Wahl Nation

The key to a well-groomed look is using the proper techniques and the right tools. Mustaches, beards, goatees and other forms of facial hair continue to grow in popularity. If you currently sport one or are thinking about it, Wahl®, the leader in men's grooming, offers some great tips, techniques and tools for maintaining your desired look. With the help of Wahl, any guy, regardless of facial hair density or color, can grow great looking facial hair.

MUSTACHE: Mustache Maintenance Basics.

• Before you trim your mustache, first comb it straight down using a narrow toothed comb.
• Be sure to use a precision ground trimmer to shape your mustache like WAHL's Mustache Trimmer that offers a compact size and great line of sight to help get under the nose.
• Try experimenting with different styles to see which shape best suits your personality, the shape of your face and the fullness of your growth.
• Some styles do not require trimming the top of the mustache. In this case, only trim the bottom above the top lip.
• When trimming with a snap-on length guide comb, work from the inside out in a downward motion.
• To trim the length freehand, trim hairs using an upward motion applying slow and light pressure.
• Too much pressure may trim off more hair than desired.
• After achieving desired length, use either the taper guide comb or freehand in an upward motion from the lip out to taper the mustache.
• The style you choose dictates the desired length of time between trims.

For multiple mustache styles, click here.

GOATEE: Tips for the No. 1 Style in Facial Hair!

• Always comb out your goatee before trimming with a narrow toothed comb.
• Start by shaping your goatee.
• Experiment with shapes to find what looks best with your facial features and how much time and effort you want to put into your look. Rectangular shapes are the trend, but if a rounded look is what you want, it's your choice.
• Thickness can be managed with either a snap on length guide comb or an adjustable length guide comb. If you have a longer goatee, trim in the direction of the hair growth. For a shorter length goatee, the hair can be trimmed either with or against the hair growth.
• Wahl developed the world's first Goatee Trimmer with an attachable detail trimmer, making intricate goatee styles a snap. Use the detail blade to get into tight spaces and for precise lines.
• Complete your look by cleaning up around your lips.
• Some styles of goatees require shaping every couple of days, others only a few times a month.

Find your goatee style. Click here.

BEARD: Go Bold with Your Beard!

• Before trimming, comb your beard in the direction it grows so the hairs are at their maximum height and facing in the same direction, making it easier for you to trim.
• WAHL invented the first consumer cordless Beard Trimmer in 1984 and has several precision trimmers to help you achieve the look you want.
• Use the trimmer first to outline the shape of the beard you desire.
• Determine the length of hair you want to maintain. This determines how you will trim your beard. For a long beard, freehand is best. For those that want an even beard, it is best to use the Wahl adjustable hair length guide comb with your trimmer. For shorter styles, use Wahl's individual length guide combs.
• For longer beards, trim in the direction of the hair growth to avoid a patchy appearance caused by uneven density. For shorter styles and rugged stubble, you can trim in either direction depending on the look you want to achieve.
• Under your chin, follow the contours of your face and jawbone line, work toward your ear and upper beard line using an upward motion. If you want to maintain a beard with neck hair, we recommend using a slightly shorter length underneath the jaw line as hair tends to grow thicker there than on your cheeks and chin. This will help achieve an even appearance.
• For above the jaw line, start near the ear on one side and trim down to the chin. Repeat on the other side.
• Complete any look by cleaning up around your lips.

Click here to check out our variety of beards.

THE STUBBLE LOOK: Achieving the "I Don't Care About My Look" that Looks Great

• Stubble mustaches, beards and goatees are very popular today. They offer a variety of looks from rugged to stylish and often allow men to subtly grow facial hair.
• There are two looks that can be achieved with a WAHL trimmer. The tight five o'clock shadow look and the three day growth look.
• The five o'clock shadow look is achieved by trimming your facial hair down to the skin with the bare trimmer blades. This provides very short stubble. The key is outlining the desired area using a good wet razor or electric shaver to highlight the contrast.
• The three day growth look, or rugged stubble look, is achieved using WAHL's exclusive rugged stubble guide otherwise known as the number one comb. Trim the area in the opposite direction of the growth. The key again is to outline the area using a good wet razor or electric shaver to highlight the contrast.
• Try different styles and looks to suit your personality, hair density and growth pattern.

EAR, NOSE AND EYEBROWS: The Necessary Evil!

• Be sure to use the right tool when it comes to the sensitive facial areas. Scissors can be dangerous around the ear, nose and eyes.
• Use a personal trimmer, like WAHL's Ear, Nose   Brow Cordless Trimmer.
• There are generally two types of cutting systems available for these areas – rotary and reciprocating. Reciprocating can be either vertical or horizontal. The right cutting system depends on personal preference and sensitivity to each method.
• For the nose, use short upward strokes into each nostril. Make sure to start at the inside edge where hair growth is typically thicker.
• For the ears, start below your ear canal where hair seems to thrive. Don't forget the outside edges of the ear where strays tend to grow. WAHL recommends the whisper quiet rotary nose trimmer head for the ear area to avoid unnecessary noise that could be harmful to the ear.
• For the eyebrows, Wahl recommends a reciprocating trimmer head with an eyebrow guide to make trimming easy. If you do not have a guide comb or use a rotary head trimmer, use very light short strokes over the eyebrows picking up long and stray hairs.
• Try to make trimming your ears, nose and eyebrows part of your everyday routine. You would be surprised how a little maintenance in the nose, ears and eyebrows can make a big difference in your appearance.

BODY: Beyond

• Hair maintenance beyond facial hair is also important.
• Hair traps body odor, can be unattractive and is sometimes distracting.
• WAHL offers a Body Groomer to help keep your hair under control.
• As a general rule, unless you are accustomed to shaving, WAHL recommends using a trimmer and guide comb to reduce density and length of body hair. This helps avoid unwanted itching, irritation and rashes.
• For the shoulders, use a number one guide and stroke it across the desired area. The number 1 guide is rounded to avoid scratching the skin.
• For elsewhere on the body, the number one guide offers protection to help avoid irritation of sensitive areas.
• WAHL includes a shaver head in their kit for those that want a skin smooth finish, but it is not recommended to jump to shaving – rather move to it gradually over a few weeks to allow your skin to adjust.
• WAHL also includes a detail head to get into tight areas and for extra sensitive parts.