Long Beard Styles for Every Face Shape & Aesthetic

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Plus, growing, trimming, and styling tips

Co-authored by Juan Sabino

Last Updated: December 2, 2024 Fact Checked

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Long Beard Styles

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Trimming a Long Beard

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Growing a Long Beard

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Have you thought about sporting a long beard, but are unsure about which beard style is right for you? We’ll break down the best long beard styles below, along with styling tips and guidance about which long beard will look best on you. Plus, we'll provide advice on how to grow out and trim a long beard to keep you looking great every day of the year.

Section 1 of 3:

15 Long Beard Styles

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Hipster Beard A hipster beard is thick and bushy, but very well-groomed. It's typically square and features clean lines. The mustache is trimmed and the look pairs well with a modern pompadour haircut. ^{[1]
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- How to maintain : Use a wide-tooth beard comb first to release any knots, followed by a fine-toothed beard comb . Then, use a beard brush to fluff up the beard hairs both up and down and side to side. Smooth your beard hairs down and apply beard oil to both the beard and mustache. If you want to go full hipster, twist your mustache ends up so the outer corners resemble handlebars.
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval & rectangular
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Viking Beard This striking style consists of a long bushy beard that covers the entire face. The sides are trimmed and shaped to emphasize a masculine jawline. Also called the warrior beard, the Viking beard style became increasingly popular with the release of the TV series Vikings and the main character Ragnar Lothbrok's style. ^{[2]
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- How to maintain : Style the bottom part of your Viking beard into a neat square or oval outline. Extend the outline from the bottom of your sideburns to mid-throat. Trim any stray hairs with beard scissors and use a moisturizing beard wash to prevent dryness. ^{[3]
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- Which face shape is it best for? Oval & round
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Long Goatee A long goatee is a chin beard that grows several inches below the chin and ends in either a sharp point or a natural, bushy shape. This beard style also includes a mustache. Opt for a short, cropped beard along the jawline, or keep the jawline shaved. ^{[4]
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- How to maintain : Comb your long goatee regularly, apply beard balm for added shine, and blow dry the goatee when it becomes unruly. Trim any wayward hairs that detract from your beard shape to keep your mustache and goatee neat.
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval & round
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Braided Beard A braided beard features one, two, or three braids that extend the entire length of the beard. Play around with the number to figure out which style suits your face shape and beard length and texture best. ^{[5]
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- How to maintain : For one braid, divide your beard into 3 sections. Cross the right section over the middle section, and then cross the left section over the new middle section. Continue braiding using beard hair from each side until you reach the bottom and then secure with a hair tie. Sleeping in your braided beard will help hold its shape, while beard conditioner also helps it stay moisturized.
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval, round & diamond face shapes
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Ducktail Beard A ducktail beard is a full beard that ends in a long triangular shape. It can be curved or pointed but includes a tightly trimmed jawline tapered downward to the chin. The overall shape is meant to resemble the curve of a duck’s tail. ^{[6]
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- How to maintain : Trim your jawline hairs every other day to keep a sharper shape, while trimming the length of the beard every 1 to 2 weeks. Keep your neck and cheekbone areas trimmed for a cleaner overall look.
- Which face shape is it best for? Diamond, rectangular, triangular & round faces
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Bandholz Beard The Bandholz beard features a full mustache connected to a long free-flowing beard. Keep the mustache trimmed so it doesn't go past the upper lip. The beard style is named after Eric Bandholz, a beard expert. It requires less upkeep and doesn’t need tons of styling. ^{[7]
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- How to maintain : Trim your Bandholz regularly to the desired bottom length and use beard balm to smooth and shape the hair as needed. Keep the areas where your mustache meets your beard as seamless as possible by trimming with scissors or a beard clipper (depending on length).
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval & round
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Harden Beard This bushy, natural long beard has rounded edges that require much less trimming than other long beards. It has a square shape but includes a mustache, beard, and cheek hairs of very similar lengths. The Harden beard became iconic once Houston Rockets basketball player James Harden started sporting it during play. ^{[8]
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- How to maintain : Trim the bottom of your beard to maintain its general shape, and keep the mustache and cheek lengths the same. Keep your beard hydrated by applying a night cream before bed to lock in moisture. Shampoo your beard to keep it clean and comb the beard in your preferred direction a few times a day to help it behave. ^{[9]
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- Which face shape is it best for? Oval & round
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Garibaldi Beard This rugged beard is typically 6 inches (15 cm) to 8 inches (20 cm) long and rounded at the ends. It features a short mustache and sideburns that connect to the beard, Garibaldi is well known as boxer Conor MacGregor’s favorite look. ^{[10]
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- How to maintain : Trim the bottom edges of your Garibaldi beard to keep the rounded beard shape . Apply beard oil before you comb through your beard to smooth any tangles.
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval, round, rectangular & heart-shaped faces
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Razor-Sharp Beard A long razor beard features a uniform length and sharp lines along the cheeks, sideburns, and bottom of the beard. The sides are symmetrical because the razor-sharp beard is about precision while showing off a full beard of thick, well-groomed hair.
- How to maintain : Regularly trim your cheek and sideburn lines, as well as the bottom of your beard. Shave above your cheek lines and around your sideburns to keep those lines clean.
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval, round & square
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Verdi Beard The Verdi is a full-rounded beard with clean lines, trimmed sides, and a styled mustache. Curl up the mustache at both ends to nail this iconic look. ^{[11]
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Research source} It’s all about sophistication, which is probably why it’s named after 19th-century Italian composer, Giuseppe Verdi. ^{[12]
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- How to maintain : Trim the bottom of your Verdi beard so it's either round or slightly oblong. ^{[13]
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- Which face shape is it best for? Square & oval
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Boss Beard The boss is a long full beard with a bushy mustache. It has long and straight sides with neatly faded sideburns and a less manicured mustache. The boss’s shape is straight and long, with closely trimmed edges.
- How to maintain : Regularly trim the sides and the bottom line of your beard. You can also trim around your sideburns and use scissors if your mustache hairs stick out past the rest of your beard.
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval, rectangular & triangular faces
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Polished Beard Clean lines make up the polished beard’s sophisticated shape. The trimmed mustache doesn’t reach beyond the lip line, while the beard tapers into a long, rounded shape at the bottom. It also features a lower cheek line that slightly curves from the sideburn to the mustache.
- How to maintain : Keep the mustache well trimmed, along with the cheek hair so your beard looks its neatest. Use a wide toothed comb or bristle brush to keep your hairs neat, and use beard balm as needed for added hold.
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval & round
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Lumberjack Beard This beard is full, round at the bottom, and covers the cheeks, chin, and neck. It has a full, longer mustache that can be shaped into a handlebar or twisted up at the ends.
- How to maintain : Trim your beard regularly to keep the bottom round and use scissors to remove split ends. Trim your mustache to your desired length to keep it symmetrical on both ends. Use a beard shampoo to keep the thick, full texture of your lumberjack beard going strong.
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval
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Classic Full Beard The traditional full beard covers the entire face below a mustache and includes trimmed sideburns that fade between the hairline and beard. Most full beards take about 3 months to grow and are easier to maintain since they don’t have overly precise lines. ^{[14]
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- How to maintain : Brush your beard daily and apply a beard oil to prevent matting. Shave and/or trim your beard edges regularly for a neat, classic look.
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval & diamond
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Wild Beard The wild beard is long, thick, and can be whatever shape you like. It’s meant for those who want the lowest-maintenance beard. You can let the wild beard grow in naturally, including your mustache. If eating becomes too messy, your mustache may require trimming occasionally!
- How to maintain : Watch out for any hairs that stick out too much, whether along your cheeks, sideburns, or mustache. Even though your wild beard is low maintenance, keep it clean with a moisturizing beard wash and beard conditioner so it always looks its best.
- Which face shape is it best for? Oval, triangular & diamond faces

Section 2 of 3:

How to Trim a Long Beard

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Wash and comb your beard. Use a beard cleanser that is gentle on your skin to prevent flakiness and moisturize your beard. Scrub your beard in the sink or while in the shower. Follow up by applying a beard conditioner for additional softness.
- Starting with a clean beard helps prevent any collected food particles or bacteria from remaining in your beard. ^{[15]
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- Detangle your beard by combing your beard hair with a wide toothed comb until you don’t feel any tension or pulling. ^{[16]
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Trim the sides of your beard. Set your trimmer to the desired length. Starting at your sideburn, trim the side of your beard in a straight downward direction. This will help grab any flyaway hairs you might have while preventing your trimmer from grabbing too much hair at once. Repeat 2-3 times, then do the same thing on the other side. ^{[17]
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- After the first pass, brush your beard with a bristle brush . This often reveals additional fly-away beard hairs, which you can trim on your second pass.
- Trim both sides of your beard a total of 2-3 times.
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Trim beneath your chin area. Brush your hair downward and, starting at your chin, hold your beard trimmer upside down. Trim any stray hairs from the top of your beard by running the trimmer down from your mouth to the bottom of your beard. Then, tilt your head back, hold your beard trimmer upside down, and trim the bottom center of your beard from front to back, ending at your Adam’s apple. You only need to do this one time. ^{[18]
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- Be careful not to remove too much hair beneath your chin, since the majority of your beard grows here.
- After one pass, detangle your hair with your wide toothed comb . ^{[19]
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Aim your beard trimmer in an upward direction to clean wayward neck hairs. You can also follow up by shaving the neck area if you want a cleaner beard line. ^{[20]
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Trim the facial outline of your beard. Trim along a straight or slightly curved top line from the corner of your sideburn to the side of your mouth on both sides. ^{[21]
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- Trim away any wayward cheek hairs you see. Be sure that both sides of your facial outline are level.
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Trim your bottom beard line from side to side. Start by trimming behind one ear and move in a straight line across the front of the neck and end behind your other ear. ^{[22]
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- Brush through your beard after trimming the bottom beard line to capture any remaining flyaway hair.
Start by combing your mustache hair forward to create a center peak. Turn your beard trimmer sideways and trim it from the central peak to the corner of your mouth. Repeat on the other side. ^{[23]
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Take a few drops of beard oil , work it into your palms, and apply it throughout your beard. Brush through your beard a final time to evenly distribute the oil.

Section 3 of 3:

How to Grow a Long Beard

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If you want your beard to grow out evenly, it’s best to begin fresh. Shave off any excess hairs on the mustache, cheeks, chin, and neck. If you plan on a long beard style that starts at the sideburns, shave those as well so your entire face is primed and ready to grow a long beard evenly.
It will take up to a couple of months for the different areas of your hair to grow long and even out. Your cheek hair may grow more slowly than the hair around your jawline, so giving it ample time to catch up will result in a fuller, more even beard. ^{[24]
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After your beard reaches a length you can work with, lightly trim your cheek and neck lines. If you have scraggly hairs above your cheek line or below your desired neckline, feel free to shave them off while you grow your beard out.
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Wash your beard to keep it clean as it grows. Try to keep a regular nightly beard routine. This includes shampooing your beard, applying a beard cream , and combing it in the direction you want it to grow.
- Licensed cosmetologist Mark LoBiondo notes how to keep your beard clean while growing it out. “Use shampoo and hair conditioner on your beard as you would your head hair. Do not shampoo too frequently (once per week).”
- As your beard grows, you may develop what is called “beard itch.” Treat any itchiness by applying beard oil throughout your growing beard. It’ll bring moisture to your beard follicles and keep any itch at bay.
- Professional barber Juan Sabino suggests making beard oil yourself using olive or coconut oil as a base. He also recommends putting some brown sugar in the oil. “And you can use that as a pre-face wash to soften up the hair and also get rid of some of the dead skin.”
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Brush your beard every day. Use a bristle brush to exfoliate the hairs of your beard while they grow. Many beard experts recommend a boar bristle beard brush to distribute oils evenly throughout your beard.
- If your beard is ready to be shaped, you can also apply beard balm before you brush. Beard balm helps sculpt beards in whatever shape your preferred beard style highlights. For example, if you’re growing a Ducktail beard, apply beard balm and brush it through your beard in a forward direction.
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Maintain a healthy diet. Eating a nutrient-rich diet can help the hair you have grow strong and healthy. Eat food that contain lean protein, iron, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables. ^{[25]
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- Zinc has been shown to benefit testosterone levels, which affects beard growth. Sources of zinc include meat, shellfish, dairy products like cheese, and carbohydrates like bread and cereal. ^{[26]
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  National Health Service (UK)
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An exercise schedule that includes weight and resistance training, along with cardio, also increases testosterone production and stimulates hair growth as you grow your beard. ^{[27]
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Aim for 8 hours of sleep per night when possible. A recent study shows that sleep deprivation can result in decreased hair growth. ^{[28]
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Cleveland Clinic
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Go to source} When you don’t get enough sleep, your body feels more stressed out, which can also keep your beard hair from growing at a solid rate.
It takes 2-6 months for a full long beard to grow. Remember that everyone’s beard grows at a different rate. Keep your beard goal in mind and, before you know it, you’ll have a long, full beard that you love.