Beard Lineups

Welcome the New Year With a New Beard: Here Are Your Choices

There’s nothing more guaranteed to make you look more masculine than a beard. However, looking at the beard lineup available to men, you will see that not all beards are made equal. You just can’t randomly grow a beard without a plan if you want to look stylish. For example, a line up haircut would not exactly work with a messy beard that some people prefer.

That’s what we’re here to help you with. There are dozens of different beard styles and we’ll be taking a look at a lot of them to see what can best fit your face, and how you can select the right one.

Short Beards

Short beard styles are a rather popular choice. This is mainly because they are all so easy to grow and to maintain. A short beard will usually take a few minutes to trim and at its simplest, will only take a few days to grow. If you know the basics of how to groom a beard, then you should be able to keep a short beard without that much fuss.

 There is still a lot of variety among short beards though. Here’s a brief look at what some short beards that you can choose to have on your face and what you should do to get them.

• Short Stubble. If you want something very low maintenance and easy to get, the short stubble is the beard to go. This is the beard that you get naturally after a few days of just a few days of no shaving. This sort of beard works with all faces. A bit of stubble is a sure sign of your masculinity. All you need to do is to have a bit above your cheeks and around your neck area. Trimming will need to be done around the chin area. The resulting look makes you look a bit rough and ready for any sort of action.
• Medium Stubble. If you want to leave your short stubble alone, then you can progress to medium stubble. The main difference is in the length. Medium stubble is around 3mm to 5mm in length. You are going to need to shave around your neck and cheek area, while also getting a trimmer that will keep it at a decent length. You will have a more masculine look and definitely assuring everyone that you’re a man.
• Long Stubble. This is the almost-beard look. You’ve got stubble on your face now and you just leave it be for some time to get it. The difference between this and medium stubble is the length. Long stubble length is considered to be around 6mm. This will take a lot more maintenance than the other two stubble “beards.” Leave the beard to grow for a week and then take a trimmer to cut down to the appropriate length. You should be trimming more around the chin area, leaving a “shadow” on the place. Stray hairs around the neck and the cheek should be shaved away.
• Goatee and the Extended Goatee. Another simple beard, this is actually pretty simple to get. A lot of people actually mistake the goatee and the extended goatee for each other. Most people call the beard simply a “goatee.” However, the goatee refers to the portion on your chin that looks similar to goat’s chin scruff. More people, though, are going for the extended goatee look. This is best for those with an oval and square face shape as it helps round out the lower face area. To get this look, all you need to do is to shave away your sideburns and keep your mustache. You will need to do some shaping to maintain the beard though.
• Mutton Chops. If you’re a Wolverine fan, then you should be familiar with this one. Hugh Jackman’s star-making turn as the mutant managed to bring this bear back in circulation after it faded out of style in the early 20th century. This is for circular or square-shaped faces, the beard both softening the rounded edge of the face and emphasizing the squareness of your jaw. It’s actually pretty simple to get. All you need to do is to let your sideburns and mustache grow to meet. You then shave your lower chin area. To maintain it, you just trim your sideburns and keep you chin clean.
• The Balbo. The Balbo is a pretty modern beard style. Originated by Italo Balbo from the 40s, it has a distinctive look that makes it pretty memorable. It straddles the line of being clean-shaven and bearded pretty well. This is because it has three parts. There’s the mustache, the soul patch beneath the lips, and the chin beard. The key thing about the Balbo is that the three components should not meet. This is what makes it hard to maintain. You will to shave off your sideburns and keep the chin beard trimmed, while keeping the mustache and your soul patch in check by regular shaving and trimming. This is great for men with narrow chins and those who want to look like Robert Downey Jr., who is the most famous bearer of this beard.

Longer Beards

For those who think that shorter beard designs don’t have the masculine “oomph,” longer beards are the other option. This for those who want a more robust choice and look a lot more impressive. No faded beard here, all of these are full-bodied and impressive. However, you should be aware all of these beards are going to take a lot of maintenance. If you want something easy to deal with in the morning, these may not be for you.

• Bandholz. This is the current king of long beards. Popularized by Eric Bandholz, of the Beardbrand website, this is what a lot of beard enthusiasts aim for. This is partly because of the popularity that Beardbrand has in the community. The other reason for it is that a Bandholz is definitely a magnificent-looking beard. To get a Bandholz though is a lot of work and patience. The preparatory step alone is going to take around seven months. This is to grow your beard to the proper length – which is as much as you can grow it. Throw away your razor and trimmer because you won’t need it for most of the year. When it is time, you have the freedom to cut and shape it into any style that you want.
• Garibaldi. This is the long beard for those who don’t have the time to get the Bandholz, the Garibaldi is the second choice. A bit shorter than the Bandholz, it has a lot less prep time. Expect to grow out your beard to 15-20 cm. That should take around four months. The main goal is for the lower beard are to be as round as possible. That’s what you’ll be trimming it for.
• Dutch. If you’re looking for another large beard, the Dutch style is another great option. The main difference between this and the Garibaldi is that you will be shaving your mustache regularly. The result is great for those with oval or diamond-shaped faces, as it covers up the roundness and gives your face a more masculine power, while also lending it a bit of respectability thanks to the lack of the mustache. Grow this like you would grow a Garibaldi, but with the additional mustache shaving.
• The Boss. This is an excellent masculine beard that works well with any face shape. The main focus is to let the beard grow down, while keeping the sideburns trimmed tight. This makes it easy to manage and not as demanding as other long beard styles.
• The Warrior. This is a beard style that you would get if you were a Viking warrior. The way to get this is to let your facial hair grow – just let your sideburns and everything grow out. This is great for those with straight hair, but those with curly hair may find it a bit of a problem. Just let everything grow out and once it is long enough, you can start plaiting your beard into two distinct plaits. This will take a lot of effort and a long time, but the effect can be awesome when you look in the mirror.
• Faded Beard. The faded beard is great for square and oval faces. Taking its name from the fact that the sideburns fade into the beard as it progresses down your face, it is a bit shorter than other long beards, but has great potential. Just maintain your beard into a square cut regularly so that you will keep on looking great.

Picking The Right Beard

Though the beard lineup you can choose from can be varied, there are actually limited choices that will look good on your face. When you’re looking for the right beard for yourself, there are several factors that you should consider. Here are a few of them.

• Face Shape. The main factor that should influence your choice of beards is the shape of your face. Some beards just don’t work well with some faces. There are a few major face types that should be considered. Square faces should have fuller hair on the chin, shorter on the sides – this makes it look more solid. Round faces should have longer hair on the bottom, since it will square out the face. Oblong and rectangular faces have the opposite challenge – you want fuller hair on the sides, while shorter hair on the chin. An oval face is the ideal facial shape – which allows you to use any beard with it.
• Haircut. The next thing to consider is your hair cut. Some of them will definitely clash with some beard styles. For example, a shape up haircut will not exactly flow well with a Badholz since a fuller head of hair would work better. Some haircuts do work though, like a haircut with line can be ideal for beards that had faded sideburns. This creates a smoother look on the side of the face.
• Maintenance. Beards are a lot of work and you need to maintain them properly if you want them to look good. If you do not have time to maintain a beard, then you should just shave it off. This is a lot better than not making it look as good as possible.
• Hair. Though a lot of facial hair curls naturally, those with straight hair will find it easier to get longer beards. Curly-haired individuals may find it harder to maintain or shape the longer beard styles.

Beard Maintenance

Now that you’ve got your beard, you are going to have to maintain it. This is in two parts. First, there’s the trimming. You can’t just let a beard grow untamed. You’ll want to cut it a bit here and there. Knowing how to trim your beard the right shape is essential. This is why you’ll need a good beard trimmer to cut it down to the right size when necessary.

The next part of beard maintenance is keeping it clean. Just like the hair on top of your head, you will need to keep your beard clean of lice and dirt. Because hair can catch a lot of particles when exposed to the outside, regular cleaning is necessary. Use shampoos and conditioners to ensure that your beard keeps on looking great. Use mild shampoos so that your skin won’t become irritated. After applying these, you should rinse and dry your bread thoroughly. This is when you apply beard oils and balms to keep your beard shiny and clean.

Be Manly With the Right Beard

A beard is a great show of your masculinity. However, it is going to take a lot of work to grow the proper one and maintain it. However, for those who manage to do it, the sense of knowing that you look like man’s man is hard to beat.

- Regal Barber Co