Creating a beard neckline seems to be one of the great mysteries that seem to continue with no definite resolution in sight.
Stubble – it’s not just the middle ground between a clean shave and a full beard. This low-maintenance look, when done right, exudes an air of effortless sophistication and rugged charm.
However, achieving the perfect stubble isn’t as simple as just letting your facial hair grow for a few days. Precision, especially when defining the neckline, is key to ensure that the look remains refined.
A stubble neckline is, in simple words, an exact area on your neck where the beard ends. Normally, men’s facial hair does not stop at a certain point. You should trim it to create a sharp visible line. This helps you look neat.
Starting from the full definition and the reasons why you should trim your stubble neckline, in this article we will guide you through each step of crafting the perfect stubble neckline.
Let’s get started!
What Is A Stubble Neckline?
A stubble neckline can be defined as a clear demarcation or boundary between your beard and your neck.
It can be understood as the area where the hair on your neck ends and the clean-shaven area on your neck starts.
A stubble neckline, if left untrimmed and unattended to can destroy your dreams of having a noteworthy stubble beard.
Of course, not always. But most of us look really weird when we dont trim our neckline.
Why Should You Trim A Neckline?
A neckline that is unkempt and without a boundary looks dirty and weird. Imagine how it would look if your facial hair extended down your neck and went down right up to your chest.
The stubble neckline continues to be a popular choice among men who seek a balance between rugged masculinity and refined grooming.
This effortlessly cool style not only adds definition to your jawline but also enhances your overall facial features, giving you a sophisticated and fashionable look.
Whether you’re going for a casual day-to-day appearance or a more polished evening aesthetic, the stubble neckline remains a versatile option that exudes confidence and style.
Even if it didn’t crawl down to your chest, we don’t think anyone would be comfortable seeing a carpet of hair cover the neck of an individual.
As a true beardsman, you should pride yourself on the art of trimming and maintaining a neckline. Some of you, may think that an untrimmed neckline makes you more masculine and manly but this is wrong.
Most of the time, it makes you look lazy and communicates that you don’t pay attention to your appearance.
This will demonstrate to the world that you’re not an amateur, and you know all about the stubble beard.
Factors Influencing Neckline Growth
Before diving into the process of trimming, it’s worth noting that multiple factors influence the growth and pattern of your neckline.
Genetics predominantly determines how your beard grows, but other factors like diet, stress levels, and skincare routines can also play a role.
Understanding these influencing elements can help you anticipate how your stubble neckline will develop and how frequently it might require maintenance.
Where Should Your Trim Your Neckline?
Ask ten different grooming pundits the above question, and chances are you’ll get ten different answers. The bottom line is that there is no one true answer to that question.
However, we will not give you another answer different from the rest but rather lay down the path to do it in a way that will ensure that you will discover what is best suitable for you.
One man’s neckline might not be the optimal neckline for another man.
So, first things first.
The shorter your beard length, the higher your neckline can be. Since we are talking about a stubble neckline in this article, this means that your neckline will generally be on the higher side.
Keep your jawline in mind – Just because you are making your neckline higher, it doesn’t mean that your beard should end at your jawline or barely reach thereabouts.
The beard below the jawline contributes to the image of the density of the bearded look. You don’t want to come off looking like a person who doesn’t have a natural extension of the beard.
Depending on whether you have a weak chin or a very well-defined jawline, you need to choose a higher or lower neckline.
A higher neckline is recommended in case of a well-defined jawline, and in case of a weaker chin, you can grow your neckline a bit lower. At the end of the day, necklines can be tailored to suit different faces.
Read Also: How To Achieve a Soft Stubble Beard
The Goods That You’ll Need
- A Mirror (Ideally a hand-held one to let you view the neckline from all possible angles)
- A stubble trimmer – Many people suggest that you go for any beard trimmer, but we recommend a stubble trimmer. (We will discuss this later in detail).
- Razor – An electric or manual razor is a must.
- Exfoliating face scrub – Exfoliation is the first step to clean the face for a smooth shave.
- Moisturizer – for maintaining the hydration of the face.
How To Trim Stubble Neckline Step By Step
Step 1: Exfoliate
Exfoliation is the process of cleaning your skin and removing dirt, debris, and dead skin cells from it.
The pores on your skin need to be open and unblocked in order to let the skin breathe and hydrate. Without exfoliating the skin, you run the risk of developing rashes on your skin as there tends to be more friction on skin that is not clean.
Use the face scrub to gently rub your face and wash away the dirt, grime, and dead skin cells that are not visible to the naked eye.
However, keep in mind that overdoing anything is not good, so exfoliate a maximum of twice a week. Ideally, once a week is enough.
Step 2: Deciding where your neckline should be
Now, it’s time to decide where your neckline should be.
The method that we are going to share with you is a time-tested, age-old method, so there is not much that can go wrong with it.
Here is what you need to do.
Stand straight in front of the mirror with your head held upright. Now imagine a curved line extending from below one end of your ear lobe to the other end of your second ear lobe with the curve right above your Adam’s apple.
This creates a symmetrical U shape.
The lowest point of this U-shape will be around two fingers width above your Adam’s Apple. This ‘two fingers above your Adam’s Apple’ marks the boundary of your neckline.
This is the place where your neck hair should extend to usually and not beyond that for a well- defined and trimmed neckline.
When you’re starting out first, we suggest that you try out the fading or tapering neckline because, for most people, it looks a bit odd to suddenly find a sharp change from hair to skin.
Your neck shouldn’t suddenly look like a chicken plucked clean of its feathers after showing stubble till your jawline and below.
However, keep in mind that trying the fade or not trying it actually depends on your comfort level and also the thickness of your stubble.
If you have a heavy stubble, your transition of the neckline from a thick to a faded look will be noticeable, but if your stubble is just a light stubble, then there will be hardly any visible neckline to speak of.
Step 3: Start Trimming
Once you have the picture of how you want your neckline to be, you can start with the trimming. By now, you would have also decided whether you need the faded look or not.
- Start trimming your entire beard to the desired length.
- Use your stubble trimmer without any attachments.
- Create the neckline and get rid of any stray hairs that are there beneath the neckline.
- Make the neckline distinct by shaving with a razor.
A stubble trimmer can go only so close, but to remove all residual hair from the neckline, you need to pick up your razor.
Step 4: Moisturize
Congratulations, your beard is ready. Now you need to let your skin recover from all the shaving and scrapping it has endured so far.
Moisturize your face with an oil-free face moisturizer and dab your face with a soft towel.
Use paraben-free products and organic products.
Read Also: 7 Best Stubble Beard Styles And How To Achieve Them
How to Maintain Your Stubble Neckline?
Shaving and trimming your neckline is not a one-time job.
Facial hair growth is something that you can’t stop, and the only way to maintain your neckline is to trim it.
As soon as you find your stubble beard length getting out of hand, you need to grab your trimmer and follow the directions above.
Also, apply beard oil and wash your beard often. A daily beard care routine is the best way to go otherwise do it at least every other day.
And that’s really it. That’s why it is so good to grow a relatively short beard. Maintainence is easy. Trimming your stubble or your neckline won’t take you more than 10 minutes.
Summing up, to keep your stubble neckline looking sharp and well-maintained nowadays, consider investing in high-quality grooming products specifically designed for beard care.
Look for beard oils or balms that nourish and moisturize your facial hair while promoting healthy growth. Additionally, consider incorporating a beard trimmer with adjustable settings into your grooming routine.
This will allow you to customize the length of your stubble and maintain a clean, well-defined neckline effortlessly. Regularly cleaning and exfoliating your skin will also help prevent ingrown hairs and maintain a smooth, stubble-free neck area.
Importance of Beard Care Products
Beyond the act of trimming, the health and look of your stubble also depend on the products you use daily. Beard oils, beard balms, and beard washes play pivotal roles in maintaining the vitality of your facial hair.
These products hydrate, nourish, and cleanse the beard, ensuring it looks its best and remains itch-free. Remember, a well-maintained stubble neckline is only part of the equation; the overall health of your stubble determines its allure.
Read Also: The 10-day Stubble Beard
I Trimmed My Neckline Too High: Can It Be Fixed?
If you accidentally trimmed your neckline too high, tough luck, but it is not much you can do about it.
This might feel bad but that’s the truth. So, always play it safe.
When you are trimming your stubble, if you are unsure about using the guard 4 or 5, choose the 5. Same applies to neckline.
If you are unsure dont trim too high. You can always come back and trim more.
But, if you have trimmed high or very short, as you can understand, you have to wait.
If you’re at home (imagine an ongoing lockdown) and you don’t need to meet anyone, you can wait it out and let your neckline grow back again.
If you are in a situation where you need to go to the office or meet people immediately, then the only thing for you to do is to shave off your stubble completely and wait for the beard to grow back.
Not the best situation, but better than getting weird stares from people.
Once the beard has grown back, you can come to this guide and follow it to ensure that you have no problems.
Read Also: Stubble Vs Beard
Best Beard Trimmers For Stubble
The market is full of stubble trimmers, but when it comes to the favorites all over, there are a few usual suspects.
The Philips Norelco Multigroom All-in-One Series 3000
This is our number one recommendation because it is an all-rounder that covers all your grooming needs.
At less than $20, this is a stubble trimmer that includes three beard trimming guards, three hair trimming guards, and a stubble guard too for skin protection.
One of the qualities that we really like about this handy trimmer is its steel blades that also sharpen themselves while they shave. This means that the quality of your shaves doesn’t deteriorate even with the passage of time.
The scruff trimmer is another beauty that doesn’t need any oil, but it’s just a simple process of removing the guards and blades, rinsing them, and reattaching them.
The rechargeable Lithium-ion battery gives a more than adequate run-time of 60 minutes, and the quick-charge feature on the battery means that you can resume shaving minutes after the trimmer dies.
There is no wonder that this device has tons of fans in the market. When you need a value for money trimmer that gives you quality, you can rely on the Philips Norelco Multigroom 3000 series.
If you are in the market for a high-end trimmer that stands out with its premium features, you can check out our next choice.
The Philips Norelco Beard Trimmer Series 5100
Another offering from Philips that targets the premium buyer, but that is not the reason we love this device. The sheer number of options that this stubble trimmer gives us keeps us fascinated with this device.
To start with, it has 20 built-in length settings that range from 0.5mm to 10 mm.
Some of its other standout features are titanium blades, which means that they don’t tug on your facial hairs, and there is no blade oil needed.
The battery of this trimmer also lasts for 2 hours on a full charge of 1 hour.
The Panasonic Milano All-In-One Trimmer
Another stubble trimmer that actually needs no introduction is a time-tested success in the market and a people’s choice.
The USP of this trimmer is that coming in at a price of around 50 $, it has 19 precision settings starting from 0.5mm. This means that you can trim your stubble beard exactly according to your needs. Additionally, you can use this trimmer for hair on the head and the rest of the body too.
Another great thing about this trimmer is that it has a rubberized grip, and the device itself is very lightweight.
The battery is rechargeable like in the other models we recommend and will give you 50 minutes of uninterrupted power supply.
Top Criteria To Choose A Stubble Trimmer
The above three are some of our recommendations for the best stubble trimmer. Ideally, we would recommend that you keep the following things in mind while choosing a stubble beard trimmer.
When you are searching for your next grooming tool, you need to ensure that you choose a device that is designed specifically for stubble length beards.
There are hair clippers and electric shavers in the market that are not designed for stubble length hair. Make sure you do not end up buying them.
Make sure that your grooming device has the settings and functions that are needed by you to get the look you desire.
So, for example, if you want to get a five-o clock shadow beard, you don’t want to end up with a trimmer that doesn’t have blades less than 1mm.
How portable is your device? Are you someone who is constantly on the move and thus need a cordless operation out of the box? Or are you someone who doesn’t mind the cord?
Battery backup is absolutely important because you don’t want to end up with half a trim and batteries dying on you. Fast charging is one more feature that we would encourage you to look at.
Conclusion
A stubble neckline is as important to creating the best stubble beard look as the rest of your beard.
Many of us have been struggling to trim our necklines properly for a long time.
That’s the reason we have created this step by step tutorial to help you learn how to create a stubble neckline and generally a neckline with ease.
Today, we went through a lot of things that are necessary for you to know before even starting the whole process.
We hope that we have answered all your questions regarding how to craft the perfect stubble neckline. Go through our guide, and we are confident that you’ll get it right every time.
However, if you have even more questions feel free to comment down below and we will be more than happy to help.
Until next time,
Stay safe and…let it grow!
Tasos
Tasos Moulios is the founder of Beardlong. He loves trying different beard and hair styles and blogs about them. The tips he shares come from his own experience and love for what he does.