Top 15 Beard Styles For Men
Everyone wants to have a beard. Long ago, in your clean-shaven days, you dreamed of it. Once you've finally grown it, there's no denying the newfound feeling of confidence and manliness it instills. But a lot of guys stop after that initial period of growth, then stagnate, without ever switching up their bearded style. That's a shame! Styling your beard is when it really gets interesting. There are countless distinct beard styles to choose from, and they're only limited by your imagination. If you're stuck in a style slump, don't despair-let us walk you through the top beard styles. We'll also teach you how to groom your beard for each specific style and offer some maintenance tips as well. Just make sure to have your tools and best beard products on hand and ready for action.
The Balbo
A unique spin on the goatee, the Balbo beard is a versatile and easy style that can be grown out and styled with just a few months of beard growth. It's an especially good choice if you're a bit patchy on the cheeks, or if you have a disconnected beard from your mustache. The name derives from an old contemporary of despot Benito Mussolini, Italo Balbo. Essentially the Balbo is a mustache combined with a soul patch and hair grown on the outskirts of the chin.- Mustaches don't need to connect with the bottom of your facial hair.
- Feel free to either go for a more pencil-lined beard or let it grow out thick.
- Shave everything off of your cheeks and your neck.
- Try to line up your chin hair evenly on both sides.
The Goatee
The classic goatee usually doesn't include a mustache―it just requires facial hair on your chin. In other words, you'll want to look like a goat. That's why it's called a goatee, see? All you need to do here is grow out the hair beneath your lower lip, then shave the rest. You have the option to grow the hair on your chin out long or keep it shorter―anywhere from overgrown stubble to an inch of hair is pretty easy to keep groomed.- Great for men experiencing beard growth issues like a patchy beard.
- Doesn't require cheek hair or a mustache.
- The classic goatee is a starting point for many other circle beards.
- Similar to the Balbo, try to line up your hair below your lips and evenly on both sides of the chin.
The Garibaldi
Originally named after General Giuseppe Garibaldi, who helped unify Italy in the 19th century, this facial hair style is a staple look for those wanting to grow a full beard. The Garibaldi combines a neat, trimmed mustache with a wide, rounded beard at the bottom. That rounded bottom is what separates this beard from a scraggly, overgrown Castaway Tom Hanks beard.- Use either a trimmer or scissors to cut away upper lip hair.
- Shape the mustache to arch over your lips without intruding into them.
- Rounding the beard requires that you comb and brush it so that it's trained to sit a certain way.
- Use beard balm on the bottom edges of your beard to stick the hold.
The Imperial
Feeling like a 19th-century emperor today? Try the imperial. This facial hair style was popularized by the less famous Napoleon, Emperor Napoleon III. It's an overgrown Balbo beard with a unique spin on the mustache and outgrowth of the chin hair. The mustache is completely grown out and the two ends are twirled into an exaggerated handlebar. The chin curtain grows about two to four inches below the face. It's neatly trimmed all around, including the neck.- Grow your mustache fully out without worrying about trimming it. You'll need it extra long to pull off the handlebar part.
- Don't let the hair on your neck grow into the chin.
- Only let the very bottom of your chin grow out to achieve the long drape look.
Designer Stubble/5-O'clock Shadow
Many of us have rocked the stubble beard at some point or another. Appearing naturally between the stages of "baby face" and "grand bearded glory," this short beard style is both a cool and respectable look. But if it's something you want to wear on a permanent basis, it's going to require some upkeep. In order to achieve the "don't care, but do," look, you'll want to find a growth stage where your entire face is blanketed in just the right amount of stubble. This could be anywhere from three days to a week. This is all dependent on your facial hair color, thickness, and texture. Guys like George Michael back in the '80s and other suave stars have been able to perfect this look with minimal effort; don't be discouraged if it takes you a little more work. We can't all be international sex symbols.- Make sure to use a small amount of beard oil daily to contend with early itching. Since stubble is a beard permanently in an early stage, it can get scratchy if you don't soften it.
- Use a trimmer or scissors with a comb at least once a week to maintain a consistent length.
- Try to avoid completely shaving your face and restarting over every other week-maintaining your growth will help keep it even and consistent.
The Anchor Beard
Sometimes known as the Van Dyke beard, this beard was popularized by Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck. The style has been worn by a number of famous figures throughout history. From General George Custer to Vladimir Lenin and even Johnny Depp, it's a keeper regardless of the era. To grow your own anchor beard, grow your mustache fully, then style it any which way you like. Meanwhile, grow out a goatee beard on both the chin and the neck, with an optional soul patch. As it grows, keep it trimmed into a downward-pointing arrow.- The mustache does not and should not connect with the rest of the chin.
- Keep the cheeks shaved, or let them grow out into a light stubble.
The Full Beard
The facial hair equivalent of pushing your chips across the table and sneering, "All in." Bold! Fearless! Impressive! And best of all, it doesn't require nearly as much maintenance as many other beard styles.- The best start for this mighty style is to start from scratch. Shave your face down to bare.
- Now, let it grow for a good long time. As it develops, you'll want to touch it up once a week or so, trimming for evenness with clippers and attending to trouble spots.
- Once your beard approaches its desired length, you'll want to start defining it with a trimmer.
- Be sure to nourish it daily with high-quality beard oils and touch up its length and edges once a week or so in order to keep it looking perfect.
The Chin Strap
This minimalist style hints at a full beard while still staying neatly out of the way. This short beard style works best with coarser, darker hair. A chin strap beard can be combined with other facial hair like a light goatee or mustache, filling out the style to an interesting effect.- Grow out your beard to the desired length.
- Define your jawline with a beard trimmer. Because this style requires precision in order to look right, you'll want to use shaving cream as a guide.
- Shave your cheeks, upper lip, and lower lip clean.
- Using shaving cream as a guide, clean up the upper edge of your beard with a clean, precise line.
The Circle Beard
Often mistakenly referred to as a goatee, the circle beard is exactly what the label says: A tidy ring of facial hair that encircles the wearer's mouth.- Grow out your full beard for 2-3 weeks.
- Once you've achieved your desired length, use a trimmer to even it out.
- Define the outline of your beard with a razor or unguarded clippers.
- Shave the excess hair from your cheeks, jawline, and chin.
- Tidy up the outline of your beard with a razor and shaving cream.
Mutton Chops
Here's a style you don't see often. Mutton chops are the king of the sideburns look. They're thick and reach to the bottom of your face, then curve forward a few inches before the lips. Think of mutton chops as the anti-goatee: The chin is the only part of the face that is shaved clean, resulting in a classic heavy metal look.- Grow out your full beard and mustache for several weeks.
- Once your beard is the length you desire, trim the bottom edge of your beard in a straight line, leaving your chin bare.
- Shape the edge of your chops along your cheeks and chin. Be sure that the chops flare outward and widen as they come closer to the chin.
- Take care to tidy up around the area where the mustache connects to the sideburns―or remove the mustache entirely.
- Use a razor to clear up stray hair and sharpen the edges of your 'chops.
The Verdi
The Verdi beard style was inspired by an Italian opera composer named Giuseppe Verdi. It's a full beard with a meticulous mustache attached to it. It is similar to the garibaldi, with a fully rounded beard option. The Verdi combines rugged manliness and precision beard and mustache grooming.- You'll begin this journey by growing out a regular beard.
- Comb out your beard using a tool like our Beard Comb.
- Be sure to guide your beard growth through regular use of a beard trimmer, fading the shorter hair on your cheeks into the fuller hair along your jaw and chin.
- During your periodic trimming sessions, avoid trimming the ends of your mustache. Keep it separate from the beard and allow its ends to grow out.
- Once you have reached your intended beard length, use the trimmer or a razor to define the shape of your beard.
The Peak Beard
Now, this is a long beard. The peak beard is something many men will never reach, but it's the holy grail of beard styles. This is your genetic limit of hair growth. This could be a couple feet of beard, or it could even hit your shoes, as with the guy you see above. On record, the longest terminal beard belonged to Hans Langseth, a Norwegian-American whose whiskers stretched 17-1/2 feet when he died. You'll see this type of long beard style at many beard competitions. With this amount of length, you're given a lot of options to braid it and play around with it in unique ways.- Most terminal beards will only reach a couple of feet in length.
- They require a lot of beard oil so they won't fray at the ends.
- This is one of the rarest beards you'll encounter in day-to-day life.
The Short Boxed Beard
Long before our big and burly beards burst back onto the scene, the short boxed beard was all most men were ever allowed to grow out. Even now, this is the bushiest beard many office workers today are allowed to wear to stay in line with company dress codes. But it's not just for laborers in the corporate salt mines―this popular beard style is a great look on everyone. Full enough to count, short enough not to get in the way, the short boxed beard is a perfect beard for all situations.- Grow out your beard for 2-3 weeks, taking care to keep its length even with regular trimming.
- Cleanly define the upper edge of your beard along your cheeks.
- Trim your beard to the desired length.
- Fade your sideburns into your beard, creating an even transition.
- Clean up any stray neck hairs to define your neckline.
The French Fork
The French are known for their unique sense of style, and rocking a French fork beard is bound to make you look exotic. You'll recognize it as the beard worn by the great Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. This bold beard features a complex, detailed appearance that speaks to the wearer's confident swagger-just like a true swashbuckler.- You'll get your start for this look by growing out a full beard as your base, allowing the chin to grow much longer than the mustache. The ducktail is a great place to begin.
- As your beard begins to achieve some length, shave your cheeks and jawline with a razor (leaving a full mustache and full goatee).
- Use a trimmer to create clearly defined edges for your mustache and beard.
- Optionally, you may wish to separate a soul patch from the beard on your chin, shaping it into a triangle.
- Finally, divide your goatee into two separate strands. Fasten each separate part with beads, or go the extra step and braid each fork first before securing them with beads.
The Ducktail
A bold style, the trademark of this beard is the way this cut thrusts forward and down from the chin-you know, like a duck's tail. It's a well-groomed and stylish look that straddles the line between rebellious and professional. It's especially suited to oval and square face shapes. Complement your ducktail beard with a long hairstyle for a look that screams Jason Mamoa in Aquaman.- Grow your beard to a decent length―ideally, several inches long-while performing regular grooming to help direct its shape.
- Comb out your beard using a tool like our Beard Brush.
- As your beard grows, you'll want to keep the hair on the sides of your fair comparatively short versus the chin, taking care to blend the different lengths.
- Sculpt the shape of the hair on your chin as it reaches its full length, leaving the sides shorter to create a symmetrical, pointed shape.
- Once you've achieved your desired shape, use Beard Club Balm or Beard Wax to refine and maintain the "tail" of your chin beard.
- Tidy up excess hair on the cheeks and fade the neckline.
Beard on! Rock your new beard style with pride.
