Practical grooming advice for facial and body hair

Tired of painful nicks or a messy beard? We've got you covered. This pragmatic advice covers everything from shaving and trimming to hair removal and styling tips.

• The easiest way to neaten your beard is to use an electric trimmer. The adjustable attachment on the head of the trimmer allows you to cut your beard to a uniform length.
• If using a razor, first make sure it's sharp. For mustaches in particular, it's worth investing in a pair of professional barber's scissors.
• For beards, pay close attention to the edges of your chosen beard style. Make sure that they're sharp and that the end result is symmetrical. Shave daily to maintain definition.
• For mustaches, dampen the hair slightly and comb it downwards with a fine-toothed comb. Use scissors to clip carefully and conservatively from the middle to the edges.
• Beard styles: A beard is a separate entity from a mustache or sideburns, but can be combined with either or both to create a range of styles. A goatee, for example, is a beard formed only with hair grown on the chin, while a circle beard is a goatee joined to a mustache. When choosing a style, consider the shape and contours of your face, and the natural growth pattern of your facial hair.

• Shave after you shower, or apply a washcloth soaked in hot water before you begin. Wet, warm stubble is much easier to remove.
• Apply an even layer of lather to the entire beard area.
• Check your razor. Blades grow dull after a few uses, and a blunt razor is more likely to cause nicks and irritation.
• Shave in the direction of growth. Though you may get a closer shave by going against the grain, there's more chance of razor burn if you do.
• Rinse well with cold water and apply a moisturizer rather than an alcohol-based aftershave.

If you want to avoid an expensive salon habit, there are a number of ways to remove unwanted facial and body hair in the privacy of your own home. Here are some of them.

• Shaving is quick and inexpensive, but it's a temporary solution and cuts the hair off only at the surface of the skin. When the hair grows back it can be more noticeable because it has blunt tips rather than a natural taper. Always moisturize first to minimize snagging and razor rash.
• Epilators are electrical devices that roll over the skin and pluck out hairs, which means that results are longer lasting than with a razor. They're moderately priced, quick, and effective. Here's a tip: before you start, stroke the hairs against the direction of growth so that they stand on end.
• Home waxing kits  work by pulling hairs out at the root. Practice on your legs before you try this on more sensitive areas where waxing could irritate the skin.
• Sugaring works similarly to waxing, but is a less messy and more natural method. Products are available over the counter. Like waxing, sugaring can irritate the skin.
• Depilatory creams dissolve hairs at the skin's surface. They contain harsh chemicals, so always test a new product on a small patch before wider use.
• Tweezers are ideal for plucking out stubborn facial hairs and for tidying up your eyebrows.

Everyone's got to deal with their unwanted body hair at some point. These tips will let you do so effectively, help you avoid nicks and cuts, and leave you smooth and stylish in all the right places.