How to Get Pencil Line Sideburns

Sideburns have been a popular hair style throughout history.

Facial hair, such as sideburns, can do a lot to change the appearance of a man's face. Long sideburns, for instance, make the face appear more vertical, much like vertical stripes on a shirt give the appearance of a longer torso. Stylized facial hair, however, will require fairly consistent upkeep, so you should consider that before committing to a particular facial hair style.

Things You'll Need

• Clippers
• Razor
• Shaving cream
• Towel

Instructions

1. Grow your facial hair out for several days, or however long it takes to grow a noticeable amount of facial hair.

2. Make a rough cut of the sideburns, so that you will be able to do more detailed work with the razor.

3. Look at one sideburn and imagine what you want it to look like. Pencil line sideburns should start out at the top of the ear at a natural width and taper quickly, so that by the time they have reached the bottom of the ear, they are quite thin. They should then continue down to the corner of the jaw.

4. Apply shaving cream to your sideburn, along with anything else that is part of your normal preshave routine. Remove any excess shaving cream using the towel, so that the shaving cream is only on the portions of your sideburn that you plan to remove. In this way, the shaving cream will act as a visual guide.

5. Remove the excess sideburn hair with the razor. Take your time and try to be exact in your cuts.

6. Repeat the process on the other side. Try to duplicate the shape of the first sideburn on the second side, so that the two sides match.

7. Shave the rest of your face. Pencil line facial hair styles work best when contrasted with a clean or nearly clean face.

References

• FTM Guide: Facial Hair -- Growth and Grooming
• My Barber: Grooming Guide -- Selecting a Beard