Taking care of a beard requires maintenance, and part of that maintenance involves trimming and shaping the beard to avoid stray hairs and keep a solid shape. As with any salon guest, the first step to success begins with a great client consultation.
When it comes to beards, the men growing them are the true masters. We really need to understand what shape they like to wear the most; this will help us decide on the correct approach to trimming the beard.
The interesting thing about beard hair is that it’s very similar to a cat’s whiskers – they are very sensitive and they increase that sensitivity of the skin by extending the sensitivity out into space in the form of the beard.
Recommended Tools for Success
- Professional Styling Brush.
- Professional 7” Dry Cutting Shear.
- Professional Wide Cutting Comb - in ivory for contrast when cutting.
- Sam Villa Reversible Cutting Cape - using the silver side will create contrast when trimming a dark beard to ensure we create consistent lines.
Best Practices When Trimming a Beard
When trimming a beard we recommend you have your guest stand up so you can see where the beard actually lives against the jaw and face.
Gently fluff out the beard using your styling brush, making sure all the edges are fluffed and ready to be trimmed.
NOTE: Notice we are using a white comb and the silver side of the reversible cutting cape; we do this for contrast while cutting. It gives us the ability to see all the hairs that we are trimming.
Using your wide cutting comb and 7” dry cutting shear, we are going to focus on trimming those extra hairs around the edges – you know, the ones that pop out. We use the 7” dry cutting shear because the hair we are working with is extremely coarse and this shear will make the cut every time.
The main thing we really need to focus on when using these shears is when we cut, we cut with confidence. If we hesitate, we run the risk of snagging or pulling the hair and we want to really avoid that for the comfort of our guest.
Continue to create a nice line and shape to the beard. Make sure you are creating a shape or contour that is complimentary to your guest's face shape and head. We want the beard to be able to keep that strong shape after sleeping, washing and touching it.
If needed, do an additional fluff on the beard then come in with your shears to clean up the lines.
Remember, be confident in your cutting and any questions YOU as the stylist might have, the pro is in your chair! Don't be afraid to ask your guest how they maintain and trim their beard. Doing so will put you on the right track for success.
