A beard trim at the shop gives you the shape. What happens in the three or four weeks between visits decides whether it keeps looking that way. None of this takes more than a few minutes a day.
1. Keep it clean
Rinse daily and wash with a beard wash two or three times a week — more if your skin is oily, less if it's dry. Regular shampoo strips the skin under the beard and leaves it flaky; a beard wash is made to be gentler.
2. Brush it, damp not wet
A boar-bristle brush or a wooden comb, once in the morning and once at night, following the direction of growth. It trains the hair to lie down and spreads the natural oils through it. Don't comb a soaking-wet beard — that's when hair breaks.
3. Oil or balm
A few drops of beard oil on a towel-dried beard softens the hair and keeps the skin underneath from itching. Balm does the same and adds a little hold, which is useful once the beard has some length. Work it in with your fingers, then brush.
4. Trim the edges, leave the shape
Once a week, tidy the neckline and the cheek line with a trimmer — but leave the overall shape to your barber. Most home mistakes are a neckline taken too high or one side shaved shorter than the other. If you're not sure where the neckline should sit, ask at your next visit; your barber will show you the line.
5. Hands off
Constant touching and pulling flattens the shape and irritates the skin. Style it once after the shower and leave it.
6. Feed it
Beard hair is still hair: protein, water and sleep do more for it than any product.
When to come in
Short beards look their best with a Beard Trim every three to four weeks. Longer beards or a full reshape with a razor finish are what the Full Beard Service is for. Both are on the menu, and you can add either to a haircut in the same appointment.
Prices and times are as listed in Chico's online booking menu; check current options when booking.
