Growing a beard is a zero-risk investment. But they require regular maintenance if you want to be looking your best. It may sound pretty easy, but with so many razors, beard trimmers, creams, foams, oils and all the rest of it, getting your mug rug into shape can be a confusing affair. Many men simply don’t know how to trim a beard.

And that’s before we even get into the different lengths of facial fuzz. With a spectrum spanning from ‘hairless’ to ‘Hagrid’, there’s a lot of space for things to go awry if you’re not suitably clued up on your beard trimming dos and don’ts.

Get it right and you’ll perfectly frame your face, accentuating (or creating the illusion of) a strong jaw or slimmer neck; get it wrong and you’ll look like Craig David. To that end, here’s your ultimate guide on how to trim a beard.

How to Trim a Beard in 8 Easy Steps

1. Wash and dry your beard.
2. Brush your beard to rid it of tangles and leave you with a clean, tidy canvas to work with.
3. Use clippers first. You can target strays first to bring everything to an even length before going in with your trimmer.
4. Start with a longer guide and work your way down. This will allow you to avoid hacking everything off accidentally and being forced to start your beard journey from square one.
5. Fade the neck and define the cheeks. Work your way down to smaller clipper settings and fade out the neck and cheeks to give your beard more definition.
6. Address the mustache. Brush your mustache hairs, then remove the guide to trim the hairs below your nose.
7. Spot-check for any missed strays, then rinse your beard off to remove the trimmings.
8. Finish with a beard oil, moisturizer or beard balm to shape and style your freshly coiffed beard.

How to Trim a Stubble Beard

Yes, stubble requires maintenance too. Like all ostensible just-got-out-of-bed looks, stubble is in reality a science that demands planning and precision. “The key to turning stubble from negligence into a ‘look’ is trimming and shaping,” says Jake Murphy, barber at Ruffians, Covent Garden. “Leave it grow for two-to-three days for the length to even out – hair tends to grow unevenly – then trim.”