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SIDEBURNS

I like my sideburns perfectly trimmed with a definite "bottom line" that is 100% squared off and, of course, the two sides MUST be equal in all aspects (length, line angle, width...). Even when I come home from the barber shop, I always "adjust" my sideburns with my electric clippers.

But how do you maintain this when you shave? For me, I shave upward and slightly under the base of the sideburns such that no stubble hairs creep below the "line". Of course, one must be careful so as not to overdo this method, or your sideburns will get progressively shorter (higher up the face) with successive shaves. I also re-line my sideburns weekly with my electric clippers.

Curious to hear any tried and true methodology that my fellow wet shavers employ to maintain your sideburns....

Cheers!
 
I just use my ears as a reference. Specifically, I use the tragus. Most times, I'll keep each sideburn trimmed to the top of the tragus. Occasionally, I'll let the sideburn grow longer - to the bottom of the tragus. Sometimes, I do shave a little too high...or it's not even. I just try my best.
 
I'm right in line with both of you gentlemen above. I typically do a little WTG blade buffing to get the stubble south of, uh, the border.
 
I think mine just get incrementally longer each day between haircuts and then when I get my hair cut again, I get them back to where they started.

I guess I don't really care that they creep very slightly longer over time.
 
I just use my ears as a reference. Specifically, I use the tragus. Most times, I'll keep each sideburn trimmed to the top of the tragus. Occasionally, I'll let the sideburn grow longer - to the bottom of the tragus. Sometimes, I do shave a little too high...or it's not even. I just try my best.

+1! This is pretty much what I do with each pass during my shave.
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
after a haircut with a crisp sideburn --- i try to keep that line by putting the de blade right at the bottom of the sideburn and shave down. after reading here and looking in the mirror i see im a failure at this ha ha i like the idea of shaving upwards and might give that a try.
 
after a haircut with a crisp sideburn --- i try to keep that line by putting the de blade right at the bottom of the sideburn and shave down. after reading here and looking in the mirror i see im a failure at this ha ha i like the idea of shaving upwards and might give that a try.

Dammit, Rhody,... your a doctor not a barber!!!
 
I cheat between haircuts. Because I'm getting on in years, my eyebrows and ears need trimming every so often, so I use my electric trimmer (with a depth guard) for those areas and to thin down my sideburns to keep them from getting bushy.

I like my burns between the tragus and the bottom of the lobe. I shave WTG to set the length and ATG to clean to lines.
 
If you find you're shortening the length by shaving upward, you can shave downward to set the length and then side-to-side to reduce. Use your ear anatomy as guide. However, once the lather is removed you should be able to shave upward and stop where you need to.
 
Before each shave I use my trimmer to shape my burns, go over my ear line to keep that clean, and get any stragglers from my nostrils as well. I was able to zero gap my trimmers so the line and cut is super precise. Once the burns are shaped I don’t have to worry about their length during the actual shave with the razor. Trying to shape the line with a DE during the shave was never consistent enough for me.
 

ajkel64

Check Out Chick
Staff member
I fail dismally with keeping mine square. As mentioned by @Rhody, after a haircut mine are very square and crisp. After this when I shave mine get shorter at the front of my face and longer at the back. It is like I am shaving on an angle not straight. I think that I am shaving straight down but I am leaning the razor slightly to the front of my face. They look fine when I look straight into the mirror but when I turn my head slightly I can see the that the line is not straight.
 
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