For decades, most men who rocked beards kept their neckline clean and sharp. However, there is an art to ensuring you look well-groomed with hair on your neck. These tips will help!
What Is A Neckbeard?
The neckbeard began in the early 2000s as an unkempt, casual cool, or outright “I don’t care” statement. A masculine way of allowing nature to take hold. However, unkempt neckbeards don’t work in many professional settings, even for those who primarily work from home.
Today’s neckbeards allow hair to grow past the jawline in a manner that is shaped, styled, and well-groomed. There’s nothing unkempt about the current trend.
Why Grow A Neckbeard?
There are several reasons to consider allowing your neck hair to grow. First and foremost, the style of facial hair you want to grow may include letting your neck hair grow. Men who live in cold climates may let their neck hair grow in the winter months for warmth. Men who have a narrow face may be partial to this style as it creates the illusion of a broader chin and a more balanced face. It’s also a style of choice for men who struggle with ingrown hairs and razor bumps.
How To Grow A Neckbeard?
If your facial hair is new, simply let it grow until it begins to fill in and take the shape you desire. If you already have a beard but have been rocking a clean-shaven neckline, there will be a bit of a transition phase. Your barber will advise on the best approach for both new beards and letting your neck hair become part of your current facial hair styling.
If your beard is short, there’s not much to worry about. If your beard is mid-length or long, the transition phase will be more noticeable. It may help to trim down your beard a bit to minimize the contrast between your super short neckline and longer facial hair.
Be patient with this process and you’ll have at least enough hair to fill in and start grooming your neck hair or new beard in about 3 weeks.
Below are 5 steps to keep your neckline in line.
#1 Determine Your Shape
While the goal is to let it grow, you still need to create a distinct shape so that your neck hairline looks intentional, not messy. Never hesitate to get your barber’s advice as to where to stop your hairline and how to angle it towards your jawline.
For most men, growth will stop about 2 finger-widths above their Adam’s apple. Then you will shave in a diagonal line, towards your ears.
In addition to determining the shape of your neckbeard, many men prefer to keep the hair underneath their jaw shorter than the rest of their beard. Again, your barber will help you determine a style, length, and fade that flatters the shape of your face.
#2 Create A Clean Line
Use shaving cream or shaving gel to create a clean shave line. Foam is too puffy to create a clean line, so cream or gel works better. Cream and gel are also easier to wipe clean if you don’t place them right the first time.
Since cleaning up your neck is more difficult to view than cleaning up around your mouth or the top of your beard, you may prefer using a straight razor instead of an electric razor or disposable blade. A straight razor allows you to shave a crisp cleanup of minimal growth in just a pass or two. If your neckbeard has overgrown, you may want to trim it down to stubble with an electric razor first. If your skin is sensitive, apply beard oil as a pre-shave oil.
#3 Wash and Condition Daily
Many men forget to give their neck hair as much attention as their goatee and front-facing facial hair, but the sides matter too! So, don’t just wash your face each morning and evening, but all of your facial hair. We suggest keeping things simple with Uncle Jimmy Hair, Beard and Body Wash. It’s designed to be gentle enough to cleanse without stripping your hair or face of its natural moisture.
After patting your beard dry, follow up with a naturally derived oil or balm, and be sure to use a beard softener or beard conditioner at least 2 days a week. Condition or soften daily if your hair looks or feels dry, brittle, dull, or wiry. This will repair damaged facial hair and keep healthy facial hair soft and conditioned. Oil and balm will moisturize your face too, but feel free to apply facial moisturizer to your face and neck before your beard products.
#4 Comb or Brush
Combing and brushing your beard helps to train it into place. If you have cowlicks, curly, wiry, or unruly facial hair, a balm will help to hold your hair in place. Always brush or comb after applying your products. This will help them to evenly distribute from root to tip and throughout your beard. It will also help to set your hair in place.
If your beard is new and still growing, you can also use a brush to disguise some of your patchy spots. Be patient with your patches, as new beards can take time to fill in. During this phase, let your facial hair grow without trimming anything but your edges.
#5 Don’t Skip The Barber
We can’t say this enough, but you should continue to head into your barber every 6 to 8 weeks. You’ll need your hair trimmed anyway, so have your beard refined, reshaped, or cleaned up too.
This isn’t just to keep your face looking fresh, but because your barber will advise on the health of your hair, beard, scalp, and the skin underneath your beard. They can also advise on the best shaving tools for your hair and skin.
Looking for the beard products mentioned above? Uncle Jimmy has you covered with naturally derived hair, beard, and body products!
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