How to trim a Beard Neckline? Grooming a beard is an art that requires patience, dedication, and care. You grow and shape them for months even years and they become a thing of pride. However, a little lapse in concentration could make all your months of effort go down the drain.
One of the common mistakes encountered by bearded men is a high beard neckline. Even men and barbers with years of experience make this mistake occasionally (we’re humans after all).
Here, we would take a close look at the process of trimming a beard neckline too high. How do you know you’ve shaved the neckline too high? What do you do? Is shaving off the whole beard the solution? We’ll answer all these questions in this piece. We would also give tips to avoid this mistake in the future.
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When is a Beard Neckline too High
Trimming your neckline is very tricky as it feels like you’re trying to look in two different directions at once – looking up at the mirror to get a clean cut while also looking down to see what your trimmer, scissors, razor or clipper is doing.
The initial reaction of most men would be to panic at the botched job like any sane human would. But it’s not all doom and gloom. There is always a way out.
A beard neckline is too high when the end of your beard is closer to your jaw than your Adam’s apple. A high neckline gives the visual impression of a small beard. If you have a shorter beard, the way you trim your neckline really makes a difference in the way your jaw looks.
How to Trim a Beard Neckline? Finding your Beard Neckline
The first step to avoiding a high beard neckline is to know where to stop. There are two easy ways to find your neckline and they are:
- Place two fingers above your Adam’s apple. The top of the finger is around where the bottom of the neckline should be.
- Another way is to tilt your head downward. A crease would form where your jaw meets your neck. Put a finger on the crease and straighten your head and you have your neckline
Methods of trimming a Beard Neckline
Several mistakes would be made along the way in your beard grooming journey but with patience and commitment, you would overcome.
Without the proper knowledge, you wouldn’t even know your beard neckline is out of whack. When you find out you have shaved your neckline too high, it can be frustrating. But fret not, there is always a way out (or two).
There are two methods usually used to fix a high beard neckline:
- All-in-one method
- Iterative method
All-in-one Method
This method requires you to stop shaving for at least a week or two after messing up the neckline. This would allow for growth to occur around the neckline so it can be corrected. Men with a longer beard might decide to trim a little of the existing beard growth to blend with the new growth.
When sufficient beard growth has occurred, you would correctly define your neckline. This should be done while occasionally trimming back your beard to let the new hairs catch up.
Iterative Method
This method requires a little more patience than the all-in-one method. Here, you hold back on shaving for a day or two depending on hair growth. After this period, you would define a new neckline below the existing one.
Allow for new growth to fill in then evaluate if the newly defined neckline pleases you. If it doesn’t, repeat the whole process and define a new neckline until you’re satisfied with the results. Then you allow growth to occur to even out with the existing beard.
Other Means to trim a Beard Neckline
- Trim down your beard: Many bearded men would rather avoid this option but it can be helpful in repairing the neckline. This way is especially applicable for men whose beards aren’t long enough to cover the error.
Trim your beard to a much shorter length, say about a week’s worth. This would make your beard less prominent and cover up the error. Then the hair would grow back.
- Try a different style: We’ve all heard the popular saying, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. If you’re a man with a long beard with a high neckline, you can take advantage of the situation by experimenting with new beard styles.
Any goatee style like the van dyke would adequately cover for the error as they are conservative and end at the jawline rather than the neckline. Be creative with your beard and be rest assured that it would grow back.
Following any of the solutions stated above would get your beard back to its full awesomeness.
Tips to Avoid a High Beard Neckline
In order to avoid shaving your neckline too high and to properly line up your beard, follow these tips:
- Communicate with experts to avoid trimming a high neckline
- Know where your neckline stops
- Learn the proper way to line up your beard
- Use shaving cream but sparingly when lining up your beard
- Thin your beard with a trimmer if necessary
- Follow the beard lines done by your barber previously when trimming your beard lines yourself. This saves time, money, and regular visits to the barber. Therefore you should invest in a quality beard trimmer or clipper. Safety razors would do fine too.
A common occurrence when shaving/trimming the neckline is the problem of ingrown hair. To avoid this, shave with the grain of your beard. Doing the opposite could cause ingrown hair especially for black men or those with sensitive skin.
Mistakes especially when it has to do with your hair or beard can make you self-conscious. Do not get too worked up about it. With the right information, you can get out of the jam.
You would make mistakes in your beard journey. It’s unavoidable. The most important thing is to learn from these mistakes and remember that your beard would always go back.
We hope we’ve been able to help repair your beard neckline with this article. Drop your thoughts in the comment section, we love to hear from you.
Ciao!
FAQ
How Do I Fade My Beard Neckline?
Before you fade your beard neckline, the first thing that you should do is to clean your facial hair. After that, get the ideal length of your beard and mustache. You should set your trimmer at its longest setting to trim your mustache and beard first. When trimming, you should go against the grain. You should also avoid stray hairs by brushing your hair downwards. Place your finger in a horizontal position above your Adam’s apple then cut a strip vertically below this line to sharpen the neckline. After that, you should work in an outward direction under your jawline. You must then use a clean shave under the new beard neckline that you have just created. Do not disturb the cheek line. You can go for a clean fade depending on your needs.
Should My Beard Follow My Jawline?
There is nothing wrong with your beard following your jawline taking into consideration the style that you prefer. A jawline beard is since you do not need to shape any edges with this style. All you have to do is to follow the natural jawline to highlight your cheekbones, and the style also exposes your chin. This style may be difficult to clean especially during the first days. You need to take time to clean the jawline, but make sure you do not leave the beard too thin. The advantages of using the jawline style are that it is easier to grow, use your jawline for grooming purposes and it also highlights your cheekbones and chin.
How Do You Stop A Neckbeard?
If you have neckbeard challenges, you still have to shave it but you do it responsibly. The hair on the neck looks awkward, and it can significantly affect your appearance. To get of neckbeard, you should start by drawing boundary lines to demarcate the hair that you should constantly shave. You should get a precision trimmer and a sharp razor with five blades so that you keep your neck free of any hair. In other words, the solution is that you should maintain the boundaries that you draw and keep your neck clean-shaven. Additionally, you must wash the neck and face with original shampoo and apply beard oil to prevent irritation.
How Do You Shave Your Neck Without Getting Razor Bumps?
Razor bumps are irritating since they cause pain, and they are also unsightly. The neck has sensitive skin, and it is vulnerable to razor bumps. However, there are specific measures that you can take to prevent razor burns when you shave. Before you shave your neck, take some time washing it with a cleanser. A cleanser removes dirt and other debris so that the razor can smoothly glide over the beard giving you a close and clean shave. You need to treat your neck differently from the rest of your face. For a smooth and comfortable shave, you should apply a lot of gel foam so that the razor can easily glide on your beard. More importantly, you must not press too hard on the razor while shaving. After shaving, you must apply your treatment in a circular motion to forces trapped hairs out.
