We’ve already learned how to trim our necklines, but knowing how to trim your cheek line is equally as important — especially if your beard resembles the wolf man’s. Below, you’ll find a quick-and-easy guide for getting your cheek line just right, as provided by Travis Fields, Dollar Shave Club’s resident shaving expert.
Step #1: Let It Grow
“First things first: Everyone’s cheek growth is different, which is why it’s important to let your beard grow out to a state of fullness before pulling out the electric clippers,” Fields explains. “That way, you’ll know exactly what you’re working with [and whether you even need to trim your cheek line in the first place].” In fact, you might have the option of leaving your cheek line au natural, which makes both your beard and face look bigger, something that could be especially helpful if you feel like you have a small head (for what it’s worth, we think your head is the perfect size).
Step #2: Form Guidelines
“Draw imaginary lines from the tops of your earlobes (or the back of your sideburns, where your beard growth begins) to the corner of your mouth,” Fields says. If you don’t feel comfortable eyeballing it, use your finger and a bit of Shave Cream to trace said guidelines, rounding off the transition from your side burns to the proposed cheek line to avoid any unnaturally sharp angles. People usually tend to shave their cheek line too low, so consider setting it a little higher than you might expect — worse comes to worst, you can always shave it lower later.
Step #3: Trim, Then Shave
Trim the entire area above the guidelines using electric clippers without the guard, then check for evenness: One way to do this is to place your index fingers pointing inwards at the highest point of the cheek line on both cheeks — if they point directly at each other, you’re good to go. (Optional: Shave the trimmed area for extra smoothness.)
Finally, if you prefer a more rounded cheek line (rather than an angular one), simply imagine a small curve going from the front of your sideburn to your cheek line — again, you can use your finger and some Shave Cream to trace said line, although a transparent Shave Butter can help here, too, since that curve can be hard to achieve without seeing where you’re going. Then, carefully trim away any hair above this line on both sides using electric clippers. (Optional again: Shave the trimmed area for extra smoothness.)
Keep in mind that, if you have a round face, a straight cheek line can help offset that roundness. On the flip side, if you have a long and angular face, a curved cheek line can help soften those sharper contours, keeping you from looking like a total blockhead.
If you’re in love with your freshly shaven cheeks, don’t stop there — check out our guide for shaving your other pair of cheeks, too.