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Like most people, you've probably heard the term neckbeard thrown around a lot, but you may not know exactly what it means. In this blog post, we will provide a comprehensive guide to neckbeards. We'll discuss neckbeards, where the term came from, why some men grow them, and how to care for one. So if you're curious about neckbeards, keep reading!

What Exactly Is A Neckbeard?

A neckbeard is a style of facial hair grown on the neck area and is generally poorly groomed. But when someone uses the term neckbeard, they aren't always talking about just a form of facial hair.

According to the Urban Dictionary, a neckbeard also refers to a man with certain personality traits, like being socially awkward, nerdy, physically unattractive, and having a generally negative attitude towards others. It is usually a derogatory term to demean someone and is associated with the appearance of an out-of-shape male with a bearded neck. Neckbeard also refers to men with misogynistic attitudes who disrespect women.

Where Did The Term Neckbeard Originate?

While neckbeard seems like a relatively new term, it dates back to the 1800s. Charles Sealsfield used it in his novel "Rambleton." Back then, it was more literal by referring to a man with a bearded neck and was not derogatory.

Neckbeard as we know it today and popularised by pop culture originated in the early 2000s as a slang term for a computer geek. The term was first spotted on Usenet, one of the early online forums where computer enthusiasts congregated online to discuss computers and coding.

Around 2005 the term started to become more widely used on a new website at the time, Reddit, where it took on its more derogatory meaning. Subreddit communities popped up sharing memes and photos titled and tagged "neckbeard cringe." The term became so popular that in 2006 the popular TV Show South Park aired an episode called "Make Love, Not Warcraft." The episode featured a character depicted as a "neckbeard" in a derogatory way to make fun of people who played the popular computer video game World of Warcraft. Neckbeard has been a frequent term to describe a particular type of person since then.

How Do you Know If You're A Neckbeard?

While neckbeard refers to someone with a bearded or hairy neck, it's more about the person's attitude. If you find yourself being socially awkward in discussions, frequently insulting people or correcting them, then this might be the reason people refer to use as a neckbeard and less about your personal appearance.

If you have been called a neckbeard, try not to take offense and look at it as an opportunity for self-examination and improvement. Social intelligence isn't always everyone's strength. Some of the most intelligent people in society, like Elon Musk and Albert Einstein, struggle with social interactions. So don't feel bad about it, and understand that you can significantly improve this by being more aware when you are overcorrecting people or coming across as insulting, even if you don't mean it. It's not always about what you say; it's about how you say it!

What Causes A Neckbeard?

A physical neckbeard is caused by beard hairs and growth down on the chin and neck below the Adam's apple. It is often associated with a messy appearance and poor grooming, so letting your neck hair grow without trimming, shaving, or washing also causes a neck beard appearance.

What causes someone to have the personality traits of a "neckbeard" is a little more complicated to answer. It's usually caused when someone has a relatively high IQ and becomes socially awkward or lacks self-confidence. This behavior stems from personal insecurity that develops after many failed social interactions or bullying events.

Should You Keep Your Neckbeard?

It's all a matter of personal preference. If you like the way you look with a neckbeard, then you should go ahead and keep it! If you aren't happy with the way you look, or if you are worried about the stigma associated with neckbeards, then maybe it's time to take your facial hair style in another direction.

If you grow a lot of facial hair there are quite a few beard styles out there to choose from. One of our favorite styles is the Viking beard. Going from neckbeard to Viking is definitely an attention-grabbing transition, and for the better. You can read our guide to getting a Viking beard here.

How To Avoid A Neckbeard

If you want to avoid the neckbeard style, it comes down to good hygiene and maintaining your beard. Make sure to wash your face regularly to avoid acne and other skin conditions that look unpleasant.

Next, invest in a good trimmer. The Brio Beardscape is perfect for getting through thick unruly hair. Take some time once or twice a week to trim your beard evenly. You can use trim guards to get a nice even length and create a neat appearance. Another thing you can do is define the shape of your beard. You can use a trim head like the Zero-Blade to get those nice sharp lines.

You would be surprised by the difference just choosing a style and shaping your beard can make. You can read our guide here, which will help you find the best beard style for your face shape.

How Do You Make A Neckbeard Look Good?

A neckbeard doesn't have to be an unruly and unsightly mess. With just a little maintenance, you can make this style look pretty good. We will walk you through a few things you can do below to look like a respectable gentleman instead of a Reddit moderator.

Where Should A Neckbeard End?

A contemporary neckbeard that looks nice should not go below the Adam's apple. You want the natural curvature from the back of your jaw to your adams apple ephesised with a gradually curved line. We will talk about grooming in the following steps, but for now, if you have hair below your Adams apple, take note of that and follow the trimming instructions below.

Neck Beard Styles

There are a few neckbeard styles to choose from; we will show you the top three types below.

Stubble Neckbeard

The stubble neckbeard is probably our favorite style. It features a rustic stubble appearance. It's easy to maintain and keep clean because it doesn't take a lot of time styling. All you have to do is go over it with a trimmer about once per week without a trim guard.

The Lincoln beard

The lincoln beard is a very masculine version of the neck beard. While it does feature hair on the neck, It emphasizes your jawline. To get this look, you only need a powerful trimmer and about a 4 or 5 trim guards. You can use a precision trim blade like the Zero-Blade if you want those cheek lines to look sharp.

The Chin Curtain

The Chin curtain is a very traditional version of the neck beard. This style will work great if you like heritage and that craftsman appearance. It is a longer style, but the edges on top of the beard and the shaven upper lip and face make it look clean and grommed.

How To Trim A Neckbeard

If you're going to rock a neckbeard, then we really do recommend trimming it to some degree. The majority of neckbeard stigmas come from the unruly or messy appearance. You can avoid that altogether if you keep it neatly trimmed. Let's walk you through how to do that.

Wash and Comb

Before you get started trimming, you want to make sure to wash your face and give your beard a quick comb. This will remove all the dirt and grease that could get stuck in your trimmer, and it helps the hair lay down straight.

if you are having a hard time getting your hair to lay down straight then, you can use a hair dryer to blow downwards during your comb.

Trim The Lower Neck

Make sure your beard is completely dry. If a beard is wet, you tend to cut off more hair than you need to. We are going to start with the lower neck. You can use your trimmer without a guard. We want to define the beard and give it a little shape.

Remember, we don't want a neckbeard going lower than the adam's apple. Slowly define a slightly curved line from the back of your jaw to your adam's apple. Once you have a line defined, you can then go and remove all the hair on the lower neck below that line.

Trim The Top Of The Beard

If your beard grows up onto your cheeks, then it's going to look a lot better with a well-defined line. If you prefer a straight upper beard, then all you have to do is take a precision blade like the zero blade or your trimmer without a guard and slowly trim a straight line going from the bottom of your ear to the side of your mouth.

If you prefer for the line to have a slight curve, then what you do to easily accomplish this is touch your cheek and bring it up to the corner of your eye. This will lift the skin in the middle of the cheek. Just define a straight line right through that peace of hair on the cheek that was lifted. When you release your cheek, the skin will fall back into place, and you will notice the line has a slight curve.

Finishing Up

The last step would be to go back over your beard with a precision blade to ensure those lines are nice and neat. You can also go back over the beard with a trim guard if you notice any loose hairs in the body of the beard.

Once you are happy with the final result, we recommend using nonscented beard oil, this will keep the hair healthy, and it also will help keep the shape of the beard. Just remember to wash it off each night.

Conclusion

Well, that's it! We hope you learned something from this article. Even if you like to rock a neckbeard, it can be a great style if you take the time to keep it maintained and styled properly.

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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