17 FAQs for Facial Hair

Welcome to the club. Here’s a brief crash course: first, you’ll want to wash your face with warm water then prep your skin with a shave prep. Next, shave your face with light, gentle strokes, rinsing your razor as you go and letting the razor do all the work. Finish up with some moisturizer to keep your skin feeling smooth and hydrated.

The most important part to remember is that shaving gets easier with practice. Get a more detailed guide to shaving for the first time.

If you have sensitive skin, keeping your skin hydrated is key. Use a generous amount of shaving cream or gel, and make sure your razor blades are new and sharp. When you shave, move your razor with the grain—AKA, in the same direction of your hair growth. Rinse your razor along the way in warm water, and rinse your face completely when you’re done. After you shave, keep your skin feeling smooth by using a good moisturizer.

We’ve also got more tips and recommendations for shaving with sensitive skin.

Similar to shaving with sensitive skin, if you have acne or skin blemishes, you’ll want to use your razor to shave with the grain, in the same direction your hair grows. Also make sure you’re using a nice, clean razor, and alcohol-free shaving products. Use gentle strokes, and when you’re finished rinse your face with warm water. Don’t forget the moisturizer at the end (and find one that’s suited for oily, acne-prone skin).

Read more about shaving with acne.

For body grooming and shaving, also known as manscaping, the best approach depends on the area. Luckily, we’ve got a more detailed breakdown of how to shave your chest, body, and back. For each area, you’ll want to start with a warm shower and lots of shaving gel (we recommend using some alcohol-free stuff). And remember, moisturizer is always a great way to keep your post-shave skin feeling smooth.

In short, it depends on your skin type and the shave you’re after. If you have sensitive or dry skin, or if you want a super close shave, wet shaving might be the way to go. If you just need a trim, a dry shave (with an electric shaver) might be best. Read more about both approaches.

Today, a safety razor can mean a lot of different models, so learn more about which one is best for you. A few tips to keep in mind while shaving is to use shaving gel or cream, rinsing your razor as you go, and complete your shave with a good moisturizer.

Shaving gel, cream, or foam helps prevent nicks and cuts, and razor burn and bumps by providing a lubricating layer between the skin and razor. Need more reasons, or want to know the difference between shaving gel and shaving cream (or foam)? Check out this article.

We love a clean-shaven look. So much, that we’ve even got a whole article about it. To summarize: a good head shave starts with a haircut, getting as close as you can with a trimmer, then washing the remaining hair. Next, apply a lot of shaving gel, because razor burn can happen up top, too. With a sharp, fresh razor, use gentle strokes, and shave slowly around every contour. Rinse your blades along the way and keep reapplying shaving gel as you go. Finally, rinse your head, towel off, and moisturize.

Some of the top beard styles right now are the Short Boxed Beard, the 3-Day Stubble Beard, and a well-groomed hipster beard.

Read about 15 more beard styles and find the right one for you.

There are a few different methods for fixing a patchy beard: growing it out, trying a shorter beard style like the chin-strap beard, and experimenting with what you’ve got. Check out more guidance for how to fix uneven beard growth.

There are a lot of different mustache styles, so it’s good to know which one looks best for you and how to style it. First, you’ll want to trim your mustache with a fixed-length comb, like the one that comes with the All Purpose Styler. Next, remove the comb attachment and define your mustache shape with just the trimmer, checking for symmetry. For the closer shave part, prep your face with plenty of shaving gel, and shave your face with a razor using light, gentle strokes. To create clearly-defined edges for your ‘stache, use a precision trimmer. Lastly, rinse, dry off, and moisturize your face.

Here are four of our favorite goatee styles, one of the most popular being the circle beard.

We’ve been there. A lot of ingrown hairs clear up on their own, as long as you don’t mess with them. But for a stubborn hair that’s got to go, here’s the recommended process:

• Press a warm, damp paper towel or clean hand towel to the bump, holding it down for about a minute. You’ll notice the hair starting to peek above the skin.
• Use a clean pair of tweezers to gently pull the hair out of the bump without plucking it or digging into the skin.
• Next, wash the area and then use a cream to help with the redness and healing process, like hydrocortisone.

To tackle a dry, flaky beard, try exfoliating first. Make sure to keep your face and hair really clean. You’ll also want to moisturize every day to keep the dry skin under control. If it continues to be an issue, talk to a dermatologist.

Check out these 7 steps for trimming your beard. Basically, you’ll want to first wash your beard, then brush it out. Next, use a styler to trim your facial hair gradually. Then, comb out your mustache, and clean it up with some scissors. To keep your beard looking great, some beard oil should help.

When growing your beard from scratch, expect the first couple weeks to be pretty itchy. During this time (and beyond), you’ll want to make sure your skin and facial hair is clean and hydrated, so use a face and beard wash plus a moisturizer every day. When the time comes to start shaping your beard, use a styler to trim and shape your facial hair. For everything you need to know for growing, shaping, and styling a beard, we’ve got you covered.

Beard oil is easy to use and makes a huge difference. Here’s how it works:

• Put a few drops of beard oil in the palm of your hand
• Massage the beard oil into your facial hair, making sure you’re combing it through completely
• Try to get down to the skin underneath your beard hair