How to Trim a Mutton Chops Beard
What are Mutton Chops? Masculine. Bold. One-of-a-kind sideburns that follow the natural growth of your beard and extend outward to your cheeks. This popular and dramatic style has been around for hundreds of years and is particularly flattering for men with rounder faces.
How to Do Mutton Chops Step-by-Step
-
1
Start with a Full Beard
Grow your beard for four to six weeks or until you have a good amount of hair growth. -
2
Clean and Dry
Wash and dry your face before you trim your beard. Then use a styling comb to brush your facial hair in the same direction. -
3
Trim Up
Trim your neck, chin and mustache hair with your Wahl trimmer. -
4
Set the Border
Using your beard trimmer, create a top border by shaving a sloped line along the top of the natural border of your beard on your cheek to your mouth. This beard can be thick or thin, depending on the style you wish to achieve. -
5
Pick Your Style
You can leave your beard to be seamlessly connected to your mustache. Or add a floating mustache by trimming a 1/2-inch to 1-inch vertical strip on both sides of your mouth to separate your mustache and the Mutton Chops. -
6
Contour Your Jawline
Create a lower border by shaving a defined line along your jaw line. -
7
Maintain Your Look
Allow your new chops to grow to the desired length. You can keep them styled and tamed with a dab of beard balm.
What You Are Asking about Mutton Chops
How to grow Mutton Chops?
Like any beard style, we recommend growing your beard out for four to six weeks before you start shaving. Then follow our step-by-step guide above.
Why are they called Mutton Chops?
Simply, they are named to reflect the shape of mutton or lamb chops.
What are other Mutton Chops Styles?
So, you have the lowdown on how to create the Regular Mutton Chops, but did you know there are several variations?
Friendly Mutton Chops: Modern and fun, these Friendly Mutton Chops are paired with a mustache. You can connect them to the mustache or trim your Mutton Chops to have more of a “floating” mustache style.
Thin Mutton Chops: A little cooler. More sculpted. Frames the face. Perfect for a squarer jawline. Connect to your mustache. Faded into a perfect, edgy look.
Thick Mutton Chops: Thick. Wild. A low-maintenance style that spreads across both sides of the face. (Also known as the John Lennon mutton chops.)
When were Mutton Chops popular?
In the early 1800s military men grew their sideburns to work around military orders and remain “clean shaved.” Later that century it became fashionable to connect thick and long Mutton Chops to equally thick and long mustaches. This style resurfaced in the 1970s and then it became a badge of honor for millennials. Today anything goes.
Who are famous Mutton Chops wearers?
The first example would be Elvis Presley in the 1960s. Later would be John Lennon for a bushier style. Today? Think Hugh Jackman in Wolverine.
What to use
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.
Product SelectorMore Full Beard Style Tips
Combing Your Beard
Before trimming, comb your beard in the direction it grows so that all the hairs are at their maximum height and facing the same direction.
Wahl Trimmers Have Attachment Heads
Wahl has been an innovator in beard trimming technology and offers a variety of trimmers that will get the job done.
Choose the Guide Comb You Need
Understand the length of beard you want and then use trimmer guide combs to achieve said length.
Trim in the Direction of Growth for Long Beards
Longer beards require trimming in the direction of hair growth to avoid a patchy look.
Trim in Any Direction for Short Beard
For shorter styles, you can trim in either direction depending on the look you want.
Evening Out Your Beard and Neckline
To maintain an even beard with neck hair, try to keep hair length shorter than the hair growing on your chin and cheeks as neck hair tends to be thicker.
Cleaning Up Your Facial Hair
Always clean up loose or long hair around the lips.