Growing sideburns. In the 1970s, wearing sideburns was pure lifestyle. They often consisted of flamboyant strips of hair that made their way down above the ears and mixed with wild beard hairs.
Now, sideburns, partly due to the introduction of clippers and trimmers, are often neatly cut. Additionally, barbers have contributed by giving sideburns a neat and hip shape.
There are always enthusiasts of those bombastic, rugged Johnny Cash sideburns. However, it is an art to shape the right sideburn styles and ensure they end symmetrically so that your face is perfectly balanced.
On the way to full sideburns
Letting your sideburns grow is the least work. They naturally reach full maturity. For some, faster than others. It takes about 4 weeks before sideburns have any volume. When the hairs are about 3 centimeters long, it's time to guide the sideburns into the right path with a refined Scissors, Trimmer, or a good Hair Clipper.
Then the question: how long do you want to style your sideburns? Your sideburns run parallel along your ears and jawline downwards. Often to the top of the neck or to neck height. But you probably don't want the sideburns to grow to that area, so you need to decide where you want them to end and how wide and thick you want them.
How can I best style my sideburns?
There are many sideburn styles that partly determine your appearance. With short Hair, a sideburn up to halfway the ear is aesthetically neat. With medium to longer head hair, the length of a sideburn to the top of the earlobe is a stylish view. However, it also depends on the width and length of your Face.
And then you also have to decide how thick you want the sideburn to be. Note: With a thick sideburn, you get a fuller, wider face. If you leave a neat, narrow sideburn, you get an optically slightly elongated Face. Which accent do you want to emphasize? Short sideburns give you a balanced appearance. A sideburn point is also tasteful. Often a hip design to mask beginning baldness.
If a sideburn doesn't suit you, you can remove the sideburn. However, there is a basic principle that when you let your head hair grow, you let the sideburn increase in more or less the same volume. The longer and fuller the hair on the head, the fuller the sideburn. And if you have a short cut on the head?
Then you cut the sideburn to just below the top where your ears begin and trim the sideburn to a maximum of 2 to 2.5 centimeters. Although it's certainly not set in stone. Test over time what you like best.
How do you trim your sideburn?
Touching up your sideburn. Fortunately, there are various instruments to make it easy for you. Once the length and volume of your sideburn allow it, you can get started. When and with which instrument?
With a good Trimmer or Hair Clipper for sideburns, you can achieve a neat lining of the sideburn in a short time. You simply set the Beard Trimmer to your desired setting. Usually, about 3 centimeters is a perfect length to give the sideburn the right shape.
If you want to present yourself more artistically, you can also choose a wider setting. With a Trimmer or Hair Clipper, you will have a perfect result in no time.
Tips & Tricks on how to trim sideburns best:
- Make sure the hairs are clean and there is no Pomade, Hair Gel or other hair products sticking to them.
- If the sideburn is rather messy, comb it forward first and trim the hairs outside the line of the sideburn with a Scissors. You can also comb the hairs backwards Combs, towards the ears, and carefully trim the stray hairs there as well. A good comb ensures that the sideburns are then neatly styled.
- Make sure you use a good Trimmer with an attachment. This allows you to precisely set the centimeters so you can determine the exact desired model and thickness of the sideburn.
- Hold the Trimmer upright and place it against the sideburn. Trim the sideburn by gliding the device over the hairs downward.
- Trim, without an attachment, both bottoms of the sideburns exactly equal. The trick is to trim your sideburns to the exact same height in the mirror. Handy tools are your index fingers by placing the tips against the sideburn. In such a way that your index finger on both sides of the sideburn indicates a certain line where you want the sideburn to stop. You can mark these spots on your Face so you can clearly see where the sideburns can be trimmed tightly and achieve the right symmetry.
- If the sideburn needs to remain wide, it's best to take the Scissors in hand. Fuller sideburns match perfectly with slightly longer Hair, so trimming the sideburn is an excellent way to style without taking too much off and in line with fuller head hair. It obviously takes some practice before you shape your sideburn as neatly as the barber.
With a razor, you can keep the outer lines of the sideburn neat. Anyway, if you're already busy with wet shaving, you can perfect the sideburn line this way. Although sometimes it is difficult to determine the right length. Especially if the Face is fully lathered.
Then afterwards a Trimmer or Hair Clipper for sideburns is a solution to still get the length and symmetry in order. Of course, you can also give the sideburn a certain sharp design with a good Henson Safety Razor.
Note: never use the line or position of your ears to mirror the sideburn. It is often the case that your ears are positioned unevenly on the head. So it takes some skill with the index fingers and, of course, a sharp look in the mirror.
Only with the right Tools can you achieve the best results. Of course, we have perfect products to maintain your sideburn perfectly. Check out the instruments below and try them out!
Braun - Beard Trimmer
Enjoy an extremely precise, yet effortless, trimming session with this Beard Trimmer from Braun. With its German ergonomic design, the Trimmer fits comfortably in the hand and gives you optimal control during trimming.
Using its precision dial and included attachment comb, the Trimmer offers you 20 length settings from 0.5 mm to 10 mm. This makes the Trimmer perfect for precisely trimming virtually any short to medium-length Beard and hairstyles. Then use the Trimmer without a head for creating sharp lines along your Beard.
The Trimmer has a lifetime sharp blade that effortlessly cuts through your Hair and is even faster, sharper, and more efficient than previous versions. A full battery guarantees no less than 50 minutes of trimming pleasure, and then you can charge the Trimmer with the included smart plug. The Trimmer is fully charged in 10 hours.
Bossman - Barber Scissors
This Scissors from Bossman is the perfect Scissors to maintain and trim your Beard, Moustache, and Hair. The unique shapes of the Scissors ensure that the Scissors fits perfectly in the hand and that you have full control during cutting or trimming. The Scissors is entirely made of 4cr stainless steel, making the Scissors very durable and even used by professional barbers. The Scissors comes in a modern, luxurious packaging with magnetic closure.
Foligain - Beard Comb
The Foligain Beard Comb is a sturdy and compact comb suitable for all beard types. The comb is an all-in-one tool. It is equipped with measurement indicators and a double comb to refine your beard style. With this comb, it is possible to create sharp lines and polished edges. The Foligain Beard Comb can be used when shaping your neckline, jawline, cheek line, Moustache, goatee, sideburns, etc.
Of course, we hope to sufficiently support you with these tips, tricks, and necessary tools so that trimming sideburns, Shaving sideburns, and cutting your sideburns becomes a breeze.
Good luck!
Your friends, The Alpha Men.