Neck Hair: Trim, Shave, Or Leave It Alone?

When you grow a beard, you will notice that hair grows under your chin and down to your neck. What should you do with your neck hair? We will let you in on tips and tricks for maintaining and shaving those unruly stubbles to keep you looking sharp.

What you do with your neck hair depends on what beard style you are going for. It can be pretty confusing, especially if you have not yet mastered your beard game. Nonetheless, you should know how to do it right, after all it could make or break your chances with the ladies. 

Here’s what you should do:

• Celebrity Beard Styles with Neck Hair
• Mid-Length Thin Beard
• Hollywood Stubble
• 5 o’clock Shadow
• Full Mid-Length Beard
• Styled Beard with Stubble
• No-Shave Look
• Full Beard
• Guide to Shaving Neck Hair

Celebrity Beard Styles with Neck Hair

Celebrities do not shy away from flaunting their scruff. Even these personalities could not be bothered to maintain neatly-defined beard lines at all times. So, if they can get away with it, you can too.

However, there is a fine line between looking dirty and dashing when sporting a rugged look. Here are a few examples of how to rock a beard with neck hair, courtesy of some of our favorite A-listers:

Mid-Length Thin Beard

You cannot put up a list of good-looking rugged beard looks without mentioning Ryan Gosling’s stylish mane. Here, Gosling rocks a medium-length frisky beard sans a clean-shaven neck that not everyone can slay.

This style is perfect for those who have a hard time growing thick and full beards. Who says patchy frisky beards cannot look good?

Hollywood Stubble

Photo taken from D.B. Woodside's Facebook Page

African-American men are more prone to having razor bumps. So, sometimes, sporting stubble and shaving every other day is best to give your skin time to calm down.

Check out D.B. Woodside’s (a.k.a. Lucifer’s angelic brother Amenadiel) suave stubble. It has a lowkey rustic charm without looking all over the place. The secret to making it work is keeping the stubble at 3mm or ⅛ of an inch.

To achieve this, you should have a pre-styled beard like D.B. Then, postpone your shaving routine for three to four days, and you will see the stubbles appear.

5 o’clock Shadow

Wakanda Forever!

Aside from his beloved portrayal of Marvel’s Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman has left a legacy of sexy beard styles that anyone can look good in effortlessly. One of them is this subtle stubble beard style with a 5 o’clock shadow neck hair. Indeed, the neck area was clean-shaven at the beginning of the day, but later, the most minute hair started to resurface, hence the shadow-like tint on Boseman’s neck.

Full Mid-Length Beard

This list will not be complete without mentioning former English footballer David Beckham. As pictured, whether he is sporting stubble or a full medium-length beard, it is very rare for you to see Beckham without hair on his neck. As always, he keeps it at the same length as the rest of his facial hair, giving off a perfect sense of balance to keep himself from looking shabby.

Styled Beard with Stubble

Here is another Avenger on the list, almighty Chris Hemsworth, a.k.a Thor. He sports a different take on the classic Hollywood stubble, flaunting a medium circle beard and an unbothered neck hair.

Unlike D.B.'s, this style is easier under the chin and is like the transition between a 5 o’clock shadow and a stubble. It looks effortless and neat, the kind of beard for professional men who are always on the go.

No-Shave Look

If you have been sporting a hair-free face and want to transition into having a full beard, do not be afraid to face the hair growth on your neck. Instead, go ahead and take cues from Hugh Jackman’s no-shave look.

Full Beard

For the lucky ones who do not have trouble with growing beards, having neck hair will not make you look shabby. Here is Samuel Jackson, looking exceptional with his full frosted beard with neck hair.

The hair on his neck is primarily an extension of the beard from his chin and is more concentrated around the area where his Adam’s apple lies. The clean-shaven outer areas offset the heaviness of this style.

As you can see, there is no shame in having hair on the neck. You might even get nice compliments for it. It can even complement your beard style! So, if you are planning to shave it off, retake a look at some of these beard inspirations and think twice.

Guide to Shaving Neck Hair

The key to looking good despite having hair on your neck is to keep its length at a minimum or keep it styled. It can be a bit tricky, so here is an excellent video from Greg Zorian’s How To Cut Hair TV to help you out:

1. Warm your face with hot towel steam
   
   Greg starts by applying hot towel steam on his client. You can do the same by getting a warm towel that is not too hot and wrapping it around your face. Press the towel onto your skin for about 30 to 60 seconds until it cools off a bit. Doing this will soften the skin and beard and help the hair stand upright, letting you get a closer shave.
   
   
2. Apply a pre-shave product
   
   The next step to preparing your skin before shaving is to apply a pre-shave product. In the video, Greg uses a gel, but you can use a pre-shave oil or any of the top essential oils for shaving you have at home. This step will further condition the hair and skin, making it easier for your blade to shave on.
   
   
3. Outline your beard line
   
   Once your skin is prepped, you can now start outlining your beard line. Greg does this in small careful downward strokes under the chin. He stresses the need to follow the growth of the hair while stretching the skin towards the opposite direction.
   
   When you are done with the upper portion of your neck, transition over to the bottom part, stretch the skin downwards, and glide your blade upwards. Then, finish in the middle.
   
   
4. Shaving the Adam’s apple
   
   Be careful when shaving over Adam’s apple, especially if you have a defined one. In the video, Greg pulls the skin on the side, getting it out of the way of Adam’s apple, where it can lay flat. Then, shave the hair following the growth pattern.
   
   
5. Clean up and apply aftershave
   
   The video does not show this step, but you need to wipe your neck clean after shaving. Then, apply an aftershave product. You can use the splash first, then follow it up with an aftershave balm.
   
   Using aftershave is crucial because it has antibacterial properties that will cleanse the shaved area, preventing bacteria from building up over the micro-abrasions. Its moisturizing properties will also bring back skin-essential nutrients to avoid razor bumps.

The takeaway is that you need to be mindful of the hair growth, follow it as you shave, and always stretch the skin. It would be best if you also avoided shaving on top of your Adam’s apple as you cannot lay your razor flat above it, making you more prone to significant gashes.

If you are looking for the best tool to shave your neck hair with, what you need is a reliable beard grooming kit, like our Grizzly Beard Kit, complete with all the essentials you need. It comes with our signature Shavette Straight Razor, Hemp & Argan Beard Oil, barber-grade Stainless Steel Scissors, Bamboo Beard Comb & Brush, and Template Tool—everything you will be using in grooming your neck hair and beard.

More Naked Armor Reads: