INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Scissors are a good method for shortening a beard, but require a skilled hand for finer details, such as thinning or shaping. Make sure the scissors are rust-free and without major imperfections or notches in the blades that may tug on or pull your hair. Don't use kitchen scissors or garden shears. These can be too big and clumsy to maneuver. You don't want to cut yourself. This will prevent you from cutting the hair too short. Try to imitate the way a barber gathers hair in a comb, then lightly clips it. Comb from your ear to your jaw, exposing a tiny amount of hair. Trim any hair which is on the outside of the comb's teeth. Use caution when performing this step. Begin by trimming very short lengths of hair - you can easily decide to trim more, but it is impossible to correct the mistake if you accidentally trim too much. Continue cutting the beard evenly until you've reached the desired length. Comb the beard again to ensure you've got an even trim of the hair. Comb the hair straight down. In a straight line, trim any hair that falls below the line of your lip. Using extra care, use the scissors to trim the hair as close as possible on your neck. If possible, use an electric trimmer for this step. If you're intimidated, you can simply lather and shave your neck with a safety razor to remove all the hair. This can be much easier than making the finishing touches with scissors.

SUMMARY: Select a pair of sharp, clean scissors, preferably barber's shears. Use a comb as a guide. Repeat this process on the other side of your face. Trim your mustache and chin. Finish with a clean edge.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It is recommended that most people have blood work run every year or two to monitor their blood levels and other vitals. As a result, blood work is often ordered as a part of routine annual physical exams. Ultimately, blood work is one of the only ways to determine if a person's health is stable or failing. Some important levels that bloodwork monitor include: Blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels can indicate the onset of diabetes or other metabolic disorders and diseases. Cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels are indicative of cardiovascular system health. Red and white blood cell levels. These are indicative of your overall immune system's health. Often times doctors will order blood work if you have been ill and they have been unable to identify the cause of your illness or if you have been experiencing pain and the source cannot be identified. In this case, blood work will help your doctor figure out what is causing your sickness or pain and then prescribe the appropriate medication or treatment to treat you. One reason why you might need blood work is if you've somehow been exposed to a viral or bacterial contagion. In this event, your doctor will order blood work in order to determine if you've contracted an illness and what type of illness you have contracted. Some examples of contagions that a doctor might order blood work for include: Hepatitis Mononucleosis Bacterial infections A blood test might be able to help your doctor determine what bacteria is causing your sickness. Other rare viral infections Sometimes people exhibit signs or symptoms of life-threatening diseases or other ailments. One of the only ways to determine if you've contracted one of these diseases is to have blood work done. Such ailments include: Cancer Diabetes Thyroid disease Kidney disease Liver disease Pancreatic malfunction Gall bladder dysfunction Sometimes doctors or employers will have blood work ordered in order to determine if employees have taken illicit drugs or other controlled substances in the recent past (though a urine-based DNA gas analysis test is usually more accurate and commonly used). In the case that an employer orders a test, he will refer the employee to a doctor who will order the blood work. Blood tests can detect many types of controlled substances, including: Amphetamines PCP Marijuana Cocaine Opiates Doctors will order blood work for a variety of non-life threatening reasons. Ultimately, there are a large variety of reasons a doctor will want to order blood work. As the best indicator of overall health and genetic makeup, blood tests are invaluable for such monitoring. Some reasons include: Testing for pregnancy Testing for vitamin or mineral deficiencies Genetic testing Thyroid level testing Amino acid level testing

SUMMARY:
Get a blood test for routine monitoring. Have a blood test if you have an unidentifiable illness or pain. Run your bloodwork if you've been exposed to dangerous contagions. Check your blood for other potentially life-threatening ailments. Submit to a blood test for drugs or other controlled substances. Test your blood for various non-life threatening reasons.