Riz Ahmed’s Groomer Reveals How To Get The Perfect Beard Shape
Beard styling is an art form. Don’t believe us? There are probably hundreds of thousands of beards featured as part of the art in museum galleries all over the world, and not one single hair is out of place. Facial hair has been in style in some form or another for centuries, and men have been experimenting with different shapes and techniques to groom their beards for just as long.
Celebrity groomer Michael Dueñas is the modern day da Vinci of beard shaping and styling. His canvases include some of Hollywood’s handsomest faces, including Riz Ahmed, Dylan McDermott, and Justin Hartley, just to name a few. From clean shaven to heavily bearded, Dueñas has done it all, artfully shaping each and every face in accordance with that person’s bone structure, hairline and head shape.
“You can really change someone’s face shape with a beard,” he says. “You can give someone a jawline or a chin … the beard has everything to do with that.”
Every beard is different, and Dueñas believes that even patchy beards have a hidden potential than can be unlocked through the power of proper beard shaping. “If you’re growing out a thinner, patchier beard, you need to take notice of the thinner spot because you’ll leave those areas a little bit longer and trim the thicker spots down,” he says. “It gives the appearance of a fuller beard as you let it grow out. It makes a huge difference with that, leaving certain areas longer and others shorter.”
Whether you’re growing out a patchy beard or maintaining a longer beard, Dueñas’ tips can help you nail the look you’re going for, and maybe even change your face shape in the process. Below, he spills his favorite tricks of the trade for shaping and styling your beard.
Read more: Best Beard Styles
Get a Close Shave
“I absolutely love using Bevel’s Doubled Edge Safety Razor for anyone who likes a really close shave. It gets incredibly close and it’s weighted in the hand and you can really dial in strong and shape lines.”
Read more: Best Safety Razors
Clean Up Your Scruff
“I also love my Wahl Edge Pro Corded Trimmer for anyone who don’t want a safety razor or a close shave because it causes ingrown hairs. This is an edger, so you can really dial in strong on the lines, clean up under the jawline, as well as around the mustache.”
Read more: Best Beard Trimmers for Men
Control Your Trim
“When I extend the chin out to give more of a jawline or control length on anyone who has a longer beard, that’s when I use my Wahl Cordless Magic Clip. It has a whole bunch of different guides on it, and it goes down to 1/16th of an inch so I can really control the length and thickness of the beard with it.”
Read more: Best Hair Clippers for Men
Prevent Ingrown Hairs Before Shaving
“Treating ingrown hairs starts before you even shave. Most ingrown hairs happen because you’re not using the right product when you’re shaving and the razor is jumping on the skin and not gliding smoothly. To prevent that, I put American Crew Ultra Gliding Shape Oil on the face and let it sit for a minute or so. It’ll soften hairs and soften the skin as well.”
Protect Your Beard
“On top of that I put the American Crew Protective Shave Foam. When you use that, that really helps stop ingrown hairs from even happening in the first place. If you have that really dry flakey skin, I use the American Crew Beard Serum.”
Use a Matte Moisturizer
“I use the Bioderma Sébium Mat Control Moisturizer to moisturize the skin without adding any shine to the beard. If you’re using oils to get to the skin through the beard, you’re adding shine to it. A lot of guys don’t like that. They want that matte, almost rugged finish. Massage through the beard hair and all over the face. It also gives you protection. It’s kind of like a one and done.”
Create The Shape
“You want to look at your profile and imagine creating a crescent or orange shape from your chin to basically when the crown of your head is. You’ll see where the point of your beards should be so you know where to square it off. You’ll be able to adjust your beard to get that ‘conquistador’ look to where that jawline is strong. It all goes with the axis of your head. That’s where you want the point of your beard to be. You end up with a fuller-looking, stronger jaw.”
Line It Up
“The biggest mistake is that really hard line under your jaw at the wrong spot. That can make or break your beard. If you cut it too short, it looks like a chin strap. If it’s too long, you look a little too messy.”
Camouflage With Color
“To fill in patchy areas, I like to use Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Color Foundation & Concealer. I put it on a small lip brush and dot it on. I use slightly darker shade than what’s on their face because it gives a shadow-y appearance and it fills it in. It doesn’t come off. It doesn’t budge, even if you sweat.”
Avoid Overwashing Your Beard Hair
“You don’t want to shampoo or wash your beard too often because the hair very coarse and it starts to take a lot of damage if you wash it constantly. It’s a little more susceptible to damage than the hair on your head because of the coarseness, it doesn’t hold in moisture.”
Protect Your Beard From Sun Damage
“Sun damage skin affects how your beard grows. Hair grows in way more coarse because you don’t have the oils in your face. Properly moisturizing with a good SPF on your face is massively important. Anthony Day Cream SPF 30 is really hydrating and almost disappears into the skin. It works great for smoothing the skin out so I can put makeup on top and you can’t see it. It doesn’t shift or run into the eyes. It also helps with reactivating collagen, which helps your beard grow. When you have proper collagen in your skin, you have proper oils, your beard hair is going to grow with that nice shine.”
Read more: Best Sunscreen for Men
Good Grooming Takes Time
“When you scratch your beard, you will lose a few hairs. If you want to keep the exact same shape, you want to shape it two times a week. The first time you shave or trim, it’s all about getting that proper jawline and lining it up around your cheekbones. That will take probably 10 minutes. The next time is just a one-minute trim because you already know what clipper you like to use and where you have to take it down. All in all, it should take 15 minutes a week.”
Read more: Celebrity Beards
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