Keeping Beards Trim & Tidy

We were recently contacted by a client asking for some beard advice on how to manage and maintain his overgrown facial hair. The Issue “I have been growing a beard for 4 months now and I haven't had any trimming or shaping done to it, so I was wondering if you would you be able to offer some advice on which direction to go with it?" Naturally, this is an issue that many of our bearded clients find themselves dealing with once they have come to grow a mighty mound of facial hair. The Plan "My plan was to grow it out for a year and decide what to do with it from there, but it’s getting a bit wild and messy already. I would like to keep as much length as I can because I want it quite a bit longer. I just want it neatening and shaping so it looks nice and full." As you can see from the pictures below, this full beard is a thing of envy for many a clean shaven chap who aspire for those hairs to flourish. As acknowledged by the man himself however, this is a beard in need of immediate attention despite the longer-term goals. As ever, our expert barbers were ready - scissors and clippers in hand to exemplify the benefits of a full re-shape, turning a beard from this level of unkempt natural state...

To this gloriously tapered, neat and shapely example of facial hair perfection...

Like a hand reaching out from the clouds inviting you up to beard maintenance heaven, our Shoreditch Barber Aaron has obliged in offering his helpful wisdom on approaching a beard re-shape below... It depends entirely on the shape you’re looking for. Using mini trimmers (I recommend Wahl); you can cut around the lip, under your neck line and on your cheeks if you want a straight line. You can under-cut the lip by 1-2 mm from the corner of your mouth, and in terms of the throat area, you can use your Adam’s apple as a guiding point and then follow the jaw line around. Whether you’re looking to keep a natural neck line or shave in to it is something you would ideally want to leave for your barber to deal with. For a slimmer profile on the sides, begin to taper from the bottom of your side hairline. Leave the chin length as it is and tidy up the edges and sides, tapering down the jawline. Remember before trimming to comb all the hair out first. With a small amount of product (Beard Moisturiser ideally), Kent Combs work through facial hair well. Targeting just the straying hairs will avoid any mishaps, avoiding getting too carried away with the clippers and butchering your beard. When you arrive at Murdock for a re-shape appointment, you have the opportunity to discuss in detail with your barber about where you are looking to go with your beard in terms of shape and style. This advice should certainly see your beard looking maintained and healthy in the meantime.