How to Fade a Beard into a Bald Head
If there’s one thing that’s arguably more fashionable than having a bald head in 2021, it’s combining this with a beard. There are numerous reasons why this makes such for...
If there’s one thing that’s arguably more fashionable than having a bald head in 2021, it’s combining this with a beard.
There are numerous reasons why this makes such for such a strong and dominant look, whilst there’s no doubt that it augments the masculine characteristics that women tend to find attractive.
It’s one thing to sport a beard with a bald head, and quite another to combine this with a neat and stylish fade. After all, this is a relatively contemporary technique that’s deceptively difficult to pull-off, whilst many people misunderstand precisely what this means.
Below, we’ll explore the concept of the beard fade in a little more detail, before asking how you can fade your own facial hair into a bald scalp (and more).
Getting Back to Basics - What is a Faded Beard?
If you’ve only recently grown some facial face to go with your bald head, you may be itching to introduce some fade as a way of making the most of your remaining sideburns and embellishing your bold new look.
You need to walk before you can run, however, and in this respect it’s important to understand precisely what we mean when we say ‘faded beard’. This style of facial hair actually takes its name from the sideburns that fade nice into the beard, and historically it has been used in conjunction with short facial hair and cropped hairstyles.
With this in mind, fade involves creating a smooth transition between hair of variable lengths, and it remains one of the most crucial elements of contemporary barbering.
Usually, it refers to blending short hair on the back and sides with slightly longer strands on the top, but in the case of bald men it means fading your cheek hair into your sideburns and then into the scalp.
Ultimately, a faded beard is considered to be a well-groomed one, and it certainly helps with the transition of thick and fulsome facial hair to a bald head.
How to Fade a Beard into your Head
Whilst beard fade can create a superb transition between facial hair of variable lengths and a bald scalp, it can only be considered fashionable in instances where it’s done well!
You should also note that this technique can be difficult to complete successfully without a clear understanding of the art, so we’ve prepared a step-by-step guide to help you out!
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Get Your TrialStart by Untangling Your Beard
If you are dealing with a bushy mane of a beard, you’ll need to untangle this before you even consider attempting a fade.
To achieve this, consider using a beard brush (or comb) to apply a natural oil evenly through the facial hair.
This will help to separate individual hairs and untangle them from one another, whilst helping to moisturise the underlying skin and keeping the follicles healthy!
Then Trim Your Beard
With your facial hair now far smoother and more malleable, the next step is to trim your beard and leave it looking as neat as possible.
The precise length that you choose to keep your beard is up to you, and you don’t need to remove too much hair or thickness as part of this process.
Instead, try to trim and shape the beard to create a sense of symmetry, both in terms of the aesthetic and its length on the chin and cheeks. A key aspect of this is trimming and defining your cheek line, whilst you may also want to shape your moustache to maintain a well-balanced look at all times.
Make Sure That you Trim in the Right Direction
On this note, it’s crucial that you trim your beard in the right direction when grooming, which is ideally from bottom to top.
This ensures that you can achieve a more even length and the desired shape at all times, so start at your neckline and move upwards towards the sideburns in a smooth, even motion.
This process should be made easier having de-tangled your facial hair, but try to move fluidly to achieve the best possible results.
Next Up - Fade Those Sideburns
Due to the nature of male pattern baldness, the hair on the sides of your head will be the last to go (hence the dreaded comb-over from yesteryear!).
So, when you shave your head, you’ll be able to keep your sideburns largely in place, and these seemingly insignificant patches of hair will most likely be the subject of your beard fade.
The goal here is simple; as you want to ensure that the beard does not abruptly either at the sides of your head or once it reaches the temples.
So, use your trimmer to create a gradual and incremental fade that looks inherently natural, moving upwards through the sideburns at the desired length.
At this stage, you can review the overall length of your beard and decide if you want to introduce a more comprehensive fade that stretches from your chin hair to the sideburns. This depends on the precise look that you want to achieve, but this should ultimately be organic and offer subtle transitions between alternative lengths.
How to Fade a Beard into your Neck?
At this stage, you should be able to create a neat transitional fade between your facial hair and your bald scalp.
However, this means little unless you’re also able to fade your facial hair into your neck, as otherwise you’ll have a slightly uneven look that will have people asking if you gave up halfway through your grooming attempts!
So, here’s a step-by-step insight into how you can fade your now impressive beard into your neck.
Understand Where to Trim Your Neckline
We understand that this is a personal choice, but in general terms you should try to envisage a curved line that runs between both ears.
Then, connect this by selecting an additional point just above the Adam’s apple, as this will create a balanced neckline that lends itself to a well-groomed look.
The key goal here is to allow the hair under your chin to flourish, without enabling it to spread like wildfire towards your chest or the back of your neck.
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Get Your Clippers Oiled and Ready to Remove the Hair Below the Adam’s Apple
Next up, you’ll need to oil your clippers and adjust them to their shortest length (or at least two lengths lower than your facial hair).
Then, take your trimmer and clip everything below the imaginary line that you’ve already mapped out, clearing away those unsightly or unkempt patches of hair that tend to grow south of the chin.
As a general rule, we’d recommend keeping this area of skin as free from hair as possible, as this maintains a clean and modern look that’s indicative of a well-groomed male!
Introducing the Fade - Blending your Beard into Your Neckline
Obviously, this can leave you with a stark contrast between the hair under your chin and the clean shaven space below your Adam’s apple, so the next step is to blend the beard into the neckline.
To achieve this, set your clippers to one or two lengths lower than your facial hair. Then, target the initial space just above the Adam’s apple and inside your hypothetical line, in order to create a smoother transition between the bald and furry patches on your neck.
From here, you should adjust the clippers to one length shorter than your facial hair, before trimming the hair that sits just beneath your jawline in a smooth, upwards motion.
Alternatively, you can leave this hair at the same length of your facial hair, depending on the setting that you’ve used to create the initial fade. This is a matter of personal choice, but the key is to create a subtle fade that keeps your beard looking neat and tidy at all times.
Finally, pay attention to any remaining stray hairs that sit at the nape of the neck and the bottom of the fade, taking care to buzz these away and add an element of precision to your overall look.
The Last Word
By understanding the role of the beard fade and following these carefully cultivated steps, you can make the most of this cutting-edge facial hair style and really make the most of your bold new look.
Most importantly, you’ll be able to create a neat and seamless transition between your beard and your bald scalp, whilst developing a modern and stylish aesthetic that’s the envy of all.
Our only remaining tip is to use good quality tools like a well-oiled trimmer and a beard comb, whilst leveraging natural products to create a smooth and ultimately eye-catching beard!
