A beard with a fade, also known as a beard fade called, gives your beard a sharp and well-groomed appearance. Instead of using the same length everywhere, you gradually blend the beard hair from short to long. This is especially effective around the sideburns, allowing your hairstyle and beard to blend together beautifully.
A good beard fade may seem difficult to create yourself, but with a trimmer, different guard attachments, and a little patience, you can get a long way. The most important thing is not to remove too much beard hair right away. A nice fade is built up with small differences in length.
In this guide, we explain step by step how to trim a beard with a fade, which lengths you can use, and how to maintain the fade neatly afterward.
What Is a Beard Fade?
A beard fade is a trimming technique in which different beard lengths gradually blend into one another. The technique is also called a beard fade called.
Usually, the hairs at the sideburns are the shortest. Moving downward, the beard hair gradually becomes slightly longer until the fade transitions into the fuller part of the beard around the jaw and chin.
The aim is for it to be barely noticeable where one length ends and the next begins. So there is no hard line between, for example, 2 and 6 millimeters. When the lengths are blended properly, the transition looks natural.
A beard fade can also blend beautifully into a fade in your hairstyle. This makes your hair, sideburns, and beard look like one cohesive whole.
Why Choose a Beard with a Fade?
The biggest advantage of a beard fade is its neat appearance. Especially with a full beard, long sideburns can make the sides of the face look heavy. By shortening this section and gradually blending it into the rest of the beard, the beard takes on more shape.
A fade doesn't have to be extreme at all. You can choose a subtle transition in which the difference between the lengths remains small. If you prefer a strikingly sharp beard, you can keep the sideburns very short and make the difference toward the jaw and chin greater.
Which style looks best depends on your beard length, hair growth, face shape, and hairstyle.
Which beards are suitable for a fade?
A fade isn't only suitable for a long or full beard. A short beard can also be faded.
With a short beard the differences between the lengths are usually smaller. For example, you can gradually transition from very short sideburns to a beard of a few millimeters.
With a long beard you have more room to create a clear transition. The sides can be kept relatively short, while the beard becomes increasingly longer and fuller toward the chin.
The denser and more evenly your beard grows, the easier it usually is to create a visible, smooth transition. Do you have areas where less beard hair grows? Then you can adjust the lengths to make the best possible use of your natural beard growth.
What tools do you need for a beard fade?
The most important tool for a beard fade is a beard trimmer with different length settings or guards. The smaller the steps between the available lengths, the more accurately you can create the transition.
A beard comb is also useful for laying longer hairs straight before trimming. For a longer or fuller beard, you can also use a beard brush to make your beard's natural shape more visible.
For finishing your cheek and neckline, you can use a precision trimmer or razor.
After trimming, you can beard oil or beard balm apply to care for the beard and make it easier to style.
How do you create a beard fade yourself?
A good beard fade isn't created by running a trimmer along your sideburns just once. You build the transition up step by step.
So always start carefully. You can easily remove more hair later, but a section trimmed too short will first need to grow back.
Step 1: determine the length of your beard
First determine how long the fullest part of your beard should remain. This is usually the area around the jaw and chin.
First trim the rest of your beard to the desired base length. This gives you a clear starting point before creating the transition.
With a longer beard, you don't necessarily have to trim the chin with the same guard. The chin can be left longer if you want to create a fuller or longer beard style.
Step 2: determine where the transition begins
The fade usually starts at the sideburns. Also consider your hairstyle.
Do you have a fade or a shaved hairstyle? It often looks good when the transition of your beard connects to the fade in your hair.
Do you have longer hair? Then you can keep the beard fade more subtle, so there is no extreme difference between your hairstyle and beard.
Step 3: trim the sideburns shorter
Use a shorter trimmer setting for the upper part of the sideburns. This will be the shortest section of your beard fade.
Work carefully and don't make the area too large right away. The ultimate goal is a gradual transition, not a large bald or extremely short patch next to your ear.
Step 4: build up the different lengths
Now the most important part begins: the blending the beard.
Use one or more intermediate lengths between the short sideburns and the longer beard. This removes the harsh dividing line.
For example, you could work from approximately 2 mm at the top of the sideburn to 4 mm below it, then 6 mm, and finally transition to the longer beard. These are only examples; the right lengths depend on your own beard.
Work with small movements and regularly check the result in between.
Step 5: blend away visible lines
Can you still clearly see where a shorter length transitions into a longer length? Then that section needs to be blended further.
For this, use a length that falls between the two areas and carefully move the trimmer through the transition area. Make short movements and angle the trimmer slightly away from your face at the end.
Do not keep trimming the same section shorter. If you continue trimming too high, your fade will keep shifting downward, and you may eventually remove too much beard hair.
Step 6: compare both sides
A common mistake when trimming your own beard is making one side higher or shorter than the other.
Therefore, stop regularly and look straight at your face in the mirror. Compare the height of both sideburns and check whether the transition is roughly even.
Perfect symmetry is not always possible because beard hair can grow differently on each side. The most important thing is that the overall look is visually balanced.
Step 7: finish your beard line
Once the fade looks right, you can tidy up the rest of your beard.
Remove stray hairs above your cheek line and define a neat neckline. Do not automatically make these lines extremely sharp. With some beard styles, a natural beard line may actually blend better with a subtle fade.
Then comb or brush your beard again so you can check whether any stray hairs are still visible.
Which lengths should you use for a beard fade?
There is no fixed combination of millimeter settings that works for every beard. The right settings depend on the length of your beard and how noticeable you want the fade to be.
For a short beard, you can work with small differences, such as 1, 2, 3, and 4 millimeters. With a longer beard, you can use larger steps and eventually transition to a much longer chin length.
The most important thing is not which exact millimeter settings you use, but that the transition gradually fades.
When in doubt, always start longer. If you notice that the difference is barely visible, you can still use a shorter setting.
Blend a beard fade into your haircut
One of the most attractive uses of a beard fade is connecting your beard to your haircut.
For example, if you have a low, mid, or high fade in your hair, the barber can continue the transition through the sideburns into your beard. This creates a smooth line from your haircut to your facial hair.
Trimming it yourself is more difficult because you need to consider the length at which your haircut ends. Therefore, do not simply start extremely short at the top of your sideburns.
The more natural the transition between your hair and beard, the more polished the overall look usually is.
Which beard fade suits your face?
You can influence your facial proportions with the length and shape of your beard.
For example, if you have a somewhat rounder face, you can keep the sides relatively short and retain a little more length around the chin. This can make the face appear longer.
With a long or narrow face, you can retain more volume at the sides and prevent the beard from becoming extremely long around the chin.
A fade does not need to be trimmed the same way for everyone. Focus mainly on the combination of your face shape, haircut, and natural beard growth.
How often should you touch up a beard fade?
A beard fade does not stay sharp on its own. The shortest hairs around the sideburns grow out relatively quickly, in particular, making the difference between the various lengths less visible over time.
How often you need to touch it up varies from person to person and depends on your beard growth and how sharp you want to keep the fade. A short, defined fade generally requires more frequent maintenance than a longer, more subtle fade.
You do not have to retrim your entire beard every time. Often, it is enough to blend the sideburns and transition again and remove stray hairs.
Common mistakes with a beard fade
The most common mistake is removing too much hair too quickly. When the transition does not look right immediately, it is tempting to keep choosing a shorter setting. As a result, the fade may ultimately become much higher or shorter than you originally intended.
Another mistake is using too few intermediate lengths. For example, when you go directly from very short to a long beard, a visible line often remains. Small steps make it easier to create a natural transition.
Also pay attention to both sides of your face. When you only look from the side, you may only notice afterwards that one fade is higher than the other.
Grooming your beard after trimming
A sharp fade looks better when the rest of your beard is well-groomed too.
After trimming, you can clean your beard to remove loose hairs. For this, preferably use a beard shampoo that is intended for cleaning beard hair.
Then you can apply a few drops of beard oil through your beard. Beard oil helps care for the beard hair and the skin beneath your beard and makes coarse hairs softer.
Do you have a longer beard and want more control over its shape? Then you can beard balm to use. A balm cares for the beard and also helps keep stray hairs neatly in place.
Distribute the product with your hands, then use a beard comb or beard brush to distribute it evenly throughout the beard.
Fade your beard yourself or go to the barber?
You can easily learn to create a simple fade yourself. Especially when your beard already has a clear shape and you only want to fade the sideburns, you can do a lot yourself with an adjustable trimmer.
Would you like a very clean fade that matches your haircut exactly? Then a barber may be a better choice. You can then use the same lengths at home to maintain the result between haircuts.
Optionally, take a photo of your beard immediately after the barber has finished and remember which lengths were used. This makes it easier to recreate the same shape at home.
A well-defined beard starts with proper maintenance
A beard with a fade is a good choice when you want a modern, sleek, and well-groomed beard. The most important thing is to build the transition gradually and use different lengths to avoid harsh lines.
Always start longer than you think you need and make the beard shorter step by step. Pay extra attention to the sideburns, regularly check that both sides are even, and care for the beard after trimming.
With a little practice, it becomes increasingly easier to create a natural beard fade to create and maintain it neatly.
Order beard care products from Velihan Beardcare
After trimming and fading, your beard deserves proper care. At Velihan Beardcare you will find various products to complete your daily beard care routine.
Use beard oil to care for your beard hair and the skin beneath your beard and keep them softer. Would you like to style your beard better after trimming? Then you can choose beard balm. With beard shampoo you clean the beard and with a beard comb or beard brush then bring the hairs neatly back into shape.
Would you like to combine several products at once? Then take a look at Velihan Beardcare's beard care sets for a complete grooming routine.
