Post date: December 21, 2023 | Blog
How To Trim Your Beard’s Neckline | Men’s Grooming in 2024
Alright, let’s hit this hard. Trimming your neckline is the single most important thing you can do to increase the cleanliness and overall appearance of your beard. There is a good chance that despite a super messy cheekline and lipline, having a tight and well-shaped/shaved neckline will still keep your bead looking pretty clean.
Your neckline is the most visible point of contrast between your skin and beard that helps define the overall shape of the beard. Trimming your cheekline is great, but it does little to give your beard a definitive shape by your chin and jawbone.
When done right, the neckline defines the jawbone and beard in a way that compliments both, but when done wrong, exactly the opposite happens. The jawbone and chin become hidden and the beard looks scraggly.
Before we dive in, let’s talk about what your neckline is and then we can talk about the factors that go into shaping and shaving it in a way that works best for you!
What is a Neckline?
The neckline is the point on your neck where there is a clear cut difference between your bare skin and the start of your beard. it’s that simple. If you can’t find yours, then we have some work to do!
The contrast that your bare skin provides is what gives the beard the shape and clean appearance that we all know and look for. Essentially, you want your neckline to be as high-contrast as possible as this provides the cleanest and best shape to your beard.
The more clean cut the neckline is, the better it is at providing that tidy bearded appearance.
How To Find Your Beard’s Neckline
The length of your beard is going to be a huge factor in how you go about finding and trimming your neckline! Probably the most difficult part of trimming a neckline is determining exactly where that line should start!
Here are some quick tips and things you should consider when deciding where to sculpt your own beard’s neckline based on the length of your beard.
Short Beards/Stubble:
If you’re rocking out with the stubble look, you’re going to want to pay close attention to your neckline because it is going to be exceptionally noticeable when kept unclean. you’ll also want to make sure it isn’t trimmed up too high or close to the jawbone or underneath the chin.
Unfortunately, most people with shorter beards or stubble beards tend to trim their necklines too high as well, which leads to exposing the underside area of the chin. Doing so can unwillingly create a double-chin look, even when there wasn’t one before. You’re going to want to keep your neckline far enough down your chin so that no point goes underneath or too close to your jawline.
To find the right neckline for you, you’re going to want to stand in front of the mirror looking forward with your head up like you would normally. Then, take a straight edge of some kind (pencil, ruler, etc.) and slide it back underneath your chin until it hits the front of your neck. Slowly lift your chin up so you can see where your neckline should follow.
Medium-Long Beards:
For those with longer or medium length beards, you’re going to have more options when it comes to determining where your neckline should start. For example, if your beard is long enough to cover your entire neck, then you don’t have to worry about a neckline at all!
However, if you’ve got a beard that does end before the neck becomes completely covered, then you’re going to have to trim your neckline (and beard) at some point to keep things clean and tidy.
Here’s how to do that. We’d recommend brushing and/or combing your beard hair first to ensure the beard hair lies flat and straight. Then take a look in the mirror and determine how wide the hair on your cheeks sticks out.
You see, having a good-looking beard is all about having symmetry in your face. A beard that sticks out wider on the sides needs to be longer, otherwise it makes your face appear wider. Likewise, a beard that is short or flat on the sides that sticks out longer down your chin makes your face appear longer.
Overall, depending on what look you’re going for, we’d recommend trimming your beard and neckline to a minimum length that gives your beard a symmetrical “square” appearance. Just as long as it is wide. We find this is an even and good starting point for almost anyone. Simply trim your beard to that length, and shave the neckline down from there.
Tips for Trimming Your Neckline
Here are a few quick tips for the best and easiest way to actually trim your neckline when it comes down to you and the razor!
- Brush and Comb Your Beard First:
Even if you have a short beard, brushing and combing your beard beforehand helps aline the hairs naturally and give you the best shot at trimming the perfectly straight neckline. Nobody likes it when they trim their neckline and the hair starts randomly sticking below the edge again.
- Use Beard Balm and Beard Wax:
For the curliest and wildest beards out there, use some bead balm and/or beard wax to straighten and keep the hairs in line while you’re carving out your neckline. Bonus tip: beard balm not only helps keep your beard in tact, but also hydrates and moisturizes your beard.
- Trim BEFORE You Shave
Take a low-guard trimmer or shaver and carve out the line before you shave the rest of your neck, This makes it super easy to see and feel where the neckline should end with your razor blade, especially when covered with foamy shaving cream. Which brings us to…
- Use Clear Shave Gel
A clear shaving gel helps you SEE through the gliding product for your razor. This means you can see each and every hair you need to get rid of in real time, and see exactly where the edge of your razor goes as you’re shaving. This gives you the easiest, sharpest shave.
Overall, when trimming your neckline, you’ll first have to determine where you want the line to start based on the size of your beard. Then, use your trimmers to get the neckline clear and started before using some Volt Clear Shave gel in order to shave the neckline the cleanest and easiest.
If you’re interested in grabbing some of your own Volt products to manage your beard lines, sign up for Volt’s Amp-It-Up free rewards program and accrue some points to use on products, shipping options, etc. Just click the button below!
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