Rick Ricci showed us some simple tips and tricks to caring for two common facial hair looks in between visits to the barber!

What tools you need to maintain a beard:
1) Safety razor: what your grandfather used to use; gives you a precision line. Blades are only 20 or 30 cents. It's a must!
2) Clippers with levels 0, 1, 2 or 3. Keeps the level of the beard down close to the skin. 0 is really close to the skin, 3 is the longest.
On the neck, also use a safety or regular razor. (same razor as for the cheek bones)
3) Some men have really kinky, curly facial hair. There are waxes and creams that men can use to give them a nice straight look and soften up the look. Helps moisturize the face and maintain the facial hair.

Men with a goatee:
1) Eliminate the beard on the face - show the cheeks. You can use a regular pharmacy-bought razor. Bring it down. Shaving cream: without a barbacide in it. It stiffens up the beard, making it tougher to shave.
2) Use a bar soap or a cream instead of a shaving cream with barbicane. Make sure the shaving cream has glycerine in it. Why? Because this kind of product gives you a nice, close and smooth shave. This kind of product is less abrasive on the face. Particularly for guys who shave every day. And use a badger brush to apply this. You're exfoliating the face and the hair-gives you that barber shave.
3) A goatee needs to remain close to the skin...much more appealing and groomed looked.

At what point should you be visiting the barber?
When you go to get your hair cut every 4 to 6 weeks, get a proper shave and get those lines shaped up, and then maintain it in between (unless you're 18 and spend 4 hours in front of the mirror!).
If you or your partner can't grow a beard/facial hair then DON'T. Keep a nice clean shave. And use an electric shaver... inexpensive, one time buy and you can get a nice clean shave every day.

Rick Ricci is Manager of Truefitt & Hill. Visit them at:
www.truefittandhill.ca