom (i.e., starting at the top of your beard line and running down to your neckline). Do this once to eliminate any straggling strands, and then repeat the motion starting in the opposite direction (i.e., trim from the neckline up to the cheek line). Once you're done and satisfied with the result, it's time for the final step. 

Outlining Your Beard

The final step to growing a solid beginner beard is to outline your beard lines. Beard lines are typically messy and undefined in their natural state, so this step is all about tidying up any runaway strands and creating a more uniform look. Begin by determining where your beard ends on your neck. To do this, take your index finger and place it right above your Adam's apple. Trim everything below the finger and keep everything above it. For your cheek line, take a straight object like a pen or ruler and place one end of it directly on the corner of your lip and align the other end around the middle of your ear. Trim everything above the object and keep everything below. This should form a relatively symmetrical beard line on both sides of your face. You could always run through the shaved areas with a razor if you prefer a more solid beard outline, but having a little stubble left over is fine.

And voila, there you have it. Your first neatly styled beard. Once you've got the hang of these basic styling steps, you can start experimenting with different styles and techniques to create your unique style.