Finally decided you’re sick and tired of picking food out your beard, or simply bored of managing that thick mane of hair protruding from your chin? If you’re looking to shave off your beard, it can be a daunting thought as to where to even start. So we’ve compiled a few tips to help you on your way to clean-shaven success.

1)    Don’t Dive Straight In

Your first thought might be to hack at the beard with a razor but resist that temptation. Not only will you go through blades at a rapid rate, as the long beard hairs clog up the razor, but you’ll be pulling at the hair, increasing your chances of skin irritation. A bit of patience and time will guarantee a cleaner, and less painful cut.

Instead, get a trimmer and trim the beard down to stubble length, or even cutting the hair with scissors to a manageable level will make it far easier for your razor pass over your face.

 2)    Prep Your Face

Once you’re down to stubble, this is when we’re really making sure that the remaining hair is easy to cleanly shave. Open up the pores using a hot towel (or a shower), clear out any dirt and release any ingrown hairs using a pre-shave scrub. This will minimise any irritation you might get. This is a vital step for those with sensitive skin. Make sure you use a high-quality shave gel so that the blades move along the skin’s surface without any friction.

3)    Sharp Blades

Nobody wants redness from pulled or caught hairs after shaving. One way of making sure this doesn’t happen is ensuring your blades are sharp. This allows the blade to cut through the hair with minimal fuss and effort. Using sharp blades also means you’ll get a super close shave without having to make lots of passes over the same area. This is crucial in achieving a smooth, comfortable shave.