I grew a beard about five months ago. I’ve grown a beard for short times before, and I’ve often had a goatee and/or sideburns, but this is the longest I’ve ever had a full beard. I mainly grew it because I hate shaving and I figured, if I hate it so much, why do it? But what nobody told me is that trimming the thing is at least as much a hassle as shaving was.
I had a $20 electric beard trimmer from Wal-Mart. It worked fine at first, but its performance has been degrading. Lately it has taken a lot of prodding just to get the blade to start moving, and then my hairs get caught in it and get pulled out instead of cut. Yesterday I got so frustrated that I slammed it on the countertop, splitting it in two. It was quite satisfying, but now I can’t trim my unruly beard.
So those of you with beards: how do you keep them trim? Do you use the electric trimmers? Is it worth it to get the super-deluxe models instead of the cheap ones?
And how often do you trim? My schedule has been somewhere between once a week to once every other week.
For those that don’t trim, how do you deal with all the rogue hairs getting into your mouth, or brushing the bottoms of your ears, or making your neck look dirty? Or do you not have those problems?
Electric trimmer. I just buy whatever they have at Walgreen’s and dump it when the blades get dull. I generally run a #4 comb, and trim every week or so.
I have an electric trimmer that cost about $18 from Target. It has a few removable attachments like comb-shaped guards and a nose/ear hair trimmer. I like keeping my beard short and neat, just about an inch wide from my sideburns down and around my chin. I use the comb-guard attachment set on a “3” to trim it, and then shave my neck, cheeks, and chin with a regular disposable razor and shaving cream. I also keep the attached mustache short and neat and buzz off wild hairs, and maintain a neat little soul patch.
Like Silenus I use a number 4 and trim weekly. I like to keep my beard neatly trimmed. The best trimmer I’ve had was a Wahl trimmer. It died and I can’t find one like it right now. I bought a cheap one from Wally*World which is ok, but it ain’t like my Wahl was.
I’ve had a beard for 10 years or so. I tend to use a combination of scissors and electric trimmer. Have sort of a routine of semi regular trimming edges etc interspereed with proper trims to quite short. Find the scissors better for my mustache.
I find the plastic guard on the electric trimmers that let you trim to a set length particularly helpful since it avoids ‘bald’ spots developing as you go too close.
Also from experience not something you want to do whilst under the influence of alcohol.
On a slight side issue I’ve noticed that as I’ve grown a bit older (31) that my beard is going greyer a fair bit quicker than my hair.
“Just For Men” beard dye. Get it a color lighter than your shade and only leave it in for 5 minutes instead of 10-15. It mutes the grey without looking obviously dyed. Repeat as necessary. I generally do it after every other trim.
I’ve kept a goatee since last July/September. I let it grow for a while and finally got a beard trimmer. Slowly I’ve been shortening it as we went, until I settled on a 3. Now I trim it every few days, usually when I shave (I don’t shave daily).
I also have had a Wahl for many years. Still works great, no blade dulling that I can tell.
Note that before each use you put sewing machine oil on the blades. Mine came with a small tube which I regularly refill. No not use 3-in-1 oil, WD-40 or any of the other cheap gum-up “lubricants”.
I’ve worn a beard for about 12 years now and I use beard scissors and a comb. I tried using a trimmer a couple of times but didn’t like it. I probably trim once a month or so when Mrs. Gaffer “comments” on its length.
A. has a full beard (or did, until yesterday). He trims it once a month with a wahl trimmer. He shaves the ‘edges’ (neck and upper cheeks) every two days or so. It’ll look bad if you just let the edges go rather than keeping it trim.
I trim mine weekly (#4 setting) with a Norelco. I shave my neck below my beard about twice a week. An inexpensive trimmer usually lasts me a few years. Fresh batteries (or rechargables that still hold a good charge) make a big difference.
I have had a beard/goatee most of my adult life. I realized early on that I am not good at trimming it, so I do not. When things get too weird, I shave. And start anew. There have been times when I’ve had a ZZ Top goatee, and other times when a 5 o’clock shadow was it.
First, a regular razor to shave the outline. For me that’s upper cheek, neck and two little symmetric areas between my chin and lower lip. This I do every day.
Then I run an electric beard trimmer preset to a certain length across everything except for my moustache, which is very full and much longer than the rest. I’ll pop the preset off and straightcut the moustache bottom level to my lip.
Then I’ll take a nice, very sharp, small pair of scissors and trim the strays, especially below my jaw so that my shirt collar won’t kick and fluff any areas up. The trimmer and scissors I do as needed, about every third day or so.
I guess I’m the only Luddite who trims it with a pair of scissors. I find it oddly satisfying. It must sound like shaving with a clamshell to you guys.
I was once in a band with a guy who would have a goatee for about 2 or 3 months, shave it off, grow it out for 3 months, shave it off, etc. When I asked him why he hirsuitically vacillated so, he said that he would always make a bald spot trimming it and shave it clean to start over.
Oh, definitely avoid rechargable/battery-powered ones. Stick to AC only if possible. Even if it has the option of AC or battery use, some models require a working battery inside in order to work even off AC. (The battery is used as a load regulator.) I have seen some regular shavers with soldered in AA batteries. The people who design those spend eternity in Bad Engineers Hell.
It always amused me that I would periodically order “Wahl Oil”. Made me feel like Ahab or something. I love mine, I’ve had it for 20 years. The blades went just a few years ago. My hairdresser, ( like the one in Astoria who ordered me a professional grade one, not one sold over the counter in any store ), ordered me a fresh set from his parts supplier. And of course, that little white tube of Wahl Oil.
The toothbrush I sacrificed so long ago to help with cleaning out cut hairs? It’s doing just fine.
I bought a cheap one from Wally*World which is ok, but it ain’t like my Wahl was.
