How to Make Your Neckbeards Look Cool

Photo by gstockstudio on Depositphotos

There’s probably no beard style more reviled than a neckbeard. For those unfamiliar with this style, a neckbeard is that section of your beard that starts under the jaw and ends where your shirt begins. In this article, we'll show you how to make a neckbeard look cool.

Of late, it’s become a prominent feature in stereotypical portrayals of fat gamers¹, even showing up in emojis. It’s been used as an insult², an unfair label for nerds and rather wrongly, in profiling would-be incels. Just because one has a neckbeard doesn’t make him automatically a misogynist pig, people.

Let’s be clear about this: neckbeards are a legit beard style. They’ve been around centuries and have actually been fashionable at one point. Among the artifacts discovered by archaeologists digging in what used to be Carthage during 3rd century BC, were Carthaginian masks³ which prominently featured neckbeards.

Among the Amish⁴, neckbeards are a cultural tradition, one that is based on religious grounds. In general, Amish men will shave their beards regularly but when they get married, they stop shaving and allow it to grow out. This is because growing a beard or a neckbeard is a rite of passage of manhood.
So how did it ever come to this point that neckbeards became an object of derision?

• Neckbeard Origins
• Benefits of a Neckbeard
• How to Make Your Neckbeards Look Cool
• Regular Aftercare

Neckbeard Origins

Sometime around 2009-2013, wearing fedoras or trilbies became a fashionable trend among socially awkward male teenagers. They thought that it was cool to wear them as it countered the hipster trend that was prominent among the “cool” kids at that time. One prevailing attitude among them was their general obliviousness of why they didn’t fit with the cool crowd. This lack of understanding often extended to personal grooming. They didn’t shave and preferred to grow out their neckbeards.

This crowd often congregated on Reddit⁵, which during this time, was becoming a booming platform for such niche crowds. When the platform began to be overrun by misogynistic trolls, it easily assimilated the resentment and turned it into the “women are at fault for not wanting to date them” variety.

To be fair though, not everyone was on board for this. In general, most dropped out of the platform due to increased self-awareness. The rest who stayed on became incels, permanently attaching their awful reputation with neckbeards and fedoras.

Benefits of a Neckbeard 

A well-groomed neckbeard is practical and stylish in colder seasons but needs regular maintenance.
Photo by deagreez1 on Depositphotos

Stereotypes notwithstanding, a neckbeard is actually a practical beard style to have. Now that fall season is near at hand, and winter will be coming soon, having a neckbeard keeps your neck easily warm during cold temperatures.

If you’ve got a narrow facial shape, growing a neckbeard can help even make you look good. That’s because a neckbeard helps broaden the chin and balances the face more effectively.

Like any beard style though, you have to make the effort to groom it so that it would look good and garner beard compliments. Because left untouched, it can easily turn unruly and unkempt, making you into a wild man of the mountain, or worse, an incel on a most wanted list.

The good news is that there are a lot of shaving tools and products on the market that can make your neckbeard look cool. Use the right ones and you’ll end up with a crisp and clean neckbeard that’s sure to be the envy of just about anyone.

How to Make Neckbeards Look Cool

The coolest neckbeards are the ones which look like there’s zero maintenance involved and yet the hair is pretty much in shape. To do this, one has to trim it properly and here, at Naked Armor, we’re going to show you how to do it.

• Step 1. Identify Your Jawline
  
  You need to know where that line is along your jaw that clearly separates the beard from the rest of the face. Make a mental note of it later.
  
  
• Step 2. Wash Your Beard
  
  You want to clean your beard well to make it soft and clean of tangles and knots. Washing it with warm water also gets rid of all the food debris that might have been inadvertently trapped there while you were eating.
  
  
• Step 3. Apply Some Pre-Shave Oil
  
  Applying a small amount of pre-shave oil to your beard at this point can help restore the moisture to your skin. It also helps prepare the hair for easy shaving.
  
  
• Step 4. Apply Lather on Your Beard
  
  Whisk lather on a shaving soap and apply lavishly to your face and neck areas. Remember that trim line you noted earlier on? Trace it now on your jawline using a finger. By mapping it out this way, you’ll know where to start and end shaving. Include the chin and neck areas so that you don’t trim too low.
  
  
• Step 5. Use a Straight Razor
  
  A straight razor is easy to maneuver around different angles and is the right tool to carve those sharp lines along your beard. Also if you shave in one direction across your neck, you’ll have to use different angles of approach and you can do that easily with a straight razor.
  
  
• Step 6. Begin Shaving the Cheeks
  
  Shave the cheeks down and towards the trim line. Leave the chin area intact. You’re basically done at this point.
  
  
• Step 7. Apply Beard Balm
  
  Wash off the lather residue, dry your beard and then apply a beard balm. A beard balm is best for neckbeards because it’s thick enough that you can use it to style the beard. It softens the beard but it also adds volume to it.

Regular Aftercare 

Daily cleaning, grooming, and applying beard balm will keep your neckbeard looking great.
Photo by Kingsley on Pexels

Now that you’re done trimming it, you gotta clean it on a daily basis afterwards. For added maintenance, get yourself a bamboo brush or comb to clean your beard with. Regular care and application of beard balm will make you, in no time, similar to this awesome neckbearded gents⁶.

Here at Naked Armor, we’ve got a complete set of beard grooming kits that are guaranteed to keep your neckbeard awesome on a daily basis.

These sets come in exquisite elegant boxes that make it ready for gifting. From beard style combs to razors, Naked Armor has it all. Check our site to find out more.

More Naked Armor Tips on Shaving

Straight Razor Shaving: How to Wet Shave with a Straight Razor
How to Clean a Straight Razor: Do’s and Don’ts
Stop Razor Nick or Cut Bleeding: Home Remedies and First-Aid Tips

References

1. Rosewarne, L. (2016, February 11). How neckbeards have become a screen stereotype. PURSUIT. https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/how-neckbeards-have-become-a-screen-stereotype
2. Deutsch, B. (2016, February 23). Saying ‘Neckbeard’ Isn’t Hurtful in the Way You Think – Why We Need to Drop This Insult. Everyday Feminism. https://everydayfeminism.com/2016/02/neckbeard-cartoon/
3. Cave, J. (2016, September 2). How To Properly Groom Your Neckbeard For The Springtime. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-shave-your-neck_n_57278af0e4b0f309baf17072
4. Hiskey, D. (2011, January 7). Why Amish Men Grow Beards But Not Mustaches. Today I Found Out. https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/01/why-amish-men-grow-beards-but-not-mustaches/
5. JustHi5. (2018, July 23). What's up with the neckbeard culture in US? Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/8y1hik/whats_up_with_the_neckbeard_culture_in_us/?rdt=45773
6. Dimengo, N. (2013, September 12). The Best Neckbeards in Sports. Bleacher Report. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1770222-the-best-neckbeards-in-sports