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How to Shape a Beard Neckline

Your beard neckline is an important part of your look. If it’s covered in stubble or patchy hair growth, or if it’s the only place you have greys, it can draw attention away from the rest of your face and make you look more unkempt than you would like.

If you want your facial hair to look well-groomed, there should be a distinct line between your beard and your neck, and regular trimming or shaving is key.

Beard shaping is important. It doesn’t matter how bushy you want to grow your beard or how much time you’re happy leaving in between shaves, but you should try to get into the habit of trimming your beard neckline regularly.

Read on for advice on how to identify your beard neckline, how to shave it, and which Gillette tools will give you the smartest finish.

How to Define Your Beard Neckline

Before you can trim or shape your beard neckline, you need to know how to find it. You can do this by running your fingers from your Adam’s apple up to the bottom of your ears – look in the mirror while you’re doing this so you can start to become familiar with where you need to shave.

Everywhere that falls below your beard neckline should be clean-shaven if you want to look smart, professional and well-groomed.

Choosing Shaving Products for Your Beard Neckline

Your neck can be affected by razor bumps, shaving rash and ingrown hairs just like your face can be, so it’s important to make sure you’re using quality products when shaping your beard neckline.

The Gillette All Purpose Styler beard trimmer is designed to bring you the utmost precision for trimming, shaving and edging your facial hair, but you need to change your blades regularly to reduce the chance of razor bumps and other kinds of irritation.

Apply shaving gel or foam all over the area you’re shaving to hydrate your hairs so they’re less wiry and to moisturise your skin for a smoother razor glide.

Attach a fresh Fusion5 blade to your All Purpose Styler and you’ll be guaranteed a smooth, precise, clean shave on your neck as well as on your face.

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Our Top Beard Neckline Tips

Before you start shaving your neck, make sure you’re not trimming your beard neckline too high or too low, as this could end up ruining your whole look – if you shave particularly high and end up with a too-short beard neckline, you might even have to shave off part of your beard and spoil months of careful growing and styling.

We recommend using a trimmer length two levels shorter than what you use on your beard, and stick to this all over your neck. It’s always easiest to trim softer hair, so have a shower first.

However, if you’ve had a hot shower, it’s best to splash your face with cold water before you start trimming. This will help to close your pores to stop them from attracting excess oil and dirt, while also reducing your risk of unsightly ingrown hairs on your neck.

How to Trim a Beard Neckline

Our recommended technique for trimming your beard neckline is as follows:

Start in the centre of your neck at your Adam’s apple and trim every hair below the line you’ve identified as your beard neckline
Trim from the centre, taking your razor up towards one ear, being mindful of your jawline as you go
Go back to the middle of your neck and trim in the other direction until you’ve removed all of the hair growing beneath your beard neckline

It’ll probably take a bit of practice until you’re fully confident shaving your neck without cutting into your beard, but be patient – the skill will come in time.

If you do accidentally slice into your beard and your facial hair usually grows quickly, just wait a day or two for it to grow back. If your beard growth tends to be much slower or you’ve taken a really obvious slice out of your beard, you might want to think about adopting a whole new facial hair style to keep you looking smart.

How to Shape a Beard Neckline

When it comes to shaping your beard neckline below your ears, you can either choose between a square or rounded finish. Think about your face shape to decide which will look best on you.

Square beard edges will suit a round face shape better, while softer edges will look better if your jawline is naturally more square.

Shape your beard neckline into your chosen style with one of our Gillette Fusion5 blades, then refine your look with our All Purpose Styler’s in-built precision trimmer.

Applying Aftershave to Your Beard Neckline

Apply aftershave to your beard neckline once you’ve removed all of the hair you want to.

Use either a balm or a lotion depending on your personal preference – balms tend to be gentler and sting less! – applying it in exactly the same way you would do on your face.

Finish off by nourishing the rest of your beard with a beard oil to keep it looking well-groomed and in good condition.

How to Maintain a Smart Beard Neckline

The secret to maintaining a smart beard neckline is regular trimming. When the hair in this area has grown to 3mm or longer, it’s time to shave it off.

Stick to our recommended technique, practice and take your time, and you’ll soon be confident enough to shape your beard neckline in a matter of minutes. Get more beard styling tips here.