We’ve all seen those TV commercials and social media posts where men have immaculately groomed beards that look like they have been sculptured with a laser or something. The precision of the lines and the neatness look amazing! If only we could achieve the same results with our straight razors!
What’s that, we can? Of course – it is quite easy to line your beard properly and create a defined shape that looks masculine, fantastic, and majestic. Indeed, a finely groomed and manicured beard is something that all facial hair wearers should strive for!
The Benefits of Lining Your Beard
Before we jump into the step-by-step routine, let’s take a minute to discuss the benefits of lining your beard with a straight razor and keeping it looking sharp and trimmed.
It looks neat and tidy
Firstly, in my humble opinion it just looks better than an untamed mush of hair! Some people can of course pull this wild and rugged look off but for most of us mere mortals a lined beard accentuates our appearance and makes us look neat and tidy.
It can completely change your appearance but also people’s impression of you. If they see the neat lines and the clear divide between beard and face, they know you mean business and that you hold yourself to certain standards. I think that having a neat beard with clear lines just makes you feel better too – I can’t put my finger on it, but I always feel great when I’ve trimmed my beard properly.
It prevents the growth of a neck beard
Neck beards have a certain stigma, and they are often associated with a specific type of person. Generally, they are not looked at kindly, and it’s easy to see why. If you just let the hair on the front of your neck grow it can look really untidy and take the attention away from your face and beard.
It almost looks like it shouldn’t be there and oftentimes neck hair growth is scraggly and doesn’t look as smooth or stylish as facial hair on your chin and jawline. By lining your beard with a straight razor, you can do away with that neck beard and ensure there is a clear ended underneath your chin.
It helps frame your face properly
Having a clearly defined beard with sharp lines both at the top above your jawline and below, underneath your jawline really helps frame your face. It complements the overall shape of your face and gives you a much stronger jawline and healthy-sized chin too.
How to Get Those Clean Lines With a Straight Razor
As you can see, lining your beard is a no brainer if you want to look sharp, clean, and stylish so it’s important to understand how to do this.
With an electric shaver it’s pretty easy as they often have a separate trimming attachment that really lets you define those lines. Using a straight razor like a double edged safety razor or cut throat razor does take a little more skill but once you nail the process you will have your beard looking fine in no time.
Step 1 – Preparing Your Skin
Whatever type of shaving you are doing you should prepare your skin beforehand. Trying to shave your beard when it is cold and dry can easily cause irritation and the hairs are much stiffer and tougher to cut.
Therefore, it’s a great idea to rinse your skin with hot water to hydrate it. You should also apply shaving soap or cream depending on your preference. Applying the soap with a shaving brush helps create a nice lather and raises the hairs from your skin so they can be trimmed easier.
Step 2 – Visualizing the Lines
Don’t simply jump into the shaving! You should first look at your beard and visualize the clean lines that you want to create.
Underneath your jaw and chin, the hair usually looks best if its trimmed literally where your neck ends, and your jaw starts. You should be able to gauge a natural line here that you can follow all the way from one sideburn to the other. Remember that this line will be curved to follow the outline of your jaw.
Above your jaw onto your cheeks is down to personal preference and how high you like to have your beard. I like to keep it below an imaginary line that extends from my mouth to the bottom of my ears roughly so that the moustache is quite defined too.
However, you like to wear your beard, just make sure that you can visualize where you want it to end and the line to cross.
Step 3 – Making the First Pass
Even if you are using something like a high-quality Dovo razor or Merkur safety razor, you can expect to need a couple of passes to get it right.
The first pass is the tester – the initial shave to clear most of the hair and roughly define the line. The aim here is to shave the hair you want to remove down to a short stubble. You want to use vertical strokes instead of horizontal and do them in overlapping passes so that you can easily keep a sharp line.
Step 4 – Making the Second Pass
After the first pass, you should already start to see a nicely defined line but there may be some stubble remaining. Now is the time to take more care and do a slower, more deliberate second pass.
Be careful not to stray onto any of your beard and accidentally cut it – I have done this before, and I had a ridiculous patch missing from my moustache so had to shave it all off! The aim here is to clean up the line and remove any remaining hair to give your lines definition and make your skin smooth.
Step 5 - Aftercare
Whenever you have finished shaving it’s a great idea to use aftercare products to help keep your hair quality fantastic but also to stop any skin irritation.
Aftershave balm and moisturizer are fantastic for your skin as they can keep your face hydrated and nourished but also reduce any soreness. Things like alum blocks can also help if you have made any small nicks.
If you want to keep your beard smooth and soft, massaging beard oil into your facial hair works wonders too. It can give it a fantastic smell but also stop it from becoming wiry and abrasive.
Turn Your Hair Mess Into a Stylish, Sculptured Beard Today With Your Straight Razor
Having clean and defined beard lines makes such a difference – it turns your scraggle untangled mess into something beautiful and magnificent to behold! Your beard will neatly frame your face, give your jawline, and chin definition, and also complement your hair.
Get rid of the neck beard and rogue hairs that are almost growing into your eyes! Instead, use your straight razor with the above techniques to define your facial hair and start a new way of grooming and beard love!
Conclusion - Phew!
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