Learning how to fade a beard is an important skill to have for any bearded man looking to rock a new style. Faded beard styles are a necessity if you shave the sides of your head or you're rocking the bald look.

The goal of a faded beard is to make a seamless blend from hair down to the sideburns and beard without any missteps along the way. A good fade will flow from head to neck. No matter your beard style, fading your beard is simple once you know the correct steps and have the right tools.

How to Prep Your Beard for a Fade

When it comes to men’s grooming, preparation is key. Before you embark on any styling endeavors, it's best practice to first wash your face and beard. Start cleaning it up and get it ready for a trim. You can either trim it yourself or have a barber perform this step during your haircut. If you have beard oil, which you should, this would be a great time to apply it to your beard (especially if you’ve got a thick beard), to soften and tame those stray hairs, giving you more control over your faded beard style.

Prepping Your Beard for a Fade

1. Set your beard and mustache to your desired length. For short beards, program your beard trimmer to its longest setting and trim down your facial hair to your preferred size and length. The longer your beard length, the more you'll need to take off around the sideburns.
2. After trimming, tighten up your beard neckline. Brush stray beard hairs downwards and place your finger in the middle of your neck. Work the trimmer in a circular motion until you reach the top of your jaw on each side.
3. Cut any loose or remaining hairs with a scissor.

Now it’s time to get that beard faded.

Fading Your Beard

Create a straight or rounded line from the top of your sideburns to the top of your mustache. Repeat this on both sides. When using a trimmer or scissors on the cheeks, make sure that you cut up and outwards so you don't nudge into that new clean line you've just made. If you don't want to line up your cheeks, make sure to at least cut the straggler wolfman cheek hairs creeping up under your eyes. 

Now that your beard hair is completely prepped, it's time for the last and most important step of the beard fade.

Start by trimming an inch above your jawline, with a length setting one below the overall length of your beard. This will slightly trim the beard hair down to start the fade. Trim another inch towards the top length of your sideburns.

Repeat this until you get to the top of your sideburns and hit your hair. If you want to do this in the opposite way and go from the sideburns down, you can do that as well.

Tips For Fading Your Beard

The most important thing to remember is that you need to start at the longest beard trimmer setting that's a bit shorter than your overall beard before working your way down to settings that are shorter and shorter as you glide along your face. A layered fade is all about the continuity of slightly shorter hair. Whether you have a short or long beard, the blending should be imperceptible as the beard length changes. 

Once the first fade is finished, it's a very easy style to maintain. Plus, it's a great look for both long beards and short beards and gives you a fresh, clean look. We recommend following up with high-quality beard products, whether you opt for a beard oil or beard balm. Incorporating these into your routine will lock in moisture, promote healthy hair growth, and help you maintain your freshly faded beard shape. They’re an essential item for any beard care routine.

So, what are you waiting for? Join the Beard Club and let us help you achieve your desired faded beard style!