Recently, the culture of growing beards and mustaches has become especially popular, which has brought with it many questions about grooming and shaving beards. This seemingly simple procedure in practice can cause many difficulties. Of course, now there are already special establishments - barbershops with professional masters. But for those who plan to keep a beard for the long term, you should consider getting your own tool - be it a beard shaver or a simple razor - as you need to be able to maintain a neat look yourself.
Tools
Salon stylists spend a huge amount of time cutting and shaving beards and giving them the perfect shape - not all men have time for such lengthy procedures. In this case, you should consider purchasing your own beard grooming tools.
Traditional methods
Scissors. Ordinary tailor's scissors are not suitable for these purposes: they will crumple and break hairs, or even pull them out. It is better to purchase special beard scissors inshop for hairdressers. Scissors can be:
- straight - for cutting;
- toothed - for thinning.
The razor is a great tool for a quality beard or mustache shave. Razors are divided into dangerous and safe.
Razors with a very sharp open blade are considered dangerous. The sharpening angle is one of the main parameters of this tool. Before each shave, the blade must be sharpened so that it does not dull over time. With the help of a professional razor, you can not only shave your beard, but also cut your hair. The quality of a razor depends on the blade from which it is made: usually high-carbon steel is used with a carbon content of 0.6%. The handle of such a razor is usually made of plastic or wood - it also acts as a case for storing the blade.
Safety razors are divided by purpose:
- shaving;
- for thinning.
The latter has a protective comb with protruding teeth.
As for electric shavers, they compete with straight razors: many models allow you to work not only with dry, but also with wet shaving.
Electric models
Trimmer - helps to get rid of excess length. All trimmers are equipped with removable attachments for ease of use: this feature helps to control the proximity of the blades to the face and, accordingly, measure the required beard length. When choosing a trimmer, you need to pay attention to the following parameters:
- compact;
- maximum and minimum lengthcutting hair;
- type of blades in the machine;
- offline operation option (without plugging into an outlet);
- battery life.
Hair clippers are divided into electric and manual. Electric ones are more popular due to their simplicity and ease of use. They are divided into the following types:
- Vibrating - the cheapest and low power. Such machines are quite noisy and are characterized by strong vibration.
- Rotary - the basis of their work is a motor. These machines are considered to be of the highest quality.
- Rechargeable - these machines are mainly designed for edging hair. Low noise.
As a rule, the typewriter is in stock:
- electric motor;
- power cord with plug;
- head;
- replaceable blades;
- plastic housing.
A switch is placed on the head, and interchangeable nozzles have different thicknesses of the lower plates, making it easy to adjust the length of the shaved hair. During operation, the machine must be protected from moisture getting inside, otherwise the tool may fail. Knives must sometimes be disassembled and washed in kerosene or gasoline, then wiped with a dry cloth, lubricated and reassembled in the machine.
Shape selection
Shaving a beard is an extremely important aspect that every man who decides to wear a beard needs to decide on. Before you start cutting, you needtake into account all the nuances of the appearance and type of face, and choose the most advantageous option:
- It is necessary to choose a beard in accordance with your height. For men of short stature, neat, non-voluminous beards are more suitable, with average height and above, you can choose longer options.
- Men with blond hair can afford thicker hair, while brunettes should not go too big or it will look extravagant.
Face Type
Choosing the shape of a beard is easy, the main thing is that it matches the type of face. Every face needs a little tweaking to harmonize proportions.
Owners of an oval face are lucky: almost any beard suits this form, if you wish, you can experiment indefinitely.
For men with a triangular face shape, a square beard or a slightly rounded horseshoe shape will suit. Such a beard will give volume to the lower jaw and the whole image as a whole - masculinity.
A trapezoid face with a massive jaw will be decorated with a skipper's beard, or models such as jabot or square.
A trapezoidal beard looks great on chubby men, which will make facial features more specific and clear. Also quite suitable is the so-called "goat" beard, which goes well with the mustache, or the model "from temple to temple". It is better to refuse sideburns: they make the face visually even wider.
Elongated faces will be decorated with a rounded beard in the shape of a horseshoe, or ordinarysideburns that balance the proportions of the face, making it more voluminous and harmonious. Owners of a rectangular elongated face will not fit the goatee or goatee model - they will visually lengthen the face even more.
There are plenty of templates for shaving a beard on the Internet, but you should not rush to the first example, you need to take into account the proportions of your face and judge which form can emphasize a manly image, and which one will only add flaws to your appearance. A beard is a great tool for visually correcting some appearance flaws, the main thing is to learn how to use the style correctly.
Growing a beard
Many people think that as soon as they stop shaving, a stylish and modern beard will immediately begin to grow. In the photo, shaving a beard looks like an elementary task, but this is a big delusion. A beautiful beard takes a lot of effort. First you need to try to hold out without shaving for at least a couple of weeks. During this time, you can feel all the "charms" of an unshaven face: itching, discomfort, a constant desire to scratch. But the result is worth it: after two weeks, you can start modeling for yourself the type of beard that will suit the type of face and appearance.
You need to keep in mind that everyone's beard grows differently, and this applies not only to the rate of hair growth, but also to areas on the face where hair grows and where it does not grow. Unfortunately, in some men, the vegetation covers the face unevenly, and therefore only some haircuts are suitable for them, or even better for them.stay with a smooth face.
Beard care
At the growing stage or shortly after shaving the beard, the skin on the face will begin to itch. This is because during shaving, the ends of the hair are sharpened, which, growing to a certain length, begin to dig into the skin, which causes itching. Ideally, you should get a special moisturizer, such as beard oil. It is better to avoid alcohol-based products, as they dry out the skin, only increasing irritation. The oil, on the other hand, softens the hair and skin, so you will need it for regular care.
No shampoo is needed during the growing phase as the beard is still fairly short. Instead, wash your beard with natural soap that does not contain any harmful chemical fillers.
Keep in shape
After two weeks, the growing beard will look a little untidy. This can be corrected by using the edging trimmer and adjusting the beard at the neck and upper cheek contours, not bypassing the line above the lips as well. However, if you plan on having a year-long beard, you can leave these areas untouched, allowing the beard to grow freely.
When it comes to piping, many beginners often make the mistake of piping their neck too high. The optimal edging height is the line where the neck meets the head. For a neat edging, it is not at all necessary to raise your head - just form a rounded line from ear to ear.
WhatAs for the mustache, if the density of the hair above the lips is not too voluminous, it is recommended to cut the hair with scissors. This will give you more control over the growth and shape of your mustache. In general, you can also use a trimmer - this is already a matter of personal convenience. In order not to cut off more than necessary, having opened the contour of the lip, it is better to use a comb, setting the cut angle to it: this way you will not be able to cut anything extra, and then it remains only to slightly trim the ends.
On the cheeks, it is better to stick to the natural hairline, cutting off only excess hairs that extend beyond this line. Don't make the transition too abrupt - even if the hair grows too thick on the cheeks, you don't need to go beyond the bottom line of the nose with the trimmer.
After a couple of weeks, a neatly shaped beard will begin to grow and change: the hair can start to curl, wave and generally look wild. But this is exactly how a natural beard behaves: it remains only to decide whether you like this effect or not.
Tips
Here are some suggestions:
- to make the beard grow better, you need to wash your face and beard in the morning and evening with warm water and mild detergents made from natural ingredients;
- ideally, you should train yourself to use a facial scrub: it removes dead skin cells and improves blood circulation, which is beneficial for hair growth;
- after hygiene procedures, it does not hurt to use a moisturizing lotion for the skin - this will soften the skin of the face, eliminatingirritation.
Shaving your beard is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. However, the most difficult thing in this matter is to decide on the correct form that will decorate the male face, and not disfigure it, emphasizing the flaws. If you understand all the important aspects, wearing a beard will become an affordable pleasure, which will only be properly looked after and maintained in the correct shape.