Dude - you need to stop shaving your neckline right now. And don’t start again until you’ve finished reading this article! I mean it.
Neck beard sure splits opinion. Some fellas grow a full beard so that they don’t have to shave anymore. Others keep their neck in check, even when they’re growing a magnificent ‘yeard.’
Anyway, what I’m trying to say is there’s cause for debate in the harvesting of neck hairs. That debate needs to be addressed. So your boy has taken ten minutes of his fluffy-chinned day to get to the bottom of it.
Pro tip: Serious about growing a beard? You need beard care products. Take a look at our range today.
Who says you even need to, huh?
Let’s begin with a photo of a bloke who obviously couldn’t give two trucks about shaving his neckline. This proves that (even for a short beard) you don’t have to shave it. However, there are benefits - which we will discuss now.
Neckline Debate: Shaving the neckline is optional and depends on beard length and personal style preferences; no strict rules apply universally.
Short Beards: Shaving the neckline helps define the jawline and maintain a tidy appearance; recommended for shorter beard styles.
Medium Beards: For medium-length beards, trimming the neckline can enhance shape and angles, though it's not strictly necessary if covered by beard hair.
Long Beards: For long beards, stop shaving the neckline to allow even growth; trimming may create a more angular, defined look if desired.
When to stop shaving your neckline
My swift yet thorough research on this topic has quickly led me to realise is that the consensus is:
...there is no consensus.
However, if you are growing a beard there are certain... Guidelines. And it all comes down to the type of beard you're trying to grow.
Growing a Short Beard?
If you keep your facial hair comparatively short, it’s less likely that you should be ditching the shaving cream just yet. Generally, shorter beards look best when they’re tidy - so dudes who rock them tend to keep shaving their necklines.
Once you get past that stubbly stage (or even if you’ve decided to stay there - also a sweet look), having a lot of neck hair looks unkempt. Even if that is the style you’re going for, it’s possible that you’ll want to make your jawline look more prominent. I would suggest the numero uno way to do this is to keep your neckline trimmed up.
In Summary: For short beards, you can choose not to maintain your neckline - but we recommend that you shave it to emphasize your jawline and bring out your beard.
Rocking a Medium Beard?
Okay - the “medium” beard is a bit of a loose term. It’s somewhere between long stubble and short lumberjack, I guess. Which means that it’s tough to establish hard & fast rules. But here - I’ll have a stab at it.
If your beard doesn’t cover your neck, shaving your neckline is still worth it.
Doesn’t mean you have to, by any means. You might prefer the shape of your beard without a shaved neckline. For me, though, shaving the neckline on a medium beard gives it purpose, and can make a bigger difference to the angles and shape than you expect.
If this ain’t your first rodeo in the field of reading blogs about necklines, you’ve probably heard the Adam’s Apple rule for where to shave a beard on your neck. Stick two fingers horizontally above your Adam’s apple and you’ll find where your neckline's supposed to be.
Well that’s a great rule generally, and we’ve mentioned it before. However, it doesn’t work if your fingers are super fat or freakishly skinny, and it’s not going to enlighten you if you have a long beard. Because you probably won’t even be able to see those fingers.
Here’s another rule - don’t let your neck creep up! If you prune your neckline regularly, the last thing you want is to take off a bit more every time. There's nothing we hate more than seeing a neckline that’s actually not even on the neck. So, when grooming a beard, make sure you're doing it right.
Nice shirt as well. Top drawer.
For me, the dude in this picture has it pretty much just right. His neckline is trimmed, which shapes his jaw nicely, but his facial hair still rolls down just below his jawline, saving him from looking ridiculous.
In Summary: Can you see the part of the neck you will be shaving? If so, it might be worth shaving it.
Enjoying the countless perks of a Long Beard
Want to grow a long, full beard faster? Here's my advice:
Stop shaving your neckline right away.
This way, your facial hair should grow at roughly the same pace. If you keep shaving your neckline and growing the rest of your beard out, you're going to have a period where your stubbly neckline stands out.
If your beard is covering your neck completely, you can just forget about it and let it grow. For some guys, this can be pretty liberating. No more itchiness, no more daily shaving - just whack on your favorite beard oil in the morning, wash it regularly and you’re good to go.
After a while, we'd suggest there's probably not that much point...
However, shaving the neckline with a long beard can give it a super jagged/angular look, if that’s what you’re after. I think the phrase is ‘corporate caveman?’ Not really - that just popped into my head.
Trademarking it though.™
Another way to achieve this is to trim your neckline - use the trimmer guard on your beard trimmer and just chop the length down a bit. Check out our essential guide on how to use a beard trimmer for more!
In Summary: If you’ve got a long beard, there’s no need to keep your neck in check.
Get the answers you’re looking for? Drop us a message in the comments, subscribe to our mailing list and for God’s sake, floss! Just like your mama told you.
