What’s a Neckbeard? Shaving Tips for Growing a Neckbeard With a Clean Neckline

Like Jonah Hill at red carpet affairs or Colby Rasmus when he was on the Tampa Bay Rays, neckbeards have been sported by countless stars. However, this facial hair look has become something of a hit-or-miss style throughout the years. Even LeBron James has been spotted sporting a neckbeard from time to time — and we think he pulled it off.

This style may not be for everyone's taste (or hair-growing) genetics, though. If you want to try to grow a full-on untamed neckbeard, you’ll get no judgment from us; we say go for it. However, for those who want to opt for a clean neckline, you have our support as well. 

Let’s take a look at the origins of the neckbeard, plus some tips for growing and maintaining your own.

The Origins of the Neckbeard

A neckbeard is quite literally what it sounds like — beard hair growing on your neck, usually untamed and messy. 

As history has shown throughout the last few hundred years, some men have grown out their neckbeards because of religious reasons or because they couldn’t afford to maintain cleaner facial hair. Likewise, some men opt for a neckbeard because they lack the ability to grow facial hair on their actual faces. 

There are different styles that have included neckbeards, including the classic Amish beard. However, the term “neckbeard” is sometimes used in a derogatory way as well.

“Neckbeard” as Slang: It’s Kind of an Insult

The term “neckbeard” is often used to put someone down. We’re fans of being jerks, so we definitely don’t recommend calling anyone a neckbeard. However, if you must know, this is what the slang term “neckbeard” means.

In a nutshell, “neckbeard” is a slang term used for someone with little to no personal hygiene, a lack of awareness of social cues, and a handful of other negative qualities. The derogatory term became more popular in the early 2000s. 

The “neckbeard” phenomenon was popularized by internet memes, cultural stereotypes, and even an episode of South Park. It’s easy to see how this term became part of the modern lexicon. However, the negative connotations that go along with the neckbeard make some men hesitant to grow one. Luckily, there’s more to this style than the memes let on.

Let’s take a look at how to grow a clean, modernized version of the neckbeard and defy the stereotype.

Neckbeards for the Modern Man

While the stereotype might convince you otherwise, growing and grooming a neckbeard can really add to your look. There are many people who rock the neckbeard, including countless celebrities.

Take a look at Christian Bale, for example. This famous Batman actor has grown out his beard and neck hair together for a shorter, fuller beard that hits his Adam's apple. In doing so, he’s bringing back the neckbeard in a modernized form.

How about Peter Dinklage? You may know him as the one and only Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones. This guy can rock a neckbeard with no qualms and even put his own spin on it — ever heard of the neck goatee? Well, it’s pretty self-explanatory. Dinklage sports the shape of a goatee around his mouth and chin, reaching down to his Adam's apple. It’s a look.

These are just a few examples of expertly-executed neckbeards worn by the stars. There really are no rules when it comes to growing your own neckbeard, so feel free to take inspiration from whoever has a look that you like.

How Do You Grow Your Own Neckbeard?

Want to try out your own adaption to the neckbeard? It's pretty simple to start. Just let your facial hair grow out all over your neck. You might be tempted to trim, but let the hair grow for a while before messing with it.

If you want to start totally fresh to make your facial hair look completely even, start off by shaving your face and neck entirely. Follow the steps below for success.

Shave After You Shower

Typically, right after a warm shower is the best time for a clean shave, as the warm water opens up your pores and loosens the hair follicles.

Cleanse Before You Shave

Before shaving, cleanse your face and neck with a non-alcohol facial wash to remove any extra dead skin cells and dirt.

Trim Before Shaving

Depending on how long your beard is, you may want to trim it down before attacking it with a razor. 

The PT45 Beard Trimmer can remove longer beard hairs faster and safer than just going straight for the cut. Using one of the eight interchangeable guides, our trimmer will give you a clean shave in no time. Make sure to remove any unwanted hairs, including on your sideburns.

When it’s time for the finishing touches, use our Straight Edge Razor. This one-blade razor gives you a clean, close shave with precision and accuracy.

Use Beard Oil Post-Shave

After shaving or trimming, it's best to make sure your skin is softened to avoid razor bumps and itching. 

Our Beard Growth Oil is the perfect product for post-shave skincare. It nourishes your skin with growth-promoting nutrients, as well as much-needed hydration. Using a tiny amount of beard oil on your face and neck every day can promote healthy beard growth. 

Note that after a full shave, it could take weeks or months to get your beard to where you want it to be. Just remember to be patient and keep applying beard oil to ensure that your beard stays hydrated and healthy as it grows.

How Do You Keep a Clean Neckline?

Normally, the neckbeard is known for its wild and free nature with no real tidiness. You can definitely let your beard roam free, but if you choose to keep a somewhat neater neckbeard, we can help you get there.

How Does Neck Hair Grow?

Let’s start off by understanding the way your neck hair grows. Everyone’s facial hair grows differently because of genetics and heredity. However, usually, the neck hair tends to grow at a faster rate than the rest of your facial hair. 

Within the first few weeks or months of growing out your beard and neck hair together, you’ll reach what some consider to be the awkward stage. This is where your beard is on the cusp of reaching its full potential, but the neck hair is on a whole other level. It comes across as somewhat sloppy. 

Remember that this is a normal part of growing out your neck hair with your beard. Just keep growing — you’ll get out of the awkward stage soon.

Here are some tips on keeping your neckline neat and tidy while growing your beard and neckbeard.

Know Where To Trim

The first step to keeping your neckline neat is knowing where to trim. 

Here’s a trick: put your index finger and middle finger together. Place the index finger at the top of your neck, right under the submental space of your chin. This is the area in which the chin meets your neck.

With that placement, your middle finger should fall right above your Adam's apple. That’s the guide that shows you where to trim.

Use Your Adam’s Apple

Using your beard trimmer, trim the neckline by using your Adam’s apple as a guide.

Tilt your head back and trim right above your Adam’s apple. Follow the shape of your jaw, making sure not to trim the neckline too high. 

If you trim too close to the top of your neck, your look turns into a regular beard with a cumbersome neckline. The bulk of your beard will come from your neckline, so trimming too short will sabotage your style.

Where Your Head Meets Your Neck

Typically, the trick with having a neater neckbeard is to make sure it’s only visible from the side.

That means that if someone is looking at you from straight ahead, they can’t really tell that you have a neckbeard. This illusion works because your neckline blends seamlessly into the rest of your facial hair.

To sync up your beard and neckbeard, make sure you trim the hairs that grow by the back of your jaw.

A Final Word on the Neckbeard

The neckbeard has some negative connotations, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t grow one. 

Whether you want to incorporate a neckbeard into your pre-existing beard or try a totally new style for yourself, we support you! We’ve got the right tips and tools to make your neckbeard as healthy, thick, and manageable as possible.

You’ve got the freedom to grow whatever style of facial hair you want to grow. We encourage you to mess around, experiment, and go a little crazy with your own unique style.

Sources:

What is the structure of hair and how does it grow? - InformedHealth.org | NCBI Bookshelf

Is hair texture determined by genetics? | MedlinePlus

How To Properly Groom Your Neckbeard For The Springtime | Huffington Post