Beard trimmer vs. body trimmer: Should you use the same trimmer?

Is there anything that feels better than a fresh haircut? It’s true whether you went to the barber, trimmed your beard down to size, or finally got that tuft of fur between your legs under control. In every case, freshly groomed hair just feels better.

At least that's the case when you do it right.

Speaking of doing it right, we get a lot of questions from guys trying to learn more about male grooming and one that comes up a lot is today’s discussion. Should you use the same trimmer for your body and your face?

Not really

The answer is short and sweet. You really shouldn’t use the same trimmer on your face and balls. It’s not exactly rocket science here. Using the same trimmer is basically like rubbing your own balls on your face. It’s not a great plan.

But if you want a more detailed explanation, we’re going to give it to you. We’ll break down the many reasons why you should use specialized trimmers and we’ll show you exactly what you can expect from those trimmers. So strap in. 

Why do you want different trimmers for your beard and the rest of your body?

We’ll talk about the trimmers themselves a little later. Let’s start with the five primary reasons that you want different trimmers for your face and body:

• The blades are different.
• The ergonomics vary.
• There are safety issues at play.
• Many design features are specialized according to the trimmer.
• Cross-contamination can cause infections.

Blade type

This really starts with the type of blade in each device. Even though they’re both electric trimmers—both using rapidly rotating blades to breeze through cutting your hair—the blades are remarkably different.

A blade that's designed for your face is going to feature curves that help it match the contours of your jaw and chin. No other part of your body really curves like that.

Your body hair trimmer is going to be straighter and the width of the blade is designed to better match the varying parts of your body. Basically, a body hair trimmer is a Jack of all trades. A beard trimmer is a specialist.

Among the differences in these blades, you’ll also find that they're designed for different cutting depths. It can be stylish to grow your beard out nice and long. The same can’t be said for your pubes. Your body trimmer and beard trimmers cater to different needs here as well.

Ergonomics

The differences in the blades are only the beginning. Have you handled a beard trimmer? It’s designed for you to use on your face. That’s an area you can see well in a mirror. And you’re always coming at your face from the same few angles.

Now, think about trimming the hair on your own butt. That’s right. Really picture it.

A beard trimmer is not ergonomically designed for that task. To call the endeavor awkward is underselling it quite a bit.

A good body trimmer is ergonomically designed so you can hold it a bunch of different ways and still have good control. Remembering that your beard trimmer is more of a specialist, it shines when you use it on your face, but it won’t give you enough control and stability when you’re shaving the nooks and crannies of your body.

If you want your grooming to look and feel good all over, use the right trimmer for the right job.

Safety

Blade designs and ergonomics feed into this idea of safety. Generally, we think of electric trimmers as fairly safe devices. The good ones make it difficult to cut yourself in any significant way and you should definitely be using technology that's safe in the bathroom. You can get waterproof trimmers for both projects.

That said, there is a minor safety issue that you’ll want to think about. The right trimmer for handling dense groin hair probably isn’t shaped the same way as a beard trimmer. If you use the wrong one, it’s going to pull and tug on your hairs as it tries to groom everything.

That’s more of a comfort issue than a safety issue, but if you make your grooming painful enough, it gets easy to distract yourself, drop things, and create problems that don’t need to be there.

For the sake of good grooming outcomes, using the right trimmer is a matter of safety. (There’s also a real health issue, but we’ll get to that in a minute.)

Other design features

Aside from everything listed so far, the features on your two trimmers are different. We already talked about cutting length adjustments, and that really does matter.

Another big difference is the blade material. Often, body and facial trimmer blades are made from different materials. A body hair trimmer needs a blade that is more antimicrobial for obvious reasons.

For your face, you’re going to want blades that are easier to maintain and the best material for that is usually steel. After all, you probably groom your face more often than any other part of your body. On top of that, you can usually put a bit more precision into facial grooming and you want your blades in top shape for that work.

Other features to consider are lights (great body trimmers have LED lights so you can see what you’re doing down there), cords, and a whole bunch of other customizations.

Cross-contamination

We’re closing this section out with the most important reason of all. You want to use a different trimmer on different parts of your body because of the idea of cross-contamination.

There are microbes living all over your body (on top of your skin). It might give you the heebie-jeebies if you think about it too much, but there’s a genuine health concern at stake here.

The microbes living around your balls are actually different from the ones in your mustache zone. If you use the same trimmer on both places, you can move those microbes around and you risk skin infections.

Think of a really easy (but very unpleasant) example. If you have a bit of jock itch going on (which is typically caused by fungi), then you don’t want to rub your crotch extracts all over your face. It’s a bad idea, and when you use one trimmer for everything, that’s what’s happening.

So, at the very least, make sure you wash your trimmer thoroughly when you use it to groom other areas. Or, make your life easier and designate specialized trimmers for each specific part of your body.

What’s the solution?

So what are you supposed to do about this? Do you need a dozen different trimmers for each part of your body?

Thankfully, no. You really only need three trimmers. That might sound like a lot, but when you realize one is just for your ears and nose, it’s not so bad. The truth is that most of your body is ok using the same trimmer. If you happen to have any type of skin infection, then just don’t groom that area until you clear things up.

But your face is a little different. Because you have your eyes and nose and mouth up there, you want to be more diligent about cross-contamination.

 That means the real solution here is to have a beard trimmer and a body trimmer that don’t ever work on the same parts of your body. That’s it. It’s that easy.

Stick with us for a moment while we show you what these trimmers look like.

The Beard Hedger™

Is The Beard Hedger™ our magnum opus? Maybe.

We poured years of grooming research and development into this device and we found that we could both simplify and expand on the electric beard trimmer concept.

The result is a trimmer made with titanium steel. That’s the strongest, hardest steel out there. It’s clean, safe, and holds an edge for a long time.

We designed the blade to be adjustable so you can get different trimming lengths without any attachments.

We built the whole thing to be wireless and waterproof, making it safe in the bathroom or anywhere else. The battery lasts for 60 minutes of continuous use and it uses a standard USB-C cable to recharge.

We combined all of this with the ergonomics and convenience that we mastered over the years and the result is a specialized trimmer that will take great care of your beard and face. This is the pinnacle of facial grooming.

The Lawn Mower® 4.0

For the other half of the equation, we have a beloved classic: The Lawn Mower® 4.0. This is the fourth iteration of the series and it's another feat of engineering.

The 4.0 is completely wireless, including wireless charging. It uses ceramic blades that are safe and hold an edge well, and they’re in a blade head that's easy to swap when the blades eventually wear down.

This trimmer is powered by a 7,000 RPM motor that cuts effortlessly through all kinds of body hair. Like The Beard Hedger™, The Lawn Mower® 4.0 is waterproof, making it a paragon of hair-cutting safety.

To help with body grooming, The Lawn Mower® has a focused blade head, clear, sharp ergonomic features, and 4000k LED lights that make it easy to see in the darkest corners of your grooming adventures.

Another cool feature on this trimmer is the travel lock that prevents it from accidentally buzzing while in your suitcase. That’s always an awkward conversation with the TSA . . .

Peak Hygiene Plan

The third solution to your trimming woes is known as the Peak Hygiene Plan. This is a MANSCAPED® service that delivers automatic replacements for your consumables. In short, you can set up automatic replacement blade deliveries for both of your trimmers.

Of course, the plan goes well beyond that. You can customize the items that are delivered as well as the delivery schedule. You can add other MANSCAPED® goodies like beard balm, body wash, or even delightful ball deodorant. It’s all about getting you what you want in the easiest way possible.

With the Peak Hygiene Plan, you can get great longevity out of your trimmers. Investing in two trimmers for the sake of performance and safety gets a lot easier, and as time goes on, that decision pays dividends. You’re welcome in advance.