How to trim and fade a beard neckline

While we would all at some deep level prefer our beard to grow as a money plant, the reality is something else. Firstly, in the era of the metro man, you have tough competition to look suave. Secondly, there are presentations, meetings, interviews, dates, PTA and other things to attend where people (and even you yourself) would rather look neat. So, to help you in your goal of looking all dapper, we have roped in Mahika Yadav, Director, Oxford Cut and Sargam Dhawan, Director, Paul Penders who breaks it down in super simple steps.

Good to know:

Before we go ahead with the steps, here is what you need to know:

Monsoon requires extra care

With monsoon around the corner and humidity taking its full swing, the scalp tends to get flaky and more susceptible to fungal infection and acne. Now we might not be pining for the softest skin but that certainly does not mean we would settle for itchy and blotchy skin. It’s important to shake off that laziness and take extra care during this time. After all, the texture of the beard is at stake! And yes, the first rule of growing a beard is to keep it clean.

What a well-groomed beard is

If after all these years you are still confused about what a well-groomed beard is (which is perfectly understandable), it is one with sharp cheek lines and necklines. The ideal beard requires patience as well as maintenance, especially when the beard grows down the neckline and starts approaching the chest hair. Beard fade is an essential element in beard trimming which can make any man look attractive according to his face type. So, go ahead and face your girl (or guy) with all the confidence in the world!

Cleanliness is next to godliness (even when it comes to a beard)

Beard maintenance also counts as a skincare routine. And no, it’s not avoidable. Even if you’re just maintaining facial hair and shaving around certain patterns, be sure your skin is clean. To add to your daily routine, use a good cleanser and toner and you can flaunt that smooth and well-groomed look. You need to make sure the pores are open beforehand and properly sealed after to avoid irritation. Unless you are okay with that gnawing feeling on your chin the whole day. Which we guess you are not.

Now that we have got the basics out of the way, let’s dwell on the steps required to trim and fade a beard…

The first pitstop – Trimming the beard

Step 1: Trim the beard to the desired length so that the rest of the beard is in order.

Step 2: Start trimming at the bottom of the neckline by setting the trimmer to either 3 or 2. Target just below Adam’s apple first where the neck meets the jawline. Once that area is trimmed, switch the trimmer length setting to 2 or 1. This is where it would start to fade out the end of the beard hair giving out crisp, and clean lines.

Step 3: Keep the cheeks neat and tidy as the area around the cheeks is prominent, which will end up giving a proper look.

Step 4: To go for a natural look, use trimmer with the guard off, cutting down the sprouts too far away from the rest of the herd.

Step 5: Trim the mustache by keeping the setting to two or one to remove any bits of mustache falling over the lips.

Second pitstop – Fading the beard

Step 1: Trim the longest section of the beard on the jawline by setting the trimmer to one or the lower setting (two or three).

Step 2:  Move upwards about an inch from the section where the hair is longest. Then, shorten the trimmer again, clean that area and not to go below that.

Step 3: Move up another inch, shorten the trimmer and continue fading beard as moving up. After moving up for another inch.

Step 4: Shorten the trimmer again and continue this pattern until the beard meets the hair on the head.

So, there you have it, a little bit of effort, a little more of patience and most importantly a steady hand can get you on your way to be well-groomed.