Have you ever wondered if you should trim your beard when growing it out?
In this blog post, we will discuss exactly this one but also how to do it properly and safely( without losing length) and we will answer every question around it.
When you start growing a long beard, you might think that by trimming it you won’t be able to grow it the way you like. However, this is far from true. Once your beard starts growing considerably, you need to trim its edges a bit. Even if you’re growing it out.
More on that (details and data) later on.
Let’s get straight into it!
Should I Trim My Beard When I Try To Grow It Out?
Before we get into how to trim your beard when you are trying to grow it let’s discuss if you even should trim it whatsoever.
Most guys fear trimming their beards because they have heard that trimming a beard won’t let it grow.
However, that is far from true.
Imagine your beard hair sticking out, falling down, breaking off, split, dryness, flyaways, and more. Would you ever want that? And most importantly, would your beard grow properly if you face problems like these?
Read Also: How To Train Your Beard To Grow In The Right Direction
Growing a long beard is a demanding process. It is not like growing a stubble beard but for a longer period of time.
Growing a long beard needs daily beard care. Needs attention. Needs maintenance. If you don’t wanna put in the effort do not try it! You will get disappointed.
Now the first question that comes to your mind is:
How often should I trim my beard when I try to make it longer?
Usually, once every few weeks at the start of your beard journey will be enough. After that, you can usually let things go for a month or so before you need to touch up around the edges again.
Don’t worry about making an actual styling of your beard.
When it starts to feel out of control, just trim it up a bit, even if you don’t have any specific pattern in mind. You’ll move past the awkward phase and onto a much better-looking style.
How Long To Grow Beard Before Trimming?
The 1 million dollar question.
My friend, it is not about length when it comes to the necessity of a trim. It is about beard health.
We want you to grow your beard fast. Don’t get it wrong. But, in order to do that you have to eliminate split ends, hair breakage, and more problems that will occur.
That’s the concept.
If you want to grow your beard properly you should know some numbers. The average beard growth rate is 1/2 inch per month.
What does that mean, though?
The answer here is straightforward.
If you trim your beard LESS than 1/2 inch per month, it will get longer and longer as time goes by.
Stick this one to your head. This is the most important thing you will learn today.
Obviously, don’t trim close to 1/2 inch. Trim it less.
Also, keep in mind, the longer you go between trims, the more likely your neck and cheeks will start looking raggedy.
If your neck hairs are growing out at a different rate than the rest of your beard hairs, just keep trimming them down to match up properly with everything else.
Read Also: How To Make Your Beard And Mustache Connect
Do the same thing with your cheek hairs if they start to grow back in at a different length than the hair on your chin and along your jawline.
To sum things up, there is not a specific beard length that requires a trim. You should just take care of your beard daily and when you see some problems, try it a little bit.
If you ask me personally, trim it a little bit once per month. Or when it doesn’t feel right. That is the right time.
Let’s move on.
How To Trim Your Beard Without Losing Length Step By Step?
If you are looking to trim your beard but still grow it here is how to do it.
There’s no need to feel frustrated because we have ten steps of advice on how best to do so!
1. Wash Your Beard Thoroughly
You might be wondering why it’s necessary to wash your beard before starting a rough cut. Well, the answer is simple: dirt and bacteria can get trapped in there quite easily between washes!
The best way I’ve found for removing all of this pesky grime so far has been with some shampoo. Just wet your beard thoroughly, then rub your beard hairs until they’re squeaky clean.
2. Towel dry your beard
All nice and clean now?
Good! Let’s move on. The next step is simple: get your beard as dry as possible. For best results, I like to use a towel, but any method of getting that moisture out should work.
The key here isn’t to rub the towel into your beard; it’s more about applying pressure and getting the water out.
I always like to finish off with a cold blast of air, just to close those pores and give it that extra bit of shine!
3. Comb Your Beard
Once you’ve towel-dried your beard as much as possible, It’s time to comb it out. I like to start with a wide-tooth comb and work my way up.
Read Also: How Often Should I Comb My Beard
The reasoning is simple: you want to get rid of any tangles, but the last thing you want to do is make your uneven beard worse.
4. Start Trimming
Trim the top and bottom hairs of your beard down to about 0.25 inches with a high-quality trimmer.
Use the comb that comes with the trimmer or any comb you like. Start at the front of your beard (your sideburns) and comb it straight up and out before moving bottom.
Pro tip
Get a wide teeth beard comb. Comb your facial out (not down, flat).
With one hand you will keep the comb leaving as much facial hair as you wanna cut out of it. With the other hand, you grab the trimmer and you cut what protrudes, bulges out of the comb.
5. Shape Your Beard
Now that the top and bottom of your beard are somewhat even, it’s time to use a beard shaper.
This is where things get creative. A good look will depend on the type of tools you have available. For instance, if you’re using scissors instead of clippers, comb the hair up high and cut downwards at an angle.
Choose your beard style. There are hundreds of them.
6. Clean Up Undesired Strands Around Beard
Finally, I like to go in with the trimmer again and either cut off any hairs that are too long or trim them down further, depending on how your beard is looking at this stage.
If you want a more natural look and just fix some details, it’s safer and better to use scissors for this.
7. Cleate The Outline Of Your Beard
It’s important to clean up any stray hairs around your beard. This is usually where people go wrong and end up cutting too much off.
To do this, take a cotton swab and rub some shaving cream into it. Now use that as a guide and cut out the desired shape with the trimmer.
Shave off your stubble area with a good trimmer or clippers fitted with a stubble comb attachment to complete the look. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, but it does look quite nice if done well.
8. Wash Your Face
This step is obvious, no need to tell you more things about that.
9. Check The Result
After everything is done and you’ve washed your face, dry your beard, comb it and check the result. If there is anything you don’t like, feel free to fix it with scissors.
Normally, everything will be fine or you will need to fix minor details.
That’s really it! You have trimmed your beard, it looks epic, it is healthy and strong.
What else can you ask for, gentleman?
Best Trimmers To Shape Your Beard Perfectly
Here we have listed some trimmers for you to consider when starting your ‘beard to infinity’ journey.
The best trimmer to shape your beard perfectly is the Philips Norelco Multigroom.
It gives you the perfect cut every time. It’s packed with features that make everyday life easier, more entertaining, and more productive. It’s the perfect device for anyone who wants to do more with their grooming routine.
1. Philips Norelco Multigroom Series 7000
The Philips Norelco Multigroom Series 7000 is the best, most powerful, and versatile trimmer on the market today. It’s packed with features that make everyday life easier, more entertaining, and more productive.
It has 23 pieces that will help you achieve any look you desire. Plus, it comes with dual-cut technology, which ensures maximum precision and includes 2x more self-sharpening blades that last up to 5 years!
This trimmer also delivers maximum torque and power with its full metal motor, reinforced drive train, and cutting guards made of ultra-strong fiberglass material. You can even recharge this trimmer on the go thanks to its lithium-ion battery, which provides up to 5 hours of run-time per charge.
Of course, there are other good trimmers as well but they are way more expensive than this one. All things considered, this one is the be(a)st.
2. Remington PG6025 All-in-1 Grooming Kit
The Remington All-In-One Grooming Kit is the 2nd best solution for all your grooming needs.
This is a cheaper option for those of you that do not have much money to spend.
Self-sharpening and surgical steel blades stay sharp and are long-lasting, you’ll never have to deal with dull blades again! Plus, this kit includes everything you need to achieve any style or length. And it comes with a storage/travel pouch so that you can take it anywhere!
It comes with 8 different length settings so you can achieve any look you desire! The self-sharpening blades are made from surgical steel, so they stay sharp for years to come.
Plus, it has washable attachments to clean them easily.
No more worrying about tangled cords or finding an outlet because this baby is rechargeable and provides up to 70 minutes of run-time on one charge!
Cons
- Under-powered (Can’t cut medium weight beard properly)
3. Philips Norelco MG3750 Multigroom All-In-One Series 3000
Philips Norelco is the trimmer brand and has an all-in-one solution for your beard. The MG3750 model has 13 attachments to help you get every part of your body looking perfect.
It’s easy to use, with no oil needed!
And it comes with 2x more self-sharpening blades than competitors so that our blades stay as sharp as day one after two years of use. This trimmer gives you maximum precision and performance while being gentle on the skin.
You can get rid of all those other products cluttering up your bathroom because this one does everything in one device!
With just one product, you can shave, trim, detail, edge, and groom yourself from head to toe without any hassle or fuss. This is the best cheap trimmer on the market.
Cons
- This trimmer does not have a very high-quality motor
- Switch button is not very reliable.
Conclusion
The key to maintaining a healthy beard is taking care of it. This, obviously, includes some trimming when need be. We don’t tell you to trim your beard often.
But, we have to tell you the truth. And the truth is that if you let your beard 1-2 years untrimmed, for example, you will encounter a variety of problems.
We advise you to trim your beard 0.25 inch (6.35mm).
Don’t be afraid of losing the length of your beard, normally beard hairs grow 1/2 inch (12,7mm) per month.
Read Also: When Does Beard Stop Filling In, Developing
Furthermore, you should do everything that you can (and we have discussed on this website) to keep your beard healthy. Give it some love.
Wash it, brush it, apply some beard oil. Trim it with a good trimmer. Stick to the basics. Give your beard 5-10 minutes of your time and you won’t regret it.
That’s it for today. I really hope I answered all your questions and helped you a little bit.
If you have any more questions or comments feel free to write them in the comment section below and we will be more than happy to help.
Until next time,
Stay safe,
Tasos
Tasos Moulios is the founder of Beardlong. He loves trying different beard and hair styles and blogs about them. The tips he shares come from his own experience and love for what he does.