Five Steps For Going From Wild Man to Beardsman

Learning how to grow a beard is a beautiful thing. Yes, you heard me right, learning. It might not seem like a skill or discipline, but to actually sport a well-cared for and groomed beard, well, that takes effort. Most guys’ first beards are simply a way for them to skip out on shaving and show everyone that they’re actually capable of growing a beard. However, over time each beardsman learns what needs to be done in order to form the beard they want by chiseling down from their wildman face manes.

As with all aspects of beardsmanship, each of us is different and every guy has a different routine for ensuring that his own beard looks and feels its best. For some of you, whichever way your beard naturally grows in might be the best option and, if that is the case, than we both salute and envy you. For the rest of us, let’s investigate the steps needed to go from wildman to well-presented beardsman.

Trim Your Beard To A Uniform Length

Every beard presents different challenges, but one thing that is almost universal across all beardsmen is our beard’s habit of never growing equally or at the same rate. Whether it’s the hair on your chin growing in super fast or the beard hair on your jawline taking its sweet time, beards rarely grow at a consistent rate across your face.

The first step for taming your wild man beard is to simply trim the whole thing to a uniform length. Besides making it look like you at least give a few f*cks about your appearance, having your entire beard at the same length will make it easier to work with as you continue on with cleaning your beard up for everyone else to enjoy. Get out an adjustable electric razor or trimmer and start by just taking a little off. As a wiseman once said, “It’s better to measure thrice and cut once than the other way around.” Someone said that, right?

Establish A Neckline

Now that you’ve trimmed down your beard to a consistent and more manageable length, take the time to perform that always important task of trimming your neckline. This topic has been discussed at length in the past, but essentially the best way to do this successfully is by determining where your head and neck meet and using that as a starting place. Please, for all of our sake do not just use your jawline as the place to start trimming. Besides not being the best look for most beardsmen, using your jawline ensures that you’ll be flirting with cutting way too high up onto your face and therefore you will face the high likelihood of messing up your beard after a hiccup or sneeze. Go slowly until you’re comfortable with the cut line and opt for whatever you think is best. Oh, and remember, establishing a neckline is really what sets a true beard apart from just letting your facial hair run wild. Congrats, you’re now well on your way to beardsman glory.

Clean Up The Cheeks

Ah yes, the often overlooked cheeks. When it comes to most beards, a guy’s cheeks often contain much less hair than the rest of his face and for many guys they simply let the cheek hair be without giving it a second thought. For those of you with darker beards though, it’s best to trim your cheeks in order to give your beard a slightly more organized look. Sure, this might seem slightly over the top, we are talking about a man’s beard after all, but if you’re going to go through the trouble of actually giving your beard some form then make sure you take the time to really make you and your beard look their best. Remember, even with your beard, success is all about the details.

Adjust Your ‘Stache

Don’t think we forgot about you, oh great mop of all things tasty that we eat and drink on a daily basis. Oh no, don’t think that for a second. Once you’ve taken the time to trim, adjust, and sharpen your well-coiffed beard, now is the time to focus on the hair on your face that comes into contact with the elements the most, your mustache.

When it comes to mustache maintenance, there are really two schools of thought: use a little wax to push the hair away from your mouth or trim your mustache to a length that will prevent you from biting down on it accidentally. The choice is up to you and really you can’t go wrong, but whatever you do, make sure you keep up the maintenance on it. Mustache’s tend to grow quickly and, before you know it, you’ll find yourself chomping down on it mid-slice of pizza, which we can all agree is neither pleasant or delicious.

Oil Up

Gosh, who’s that beardsman in the mirror? Nicely done good sir, but now that you’ve trimmed yourself up and are feeling like a brand new beardsman, there’s one more step we’d recommend to make sure your beard keeps looking as good as you now feel: a splash of beard oil. Every beardsman has his own preference on the amount and scent to use, but one thing’s for sure, a little definitely goes a long way. The oil will help keep your beard and skin from drying out, providing you with healthier and both better looking and feeling hair. Additionally, beard oil smells pretty darn good and it’s always nice to be complimented on the scent of your beard whenever you find yourself in an intimate setting. If that doesn’t convince you than we simply don’t know what will.