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Should You Shave Your Neck Hair?
The Goat is Back
El Rubio is feeling a little more himself these days. That’s because, by popular demand, he’s growing his goatee back out. But what about his neck hair?
We'll get to that, but as he prepares to re-enter the ranks of men with hair on their face, he seeks out professional help in the shaping and grooming of his facial hair.
Which brings us to Brightside Barber, a new barber shop in San Diego founded by longtime friend and supporter of The Longhairs, Chris Hjerling.
What About The Neck Hair?
A lot of guys ask if they should shave the hair around the back of their neck, and it’s a valid question: shave the neck hair or let it grow?
The answer, of course, is entirely up to personal preference. Here’s what to consider:
For many people the hair around the back of your neck grows differently than the hair on your head. It doesn’t grow as long or as quickly, and your neck hair may have different properties than head hair—it may be finer, or more curly, for example.
If that’s the case, you might feel like your neck hair looks wispy or even scraggly, especially when your hair is tied up. So, if you like a super clean line and a neat, crisp appearance, you might prefer to shave your neck hair.
The drawback is, if you do it once, you kind of have to keep doing it or go back through a frightful neck hair awkward stage.
On the other hand, there is something to be said for letting it ride all natural. If you like a more natural, free flowing appearance, you might prefer to let the neck hair do its thing.
And Around The Ears?
A similar, though slightly more controversial question: should you trim around your ears, or just let it go?
Surrounding ear hair is much like neck hair in that is doesn’t grow as long, or as fast, and it’s probably curly, unruly and annoying, compounded by the fact it’s located on the edges of your face.
If you tie your hair back, or up, or even if you wear a hat, those little flyaways can disrupt your whole flow and really dampen your juju. And there’s nothing worse than damp juju.
The problem with this slippery slope is it’s even more slippery than the slope on your neck hair. If you shave it once, there’s no going back. You have to keep shaving it or else wait for it to “catch up” with the rest of your head hair.
Furthermore, if you shave it too high, you risk funny looking white walls. And if you go way too high, you end up with a shaved ring all the way around your hairline, each time creeping higher and higher until suddenly you’re left with a full-blown undercut. Which is fine if that’s what you’re going for, but at that point you have no recourse or hope of escape until you basically start growing your hair back out from the beginning.
Some men employ this strategy effectively, though it may require more regular visits to the salon or barber. El Andrew here provides a handsome example:
Again, at the end of the day, it comes down to your own personal preference.
More importantly than what you choose...is that whatever you choose, you do it with confidence.
Look On The Brightside...And Tidy Up Your Neck Hair
With all this talk about facial hair and neck hair and ear hair, why not tackle all three at once with a visit to the best new barber shop in town? Get the old face carpet straightened out and do some cleaning up around the edges while we’re at it.
That’s what we did, and you can watch. You’ll witness El Rubio’s desperate attempt at recapturing his youth, his preferences with regard to neck hair and trimming around the ears, and whether we can finally get his goatee straight.
Straighten up with the boys at Brightside Barber
Brightside Barber
Founded by Chris Hjerling, former neighbor and longtime supporter of The Longhairs, Brightside Barber is a full-service shop in North Park, San Diego. Visit Brightside Barber for an accurate beard trim, razor line-up or a complete signature shave and neck hair clean up.
Tell them The Longhairs sent you for 33% off on services of $30 or more, good for any combination of services including signature shave, beard trim, facial, ball shave or haircut.
Valid through September 30, 2019 (probably forever actually)
