How To Properly Fade Your Beard

Maybe you’re deep in the quarantine beard game, or perhaps you’re a longtime facial hair veteran. Either way, beards are a privilege, not a right, and keeping that face rug in-check and looking sharp is part of the gig. The key to a neat, manly beard (we’re talking James and Mike here, not Tom Hanks in Castaway) is dialing in the right fade. Not only is it going to lighten the load, but it’s going to strengthen the look of your jawline and have women flocking to you like a hunter’s bird call. So let’s get equipped and tame that animal on your face.

Start With The Right Tools

Before you start, it’s important to have the right type of trimmer. There are a ton of different types, but most are fairly inexpensive and can be found at your local drug store or on Amazon. The key when looking for a proper trimmer is to make sure you have one with an adjustable guard that has a variety of trim lengths. Or, you can look for one that comes with different guard attachments. We also recommend the smaller trimmers as opposed to a full-sized hair trimmer because they’re easier to manage and control. Two of our favorites are the Wahl Groomsman and the Philips Norelco 3750. Both are simple, affordable, and very easy to use.

Let's Get Faded

As we mentioned, a proper beard fade not only gives your beard a neat and clean appearance, but it’s also going to elongate your face and sharpen your jawline. The gist is, you trim your beard shorter up at your sideburns and fade it down to a longer length by your chin. That whole crazy pointy beard thing is definitely a trend and we’ll leave that choice up to you, but generally, we recommend just a slight fade from top to bottom. It shouldn’t be too dramatic. Once you get the hang of it you can play around with the length settings to dial in your favorite ratio of fading

Here’s how to trim it to win it:

1. Start by cleaning up your neckline and cheekbones, either with your newly-purchased trimmer or with a standard razor.  Just make sure you keep it minimal, you don’t want that chin-strap-style beard.  

2. You can play around with different lengths on the trimmer guard but we recommend starting with a 2 or 3 guard and starting the top of your face from your sideburns down.

3. Move the guard up to one setting longer (a 3 or a 4, depending on where you started) and trim the next third down to around your goatee area.

4. Move the guard up a final time (4 or 5) and trim your chin and mustache areas. From there, you can adjust the length settings to dial in your favorite lengths.

Go The Extra Mile

Now that your beard is freshly trimmed and looking sharp, it’s time for a few follow-up steps. Take the chance to give your skin a good scrub in the shower, with or without an exfoliator. It’s going to remove any excess dead skin and prep your face for some moisturizer. From there, it’s time for a dash of beard oil. We’ve discussed the importance of a beard oil routine before, but to recap, it’s going to moisturize the skin beneath your beard and tame any rogue beard hair. Not to mention, any significant others are going to appreciate the softness and pleasant smell of your pampered scruff thanks to a proper beard oil regimen.

Keeping your beard dialed in and properly groomed is an important personal care move, especially if you’re in it for the long haul. So, follow these few simple pieces of advice and your face fur is going to be looking (and smelling) triumphant throughout every season.