3 Beard Grooming Mistakes & How To Fix Them

Every person, including both growers and admirers, has a preference when it comes to facial hair. Some like to keep their beards well-groomed and precise, while others simply let it grow in whatever way their beards see fit. Some like the feel of simple scruff, while others desire a beard that only comes from six months or more of growth. Each of us is unique, just like our beards themselves, but one thing that we’ve each undoubtedly encountered as beardsmen is the ill-fated shaving or trimming error.

Whether you cut too high up on your jawline or accidentally shaved a chunk of your mustache off, we’ve each had that Kevin Mccallister moment where we look in the mirror and react to the horror presented before our eyes. Your immediate reaction will be to panic, attempt to reattach the botched facial hair, or pray for the sudden appearance of a genie to turn back the clock. Unfortunately, the latter two of these actions will most likely be fruitless, however, we have some suggestions for how to make the most out of your beard grooming errors to avoid complete beard-tastrophe. Let’s take a look at how to fix your botched beard.

You Shave Too High of a Neckline

Without a doubt, this seems to be the most common error committed by beardsmen eager to maintain some kind of order and maintenance with their beards. Although we’ve talked about this before, there’s a method to the madness of determining your neckline by essentially opting to cut wherever your head and neck meet. However, many guys go for a cut line higher up towards their jaw line, which can get tricky if you cut too high up. If that does happen, there are two routes you can go.

First, if your beard isn’t long enough to cover up the error, try trimming it down to a much shorter length, something slightly longer than a week’s worth of scruff or so (maybe an 1/8th inch on your trimmer). By doing this, your facial hair will become less prominent and the area you shaved off can grow back faster and less noticeably. Second, and this is more for guys with longer beards, you can opt to experiment with your style and maybe try out some mutton chops or some kind of handlebar look. The important thing is to not stress and try to find a way to balance out the mistake made evenly. Be creative, the best part about beards is they always grow back.

You Cut Your Mustache Too Short

Look, we all know that mustaches can be annoying to deal with, this is nothing new. Whether it’s eating, kissing, or getting mad funky on the saxophone (you heard me right), a mustache can sometimes be a hindrance. The best solution to this irksome issue can be to trim your mustache while letting your beard continue on however it chooses to. The common issue that arises when a young gent opts to trim his mustache though usually involve cutting it unevenly and ending up trimming it way too short. Again, there are easy fixes to these devastating issues.

The first thing to keep in mind here harbors back to one of my all-time favorite mantras, “measure twice, cut once.” It’s easy to go back and cut more, but once you’ve lobbed off your mustache, it’s going to take a while to grow back. Use a pair of mustache trimming scissors or work very slowly with a pair of clippers. Try to get it as even as you can and don’t rush, the goal is to get your mustache into a more pleasurable state, not set a record time for botched facial hair. If you do happen to make a mistake though, which again, we’ve all committed, then stop, step away for a second, and take a deep breath. Unless you’ve completely shaved a section off, simply try to even it out and then let your mustache do what it does best: grow back in time.

You Get Something Caught In Your Beard

This one might seem comical to some, but it’s a fact that can’t be avoided: beards attract debris of all sorts. Whether it’s twigs or tree-life lodging themselves into your beard after a fun tussle in a pile of leaves (happy fall, you guys!) or a demon child deciding to give you the gift of his previously used chewing gum, your beard is always a target for random stuff. Now some of these incidents are easy to combat, many things can simply be pulled, plucked, or washed out, however, there are a few instances where beardsmen might not be so lucky.

If you get anything sticky and non-water soluble stuck in your beard, the best option is a patient approach. Unfortunately, gum is a true menace, even when it’s not coming from the mouth of a child, and it has a habit of ending up in all the wrong places. There are stories about using peanut butter to get gum out of hair, but that just sounds ridiculous. Try to stay calm and let the gum dry some if you can and once you’ve done that, very carefully use those previously mentioned scissors to cut each little bit out to the best of your abilities. You’ll more than likely be able to get the majority of it out without any real harm being caused, but if you have to go down to the skin level to retrieve each bit, do your best to restyle your facial hair evenly to make the most of the situation. You’re a beardsman, walk forth confidently, even after being bested by a piece of gum.