Disasters and How to Fix Them

When you’re straightening up your cheeks, neckline or mustache, it’s easy to slip into “autopilot” without even noticing. After you’ve gone through this routine so many times, you may start to depend on muscle memory and zone out while tidying up your beard. But if you don’t pay attention to where that razor-sharp blade in your hand is going, you can make some messy mistakes. You might cut a nick into one edge of your beard line, or trim one cheek line lower than the other. Don't worry, though – these goofs might cause a moment of panic when you first notice them, but it should be pretty simple to get things back on track.

For starters, it’s important to remember that a mistake might be obvious to you, but may not be noticed by others. We tend to be extra particular when examining our own beards. The problem will work itself if you simply give it time to grow. 

Taking Decisive action

But what happens if you wait patiently and the accident is still noticeable? What happens if your mistake turns out to be a little too eye-catching for others? We’ve all been there when the razor has gone astray and all you’ve got left is a newfound trail of skin tracks where your glorious mane used to be. Should you start from scratch and go babyface? No! The total shave-down is always the last option you should choose—the nuclear option.

No, rather than giving in to desperation or fatalism, you should see your setback as an opportunity. Remember that not everyone looks at your beard as close as you do, so if one side is a bit lopsided – don’t fret. Revise. There are all sorts of options available that can help you turn your error into an all-new look. Mustaches. Goatees. Lowered top lines. The Fu Manchu. Mutton chops. And those are just the beginning! Get creative with your mistake and own it. If you've been too shy to express a different side of your personality with your whiskers until now, well, you now have the perfect excuse to go for it. 

Beard Trimming Tips

You have a different mindset when you’re going in for a trim. Maybe one side of your beard has grown into a galactic whirl and you can’t tame it for the life of you. An inch or two trimmed will set the whole thing straight. This is also the most common time when calamity can strike. You’re actively going in with the intention to trim the beard a little bit. Yes, blasphemy! But it does happen. You have your clipper guards set to a certain level or your scissors are on hand. It’s time to go to town. The first few purrs of the electric razor feel pretty good. You’re about to whip this beard into shape. The groove feels nice and you’re going down level by level. Chop.. slice.. Nice… Wait! – Woops, uh oh. You’ve cut too deep! This is the time where a lot of guys will just finish the job or panic and screw it up even more.

You might want to rush right back in and start hacking away at the untouched portions of your beard, to remedy the situation by cutting the rest of your whiskers to match. But let’s not make any rash decisions. Instead, we recommend following these simple steps to tackle the mishap with the attention and dedication it requires.

The simplest thing you can do at this point is to just walk away. Put the trimmer down and walk out of the bathroom.

Simple Steps to Recovery

• Step away from the grooming tools. Don’t touch them for at least five minutes.
• Take a deep breath, and then give your beard a thorough visual inspection.
• Calculate exactly what needs to be done to fix the damage.
• Resume trimming in a calm and collected manner.
• Focus on evening things out, creating a new and uniform style, and let your beard take over from there.

Once you've reworked your mistake into an updated look, take some time to let things sink in. Come back to the bathroom an hour later to reassess the job you've done. You may have had to sacrifice the beard fullness and thickness you prefer, but some beard is better than no beard at all.

Related - How to Trim Your Beard

Use the best tools

For the best results, you should use the best equipment - duh. Hacking away with a dollar store trimmer and a pair of kitchen scissors is a sure-fire way to end up with beard problems.

That's why here at Beard Club, we’ve decided to invest in designing and manufacturing our own branded trimmer - the PT45. It was created to help you avoid exactly the sort of mishaps described above, with maximum control and a long battery life, so there are no low-power beard snags. With its different trim settings and complete set of guides, it offers 45 cutting lengths - and can be purchased in two special offer packs that include all the oils, creams, and balms you need for fuss-free grooming.

If you have nightmares about beard disasters, the PT45 gives you peace of mind at an affordable price.

Always come back a little later to assess the bearded situation. It’s still there, albeit a bit thinner. Having something on your face is better than having nothing. All you have to do is adjust the length and your beard will do what it does best… keep growing. Learn from our fallen beard brothers locked in a grooming battle. Tell us about your worst beard trimming disaster and how you recovered from it! Looking for the right beard care tools? Check out our beard trimmer kits!