Fantastic Beards and Where To Find Them: The Many Different Types of Beard
We’ve looked at many aspects of beards in previous blogs, from eating the right foods to keep beards at their best, how to trim them properly, how to reduce beard patchiness and what products to use to get the best result. The rise in popularity of the beard in general has meant that many different types of beard and styles have cropped up. There’s a multitude of beard styles to choose from, from the sublime to the surreal. You may have your grooming down but now it’s time to brush up on your beard vocabulary.
Different types of beard
Goatee
A small beard, incorporating hair on the upper lip and chin connected around the sides of the mouth, with clean-shaven cheeks. Skip the pointed finish, and keep it neat and short à la Idris Elba.
Balbo
Named due to its creation by Italo Balbo, an Italian aviator, fascist leader and heir apparent to Mussolini, this look involves a moustache and separate beard to the very bottom of the face.
Chin strip
The equivalent of a Brazilian wax - but on your chin. We think that says it all. Best to avoid this one.
Soul patch a.k.a jazz dot
Clean-shaven except a small patch of hair below the lower lip but above the chin.
Chin curtain
The chin curtain is a line of hair from one sideburn to the other via the chin without a moustache. Like a photo frame for your face, the chin curtain adds definition but can be difficult to pull off well.
Mutton chops
Extended, usually bushy, sideburns towards the corners of the mouth. May be connected to a moustache, but no chin hair.
Full beard
Our favourite look, and it’s a fail-safe option. If you’re growing one for the first time, check out our tips to ensure your beard reaches its full potential.
French fork
A beard that splits into two at the chin, previously sported by Brad Pitt. Experiment creating this style with product before picking up the scissors.
Franz Josef
Similar to mutton chops but connected to a moustache, with no hair on the chin. Voluminous on the cheeks.
Anchor
Named due to its resemblance to an anchor, this look is a line of hair down the chin which curves around the bottom of the face.
Dali
This look is all about the 'tache – kept thin like a pencil moustache and grown long so the ends can be twizzled into another world.
Copstash standard
Kept up-top to the upper lip, this is a full moustache typically seen on police and military workers. Think Tom Selleck or Ron Burgundy.
Pencil
A thin, short-haired moustache above the upper lip but with some distance between the nose.
The Super Mario
A full and thick curved moustache, this style means business whether you're rescuing princesses or doing a bit of plumbing.
These are just a selection of different types of beard - you can find loads more if none of these take your fancy and you want to be extra adventurous with your face fuzz. Just make sure you pick the right style for your face shape and invest in some essentials like a beard brush and beard oil to tame it into submission, encourage growth and get it looking glossy. So get growing, trimming and grooming, and show us your results with #brightonbeardco for a chance to be featured on our Instagram.