There are two important elements to consider when growing a full beard. The first is the neckline, as it helps define the style (and cleanliness) of your beard. The second is the cheek line. You may not initially feel the cheek line is something to be concerned with but don’t be mistaken. A bad cheek line can make you look like a 13-year-old boy who went crazy with dad’s razor. A good one can make you the envy of all the other bearded guys in a 20-mile radius.

What Can Go Wrong with Your Cheek Line?

There aren’t a lot of ways to muck up your cheek line but the ways that exist are noticeable. The biggest mistake? Creating a line that sits too low on your face. You’ve probably seen the guys who’ve done this. You might even be one of them. They’ve gone through the trouble of growing a full beard but you can still see 3/4s of their face. Whether they failed at covering up a trimming mistake, don’t have the confidence to rock their beard in full or enjoy looking like a barbershop experiment, one thing is clear. The low cheek line is a bad thing. It’s like a deep V-neck t-shirt—avoid it all costs.

Go Natural

The easiest cheek line is the one that appears on its own. Achieving a natural cheek line involves some of the easiest beard tips around. Just let it grow. Your natural beard shows off your confidence. You’re willing to embrace those stray hairs and your unaltered growth pattern. The look is not as clean or manicured but it can work in your favor.

Define It

The natural cheek line doesn’t work for every guy. Not everyone enjoys looking like they’ve just returned from two weeks in the wilderness. In that case, you need a bit of barber skill. That’s where shaving tips for men come in handy. A defined cheek line is a cleaner look that still requires little maintenance to keep it in shape.

You must go for the natural look first so you have something to shape up. Once you’ve seen enough growth, imagine a line that connects your sideburns to your mustache. This should be a straight line—no tricky angles or slopes. Lather up with a peppermint shave soap as a layer of protection. You’re not shaving your beard off but you’re still putting a razor to your skin. Without lubrication, you can open yourself up to bumps and irritation along your new cheek

Round off that imaginary line with your razor and make it real. You want to go round versus angular to avoid looking too unnatural. And err on the higher side. It’s easier to trim away hair. If you define your line too low, you’ll have a few days (or weeks) to wait it out and let it grow back. As a final step, rub on some moisturizing aftershave to stave off irritation and redness for good.

Take Care

Any guy with a beard knows that it takes more than a cheek line to make your whiskers look good. To get the maximum effect of your newly defined cheek line or to bolster the effect of your natural growth, you need to keep it clean and moisturized. Be sure to oil up and deep clean. No one will notice your cheek line if you’ve got granola bar bits hanging from your chin.

Of all the beard tips out there, cheek line is one of the least complicated to master. However, it can have the greatest impact on your appearance. Whichever direction you decide to go, natural or defined, be confident in your choice and care for it like a pro.