The biggest mistake guys make when growing out their beards

Beards are hot. There's no debating it anymore.

So with such a healthy trend still in full swing, it makes sense that more and more men are jumping on the bandwagon. (This may lead to the inevitable "peak beard," but I digress).

Well, we're here to tell you that it isn't as simple as just waiting for your beard hair to grow until it is long enough.

The most important mistake that all men make when growing their beard is that they don't trim or take care of it at all, letting it grow wild and free.

There are meaningful steps all men must take to ensure that their quest for hirsute glory is pursued intelligently. And, based on your facial hair patterns, you must do at least one of three things.

Here they are, as evidenced by the beard stylings of "Game of Thrones" actor Michiel Huisman (sorry, Michiel):

• Clean up around the edges. One of the easiest tell-tale signs your beard isn't being properly groomed is that there are rogue cheek hairs roaming free all over your face. Get rid of those, and make sure there's a nice, clean, natural-looking line down from your sideburns to your mustache. Huisman doesn't have it too badly, but he could still use a trim in that area.
• Shave your neck beard. The same goes for underneath your beard as well as your cheeks. This time, however, it's going to take a little longer to get rid off (and Huisman is a gross offender). To get rid of it, just follow our handy guide:
• First, imagine a line that extends from the bottom of your ear down, following the imaginary crook between your jaw and your under-chin, and your neck. That line should be about an inch and a half above your Adam's apple, but of course it's different for everyone based on your proportions.
• Then, simply shave off everything below the line, using shaving cream and going against the grain. Try to keep that line as neat as possible, as it is the new "edge" of your beard. (If you're using an electric shaver, use the edging attachment.
• Trim for uniformity. One of the biggest issues guys have with trying to grow out their beards is the fact that beard hair often grows in very patchy clumps, in some regions very dense and others very sparse. The way to combat this is to shave the beard to a uniform length. If your ultimate goal is length, this is a vital step to take in the awkward in-between stage. This won't actually solve the issue of patchiness, but it can make it less apparent as you're trying to grow a nice, uniform beard. A beard trimmer will help with this.