Inspiration

Beard styles

Discover the beard style that suits you best. In this inspiration guide you can view a variety of beard styles for every type of appearance and growth periods from 1 to 12 months.

Content:

The increasing popularity of the beard

The popularity of the beard has steadily increased since 2015.

As a man today, you can choose a specific beard style without any negative consequences.

The beard can be seen in all forms of society today and virtually in every business or professional environment.

A few years ago, the beard experienced a huge boost in popularity and became a trend worldwide.

However, most trends disappear, where the beard did not. The beard is still very popular with men of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities.

As a lifestyle magazine about grooming, we naturally see that very well. But think of your immediate environment and there is guaranteed someone you know with a beard (and shows it off!)

Wearing a beard is, therefore, a statement and is now accepted within society.

But no matter what everybody else does with their facial hair, choosing to grow a beard is a personal thing.

Because what may look good with one can come across very differently to you. A beard is a way to show your character and personality to the people around you.

With a beard, you can radiate elegance, mischief, class, adventure, or modesty. You make a statement of who you are.

“ With a beard you show who you are. What you stand for. ”

But not all beards are the same. Some beard styles and beard types suit you better as a person.

You might feel better with a 5 o’clock shadow or a neat, uniform beard. Maybe you prefer the lumberjack variant.

Either way, your beard shows who you are and complements your character.

Just trying a new beard style is not that easy due to the growth process.

Therefore, try to check in advance a number of beard styles and beard models that you think will look good on you.

Also, pay attention to which beards would best suit your face type. Longer beards naturally require more maintenance and care.

This guide is designed to show you the trendiest beard styles that will help you look good in 2023. We have divided the beard styles within certain time periods.

Knowing that facial hair grows about 1.5 centimeters per month, you can roughly adjust how long it takes to achieve your ideal beard style.

Beard styles and beard models in 2023 with a growth period of one month

Below you see the different beard styles that can be grown within a month. These are the beard styles that require a small investment of time on the scale of beards.

These beard styles are great to use as a stepping stone to the longer styles.

The 5 o’clock shadow: Short Stubble

The 5 o’clock shadow got its nickname from the 1980s. It was around this time when facial hair became fashionable. It’s named after the dark discoloration that men get later in the day, after having a clean razor shave in the morning.

The short stubble is of course very easy to get and requires very little maintenance. In addition, a stubble beard matches almost any clothing style and appearance, for any occasion.

In terms of care products, you can use your current face cream as a nourishing factor. Let your hair grow out so that it eventually transitions to a medium stubble.

The Medium Stubble Beard

The medium stubble beard is just a few days longer than the short stubble beard. The medium stubble is usually best between 3mm and 5mm long.

Longer than 5mm and the beard starts to grow wild.

Trim wild hair with practical beard scissors and the overall length with a beard trimmer.

The “long stub” or the Long Stubble Beard

The long stubble beard is also called the “perfect 5 o’clock shadow” because it is the darkest variant of the stubble beard and therefore has better coverage.

The length of the hair for it to be considered the Long Stubble Beard should be about longer than 5mm.

This makes this stubble more difficult to maintain but is nevertheless one of the most popular beard styles to choose.

Maintenance is only needed every few days and the beard gives a masculine, tough look. Also described as a female favorite.

The Chin Strap

The Chin Strap is one of the shorter beard styles and therefore works well with short men’s hairstyles.

Fade the sideburns gradually into a short stubble which then turns into slightly longer hairs along the jawline.

Do not let the Chin Strap go too far along the jawline. The Chin Strap only works in combination with a short mustache.

Bald with a Beard

Whatever the reason, the man who embraces his bald look in combination with a beard radiates extra masculinity.

A bald look (with or without a beard) has always been a popular style and is a great choice for men who are still in the doubts phase.

Hair growth on the head has nothing to do with the degree of beard growth.

Therefore, try experimenting for at least two months to look at the type of beard growth and choose a beard style accordingly.

Beard styles with growth period 2-3 months

Uniform beard

The uniform beard has one uniform length, hence the name.

It is a neat, well-groomed beard that is great for the young professional and measures approximately 5 centimeters in length.

The mustache should run into the beard and therefore have the same length so that no difference is visible.

A uniform beard always has a well-groomed appearance and is conclusively one of the most popular beard models (if you can grow it properly!).

Tip: if you suffer from bald spots, let the beard length grow so that the extra length obscures the spots.

Always make sure that the length is the same everywhere. Use an electric beard trimmer or the professional fingers of a barber for that.

Balbo

Originally named after an accomplice of Mussolini during World War II, Italo Balbo.

Recently popularized by Tony Stark aka Robert Downey Jr in the Iron Man and Avenger movies.

To properly adopt the Balbo beard style, you need to make a combination of a mustache, “chin patch” (spot just above the chin), and hair that grows a few inches around the corners of the chin (think of it as an upside-down “T” ).

It is advisable to grow a fuller beard growth and mustache before trimming the Balbo.

Van Dyke

The Van Dyke owes its name to Anthony Van Dyck, a well-known painter of our southern neighbors from the 17th century.

The Van Dyke beard model is quite simple: it is namely the combination between a goatee and a mustache, where the jawline is completely free.

This makes the Van Dyke beard style easier to maintain, while you can still have a less common beard style.

The Goatee and the Extended Goatee

The goatee is a type of beard worn on the chin with the hairline starting just below the lower lip.

The goatee is normally as wide as the corners of the mouth and the hairs on the chin run equal length into the hairs below the lip.

The sides can be defined as desired.

The extended goatee or goatee is a combination of a goatee and a mustache. Where the regular goatee has the width of the corners of the mouth, the extended goatee continues over the jawline.

The difference with a full beard is that the extended goatee does not run over to the sideburns.

You can grow the elongated goatee from a long stubble beard. In this way, you can already experiment with how this beard style will look on you.

Round beard

The round beard is a modest beard style. It’s intended for men who want a neat appearance and to wear a beard in a professional work environment.

There is no wild growth, just well-kept and tight facial hair.

The round beard naturally owes its name to its shape and combines a mustache with a round goatee, which together creates a round shape.

The reason that the round beard is popular is that this model of beard is one of the easiest styles to maintain.

As long as the typical round shape is recognizable and the length is short, the beard is acceptable.

The round beard was made especially popular by Walter White from the hit series Breaking Bad which proves that it is a good choice for men who want to achieve the bald look.

Beard styles with a growth period of at least 3 months

The Ducktail

The Ducktail is a variant of the full beard, where the point on the chin with a bit of imagination resembles a ducktail or ducktail.

Often chosen by men who are looking for a balance between a wild beard and something more refined.

To get a ducktail beard, let the beard grow the same length all over, except on the chin.

You can trim the tip of the ducktail with beard scissors or a beard comb in combination with a trimmer. But you may find it is best to leave that to the barber.

The Full Beard or Classic Beard

This is the most classic way to grow a beard.

The full beard is considered a transition from boy to man. After a successful growth period, you suddenly look very differently at other men with a beard.

Although growing a full beard cannot be done by just anyone; not every man can achieve this. Genes play a huge part in whether you can achieve this or not.

In any case, it is a beard that you should try to grow successfully at least once this year.

The full beard has a distinctive shape. It’s a beard style that grows out naturally from the hairline on the cheeks.

This hairline is too high for some men and can therefore hinder its appearance. If you suffer from this, you can draw an imaginary line from your sideburns to the outside of the corner of your mouth-mustache.

That should be the ‘right’ hairline for the cheeks.

Mutton Chops

Popularized by Hugh Jackman for his role as Wolverine and the Blues Brothers 90s movie.

The ‘Mutton Chops’ beard style is an extension of the sideburns that grow all the way to the corners of the mouth.

Beard growth on the chin is then removed so that there is a continuous hairline from ear to ear.

This beard style would then give you a wilder look and can be used to attract attention.

Bold and full

This is the only beard style to suit every face type. This style remains popular: a thick and full beard.

The sideburns merge nicely into the beard growth on the cheeks and the length of the beard is the same all over except on the chin.

The chin has a small goatee where the hair is cut just a little longer and rounded in shape. The mustache is neatly trimmed around the corners of the mouth.

→ Read more: Learn about how beard oil ensures optimal growth for a full beard

Beard models with a growth period of 6 months

Garibaldi

The Garibaldi beard style is often worn by men who want to radiate a somewhat unabashed look.

It is a wide and full beard with a rounded bottom, connected with a mustache, and gives an imposing impression. This type of beard takes a lot of time and effort to grow successfully because of its length, which is at least 10 centimeters.

The mustache is neatly maintained and flows into the beard, where the beard growth on the cheeks, chin, and jawline is left free for a natural, choppy look.

Bandholz

Named after Eric Bandholz, the founder of beardbrand.com, a leading beard website.

Eric had a strong urge to grow a big beard but was thwarted in the workplace.

He eventually decided to quit his job and start Beardbrand, where he popularized the Bandholz beard, among other things.

The Bandholz beard has a natural look because the beard is intended to grow longer than 20 centimeters.

Furthermore, the beard is connected with a mustache. The intention is to allow the beard to grow unimpeded to maintain a natural look.

The Dutch, Old Dutch, or Lumberjack Beard

The ‘Dutch’ beard style is one of the classic, old-school beard styles and is soon associated with the lumberjack look.

It is a long and full beard that runs freely at the bottom, which gives it a wild look. The beard is connected to the sideburns and has no mustache.

The Skipper

The Skipper beard is very similar to the full beard, with the difference that this type of beard is slightly more trimmed.

This results in a slightly tighter beard. The sides are kept shorter, while the bottom of the beard is longer again.

The mustache is present, but not necessarily connected to the beard.

Beard models with a growth period of 12+ months

Lumberjack’s Beard or Wild Beard

Also called the ZZ-top beard, after the American rock band. This type of beard is natural and very striking.

This beard style is characterized by full growth and extreme length. Only works if you have coarse, thick hair.

Note: growing a beard ‘wild’ does not mean that the beard does not need to be cared for during the growth period.

Using beard shampoo once or twice a week ensures a fresh feeling and in combination with a beard brush, you ensure a natural, optimal growth cycle.

The Yeard

Year + beard = you guessed it, the yeard!

The ‘yeard’ is a beard style that has recently emerged and is intended for men who aren’t quite satisfied with a full beard. The yeard is a beard style with a year-long growth period, but without trimming or tracking.

In other words: It is a shameless proliferation of 12 months of beard growth.

The yeard beard style is not easily achieved and will be a serious test of character. Whether it is something for you in terms of style is best judged on the basis of the photos below.

We recommend using a minimum of beard soap to minimize unwanted odors…

Beards by color

Gray beard

The gray beard radiates wisdom and power. Unless you plan to dye your beard, you will have to wait for it to turn naturally gray.

Salt & pepper beard / duo-tone

The term “salt & pepper” refers to the two colors that occur in the beard and mustache. You can achieve this by dyeing your hair, or by epilating a color of hair in specific places.

Black beard

Red beard

Related articles