When you are growing out your beard, there are different ways to style it. One of the most common questions is where do I shave my neck for my beard. This is something that is important to consider because it can affect how you look. A lot of guy do not even bother trimming their neck when they grow their first beard out. This is a rookie mistake because this is something that all guys should do.
If you want a perfect beard, then you need to learn more about beard necklines. We will review all the necessary steps you need to take, and we will help you understand why you need to know about how your beard on your neck should look.
Hopefully, this beard neckline guide will help you understand neckline trimming a little bit better.
What Is A Beard Neckline
The neckline is found under your chin on your neck where your beard stops. It is the spot where your beard stops, and you have to shave or trim directly underneath it. You can style and shape it to better match your face. You can also style it a certain way. This includes fading it or tapering it.
How To Find Your Neckline
To locate your neckline, place two fingers above your Adam’s apple. This is the standard location for where your beard should stop on your neck. This line will run the length of your neck from one ear lobe to the other.
Remember, this is for a regular beard. If you want to shape something particular like a chin strap beard, then it will be different.
The image above illustrates the slightly curved horizontal line that is above the Adam’s apple. This is a great starting point for shaping your line.
A beard should go down as far as a 2 inches above your Adam’s apple for a standard cut.
What Is The Purpose Of A Neckline
Should you even shave your neck when growing a beard? You should if you want to have a nice shape that can define your beard style. There are just not a lot of beard styles without neck hair.
The purpose of a neckline is to define and give your beard a shape. Once you clean up that area, you can notice a big difference. Without a line, the beard hair on your neck will look unkempt. This will give you more of a professional looking cut. Your neckline will be based on your beard length. It will also strengthen the look of your jaw. Extra stray hairs on your neck that people can see on you can make your jaw look soft. If you want a more masculine look, you will need to remove the hair under your neckline.
How To Trim And Shape A Perfect Neckline
When it comes to trimming and shaping your beard neckline, you will need beard care products. The most essential one being a beard and neck trimmer. Our recommendation for beard trimmers is the Philips Norelco 7000 series. It has everything you need for trimming your beard and neckline. Our second choice is the Philips Norelco Series 3000 if you want a budget option.
There are optional ones as well like a razor, a beard apron, shaving cream, tweezers, and a warm towel. These are all the proper tools that you need to make a well defined neckline.
Here are the steps:
1. Wash Your Neck
You want to wash and clean your neck hairs first. This serves two purposes. It softens your facial hair so that it is easier to cut. It also removes any dirt that could damage your trimmer.
Make sure you wash with warm water. You can either take a shower, or you can place a warm towel on your neck hairs for a few minutes. This will open the pores to make cutting easier. After washing it, you will need to pat it dry with a towel. Make sure that it is completely dry before you begin trimming. Wet beard hair can get stuck, and you trimmer will not cut as well. This is important because you are trying to cut an even line across your neck.
2. Identify Where Your Beard Ends
You need to have a good idea where your neckline is going to be before you start cutting. Make sure you locate the area while looking in a mirror. Visualize an imaginary line across your neck. If you need help finding where exactly your line should be, you can use a beard neckline tool. You can read more about that tool at the bottom of this article.
3. Define The Corners Of Your Beard
Another important thing to consider is how your neckline will connect to the corner of your jaw. The corner of your beard is the vertical line below your earlobe. This will meet with the rounded horizontal line that starts at your Adam’s apple. There are two ways to shape the corner of your beard.
- Sharp edge
- Round edge
A sharper edge is a 90 degree angle at the corner of your beard neckline. This will give you a sharper jawline.
You can also trim a round edge. If you want a natural neckline, then you need to shape a rounded edge. This will give you a more natural look to your beard.
4. Shape With Beard Trimmer
Once you have decided on your neckline shape, then you can start trimming.
Start at the center of your beard neckline above your Adam’s apple. Use the beard trimmer to trim downwards. Slowly do this following the slightly curved line up to the edge below one of your ears. You can pull your skin taut with your free hand. This will help to get a closer shave, and it will leave less stubble. The trimmer will allow you to edge your neckline easily.
Make sure to go slow and do not shave to high. If you make a mistake by cutting too much, then you will mess up your line.
Next, trim and shape the other side until you get to the edge below your other ear. Your horizontal beard neckline should be done.
Now, you need to trim your vertical neckline. Trim a straight line down below each ear until it reaches your horizontal neckline. If you are going for a rounded neckline, then make a round edge.
5. Shave Your Neckline To Remove Stubble
Your trimmer will only give you a stubble beard neckline. It is not going to give you a clean shaven neckline. If you want that you will need to shave with a razor. Pulling your skin taut a bit will have to achieve a smoother look. If you want to keep the stubble look, you do not need this step.
A clean shaven neck will give you a more pronounced line. You can also use tweezers to remove any ingrown hairs if you have them. To reduce the risk of razor bumps, it is a good idea to use an aftershave. The close razor shave will clean up your neckline area of any stray hairs.
You should shave as much facial hair on your neck as you trimmed down. You do not need to shave anymore than this.
Video Tutorial
Beard Necklines For Short Beard
If you have a short beard, then there are a couple of options on how to shape your neckline. This will allow you to match your face.
- For guys with a round face and a short beard you can lower your neckline by 1/2 inch. This will give you a fuller beard.
- For guys with a more square face and a short beard you can raise your neckline a bit higher. This will match your jawline better, and it gives you a more chiseled appearance.
Beard Necklines For Long Or Full Beards
If you have a long or big beard, then you can shave your neckline to match your face better.
- For men with a long beard and a rounder face shape, you can make your neckline a little lower. This will fill out your beard and make it look fuller. This will help to match the larger beard style that you have.
- For men with a long beard and a square face shape, you can make your neckline higher. This allows you to have a more angular look that matches your jawline.
How To Fade Your Neckline
To fade your beard neckline, you will need to use a #1 or #2 guard on your beard trimmer. This allows your beard to transition into a fade. This is different than a distinct line between your beard hair and your neck.
You simply follow the same steps as above, but you will be using a guard so that your beard is not cut all the way down to your skin. You will be leaving some stubble on purpose.
How To Fix A Beard Neckline
If you messed up when trimming your neckline, you will need to fix it. You want your neckline to be symmetrical. You may notice when looking under your chin in the mirror that your line is uneven. You will have to trim down the higher points to make it right. You may end up with a higher neckline that you wanted, but it will look better if it is even.
It will eventually grow back, and you can slowly fade your new neckline into your beard.
If you cut your neckline too low, you can trim it up to the desired level.
Tips For Maintaining Your Beard Neckline
To maintain your beard neckline, you will need to trim it at least every 2 days. Here are some tips to give you a better trim and shave:
- Make sure you soften your beard and neckline with warm water first.
- Make sure to use a sharp razor blade when cleaning up. This will reduce your risk of ingrown hairs and skin irritation.
- Keep your electric trimmer sharp and clean. This will keep the blades from tugging your beard hair.
Do You Need A Beard Shaping Tool?
You do not need a beard shaping tool to trim your beard neckline. If you want to make sure it has an even line across your neck, then the tool can help. This will allow you to line up your neckline where you are going to shave. This way you do not have to visualize an imaginary line across your neck.
Here is an example if you want to see a beard neckline shaper at Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, once your neck starts to show heavy stubble then you need to trim it. This allows you to shape and contour your beard to a better style. It is also more professional looking.
If you are looking at your neck with your head titled back, then you should see a slight curve in your neckline. This line should follow a curved direction from one ear to the other.
You can use a neckline shaping tool if you need help sculpting your neckline by yourself. This allows you to keep both hands free while trimming. You can also carefully use a trimmer and a mirror to safely shave your neckline while alone.
