The dos and don’ts of beard-keeping

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From skinny hipsters to studmuffin Ryan Gosling, men are bucking the clean-shaved trend and doing what was once thought so unprofessional by past generations: sporting the understated stubble. While the look is not limited to mountain men or Santa Claus, your facial hair – whether a full-fledged beard or oh-so-subtle shadow – requires grooming. Below are some do’s and don’ts to follow to keep your facial hair looking just the right amount of unkempt, in the best possible way.

Don’t: Shave your neck clear up to the chin (or even close). While some think that makes their face look thinner, the effect is quite the opposite – a shaved neck makes any man with even the littlest of flab look like he has a double chin. Très non-sexy, no?

Do: Maintain a neckline one inch above the Adam’s apple.

Do: Apply a hot towel to your face before trimming. This helps open the pores, reducing ingrown hairs, redness and nicks. After shaving, splash some cold water on your face or use a cool washcloth to close the pores.

Don’t: Squeeze ingrown hairs like pimples, as it might lead to infection. To remove ingrown hairs, place a hot towel to the spot followed by a cotton swab soaked in alcohol. With tweezers, grab the hair as close to the base as possible and pull the bulb out.

Do: Trim your beard regularly with a beard trimmer. Guards set at three usually help maintain that perfect scruff. Try Braun’s Cruzer Beard and Head ($60, braun.com) or the Norelco Vacuum Stubble and Trimmer Pro from Philips ($60, usa.philips.com). The latter has a built in vacuum (hence the name), which sucks up clippings into a tap-to-clean compartment.

Don’t: Trim the beard with the grain. Trimming against the grain guarantees an even cut.

Do: Condition your beard. While it may seem awkward, beards can form split ends much like the hair on your head can, leading to a coarser beard. Jack Black’s Beard Lube Conditioning Shave ($17, macys.com) contains jojoba and eucalyptus oils that bind moisture to the skin and softens whiskers. Or try Phyto’s Phytobaume Conditioner ($15, Sephora), which has special proteins that helps keep itching at a minimal in the very beginning stages of growing your mane.