In the realm of personal style, facial hair stands as a prominent form of self-expression for men. The art of grooming facial hair has a rich history, reflecting cultural shifts and evolving trends. From ancient civilizations where beards symbolized power and wisdom to eras where a clean-shaven face represented professional success, facial hair has always been a statement. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in beards and mustaches, with many men opting for fuller, well-groomed facial hair. This article explores the diverse types of facial hair styles, offering insights into their unique characteristics, styling tips, and maintenance.
Understanding Mustaches
A mustache is defined as any facial hair grown specifically on the upper lip. There are a variety of mustache styles, each with its own distinct look.
Classic Mustache Styles
Pencil Mustache: This is a thin, narrow mustache that closely follows the shape of the upper lip, often associated with a refined and groomed look. The iconic Clark Gable sported this mustache. To style, maintain a thin, narrow line along the upper lip.
Chevron Mustache: This is a thick, full mustache that covers the entire upper lip and typically extends down past the corners of the mouth. A perfect example of the Chevron was worn by the late Burt Reynolds. To style, grow thick and full, covering the upper lip and extending past the corners.
Painter's Brush (Chaplin) Mustache: Grow to a uniform length, trimming to a straight, horizontal line above the upper lip. Also known as the "toothbrush," this small, rectangular-shaped mustache was popularized by Charlie Chaplin. It covers the center of the upper lip without extending beyond the nose. The toothbrush is a small, rectangular-shaped mustache that was popularized by Charlie Chaplin, covers the center of the upper lip while not extending beyond the nose. To style, keep small and rectangular, centered on the upper lip, not extending beyond the nose. Regular trimming maintains the shape and size. Use a trimmer, scissors, and a razor. Frequent trimming (weekly) to maintain size and symmetry.
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More Elaborate Mustache Styles
Horseshoe Mustache: Resembling an upside-down U or horseshoe, this style involves a mustache that extends down the sides of the mouth and sometimes connects to a beard. Terry "The Hulk" Hogan sports this mustache. To style, grow long and shape into an upside-down U, extending down the mouth sides. This 'stache is also sometimes referred to as the Fu Manchu. However, to achieve a real Fu Manchu, the facial hair should be thinner and longer with strands of hair extending downward from the upper lip, often drooping below the chin.
Handlebar Mustache: To style, grow long enough to curl the ends upward, using mustache wax to hold the shape. Regular trimming keeps the center neat and defined. The tools required are mustache wax, a comb, and a trimmer. Maintenance includes daily waxing for shape and weekly trimming for the center.
Walrus Mustache: This thick and bushy mustache covers the entire upper lip and can extend down over the mouth. True to its name, this mustache is reminiscent of the facial hair often seen on walruses. To style, allow thick, bushy growth covering the upper lip and extending over the mouth.
Styling and Maintenance Tips for Mustaches
To maintain a classic mustache, keep it neat and trimmed, ensuring it follows the upper lip without extending beyond the mouth corners. Use a trimmer to maintain length and prevent overgrowth. The necessary tools are a precision trimmer and a fine comb. Trim weekly to keep the shape tight and cheeks smooth.
Exploring Beards
A beard is a collection of facial hair that grows on the chin, jaw, cheeks, and neck of humans. Unlike a mustache, which is limited to the upper lip, a beard encompasses a broader area of the face. Beards are perhaps the most diverse category, ranging from short stubble to a long flow.
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Basic Beard Styles
Goatee: This is a style where hair is grown only on the chin and lower lip, often shaped into a round or square pattern. A great starting point in the beard growing journey. To style, grow hair on the chin and lower lip, shaping round or square. If you just grow an isolated patch of hair just below the lower lip, that is considered a Soul Patch. This minimalistic style is often worn independently or in combination with other beard styles. Facial hair growing from the chin directly beneath the mouth. This is meant to resemble the hair on the chin of a goat. A soul patch is grown just below the lower lip, but does not grow past the chin (i.e., goat patch). This facial hairstyle is often grown narrow and sometimes made into a spike. The stereotypical image of a 1960s beatnik often includes a soul patch.
Chin Strap Beard: This look is a thin strip of facial hair along the jawline, resembling a strap. To style, grow a thin strip along the jawline, ensuring no mustache and clean-shaven above the upper lip.
Corporate Beard: To style, keep short and neat, suitable for professional settings. Maintain clean lines, regularly trimming to prevent an unkempt appearance. The tools required are a trimmer (with guard) and a fine comb. Maintenance includes weekly trimming to maintain length and clean edges.
Full Beard Variations
Full Beard: A full beard covers the entire lower face, including the chin, jawline, and cheeks. It can be kept short or grown long. To style, cover the entire lower face, trimming to the desired length and shape. Regular maintenance keeps it neat and well-groomed. Variations of a Full Beard can include a Bandholz Beard, which has a more unkempt appearance, as well as the Yeard (Year Beard), which is a beard that is grown and untouched for a year, showcasing length and fullness. The tools required are a trimmer, comb, and beard oil. Maintenance includes bi-weekly trimming for shape and neatness.
Garibaldi Beard: A Garibaldi beard is a wide, full beard with rounded bottom edges. To style, grow wide and full with rounded bottom edges, allowing a natural, unkempt look.
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Verdi Beard: Similar to the Garibaldi, but the Verdi is groomed to have a more polished and maintained appearance. To style, grow a full, rounded beard, keeping it polished and well-groomed.
Unique Beard Styles
French Fork Beard: This is a beard that splits into two separate sections, resembling a fork. Each section extends down the chin, and was a popular amongst the Vikings. To style, grow a full beard and shape it to split into two sections at the bottom, resembling a fork.
Ducktail Beard: To style, grow fuller at the chin, tapering at the bottom to resemble a duck's tail. Use a trimmer to shape the taper and maintain neat edges. The tools required are a trimmer, scissors, and beard oil. Maintenance includes bi-weekly trimming to shape the taper and keep edges tidy.
Brett Beard: To style, keep sides shorter, grow the chin longer to form a triangular shape. Optionally add a squared soul patch for a trendier look, using a trimmer for maintenance. The tools required are a trimmer, optional razor for soul patch, and a comb. Maintenance includes bi-weekly trimming to maintain length contrast and shape.
Styles That Are In-Between
There are several facial hair styles that fall in between a mustache and a full beard.
Circle Beard (Goatee and Mustache): Combining a goatee with a mustache is known as a Circle Beard. The goatee and mustache may or may not be connected. To style, grow a mustache and chin beard, keeping cheeks clean-shaven. Trim the mustache to align with the mouth’s width, then shape the goatee into a rounded or oval outline using a trimmer. Maintain even length (e.g., 1/4 inch) between mustache and goatee for a seamless circle. Think "V" for Vendetta. One type of Circle Beard that has a slightly longer goatee is called a Door Knocker Beard
Van Dyke: A style that combines a mustache with a goatee, where the goatee is typically pointy and not connected to the mustache. Often the two patches are shaped and styled independently of each other, sometimes with the chin being made into a narrow oval shape and the moustache flared out like a handlebar style. This style is sometimes conflated with the "French beard", which has a fuller chin beard. To style, grow a full mustache (e.g., handlebar or classic) and a chin beard, shaving the sides completely. Shape the chin beard into a sharp point or slight fork with a trimmer, keeping it longer than the mustache. Wax the mustache ends for flair if desired. Regular trimming prevents overlap between the two. The tools required are a trimmer, mustache wax, and a razor. Maintenance includes bi-weekly trimming for the beard; daily waxing for mustache shape. An extended version of the Van Dyke which wraps around the mouth, with the ends of the moustache (and sometimes also the jawline) flared out beyond the lines that connect to the chin. Named for Italian aviator and Marshal of the Air Force in Fascist Italy Italo Balbo.
Extended Goatee: This is a long goatee, similar to a traditional goatee, but with the addition of facial hair extending along the jawline. To style, grow a chin beard and extend it slightly along the jaw (about 1-2 inches on each side). Keep the mustache and cheeks shaved, using a trimmer to taper the edges for a natural fade into the jawline. Shape the chin portion round or square based on preference. Iron Man aka Robert Downey Jr. wore this style beard.
Anchor (Musketeer) Beard: Similar to the Van Dyke, an Anchor type beard combines a mustache with a small, pointed beard, sometimes creating a look reminiscent of the classic musketeer style. To style, grow a mustache (e.g., pencil or chevron) and a chin beard, shaving the sides. Trim the chin beard into a narrow, pointed shape that extends slightly upward along the jaw, mimicking an anchor’s fluke. Keep the mustache full and neatly trimmed to balance the look.
Beardstache: This features a fuller mustache combined with a shorter beard, where the mustache is often more prominent than the beard. To style, grow the mustache longer and thicker (e.g., walrus or chevron), then trim the beard to a short stubble length (1/8 to 1/4 inch) using a trimmer with a low guard. Shape the mustache to extend slightly past the mouth corners, keeping the beard even across the chin and jaw.
Chin Curtain: A beard style that covers the chin and jawline, often without sideburns. It can be paired with a mustache or worn alone. A fuller version of the chin curtain in which only the moustache is shaved, allowing the hair on the neck to grow out. To style, grow hair along the entire jawline and chin, shaving the mustache area completely. Use a trimmer to keep the beard even (e.g., 1/2 inch) and shape it into a smooth curtain that frames the face. Taper the ends near the ears for a polished look.
Hollywoodian Beard: A combination of a trimmed beard along the jawline and a mustache, with the sideburns and cheeks remaining clean-shaven. Christian Bale nails this beard. To style, grow a beard covering the chin and jaw, shaving the mustache area entirely. Trim the beard to a medium length (e.g., 1 inch), shaping it to follow the jawline’s natural curve. Keep the edges clean and slightly tapered toward the ears.
Balbo Beard: This features a disconnected mustache, soul patch, and chin beard, creating a distinct and well-defined look. Like an anchor beard, but with the entire jawline covered. To style, grow a mustache and a chin beard, shaving the sides and leaving a soul patch under the lower lip. Trim the mustache to a moderate width (e.g., painter’s brush style), then shape the chin beard into a rounded or pointed form, keeping it separate from the mustache.
Three-Day Stubble with Mustache (5 O’Clock Shadow): A short, stubbly beard paired with a mustache for a casual and low-maintenance look. This look resembles a few days of facial hair growth. It's a popular choice for a rugged and casual look. To style, let the beard grow for 3-5 days (about 1/8 inch), then trim it evenly with a low-guard trimmer. Grow the mustache slightly longer (e.g., classic or chevron), trimming it to stand out against the stubble. Keep the neckline clean for a rugged yet tidy look. A stubble is any length of hair which is long enough to be seen, but short enough to not fully cover the skin beneath.
Mutton Chops: To style, grow sideburns wide and long, stopping at the mouth’s edge or extending slightly down the jaw. Shave the chin and mustache areas completely. Trim the chops to a uniform thickness (e.g., 1 inch), shaping them into a flared or straight style based on face shape. Use beard oil to keep them full and healthy. The tools required are a trimmer, razor, and beard oil. Maintenance includes bi-weekly trimming for shape; weekly shaving for chin and lip. A more elaborate growth of sideburns which also grow larger toward the chin, resembling a mutton chop (cut of meat with a bone sticking out).
These in-between facial hair styles offer a diverse range of options for individuals who want a distinctive look that falls between a full beard and a mustache. Personal preferences and grooming choices can further customize these styles to suit individual tastes.
Additional Facial Hair Styles
Zappa: The Zappa style consists of a wide soul patch and full moustache that extends slightly downward past the corners of the mouth.
Friendly Mutton Chops: Similar to friendly muttonchops and sidewhiskers but trimmed mustache and sideburns.
Monkey Tail Beard: A long, curvy tail-like extension and a gap between the beard and moustache only on one side. It is inspired by the curled tail of a primate.
Panini Press Beard: A beard which does not include any hair on the face, but includes the hair of the neck, or under the jaw, or both. This beard haircut was inspired by a freshly pressed panini sandwich.
Tiger Stripe Beard: It is a beard with shaved horizontal or vertical parallel lines for a striped pattern.
Dutch Beard: A fuller version of the chin curtain in which only the moustache is shaved, allowing the hair on the neck to grow out.
Sideburns (Burnsides): Originally known as "Burnsides", sideburns are the patch of hair in front of the ears which connects a beard to the hair of one's head.
Sidewhiskers: Related to sideburns and muttonchops, but considerably more extreme. Classic sidewhiskers hang well below the jawline. They may be connected via a moustache
Braided Beard: A beard where the middle part hangs from chin leaving it pointed. Similar to a Ned Kelly beard, but with a more intricate styling, such as braids.
Pointed Beard Styles: A pointed beard that is split by a curl at the chin. A beard that evenly extends below the chin, but no more than 20 cm.
Horizontal Chinstrap Beard: A full beard that features a goatee, full mustache and horizontal chinstrap with all hairs on the upper cheeks and sideburns removed.
Long Beard: A beard with the length of more than 20 cm.
Disconnected Beard: A short beard where the moustache is disconnected from rest of the facial hair.
Maintenance and Grooming
Facial hair requires regular maintenance to keep it looking its best. This includes trimming, shaping, and conditioning. Using beard oils and waxes can help maintain the health and appearance of facial hair.