W hen it comes to the neat appearance of a beard goes, then the Beard contours one of the most important factors. We explain to you in 5 simple steps, How to shave clean contours, what utensils you need, and what else to look for to make them look perfect.
Step 1: Pay attention to your beard style
How the beard contours look exactly, of course, depends on your chosen beard. Here are some subtle differences that you should note. However, the basic shape is very similar for most beard hairstyles. The cheeks and the neck area play a particularly important role here.
Should you have a more complicated beard, such as the Anchor beard, Gag beard, the Schifferkrause or the Henriquatre wear, then we recommend especially beginners to have the first contours cut by a professional. There you can see the exact design and then just copy it at home in front of the mirror.
Step 2: What utensils you need for perfect beard contours
As for the utensils, it depends somewhat on how meticulous you want to shave your contours.
To the Basic equipment belong:
- Wet razor (alternatively also razor or razor plane)
- Trimmer
- Shaving foam (alternatively also shaving oil)
- Aftershave
- mirror (a small cosmetic mirror is helpful)
This probably most important tool, which you need for the contours, is the Wet razor. Even better would be the razor or the Razor. The advantage of these two is the accuracy. Because you can see the blades directly, you can work even more accurately than with the classic wet razor, where the blades are usually surrounded by plastic, blocking the view. However, these two alternatives require much more practice than the classic wet razor.
Here we must also add that most with the wet razor and a little practice also a very good result achieve. But it is important that the blades of the razor are always sharp so that you can shave accurately.
For the wet shave you still need foam of course. Who his Be especially gentle on the skin can also Shaving oil try it out. With this the blades glide even a little better over the skin and skin irritations are avoided. Another advantage: Compared to foam, oil makes it easier to see the beard and its contours, which is why it makes shaving more precise.
If you especially sophisticated beards If you wear a beard like the Anchor Beard, Gag Beard or Henriquatre, then you should take a look at the so called Precision trimmer view. These have the advantage that the shaving head is very small and you can therefore shave the particularly difficult corners cleanly.
Step 3: The right transition of the contours
As for the transition of the contours, there are three different options:
- The hard transition with the blade: Here you use only the wet razor or the razor and make a clear transition from the skin to the beard. This is especially useful for short beards, such as the 3-day beard, although it also looks good with well-groomed longer beard hairstyles.
- The smooth transition with the trimmer: Sometimes it is enough to draw a gentle transition with the smallest level of the trimmer. This is especially practical for longer beards and under time pressure. This way looks a bit more rustic because of the short hairs that are left standing.
- Blend: Here you can first shave the contours with the trimmer and then approach from the outside with the wet razor, until you like the result.
What we recommend: Just try it out. First shave the contours with the trimmer and then slowly start removing the shortened hairs with the wet razor. You will soon see which type of transition suits you best.
Step 4: The contours on the cheek
On the cheek, there are two options: Either you shave a smooth stroke down or else slightly curved. In our example, the contour is a little curved. This looks a little less rustic than the vertical stroke.
To shave the edge on the cheek, turn your head so that you can see the cheek well in the mirror. After that you start with precise strokes to remove the hair. Work your way closer and closer to the beard from the outside and do not immediately set the final edge of the contour.
By the way: There are now so-called "Beard templates", to help draw lines more cleanly. Of course you can try this as a beginner, but we rather advise to practice a little bit. In the end, a beard is also something natural or masculine and does not always have to be perfectly cut to the millimeter. In addition, faces are very different, which is why the templates are not suitable for everyone.
Step 5: The contours of the neck& Throat
Even if the area on the neck or larynx is not always clearly visible, it is one of the most important parts of the face most frequently wrongly shaved areas. Here it is especially important that the Contours not set too high become. Especially on the lateral part of the neck, which is clearly more visible than the larynx, a contour set too high looks strange.
To shave this area, lift your head vertically so that you can see the first side of your lower neck clearly in the mirror. Just as with the cheek, you should work closer and closer to the beard from the outside, so that you do not shave off too much. Switch sides every now and then so you can get an idea of what the final result will look like. The first few times the procedure will take a little longer, but once you have memorized the correct proportions, it will go faster and easier.