Learn more about trimming beards at the Sam Villa Blog: \r
\r
Lets talk about facial hair. David Boyd, Sam Villa ArTeam member and master of all things masculine, calls facial hair “man makeup”, which I love! Thats exly what it is… it can detr from certain features, add fullness to an area that is lacking (think jaw line), or highlight an attrive element on the facial structure. This trend is shifting into more tailored looks and away from the epic mountain man. Its all about suitability now meaning that some guys will continue rocking the mega beard if its what suits them best but most will be wanting to refine their chin scarf into something more attrive. Barbers rejoice as the straight shave is also back in fashion! On that note… we have had tons of requests for a beard trimming video so I let my beard get a little out of control and filmed a fun step by step for you all. That video is embedded here in the blog post for your enjoyment. You can also use the step by step below as a guide.\r
\r
Step by Step for the Beard Trim\r
\r
Preparation:\r
\r
• Begin by brushing the beard with the Sam Villa Large Oval Boar Brush. The boar bristle helps to loosen up the beard as well as distribute the natural oils.\r
• Comb through with the wide teeth of the Sam Villa Long Cutting Comb to make sure there are no tangles.\r
\r
Knock Down:\r
\r
• Place a #8 guard on your favorite clipper and cut against the grain of the beard combing the hair back into natural position with every pass. This guarantees that every hair will be cut consistently.\r
•Beards tend to grow in multiple directions so go across the grain in a side to side movement with your clipper to catch any hairs that dont grow downward.\r
• Switch to a #4 guard to knock down the length of the mustache so that is slightly shorter than the beard – use the same movements against the grain and side to side for consistency.\r
•Hot Tip: For a shorter beard, simply use shorter guards. Be careful though! Start with a longer guard and work shorter. Your guest may have invested a lot of time into that beard and if you cut it too short, they are not going to be happy.\r
\r
Outlining:\r
\r
• For the mustache, cut a line at the bottom edge of the top of the lip with your shears.\r
• Staying at the bottom edge avoids creating a “white wall” effect between the lip and mustache. I like the Sam Villa Signature Series 5.5” Swivel Shear for outlining because I can get into multiple angles without bending my wrist in odd positions\r
• Utilize a shallow point cutting technique along the line you just created to keep a natural looking edge.\r
• Comb the hair at the sideburn back towards the ear and point cut the hair that sits past the natural hairline. Comb the hair forward and remove the excess hair as well to create a nice frame for the face.\r
• Switch to a T-Edger to outline the neckline. Visually sculpt from the outside in towards the neck and then clipper from the skin to that line to define.\r
• Hot Tip: Have the guest keep their chin up during this process as it will create a bit of graduation underneath when they return to natural head position.\r
• Brush the corners of the beard back towards the ear and remove the corner. Beards can become very square when they are trimmed and this step keeps things a bit more rounded\r
\r
Tailoring:\r
\r
• Place the comb into the hair at the sideburn vertically with the tip of the comb at the top of the sideburn. Lift the bottom of the comb away from the jaw creating a tapered line and remove the hair with the T-Edger. This creates a lean shape at the top of the sideburn and leaves weight at the bottom of the jawline.\r
• Hot Tip: If the guest already has a very strong or square jaw, keep the angle very shallow to keep the beard more lean.\r
• Reverse this angle to taper up into the haircut\r
\r
Finishing:\r
\r
• Use the T-Edger to remove any excess hair outside of the beard outline or for a cleaner look, break out the straight razor!\r
• Brush through the beard one more time to remove any loose hair.\r
• Apply 2-3 drops of Redken Diamond Oil by working into your hands first and then massaging into the beard for softness and control\r
\r
=============================\r
\r
GET SOCIAL WITH SAM VILLA\r
\r
SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel \r
\r
Follow Andrew Carruthers, Education Director for Sam Villa on Instagram: \r
\r
Facebook (Professionals) \r
Facebook (Consumers) \r
Twitter (Professionals) \r
Twitter (Consumers) \r
Instagram \r
Pinterest \r
\r
Visit our website for free education and to browse our styling tools
