Faded beard styles are versatile, so whether you’re going for the dramatic Conor McGregor tapered beard or the clean-cut Zayn Malik look, this essential guide on how to fade a beard has got your back (and your beard).
Before the beard fade begins: trim
Before you find out how to fade a beard, get the bulk of your beard in check with a wash, brush and trim.
1. Go to a great length
First thing’s first – get your beard and moustache to your ideal length. Wash and dry your beard, set your trimmer to its longest setting and trim your beard and moustache, going against the grain to remove any excess bulk. The more length you leave, the more dramatic your final beard fade look will be, but if you prefer a subtler look, repeat with a shorter setting until you have your preferred length.
2. Sharpen up your neckline
Brush your beard downwards to avoid stray hairs, place a finger horizontally just above the Adam’s apple and trim a vertical strip below this line. Work outwards under your jawline, and repeat on the other side. For laser precision here, use the Philips Shaver Series 9000.
3. Clean up
Follow with a clean shave below your new beard neckline, taking care not to bump into the line you have just created.
4. Trim your cheekline
For an extra clean faded beard style, go for a crisp cheekline. Create a straight or slightly rounded line from the bottom of your side burns to the tip of your moustache. Repeat on the other side and clean up the upper cheek area, again taking care not to nudge the clean line you have just created. If you prefer to keep your cheeks natural, leave the cheek line but clean up any stragglers on the upper cheeks.
5. Tidy up your moustache
Brush the moustache hair down and use the edge of the blades to follow the top lip line, trimming away any moustache hair that has grown over your lip. For a slick look, trim the top line of your moustache into a tidy line.
How to fade your beard
Now your beard is perfectly preened, it’s time for the beard fade.
1. Begin creating your tapered beard by trimming an inch above the jawline with your blades set to one setting shorter than the rest of your beard. Trim an inch towards the sideburns. 2. Shorten the blades again, before trimming another inch towards your sideburns. 3. Repeat this process, moving up in one-inch increments until the top of your sideburns blend seamlessly with the sides of your haircut.
