By Emma L. Parkes

When you've spent time growing a striking gathering of facial hair, you will soon realize how important grooming is in your weekly routine. Gone are the days when you could quickly navigate snowy foam and a razor around your face and be done; you're a beard man now, a species of male that oozes pride at their rather fetching growth. Years ago, a beard could just be left to grow, but today things are different (unless you’re going for the low maintenance, shaggy sort of look) and a little bit of beard upkeep takes some effort to get it how you want it to be.

You might be new to the beard game and wondering how on earth it can be kept dapper when the hairs are becoming so unkempt and straggly. It presents a challenge; we understand. So this week we're looking at how to trim your beard with scissors; a perfectly good way to get everything looking orderly and spruce. They provide precision, and are really reliable for trimming the old mustache or any areas that might be a little hard to reach. So follow our instructions, and prepare to be wowed at the splendour of your impeccably trimmed hair...

1)    Choose a pair of scissors wisely. The one's that you use to cut open the chicken bag from the store or cut up your mail, will not work; they are big and clumsy, and you could end up with a mass of tissue on your face. Barber's scissors work wonders; make sure they are sharp and clean, and without rust or anything else that might pull at your hair.

2)    A comb is essential. It prevents you from cutting hair too short, and is pretty much your beard-cutting guide - a PA for the beard trim, if you will. Before you get going, comb through your beard so everything is at maximum height and facing the same direction.

3)    Begin the trim. When you begin, start at your ear and have the length of hair you want to cut on the outside of the comb. Go easy at the first go while you're still new at the trimming; you don't want to risk having to shave it all off if it goes wrong. Trim the hair that is on the outside of the combs teeth. Gradually work towards your jaw line.

4)    Cut evenly. Trim the right and left side of your face, cutting evenly until you have reached the desired look. Trim your mustache and your chin afterwards, combing hair straight down. When you feel like you have finished these areas, comb through the beard again to make sure you have got an even trim of hair.

5)    Be careful of your neck. Your neck is a tricky one when it comes to a cut. Ideally, using the scissors, trim as close as possible to your neck without the risk of cutting. If you have an electric trimmer, you may prefer using this for the neck hair, or as another resort, lather and shave your neck with a normal razor to remove the hair, which may be easier than doing it with scissors.

The next time you need a beard trim, reach for this handy little guide; we promise you’ll thank us. Beware of chopping off too much; we don’t want to hear any disastrous beard stories. Think of the regrowth time if anything went amiss, and trim with care.