Here's how to fade a beard.
Just as a word of warning - beard fading is no easy feat - this is a pretty advanced technique to do
So if you are new to the beard game or not that confident with styling and shaping up your beard with a trimmer (just like I was when I started growing out a beard), head to your local beard barber and ask them for a beard fade - talk to them about it and see what it is about.
Then slowly introduce yourself to the concept - the last thing we want is ruined beards.
That said, beard fading does look freaking epic when done right.
Basically, the concept involves a more gradual and natural approach to where a beard starts to grow and they can be done and different sections of the beard.
- Right from the cheek lines and upwards.
- Into a hairstyle (or perhaps even if your bald).
- Under the chin from the neckline.
Either way, all of this can be done at home and can basically be boiled down into four main steps.
Step One
Getting the rest of your beard in the right shape.
This means that it is ideally already trimmed how you like it and has been appropriately combed etc. Basically think of beard fading as the final last step you take for extra beard style points, not something you get straight stuck into right from the off with a scruffy beard that you are trying to clean up.
Step Two
Get a trusted beard trimmer.
One that has multiple range settings, that you have a good handle of and that you have used regularly before - and then identify exactly where you want to be fading.
In this example we are going to go through a neck fade (but the same concept can be pretty much applied across the other areas mentioned above - if there is enough demand we will script out a step by step beard fading guide on - joining your hair/bald - and doing your cheeks as well if needed).
Step Three
You can consider this basically where the major work begins.
So like we have mentioned just above - at this stage - you should have a pretty neat looking beard as is, with it all even out and it’s basically a case of trimming with some fine detailing.
This shouldn’t be a major move.
- First off, identify your beard line.
It’s literally about two fingers up from your adam’s apple.
- Now with beard fading you want to set your beard trimmer to about a couple of notches down from the rest of your beards resides at, so if all your beard is at a four, then set your beard trimmer to a 3.
Now contour the line of your neckbeard line, parallel.
- The basic movements you want to be making are like so.
Set the trimmer to one shorter setting then trim down about half of inch parallel to the beard. Then repeat the process until your at skin level.
What you should have created is a gradual fading effect.
The trick is to ensure all the beard fading is equal on both sides, difficult to do but it can be done when careful.
Is it easy at first? Heck no.
Does it get easier over time? You bet.
At first it is going to seem like a right pain, and you will question why you have even bothered doing it - and all likely won’t be that impressed with the result (hey, we’ve definitely been there) but keep at it or better still head to a pro and see the potential your beard does have.
Then that will serve as some great motivation to try and mimic the skill yourself. Then once you have cracked it with one area of your beard.
You’re going to want to move into others.
And since you have already got the skill down - it will look much better than when you first started off (i.e blending it with hair and the cheek).
Overall, you will have a pretty darn suave beard - and your beard grooming skills will be admired for all to see.
Step Four
Like always, if you have trimmed up your beard at all - it’s always worth splashing just a bit of beard oil on just to prevent it from drying up a bit - and keep the fresh beard ends that have just been cut - supplied with some additional (and much needed) moisture.
Want to keep your beard looking the best it possibly can?
It’s pretty simple actually.
Just head over to our incredibly popular new beard grooming kit collection.
The premise is pretty simple behind them really. It was put together as a selection of products to keep having your beard look it’s absolute best (where all the products work and compliment one another) as well as to save a bit of money too (compared to if you were to buy all the products separately).
I’d be fast though, they tend to sell out pretty quick.
Are you struggling at all with your beard?
We’re not joking when we say, you can literally contact us by shooting a message across and we will get back in touch with you as soon as we can about any concerns you are having with your beard.
Whether you feel like it is too patchy and you don’t seem to be making any progress, you don’t quite know if you are making the best use of your beard oil or whether you should be using that or a beard balm instead. Or quite frankly you are at just a bit of a loss with your beard in general.
At Robin Hood Beard Co. we like to think of ourselves as a beard company that 100% genuinely wants to help you out, that’s why we hope you get in touch - and we can have a little chat.
Either way, remember to keep on bearding.