Beard trims are a popular service at Church Barber, and one member of the team who does a lot of them is Brandon Faulk. We asked Brandon to take us through a step-by-step tutorial of how to trim your beard at home, and he was nice enough to do so.
First, let’s talk tools.
You’ll need the following:
Clipper, with guards - for debulking and/or fading your beard
Brandon’s favorite clipper is the Caliber 9MM , which he pairs with Wahl Premium Guards. Magic Clips from Wahl are also a good choice for a versatile set of clippers. Note: most clippers come with standard guards, but we recommend upgrading to a premium set as the standard guards are known to fall off mid-trim.
Trimmer - for detail work
Brandon’s favorite trimmer is the Babyliss FX . Another great option is the Andis Slimline Pro .
Mustache scissors - for longer mustaches
Brandon recommends the Tweezerman mustache scissors . You may also find the trimmer will work fine for detail work, without the need for scissors.
Razor - for shaving the neck and hard lines
While Brandon uses a straight-razor at Church Barber, he recommends using a safety-razor at home. A good German safety-razor like Merkur will last a life-time, or opt for Feather for an ultra-premium pick. If you prefer power, Brandon’s recommendation is the Babyliss Double Foil shaver .
Comb, or beard brush - for prep
Brandon uses a standard taper comb in the shop, but for at home beard combing he suggests upgrading to this beard sculpting brush.
Step 1: Comb
Your first step is to get the hair as straight as possible, combing your beard out by brushing downward. If necessary, you can use a blowdryer and apply heat to help with straightening.
Step 2: Debulk
Assuming you want to take some length of the beard, you’ll want to start with a 4 guard, and go with the grain to avoid taking off too much length. Brandon says, “you should avoid going against the grain when debulking, unless you have very thick facial hair that requires it”.
After trying the 4 guard, keep stepping down in guards until you reach the desired length. Note, with the clippers we’ve recommended above (professional models), they not only have guards but also a taper lever , which allows micro adjustments in-between the guard lengths. These additional adjustments allow barbers to blend different hair lengths together, and give a proper fade. The lever is also helpful in finding the perfect length for your beard, or even fading the beard if that’s what the final look you’re going for.
Step 3: Sideburns
Using the descending method, “starting with a higher guard and working your way down”, says Brandon, “fade the sideburn area”. This is where that taper lever becomes especially important, as you’ll need to blend the sideburns into the hair (or lack of hair) above the sideburn, in order to avoid a harsh break, or line.
Brandon and the rest of our team generally trim the area around the sideburns a little closer than the full length of the beard, and you can achieve the same look at home by using a smaller guard and utilizing that taper lever at the top of your beard, above the cheek area. In the photo above, you'll notice that Brandon is going against the grain when detailing the sideburns, to get close.
Step 4: Shape
Once you’ve reached the right length and you’ve got the sideburns cleaned up, it’s time to tidy things up. Brandon says you should “freehand” to create your desired shape, meaning, “use the clipper with no guard, and float the clipper to shape the hair”. Using a trimmer works here as well; the point is that you won't be using a guard either way, so trim carefully. While shape is a personal preference, Brandon says, “people tend to like triangular because it slims the face”.
Step 5: Mustache
Using a 2 or a 1 guard, depending on length preference - again you want to start higher and descend as needed - trim the mustache down, starting by going with the grain first. For a thicker mustache, or to reach the under nose area, you might end up needing to go against the grain to even things out.
Next, using mustache scissors if you have them (use a trimmer if not), trim the hairs overhanging the lip. Your goal is to line up the mustache by tracing the silhouette of your lips. Tracing the silhouette is sometimes easier with a trimmer than with scissors.
Step 6: Neckline
To properly shave the neck area, you are going to do the following:
1) Create three guidelines - two outside and one inside, 2) Connect the lines, and then 3) Shave the hair beneath the line.
Having said that, lining up the neckline is where things tend to get hairy :). We see DIY’ers mess this part up a lot, so heed the following tips closely.
First tip: Face the mirror - it’s important to understand that when creating the guidelines, you should be facing the mirror head-on, not tilting your head back. This probably won’t feel natural to do, but it’s important. If you create the guidelines or trim the neckline with your head tilted back, you will not create straight lines, because your neck moves every so slightly as you tilt back.
Tip two: find your Adam’s apple and create the inside line just above there. This is the most natural place for the neckline and tends to look best on most guys.
Final tip: Confirm before finalizing - check out the line from multiple angles - facing the mirror and with your head tilted back - to confirm everything is straight and as you want it, prior to finalizing and shaving the rest of your neck.
Step 7: Cheek area
The last active step of the beard trim is to line up the cheek area. Just like Step 5, this is an area where DIYers often make errors. Creating the guideline is crucial.
Using the corner of your mouth to the middle of your ear as an invisible line, use your trimmer to create 3 guidelines at the top, middle, and bottom. Then connect the lines by working your way down. Once the lines are set on both sides of your face, finalize the lines with your safety-razor. A pro-tip from Brandon, is to “push your tongue against your cheek to push the skin out (which acts as a bumper), to prevent the trimmer or razor from going lower than you want it to”.
Finishing touches: beard care
To prevent irritation and heal any nicks or cuts, you’ll want to moisturize your face post-trim. Brandon recommends a floral water, like our Neroli Water , for hydration and then using our Rosehip oil to lock-in the moisture, soothe any cuts, and soften the hair and skin.
