There are two routes you can take when approaching a beard trim, and that would be doing it yourself or finding a barber to trim your beard for you. We will make a dedicated blog about finding the right beard barber for you, so keep an eye out for that on our "blog" section of the Doctor Nick's Amazing Man Stuff website.  We will focus on trimming your own beard in this blog. The main categories you need to consider would be: the tools, the length, the style, and the patience required.

Tools: The tools you will need and/or use will come down to your personal preference and comfort level. The two main options would be a beard trimmer and scissors. Scissors give you a very rigid and straight line. Trimmers allow for more range of movement, but also has the option of adding guards to control how much you take off. The beard style you are going for and the beard length you have will dictate which tool you primarily use. 

Length: The way you will trim your beard will entirely depend on the length you have and the length you want. If you want to maintain a stubble to short beard, you will likely use a beard trimmer and also use the desired guard length. This likely the most simple beard trim possible.  If you have a medium to long beard and you want to maintain or grow longer, you will want to use a beard trimmer. However, the beard trimmer will have no guard and you will only want to trim the transparency on the bottom. YouTuber and beard content creator Dan C Bearded has several videos demonstrating this method on his YouTube channel.  The scissors come in to play when you feel better using them, and/or when the shape suits straight lines. Scissors can also be helpful on areas that are hard to reach and see, such as the sideburns.

Style:Before trimming you should have a style and goal in mind and trim accordingly. Some men want to grow longer but end up hurting that goal by the way they trim. If you are going for length, make sure to avoid taking too much off the neckline, and you do not want to trim the "face" or the front of the beard. Focus on the bottom transparency.  If you want to maintain a shorter style you have a lot more options when it comes to how you will trim.  A style like a "ducktail" beard will allow for straight and rigid lines, so you are able to use scissors and you are able to use the beard trimmer on the face of the beard.

Patience: Never trim your beard when you are in a rush. Always take your time, and do not be afraid to trim over the course of several days. Do your initial trim, sleep on it, and come back to make adjustments the next day after styling.  A beard take a lot of time to grow, but can be cut off very quickly. It is worth it to wait for the right time and to take your time.

Now sit back and enjoy that luscious man mane of yours, while you look and smell great!