A man cleaning up his sideburns with a Wahl trimmer.

How to Clean Up Your Sideburns

Your sideburns are an important part of your look. Whether you're tapering, straightening or trimming them, uniformity on both sides is essential. Your Wahl trimmer is perfect for the job but your Wahl clipper can handle it, as well.

How to Trim Your Sideburns Step-by-Step

  • 1

    Grow your beard for 1 to 2 weeks.

  • 2

    As your sideburns become more visible, use your Wahl trimmer to create a lower border at your desired length by trimming a defined, horizontal line at the bottom. This line should be somewhere between your ear lobes and your chin to achieve the flared appearance.

  • 3

    Shave your neck, chin, and mustache clean.

  • 4

    If you prefer a blocked shape, trim an angled line from the top of the sideburn to the wider bottom edge. If you would like a swooping curved design, use a Wahl trimmer to create a sloping line from your ear to the tip of your sideburn that follows the natural upper border of your beard.

What to use

Lithium Ion+™ Stainless Steel Grooming Kit

Lithium Ion+™ Stainless Steel Grooming Kit

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LifeProof Shaver™

LifeProof Shaver™

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Lithium Ion™ MultiGroom

Lithium Ion™ MultiGroom

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Flex Shave™ Rechargeable Foil Shaver

Flex Shave™ Rechargeable Foil Shaver

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Lithium Ion™ Total Beard

Lithium Ion™ Total Beard

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Need help deciding what you need?

Wahl offers trimmers and grooming kits that let you achieve the look you want and keep it looking great.

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More Beard Clean-Up Tips

Use Wahl's Ear, Nose & Brow Trimmer for Clean-Ups

Wahl's ear, nose and brow trimmer with the head attachments.

Use Wahl’s Ear, Nose and Brow Trimmer as it has the flexibility to trim each sensitive facial area safely and efficiently.

3 Head Attachments

Close up image of the head attachments for the Wahl ear, nose and brow trimmer.

There are 2 types of cutting systems to use for these areas—rotary and reciprocating.

Clean Up Your Mustache to Keep it Even

A man cleaning up his mustache with a Wahl nose, ear and brow trimmer.

For the nose, use short upward strokes into each nostril and always make sure to start at the inside edge where hair growth is thicker.

Trimming Your Ear Hair

A man cleaning up his ear hair with a Wahl nose, ear and brow trimmer.

For the ears, start below the ear canal where hair is most prevalent and don’t forget the outside edges where strays tend to grow.

Trimming Your Eyebrow Hair

A man cleaning up his eyebrows with a Wahl nose, ear and brow trimmer.

Using a reciprocating trimmer for the eyebrows makes the job easier, but you can use a rotary head—just make sure to use light strokes over long stray hairs.

Love Your Look

A man looking in the mirror admiring his groomed full beard.

Make trimming your ears, nose and eyebrows a part of your everyday routine and it can make a big difference in your appearance.

Related Videos

How to Trim an Even Beard Neckline

Trimming a Beard Line