The world would be a perfect place if the only thing you needed to do was let the beard grow freely, without any problem or need to take care of it.

It’s not that simple.

Growing a beard is a never-ending masterpiece, but a fun one. Once you master the basics, everything else falls into place.

Talking about the basics, we can’t skip the famous fade beard. No matter the style you choose, seamlessly blending the sideburns, beard and hair is vital.

Get a beard fade wrong and you look like a creep who took the trimmer one day and decided to ruin his clean look.

Get it right and you instantly become the magnet for opposite and same sex.

Learning how to grow and trim the perfect beard fade takes some time at first, but once you do it, you’ll look like you fell off the latest magazine’s cover.

The best first stop to get it right is this article. Make sure to read the growing and trimming sections thoroughly.

After that, pick one of 8 amazing style ideas and get to work. We’d say good luck, but you won’t need luck when you have this ultimate guide.

8 Best Faded Beard Styles

Now that you know the step by step guide to fading your beard and maintaining it, it’s time to choose a style that suits you. 

Long Beard Fade Styles

If you are into a long beard, you can still keep it looking well-kept through a precision fade. The long beard fade is achieved by fading the beard but maintaining the length. 

Mid-Length Beard Fade Style

Just as the name suggests, the beard is trimmed to mid-length and then faded out. One thing you need to note however if you are going for this style is that mid-length beards tend to look scruffy if they are not shaped well. 

As such, insist on a clean fade or ensure that you do it cleanly at home where you make a clean line and fade your hair into your facial hair. 

Additionally, to maintain the look ensure that you get a trim regularly to maintain the shape.

Short Beard Fade Styles

Long beards aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. If you are the kind who would rather go for short beard styles, then the short beard fade will fit you. 

Go for a heavy fade taking the 0 all the way down to the bottom of your ear and blending it from there ensuring that you leave enough hair for a strong lineup. 

This style is particularly ideal for those who don’t have a lot of hair growth on the cheeks. When it comes to maintenance, since it’s a short style, it will take a little more work to maintain the shape. 

It is recommended that you allow the hair to grow out through your sides and then using a beard trimmer or a razor, trim it to keep the cheeks and neckline clean. 

If you can’t do it at home, make a point of visiting the barbershop at least once a week.

Skin Fade With Beard Fade Style

If you want a high contrast look, then a skin fade with a beard is the way to go. With this style, try to complement your hair cut with a fade on the sides of your head and back.

Opt for a high skin fade for a bolder look since this creates a clean-cut appearance that you can blend with a beard fade. 

Thick ‘Stache

Contrary to popular belief, beard fading doesn’t necessarily entail trimming your beard short all the time. As such, if you are going for a thick beard style, you can still manage it with a beard fade. 

With this style, start with the short hair around the temples and allow it to increase gradually until it joins the mustache. 

Bald Fade With Beard Style

The good thing about a beard fade is that it goes with any hairstyle of choice. As such, even if you were to opt for a bald fade on the back and sides, you will still not feel naked since the beard balances the entire look. 

Thick Buzzed Beard With Man Bun

For men who have naturally thick hair, the thick buzzed beard with a man bun is a flattening look worth trying. 

Since the beard fade thins out your beard, it becomes way easier to maintain it and because of that, you can pull off the look even if you have a long hairstyle like a man bun. 

Edged Light Beard Fade

If you prefer to rock an eye-catching hairstyle, then chances are that you want your beard to look as sharp. 

To achieve this look, add an edgy outline that will pull everything together by complementing the style with a line up around the cheekbones and forehead. 

What Is Beard Fade

A beard fade is a trendy look that you can use to spruce up your everyday beard style. Just like there are fades for head hairstyles, there are tons of beard fade styles that you can use.

It has become a very important element in bear grooming. So what is a bear fade? A beard fade involves trimming your facial hair in such a way that it creates a smooth transition between hair of different lengths.  

On the head, it involves blending the long hair on the top of the head with short hair on the sides and back. With a beard, it all about fading the chin hair into the cheek hair and the hair on cheeks into your sideburns creating a sort of faded look. 

When a beard fade is done right, it pairs well with similar faded haircuts like a pompadour and slick back. A good beard fade should look intentional rather than just hair that has grown out of nowhere to create a faded look. 

It is an attractive look that works for almost all face shapes. A beard fade takes precision and you need to know how to do it right. 

Benefits of Having Beard Fade

If you are thinking about changing up things with your facial hair, here are a few benefits of a beard fade that you need to be aware of:

Creates a Neat Looking Beard

If you have been meaning to upgrade your facial hairstyle, then you can’t go wrong with a beard fade. It creates a smooth blend for a neater looking beard.  

Builds Confidence

The beard fade is a classic style that is an instant confidence builder. This is especially when it is combined with other similar hairstyles. 

Hides Blemishes

Deciding to grow a beard in the first place means that you don’t do much shaving hence fewer razor cuts. Just like a full beard, a beard fade helps to hide blemishes or rather keeps the attention to the good areas of your face. 

Trains the Beard

Since beard fade is all about trimming your beard to blend in a precise way, in the process, you will be training your facial hair to grow in the direction that you want it to. 

How To Fade It Like a Professional

The following is a step-by-step breakdown of the perfect procedure on how to fade a beard:

Step 1 – Trimming your beard

Before we can even get to the beard fade, we have to get the rest of your beard in order.

Determine the length you want the beard, then break out those top-rated trimmers and set them to the desired length and get working.

It is important to get the entire beard trimmed first and leave the fade for last so it effectively blends right into your hair.

Step 2 – Begin at the bottom

Start trimming your beard at the bottom, or the neckline. Set your trimmer to either 3 or 2, and start cleaning up the facial hair from down below Adam’s apple all the way to where your neck meets the jawline.

Once you have trimmed all that area of the beard, switch the trimmer length setting to 2 or 1, and finish off the rest of the beard.

Be sure to razor clean anything below Adam’s apple to maintain those crisp and clean lines.

For lining, styling and alignment here are the best beard shaping tool to help you:

Step 3 – Cleaning up your cheeks

Now that you have successfully trimmed the rest of your beard and shaved clean below Adam’s apple, you have to get those cheeks tidied up. There are two ways that you can go here.

Since the area around the cheek line is more visible, decide if you want a crisp line or a natural fade.

if you are going for the chin strap look, then you can razor a tight edge between beard and cheeks from ear to ear.

To go for a more natural look, use the trimmer with the guard off, and eradicate any stragglers that are keeping that region clean.

Don’t worry about maintaining a tight line, just cut down the sprouts too far away from the rest of the herd.

Step 4 – Trimming your mustache

Take your trimmer and cut away any mustache hair that is growing over your lips.

Try to keep the mustache the same length as the beard above the jawline, so keep trimmer on either 2 or 1 as you used in the earlier steps.

Again, if you went with the chinstrap, you want your mustache lines to be neat and tight.

If you went for the more natural look, then take off the guard and spot check any mustache hairs that seem to be out of place.

How to Fade the Beard With the Rest of Your Hair

Now that you have gone through the steps to make certain your beard is all evened out, it is time to beard fade the facial hair with the rest of the hair on your head.

Step 1 – Pick a location where your beard is the longest

This is usually near the jawline. Set the trimmer to a shorter length setting, then trim an area one inch up.

Step 2 – Move inch by inch

Move up another inch, shorten the trimmer again, clean that area and do not go below that line. Move up another inch, shorten the trimmers, and continue fading the beard as you move up. Depending on how low you started, keep lowering the trimmer setting and moving up in one-inch increments until you read your hair.

Step 3 – Repeat the process on the other side

Repeat this exact same process on the other side of your head until you go from beard to hair. Don’t get discouraged if it seems like a lot of work now. Over time this process will get much easier and definitely faster.

At this point, the hair on your head will gradually blend into the facial hair without taking away any focus from the beard. Once you get this right the first time, the rest will be easy.

How to Maintain That Perfect Beard Fade

If you are like most people, you may be reluctant to try a beard fade for good reasons. While there are many benefits of adopting this style, it’s not for everyone.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just about trimming the beard to have a fading effect, but how you maintain it as well.

It takes a lot to maintain a faded beard style and if you don’t think you can commit to that, you are better off putting it off until you are ready.

If you are ready to delve into it however, here are a few steps to maintain a faded beard look. 

Step 1 – Trim the beard every week

If your beard is of the right length, a trim every week is necessary. This helps to maintain the faded look ensuring that your beard doesn’t grow longer than it’s supposed to. 

Step 2 – Experiment with different products

There are so many beard care products in the market, that you might have a hard time settling on one particular product. 

In such a case, it’s better if you experiment with different products until you find one that works perfectly for you.

Always ensure that you apply shaving gel as well as cream when you are shaving hence the reason why you need to experiment with different gels and creams.  

Step 3 – Apply the products on wet skin

Before you apply any beard care product like gel or moisturizer, wet the skin. This ensures that the hairs rise slightly which leads to a smoother, cleaner shave. 

Step 4 – Use a moisturizer

After shaving, never leave the skin underneath dry because this may lead to dandruff and itching. The last thing you need is dry skin flakes appearing on your well-faded beard. 

As such, use a moisturizer, ensuring that you pay extra attention to the skin under the beard. 

Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

• Use beard grooming products like beard oils, beard balm, and moisturizer to maintain a clean and sharp looking beard.
• Trim the beard at least once a week to maintain the fade.  As mentioned earlier, a beard fade needs a little more to maintain and you need to ensure that you can handle that.
• Trim your beard and mustache before you begin fading to get rid of any excess bulk.
• Ensure that you are in a position to handle the maintenance that a beard fade demands.

Don’ts

• Don’t insist on fading your beard if you have patchy facial hair. There is not a barber shop in the world who can help you fade a patchy beard. 

FAQ About Beard Fades

Is a beard fade right for me?

Faded beards look great but they are not for everyone. They require a lot of maintenance in terms of trimming and if you don’t have the money or the time, then there is no need opting for this style. Again, if you have patchy facial hair style, a faded beard will not work for you. 

How to fade a beard at home?

Rather than spending money at the barber’s shop every week, you can fade your beard at home but it requires you to have a steady hand as well as the right tools like a razor, adjustable clippers, or trimmer, and a beard comb. You also need to be familiar with the steps you need to take for the perfect fade.