September 01, 2021
The Strategist
The Best Beard Trimmers, According to Barbers and Guys With Good Beards
By Louis Cheslaw and Ambar Pardilla
SEPT. 1, 2021
Over the past year, so many of you grew beards that we figured you could use a little help keeping them groomed just so. We asked more than 20 experts — stylists, barbers, and guys with good beards — about the trimmers they use. But first, some pearls of wisdom from our pros on how best to use them. As a general rule, trim when your beard hair is dry. “If you’re cutting it wet, you can’t really tell how long it is going to be when dry,” explains Mark Miguez, co-owner and barber at New York City’s Friend of a Barber. If you’re new to the tools, the experts also say to start with a longer guard or dial setting when trimming as another way to ensure you don’t cut your facial hair too short. It’s one of the mistakes first-timers commonly make, according to Floyd's 99 Barbershop’s technical director Patrick Butler. “Less is more! Always be conservative throughout because you can always go shorter, but can’t put it back once it’s come off,” says Raquel Fajardo, a regional Fellow Barber manager in Los Angeles. And last, in addition to cleaning your trimmer’s blade after each use (more on that below), you should wash your face when you finish. As Rob Mac of Mildred new York told us, “Beard trimming is still shaving,” so you’ll likely have some stray hairs and stretched skin afterward that would benefit from a good rinse.