15 Beard Grooming Tips Every Guy Should Know

Let us guess: You decided to grow a beard (and did!), but quickly realized you have no idea how to groom a beard and keep it looking its best. Admittedly, if you’ve never rocked facial hair, it can be tricky to know where to start. You may find yourself Googling questions like “How frequently should you wash your beard?“ or “Do you trim your beard before or after showering?” Maybe you haven’t even gotten to that stage yet and are simply wondering how to trim your beard so it flatters your face shape.

Fortunately, we have the answers to all of your beard-related questions. Here, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about growing, caring for, and grooming your beard like a seasoned pro. Read our beard care tips below and get ready for your best facial hair yet.

1. Understand Your Beard

The number of beard styles that exist is seemingly infinite. You might choose to rock a short style like stubble or a ‘stache, or you might opt for a longer look like a full beard or Garibaldi (rounded with tapered sides that connect to a mustache). The beard style you choose, however, will greatly depend on your facial hair’s growth pattern and texture—factors that may be influenced by genetics, age, and hormone levels.

For example, if your beard tends to grow a bit patchy, a short stumble might work best for you. If your beard grows curly and coarse versus straight and fine, a boxed beard shape could be ideal for your texture.

2. Invest in Quality Grooming Tools

The right tools can make all the difference when grooming a beard. Some essential beard-trimming tools include a small beard comb, facial hair scissors, and an electric beard trimmer. A sharp razor is also good to have on hand, especially if you plan to clean up the edges of your beard.

3. Wash Your Beard Regularly

You probably wouldn’t go more than a week without washing the hair on your head—your facial hair deserves the same level of care. A good beard wash can help remove dirt, oil, and other buildup from your beard while cleansing the skin underneath. Some may even help nourish the facial hair, too.

4. Hydrate and Condition

After cleansing, you’ll want to condition your beard hair—but not with a hair conditioner. Instead, reach for a beard oil. These targeted treatments can help soften and strengthen the beard, giving it a full, healthy appearance.

To use, dispense a few drops of oil into your palm (less for shorter beards, more for longer facial hair). Then, use your fingertips to gently massage the oil into your beard from root to tip, making sure to reach the skin underneath. When you’re done, lightly comb your beard to help distribute the product and prep your beard for a trim.

5. Maintain Your Color

If your beard starts to go gray or look a little patchy, you may want to touch it up. For a quick fix, we recommend the L’Oréal Paris Men Expert Instant Beard Color. The lightweight, gentle formula temporarily conceals grays and fills uneven areas to give your beard a fuller appearance.

6. Master the Art of Beard Trimming

How often you’ll need to trim your beard depends on how quickly your hair grows, as well as whether you’re trying to grow it out or not. To maintain your current length, aim to trim once a week or so. Those trying to grow a fuller beard, meanwhile, can go a bit longer between trims—roughly every three to four weeks. Once it’s time, follow these steps to groom your facial hair:

Step 1: Cleanse your beard

For starters, clean and dry your beard before grabbing the clippers. Trimming your beard after a warm shower is ideal as your hair will be hydrated and, as a result, easier to cut.

Step 2: Remove any tangles

Next, brush out any tangles with a small beard comb. You want your hair to be as detangled and smooth as possible before cutting.

Step 3: Trim away excess length

Now, decide how short or long you’d like your beard to be. If you plan to remove a lot of hair, start with an electric trimmer to help remove some of the excess. We recommend using a bigger guard to start with, as this will help reduce the risk of removing too much hair at once. For the best results when trimming, you’ll want to move the trimmer in the direction of hair growth (rather than against the grain).

Step 4: Shape your beard

Next, use small beard scissors to trim away hairs where you’d like to create shape. Again, how you do this depends on the specific beard style you’re going for. No matter what look you’re aiming to create, we recommend working slowly and keeping your cuts small—you can always go back in and trim certain areas a little more if you’d like to refine the shape.

Step 5: Clean up your jawline and neck

For most guys, the beard doesn’t naturally end at the jaw—it typically extends a bit down the neck until gradually fading. Unless your beard is long enough to cover your neckline, the best practice is to keep your beard neckline at or just above your Adam’s apple. You can use a trimmer or a razor to clean up any areas that fall outside of this area.

Step 6: Trim your mustache

Don’t forget to trim down the ‘stache. Brush down your mustache hair and trim any hair that extends over your top lip.

Step 7: Moisturize your beard

Moisturizing your beard can help keep it looking fresh and soft post-trim. As we mentioned earlier, a hydrating beard oil or balm should do the trick.

7. Shape Your Beard to Your Face

A beard should complement your face and add dimension—for this reason, it’s important to choose a beard shape that flatters your features.

If you have a square face, for example, you can show off your strong jawline with a beard that’s shorter on the sides and fuller on the chin, such as a circle beard. On the other hand, those with rounder faces can create the illusion of a more defined jawline with a more angular style, such as a short boxed beard. Decide what features you want to highlight—or balance—and plan your beard shape accordingly.

8. Replace Your Grooming Tools Regularly

Any tools you use for beard trimming or grooming should be washed after use and stored in a clean, dry place. You’ll also want to replace tools like razors and trimmer heads regularly—roughly once a week for razors and once every couple of months for trimmer heads.

9. Train Your Beard

If you want your beard to lay in a certain direction or hold a specific shape, try to brush it that way every day. This repeated motion can help “train” your beard to lay the way you want it, potentially cutting down on beard grooming and styling in the future.

10. Be Patient

You know what they say: Rome wasn’t built in a day. In other words, you’ll want to exercise patience when growing out your facial hair. A number of factors can affect how quickly and fully your beard grows, from genetics and your age to certain lifestyle habits. So don’t expect to go to bed freshly shaven one day and sporting solid scruff the next—like all good things, a majestic beard takes time to come to fruition.

11. Don’t Neglect Your Skin

Even if it’s not wash day for your beard, you should aim to cleanse your face thoroughly, twice daily: once in the morning and once at night. Making this a habit can help keep your skin feeling its best and address some skin concerns that can affect the appearance of your beard.

For a thorough cleanse, we suggest washing your face with L’Oréal Paris Men Expert Hydra Energetic Extreme Cleanser Infused With Charcoal. The men’s cleanser helps eliminate impurities and excess oils for fresh, healthy-looking skin.

12. Trim Your Mustache

A mustache and beard are like peanut butter and jelly—you can have one without the other, but it doesn’t pack quite the same punch. A well-groomed mustache can really elevate your overall look, so it’s important to keep it looking neat and tidy.

When grooming a ‘stache, you can use either scissors or an electric trimmer to slowly snip away at the hairs until you achieve your desired result. For best results, start at the outer edges before working your way to the center of the lips.

13. Practice Regular Check-Ins

From time-to-time, examine your beard for changes to its pattern or texture. It’s normal for your beard to change as you grow older. For example, beard growth tends to peak in your 30s, while in your 60s you might notice the texture of your beard become coarser. Graying, meanwhile, can happen at any age, but typically begins by the mid-to-late 30s.

More drastic or rapid changes, meanwhile, could indicate a potential skin or hair concern. So if you notice patchiness, bald spots, or hair loss, consider speaking with a dermatologist. They can help identify the root cause of your issues and determine the best course of action.

14. Experiment With Styles

Learning how to groom facial hair can be fun. Your 20s and 30s are the perfect time to experiment with beard styles since your facial hair is at its peak (although experimenting doesn’t end with age!). Maybe you’ve had a long boxed beard for a while, but want to try out a goatee or OG ‘stache—seize the opportunity. Hair grows back, so even if you end up disliking the new style, you can sleep comfortably knowing it’ll regrow in due course.

15. Practice Good Hygiene

As mentioned, maintaining a clean, hydrated beard is essential to your overall beard health. The secret to achieving a healthy-looking beard is to take care of the skin beneath it. The right skincare routine can keep your beard fresh and help address common concerns like acne and dandruff, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

Some additions to your beard care routine can include a gentle cleanser, an exfoliating scrub for those prone to ingrown hairs, and a moisturizer. Opt for one with SPF to help protect your skin from the sun during the daytime (we love the L’Oréal Paris Men Expert Vita Lift SPF 15 Anti-Wrinkle & Firming Moisturizer). And if you need help creating a skincare or beard care routine, consult a dermatologist—they have the expertise needed to help determine the best regimen for you.

Next Up: The 7 Best Hair Care Tips for Men

Photo Courtesy of L'Oréal Paris