# How do you keep a goatee/vandyke/neatly trimmed beard? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 13, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487 "2002-12-13T11:30:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/1 "2002-12-13T11:30:58Z")
Honestly, do you use a stencil or something? I find keeping my sideburns straight and lined up hard enough! I’m being serious by the way. I’d like to grow some sort of good looking facial hair since I look younger than I am. Unfortunatly just letting my beard grow is out since it’s pretty scrappy. I’ve got enough for a sherriff of nottingham style beard, but like I said I’ve got no idea how to go about it… ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/2 "2002-12-13T12:38:18Z")
I can tell you (from when I had a beard) that I trimmed it after I took a shower. When the beard dried the longer hairs would stick out, making it easier to trim them. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/3 "2002-12-13T12:50:55Z")
[Get one of these](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?cat=36290&dept=4044&product_id=878743&path=0%3A4044%3A36290%3A91566%3A4718). Or something like it… ---
**Author:** ![merge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@merge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merge)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/4 "2002-12-13T13:40:27Z")
I use the Norelco T760… cheap and works great… I has like 8 depth settings… it is grea… the charge lasts a long time too… ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/5 "2002-12-13T13:56:40Z")
I use my electric hair trimmer with the appropriate shiv. In a pinch, (like when travelling) I use scissors with a wide comb (as in the teeth are thick, not that there are lots of them). But mostly, it takes practice and a mirror. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/6 "2002-12-13T14:25:59Z")
A beard trimmer–designed only for trimming beards and moustaches–works quite well. For this–_Honestly, do you use a stencil or something? I find keeping my sideburns straight and lined up hard enough!_–it’s a matter of technique and a careful eye. As you define the edges, make only small incursions into the hairline. Pay close attention to the angle of the trimmer. With patience and care, you can get a nice symmetrical shape. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/7 "2002-12-13T14:41:06Z")
Goatee owner here… Shave with normal wet razor to the edges and trim the rest (on occasion- perhaps twice a month) with standard scissors. Easy job. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/8 "2002-12-13T18:16:24Z")
Another goatee wearer. I have a small electric Wahl’s beard trimmer that I got at Wal-Mart for about $15 (much cheaper than the one linked to above, but the same idea) It came with different guards for different lengths. Like what they use in barber shops to trim your sideburns and neckline. Runs off a couple of AA batteries and I use it about once a week or so. Gives all the hairs a nice uniform length and is a LOT easier than scissors. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/9 "2002-12-13T18:45:39Z")
What Tangent said. Works as well as anything. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/10 "2002-12-13T18:57:51Z")
I also find that if I smile broadly, I get a better vertical line for trimming. I use the comb/razor/scissors method as my trimmer broke and I’m too cheap to get a new one, perhaps I’ll pick one up this weekend; this is reminding me what a pain it is without a good trimmer. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/11 "2002-12-13T19:24:09Z")
It is somewhat less difficult for us beard wearers than for the goatee guys as we have fewer edges to worry about. I do however, limit how far down my neck my beard grows and I **hate** it when it is uneven. But as I have had my beard for many years now, that rarely happens. As **Barbarian** said, it just takes practice. I use scissors maybe twice a month to trim and a regular razor otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/12 "2002-12-13T19:24:13Z")
I can say from experience with a beard, you \*don’t \* trim it while _in_ the shower unless you have one of those mirrors and are not near sighted. Trust me. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-keep-a-goatee-vandyke-neatly-trimmed-beard/142487/13 "2002-12-13T23:19:49Z")
Thanks everyone. Now hopefully I’ll stop being ID’s for everything while at the same time not looking like I’m a bum ;).