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A bald head is a striking, bold, masculine look that turns heads wherever you go. If you’re looking to add a bit more dimension and flair to your look, though, a beard with a bald head is a great option! We’ve teamed up with the facial hair experts at MANSCAPED® to bring you the best beard styles for bald heads (with recommendations based on your face shape), plus answer all your burning questions about how attractive the bald-with-beard combo really is (hint: very!). Read on to find your new look.
Steps
Section 1 of 6:
Best Beard Styles for Bald Heads
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Shaggy beard A shaggy beard looks like how it sounds—a loosely manicured, medium-length beard without super defined edges or frequent trimming. It’s an easy way to add depth and contrast to bald heads and can be styled for any face shape—keep it tighter on the sides and longer around the chin for rounder faces, or fuller in the cheeks for longer, slimmer faces.
- Get the look: Let your beard grow without trimming for several weeks until you have at least an inch (2.5 cm) or so of length. Then, grab your trimmers and shape it how you please (just make sure to use guards for even length instead of “freehanding” it). Trim once a week.
- Best face shape: Any
- Not sure what your face shape is? Take our Face Shape Quiz to find out!
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Stubble beard A curated layer of stubble all over hits the sweet spot between clean-shaven and a true beard and looks casual, laidback, and rugged (although it may not be the most professional look out there). It’s super easy to maintain stubble and it’s a great look for guys who don’t want to put a lot of time into their facial hair. [1] X Research source In fact, caring for your facial stubble is a lot like maintaining a cleanly buzzed head.
- Get the look: Grab your trimmers and cut your beard down as close to the skin as you can without totally shaving it off for a perfectly curated 5 o’clock shadow. To make it look more professional, shave clear, defined lines on your cheeks and neck (especially if you have a rounder face). Or, leave the edges softer for a more effortless style (especially if you have a more angular face). Trim about every 2 days.
- Best face shape: Any
- Looking for the perfect stubble trimmer? The Chairman™ Pro Package face shaving kit from MANSCAPED® comes with a trimmer and SkinSafe® stubble attachment for a perfectly even, super easy trim all over. Swap in the 4-blade foil shaver attachment whenever you need to go clean-shaven, too. It’s the perfect 2-in-1 tool for perfect, versatile stubble.
- Plus, the kit comes with MANSCAPED®’s Power Shave Gel (great for your face and head) and Face Shave Soother Aftershave Serum to calm redness and irritation.
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Classic or stubble goatee “Goatee” is an umbrella term for any beard style that has hair on the chin and not the cheeks (whether it includes a mustache or not is up to you). This look adds definition and shape to your chin, which helps balance out rounder faces and soften hard jawlines. It also helps balance out the lack of hair on your head.
- Get the look: To style a goatee , trim or shave off the hair on your cheeks, leaving a chin beard that exposes some jawline (if you have a rounder face, let the goatee extend a bit farther along the jaw to add shape). If you have a mustache, you can leave it unconnected to maintain the goatee look, or let it grow into your chin beard for a circle beard look.
- Best face shape: Square, oval, round [2] X Research source
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The swashbuckler Hear us out—this style is a bold choice that’s not for everyone, but isn’t being bald with a beard a bold choice anyway? Picture a pointed goatee (with or without a soul patch) and a thick, curled, handlebar mustache that screams “I was meant to be a pirate.” It’s an old-school, debonaire look that’ll definitely turn heads. Paired with a bald head, it’s iconic.
- Get the look: Grow out a goatee and shape it into a point beneath your chin (if your face is rounder, let the goatee extend along your jaw a bit past your chin). Grow your mustache long, then trim the bottom edge at your lip line and twist the ends into a handlebar shape (use some strong mustache wax to hold it in place).
- Best face shape: Square, oval, round (basically any face shape that isn’t long or with an already pointy chin)
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The side/beard connection If you’re naturally bald on top but still have hair on the back and sides of your head, then this classic look is for you. Basically, this look features a neat beard that blends into the remaining hair on the side of your head (picture Sean Connery) for a refined, distinguished look.
- Get the look: Grow out a short- or medium-length beard that blends right into your side hair via the sideburns (or, what’s left of them). Keep your head hair and beard trimmed and shaped to maintain an air of sophistication. The exact length and style of your beard is up to you—go tighter on the sides and longer on the bottom (no more than about an inch (2.5 cm)) for short or round faces, or let the cheeks grow fuller and keep the bottom neatly trimmed for longer, narrower faces.
- Best face shape: Any
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Chin strap goatee A hybrid between a full chin strap and a goatee, this beard is short and has clearly defined lines to frame the mouth and make the chin look stronger and more prominent or square. It’s a versatile style that adds a point of focus to your face, which is important when you don’t have a head full of hair to do the job.
- Get the look: Trim or shave off the hair from your cheeks and jawline, leaving a mustache and chin beard. Buzz the chin down to a #2 guard (you don’t want to go too long here) and shave the soul patch away. Allow your mustache and chin beard to connect, and edge the outside with fairly straight, clear lines.
- Best face shape: Oval or round especially, but it’s versatile enough to work for nearly anyone.
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Full beard A classic full beard can soften angular features and fill in smaller or less defined chins and jawlines, enhancing your natural features. [3] X Research source This is a classic, timeless look on most face shapes and provides balance to your smooth dome. Plus, after the initial growing phase, it’s not very hard to keep up—just trim once or twice a week.
- Get the look: Grow out your beard all over without trimming or lining it up, then trim it down to a medium length (maybe somewhere between ½ an inch and an inch (1.3–2.5 cm). The length is ultimately up to what you think looks good and works for you, though. Consider erring on the longer side at first, then trim shorter if your face looks imbalanced. Keep the edges defined if you have a rounder face, or a bit more natural and soft if you have an angular face.
- Best face shape: Oval, diamond, square, round
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Long (Viking) beard Imagine a long, luscious beard down to your chest, blowing in the wind as you sail off to conquer new lands. This is the Viking beard—a long, classic beard that’s full in the cheeks and hangs far down from your jaw and chin. It’s a wild and rugged look that elongates and balances most faces (which is good when you’re bald, since clean-shaven domes can make most faces appear a bit wider). [4] X Research source
- Get the look: Grow out your beard for a few weeks or months (depending on how long you want it and how long it already is) without trimming until you have lots of length under the chin (at least 2–3 inches (5–7.6 cm) to get started, but you can continue to grow it past this). Trim your cheeks to about a #4 guard or longer (it’s up to your preference) but let the hair on your chin and the underside of your chin and jawline hang down longer. Take off the guard and carefully shape the outside of the beard into a loose V-shape, coming to a slight point at the bottom.
- Best face shape: Round, oval, square
- Styling tip: If you like the shape of a Viking beard but not the length, feel free to adjust to your preference. Long, Viking styles can be shaped into goatees or medium lengths—you just need a bit hanging under the chin that comes to a loose point.
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Long beard with handlebar or walrus mustache If being bald with a long beard wasn’t bold enough, enter a huge statement mustache. Like the swashbuckler, this old-school and distinguished look may not be for everyone, but it sure does leave an impression. Because a big mustache adds some width to your face, this style can help balance out fellas with longer, narrower face shapes (in addition to adding length to shorter faces).
- Get the look: Grow out a full, long beard that’s tighter on the sides and extends at least an inch or 2 (2.5–5 cm) below the chin and jawline. Then, let your mustache hair grow long, especially on the sides. Keep it long and straight all over for a classic walrus mustache, or twist and curl the ends into the iconic handlebar shape.
- Best face shape: Oval, round, square, rectangle/oblong, diamond
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The Van Dyke Named after 17th-century Flemish painter Anthony Van Dyk and his iconic beard shape, a Van Dyke beard makes rounder faces look more angular and defined. It’s like a thick goatee (with or without a soul patch) paired with a long mustache (similar to a swashbuckler, but less stylized and more in line with what grows naturally on your face). Like other goatee styles, it adds visual interest around the chin to balance out a bald scalp. [5] X Research source
- Get the look: First, trim a goatee. If you grow a soul patch, you leave it connected to the goatee (forming an anchor shape) or keep it separated (known as a “royale” beard). Let your mustache grow full and fairly long on the ends without styling it. Leave the mustache disconnected from the beard for a true Van Dyke, or connect it for more of a circle beard look.
- Best face shape: Round, square, oval
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Hipster beard The hipster beard is hard to define (classic hipster, are we right?) but essentially, it’s a full, thick beard that’s shaped to be longer at the bottom than on the sides. It typically includes a mustache, too, although whether you curl it into a hipster handlebar or just let it be is up to you. This style works best for guys who can grow thick facial hair, but the essence of the hipster style is to grow what you can without worrying about what others think is cool or how it looks to the mainstream. It takes confidence to rock a statement hipster beard, making it a great pairing with a bald head.
- Get the look: Grow out your beard to whatever length you prefer (maybe about an inch (2.5 cm) to start) and shape it so it’s a bit tighter in the cheeks and fuller or bushier around and under the chin (picture the beard of a bartender at a craft brewery). The bottom can flare out or come to a gentle point, similar to a Viking—whatever you’re feeling (a flare takes less regular maintenance).
- Best face shape: Oval, round, square, diamond
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Balbo beard A Balbo is a beard without sideburns and featuring a mustache that can be connected or disconnected (picture a really full goatee that extends along the jawline to the ears for a fuller, bolder look). It shapes rounder faces to look more angular (especially at the chin) and can fill out the narrower jawlines of guys with diamond or heart faces. It adds definition to the jawline, which can help shape faces that look more round when bald.
- Get the look: Keep your facial hair longer at the chin and along the jawline, but trim down your cheeks and sideburns (or shave them clean). Some guys will fade down to stubble at the side burns so their hair and beard appear faintly connected.
- Best face shape: Round, oval, heart, diamond
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Chin strap A chin strap beard covers the chin and extends along the jawline all the way up to the ears without a mustache (it’s a nice look for guys who struggle with a ‘stache). It accentuates your jawline to add more shape and definition to your face (important when you’re bald). [6] X Research source It also balances out longer faces and looks best when it’s short (really long chin straps are…a choice).
- Get the look: Shave your cheeks and mustache clean, leaving hair on your chin and jawline all the way up to the ears. Trim to about a #2 guard to keep it neat and short.
- Best face shape: Rectangle/oblong, oval, round
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Short boxed beard A boxed beard is a short, full beard with clearly defined and trimmed sides that make your face look more angled and chiseled (even if it’s actually a bit rounder). It’s an easy-to-maintain style that’s short and polished enough for the office, but still masculine and rugged enough to make a great combo with a shaved or bald head. [7] X Research source
- Get the look: Grow out your beard, then trim it down to a short, even length all over (try a #2 or #3 guard to distinguish it from stubble). Then, use a razor or take the guard off your trimmer to line up your beard on your cheeks and neck. If your face is already kind of hard or angular, keep the edges less defined to soften your features a bit.
- Best face shape: Round, oval
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Circle beard A circle beard is a mustache and chin beard that connect on the sides of the lips, forming a circle shape around your mouth (similar to a goatee, but fully connected and a bit fuller on the sides than a chin strap goatee). It’s a great option to make your chin look fuller while softening hard lines, making it great for square and angular faces. [8] X Research source A fuller chin also helps balance out the top half of your face, which can appear a bit larger without head hair.
- Get the look: Take a beard trimmer to the sides of your cheeks and remove the hair up to your mustache (leaving an outline extending down into your beard). Then, trim away the hair along your jawline until just a chin beard is left. This look only works if your mustache and beard connect to each other (otherwise, it looks more like a goatee).
- Best face shape: Square, oval, diamond, heart [9] X Research source
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Slightly pointed or ducktail beard This style looks like a short or medium V- or U-shaped beard on the chin (like a duck’s tail) that elongates and softens a square face or angular lines. It also adds length and depth to your face, counteracting the “wide and round” effect that happens to some guys’ faces when they go bald.
- Get the look: Trim the hair on your cheeks and jawline down to a short length (maybe a #2 or #3 guard), but let your chin hair hang below your face (about 2 inches (5 cm) is a great place to start). Remove the guard and use your trimmers to make a rough “V” or “U” shape under your chin. Shorter and neater ducktails are great for professional settings, while a longer ducktail looks rugged but still sophisticated.
- Best face shape: Square, oval
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Mustache only Mustaches aren’t a beard, but they’re super flexible and look great on most guys (with or without head hair!) with the proper trimming. Here are some near-universally flattering styles, but know that your ‘stache options are limitless:
- The chevron: A thick, dense mustache that fills your entire upper lip and angles slightly down around the sides of your mouth. Grow your mustache as long and full as can be, then trim the lip line and corners to get that chevron shape.
- The horseshoe: A mustache with long bars coming down and around the corners of the mouth, making a horseshoe shape. Grow out your mustache and chin beard, then trim away the hair on the front of your chin, leaving the “horseshoe” shape along the outline.
- The classic: A regular old mustache in a shape and thickness that grows naturally for you. Grow it out for a few weeks, then use trimmers to define the lip line. Keep the ends near the corners of your mouth without extending too far out or down.
- Best face shape: Oval, square, round, diamond
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Tips
- Keep in mind that your face shape is just one factor in deciding what kind of beard to choose. You’re free to choose whatever you like, think looks good on you, and works for your personal style. It’s your face, after all!Thanks
- These beard styles also go great with a closely shaved head or buzz cut if you don’t want to be 100% bald.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.chicagomalesalon.com/blogs/short-beard-styles-for-your-face-shape
- ↑ https://www.chicagomalesalon.com/blogs/short-beard-styles-for-your-face-shape
- ↑ https://www.chicagomalesalon.com/blogs/short-beard-styles-for-your-face-shape
- ↑ https://wellgroomedgentleman.com/the-gents-journal/beard-styles-for-bald-men/
- ↑ https://wellgroomedgentleman.com/the-gents-journal/beard-styles-for-bald-men/
- ↑ https://www.chicagomalesalon.com/blogs/short-beard-styles-for-your-face-shape
- ↑ https://wellgroomedgentleman.com/the-gents-journal/beard-styles-for-bald-men/
- ↑ https://www.chicagomalesalon.com/blogs/short-beard-styles-for-your-face-shape
- ↑ https://wellgroomedgentleman.com/the-gents-journal/beard-styles-for-bald-men/
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