Top Short Beard Styles for Men
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 that shows off your defined jawline. Once you’ve grown out your beard and mustache, just take a beard trimmer to the sides of your cheeks and remove the hair up to your mustache. To make a pencil circle beard, trim the connecting hair between your chin and mustache very thin (about the width of a pencil) with very clear, defined lines. 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 Not sure what your face shape is? Take our Face Shape Quiz to find out!
Goatee “Goatee” is a general term for any beard style that has hair on the chin, but not the cheeks (and may or may not have a mustache). To style a goatee, just trim or shave off all the hair on your cheeks, leaving a chin beard that lets your sharp jawline shine. 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. As long as there’s hair on your chin and not on your cheeks, you can say you have a goatee. Best face shape: Square, oval, round (when it extends further along the jawline)
Royale beard A royale beard consists of a mustache paired with a disconnected chinstrap beard and a patch of hair under the bottom lip called a soul patch (imagine Robert Downey Jr.’s signature beard). To get the look, trim your facial hair into a goatee shape, separating your mustache and beard so they don’t connect (this look is great for guys whose mustache doesn’t connect around the lips or grow out very much). The royale beard has a kind of hipster chic look and is a classic variation of the circle beard or goatee. Best face shape: square, oval
Stubble beard Even stubble all over hits the sweet spot between clean-shaven and a true beard and looks casual, laidback, and rugged (maybe not so great for the office, though). Just grab your electric 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. 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. To make it look more polished and professional, shave clear lines on your cheeks and neck. Or, leave the edges natural for a more effortless style. Best face shape: Oval, square, heart Looking for a shaver that’ll give you effortless stubble? The Chairman™ Pro Package electric foil shaver from MANSCAPED® has 2 stubble length-setting combs for even stubble all over and a precision trimmer edge for super defined beard lines.
Short ducktail beard This style looks like a V- or U-shaped beard on the chin that elongates and softens a square face or hard lines. Trim the hair on your cheeks and jawline down to a short length (there are no rules here—go for whatever length you prefer), but let your chin hair stay long and hang below your face (again, no rules on length here, but about 2 inches (5 cm) is a great place to start). Use your trimmers to make a rough “V” shape under your chin and voilà! Feel free to take liberties with how long your cheek and chin hair are. Shorter and neater is great for the office and looking polished, while a little longer and wilder looks rugged but still sophisticated. Best face shape: Square, oval
Van Dyke beard Inspired by 17th-century Flemish painter Anthony Van Dyk, the Van Dyke beard makes rounder faces look more angular and defined. It’s essentially a thicker goatee (with or without a soul patch) paired with a long mustache. Traditionally, the mustache is curled at the ends to make a handlebar mustache and give you an old 1900s look. Nowadays, you can just grow out your mustache without curling it if you prefer a more modern feel. Tip: You’ll need a strong mustache wax to hold the handlebar shape if you go for a classic Van Dyke. Best face shape: Round, square, oval
Short boxed beard A boxed beard is a short, full beard with clearly defined and trimmed sides that makes your entire face look more angled, chiseled, and distinguished (even if it’s a bit rounder in reality). To get the look, grow out your beard and then trim it down to a short, even length all over (try a #2 or #3 guard to keep it from just looking like stubble). Then, use a razor or take the guard off your trimmer to line up your beard on your cheeks and neck. A short boxed beard works great for guys with shorter hair since it makes the face and head seem balanced and put together. Best face shape: Round, oval
Balbo beard A Balbo is a beard without sideburns and a disconnected mustache (it’s kind of like a royale or goatee, but the beard extends farther along the jawline toward the ears to give it a fuller, bolder look). It shapes rounder faces to look more angular (especially at the chin), resulting in a more masculine and refined style. To get a Balbo beard, keep your facial hair longer at the chin and along the jawline, but trim down your cheeks and sideburns (or shave them clean). In some variations, guys will fade down to stubble at the side burns so their hair and beard appear slightly more connected. As long as your head hair and beard aren’t long and connected, it’s a Balbo. Best face shape: Round, oval
Anchor beard Picture a goatee or royale beard, but with a chinstrap that connects to your chin beard to form an anchor shape with the sides swooping upward. It’s a distinctive and unique shape that makes the chin seem more prominent or angled on a rounder face. Grow out your goatee beard and chinstrap so they connect, then use your trimmer or a beard detailer to shape the base of the “anchor” on your chin. Tip: This look takes regular trimming and maintenance to maintain. If you’re more of a “I trim every once in a while” kind of guy, a regular goatee or royale are similar but require less maintenance. Best face shape: Round, oval
Soul patch with light mustache Let your soul patch grow out and trim it to about a #2 or #3 guard (you don’t want to go too long—a long soul patch without a beard is not the greatest look). Then, trim your mustache hair down to a length between stubble and a #3 so it appears a bit thinner and lighter than a full ‘stache. This look is great for guys who struggle to grow full beards and mustaches. It’s also low-maintenance, doesn’t take long to grow, and adds some dimension to round faces. Best face shape: Round, oval
Short Viking beard or Viking goatee A Viking beard is usually a long style and grows from your cheeks and chin (including under your chin) to form a wild, intimidating, manly look. However, you don’t need a full blown Viking beard to look fearsome: Let your beard grow out for a few weeks or months (depending on how long you want it and how long it already is) until you have the length you want under the chin. Then, trim down your cheeks to about a #4 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 (again, it’s up to you how long—2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.6 cm) is a good look). Take off the trimmer guard and carefully shape the outside of the beard for a polished look, or let it stay a little messier for a more rugged, Viking-esque style. Best face shape: Round, oval
Mutton chops Picture the opposite of a goatee—sideburns, cheek hair, and a shaved chin (traditional mutton chops don’t have a mustache, but you can definitely keep yours to try this out, too). Basically, all you have to do is grow out your full beard and then trim the chin hair away and boom! Classic mutton chops. Since this is a bold look, keep your beard hair tamed and hydrated with beard oil after trimming. Best face shape: Rectangle/oblong, oval
Gunslinger beard with mustache Picture a cowboy from the Wild West with big sideburns and a thick horseshoe mustache. That’s the gunslinger, baby! It’s similar to mutton chops, but with less hair on the cheeks. This look is great for guys with long faces and would overpower other face shapes. To get the look, let your beard grow out, then shave or buzz most of your cheek hair and all of your chin hair away, leaving sideburns that come all the way down to your jawline (and extend down the jaw toward your chin, if you like). Let your horseshoe mustache grow long toward your jawline. It can connect to the beard if you like, or it can stay separate. This look takes regular maintenance to keep clean, so plan to trim at least 2 to 3 times a week. Best face shape: Rectangle/oblong, oval
Chinstrap beard A chinstrap beard covers the chin and extends along the jawline all the way up to the ears without a mustache (great for fellas who struggle to fill in their upper lip). The style accentuates your jawline, brings balance to longer faces, and looks great when it’s short (long chinstraps are not the move for most men). To get the look, shave your cheeks and mustache clean, leaving behind hair on your chin and jawline all the way up to the ears. Best face shape: Rectangle/oblong, oval
Corporate beard Picture a classic full beard, but kept no more than an inch (2.5 cm) long and with a clean-shaven neck and cheeks above your beard line. This look is a great way to make a statement with your beard while still looking polished and professional enough to wow clients and climb the corporate ladder. To get this style, grow out your beard for several weeks until it reaches the length you like (within an inch of your face). Then, comb your beard and use trimmers to clean up straggly hairs and shape it. Take off the guard to define your neck and cheek lines. Then, shave the skin on your neck and upper cheeks so they’re smooth and contrast with your beard. Best face shape: Rectangle/oblong, oval, Tip: If you have a slim face, keep your corporate beard a bit fuller in the cheeks so your face fills in a little bit more.
Stubble beard with soft edges A stubble beard is rugged yet refined and easy to maintain. Plus, when the edges aren’t super defined, any angular features you have will be softened and seem fuller. Getting the look is easy—just trim your beard down to stubble (use a #1 or #0 guard) and leave the edges to fade away into your skin naturally. Avoid clear lines, which can make your features look too sharp. Best face shape: Diamond, oval, square
Full beard A classic full beard can soften your features and “fill in” your chin and jawline, which are narrower than your wide cheekbones. Grow out your beard evenly all over, then trim it down to a short length (maybe a #3 or #4 guard, but the length is ultimately up to what you think looks good and works for you). Consider erring on the longer side at first, then trim shorter if your face looks imbalanced. Keep the edges soft here, too. Hard lines can make your angular bone structure more pronounced. Best face shape: Oval, diamond, square, round
Petite or light goatee Picture a normal goatee (with or without a mustache), but a bit shorter and with less defined edges. This style adds a bit of bulk to narrower chins, which balances out your face and makes it look more oval-like. All you have to do is shave a goatee like normal, but buzz it down a bit shorter (try a #2 guard). Leave the edges a touch messy to avoid adding more hard lines to your face. Best face shape: Diamond, oval, heart
Beardstache For fellas with wide jaws, balancing the cheekbones and forehead is key to looking great. A beardstache does this perfectly. Like the name suggests, it’s a mustache paired with a beard that’s pretty short (or just stubble). All you have to do is trim your beard down to a length shorter than your mustache to let your upper lip be the star (and pull a bit of focus from your impressive jawline). Best face shape: Triangle, oval, square, diamond
Angular beard This style complements the natural contours of angled faces with wider jaws and is pretty easy to maintain. It’s a full beard that’s close to the skin on the sides and gradually lengthens toward the chin, adding some length to your jaw. To trim it, use a guard 1 or 2 sizes longer around your chin than you do on your sides (don’t make too drastic of a difference though, or you’ll just end up with 2 noticeably different beard lengths). Best face shape: Triangle, oval, square, round
Stubble with sideburns If your face tends to narrow from your forehead down to your jawline and chin, you’ll want a style that adds some depth and dimension to your face without your jaw being overpowered by hair. Rather than a full beard, try out a stubble beard with prominent sideburns—just let your sideburns grow thick and long and shave down to stubble everywhere else. Easy! Don’t take this as a sign you can never have a different beard style. Every face is unique, so try any short, tight style and see how it works for you! Just be careful about adding too much bulk to your chin and jaw. Best face shape: Heart, diamond
Scruff under the chin In some cases, a heart face doesn’t necessarily mean your jaw is small—if you have a pointy chin with wide, high cheekbones relative to your mouth, then it can give the illusion of a more classically heart-shaped face. If this sounds like you, consider a beard that’s close along the cheeks and jaw and bushier under the chin. This makes it seem like you have a fuller, more square jaw and balances out your features. Best face shape: Heart, diamond Tip: There should be more beard than clean-shaven skin under your chin with this look. For the majority of guys, don’t trim all the way to the neckline on the beard. Go between your jawline and the first wrinkle in your throat instead.
Mustaches galore Mustaches aren’t a beard, but they’re a super versatile facial hair look and can look great on most guys. Here are some of the most popular and flattering styles, but know that your ‘stache options are near limitless: Chevron mustache: A bold mustache that fills your entire upper lip and angles slightly down around the corners of your mouth (think Tom Selleck). Let your mustache grow as long and full as can be, then trim the lip line and corners to get that chevron shape. Horseshoe mustache: A mustache with long bars coming down and around the corners of the mouth, making a horseshoe shape. Grow out your ‘stache and chin beard, then trim away the hair on the front of your beard, leaving the “horseshoe” arms along the edges. Classic mustache: A great choice if you struggle to grow a beard or it grows in patchy. Let your mustache grow out to its natural shape, then use trimmers to define the lip line. Keep the ends a bit closer to the corners of your mouth than a chevron. Best face shape: Oval, square, round, diamond
Trim the Perfect Short Beard with MANSCAPED
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How to Choose a Short Beard Style
Ask yourself how much time and effort you’re willing to put into grooming. Thankfully, short beards in general don’t require as much maintenance as a long and luscious Viking, but you’ll still need some upkeep to look sharp and put together. If you’re the kind of guy who likes to do a quick trim and run out the door, a short style like a stubble beard or beardstache would fit your lifestyle. If you’re willing to put in some more time and effort, more complicated shapes and styles like an anchor, royale, or gunslinger could be a great option. You’ll typically have to carefully trim at least twice a week. If you opt for a slightly longer style like a short Viking or a corporate beard, you’ll also have to invest in a quality beard oil and comb your beard daily to train the hairs to grow in the same direction. Basically, the longer the hair or more complicated the shape, the more work it’ll take to maintain. If you have sensitive skin, frequent trimming and grooming may be irritating. Something low-maintenance you can trim with a quick pass of the trimmer, like a stubble beard or beardstache, may be good options.
Don’t be afraid to experiment or ask a barber for their opinion. Short beards don’t take long to grow, so feel free to test out a different style every few weeks until you find something you like. The best beard style is whatever you like and whatever you feel the most confident in, because when you feel good, you look good! If you still have no idea which route to go after some trial and error, don’t be afraid to ask your barber for their opinion. Bring a picture of something that you like to your barber. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get that style or that it’s the style that looks best on you, but a good barber will tell you that and work with you to find what you’re looking for. If you’ve got an oval-shaped face (your face is longer than it is wide), you’re in luck—you can rock just about any beard or mustache style and have it complement your face. While other face shapes may have to think a bit harder about what flatters them, your main concern is whether a certain look reflects your taste or style.
Grooming & Maintenance Tips for Short Beards
Invest in a quality trimmer with guards in multiple lengths. The fastest and easiest way to trim and style a short beard is with an electric trimmer. With guards in different lengths, you can adjust how long your entire beard is and make it even all over (or fade into varying lengths) in just a few minutes. Plus, when you remove the guard, you can shave down to the skin when you want to. For short beard styling, you’ll want #0 (1.5 mm or 1/16 inch), #1 (3 mm or 1/8 inch), #2 (6 mm or 1/4 inch), #3 (10 mm or 3/8 inch), and #4 (13 mm or 1/2 inch) guards. A #3 or #4 is where you start to venture into medium or long beard territory. If you’re interested in stubble beards or super short styles, The Chairman™ Pro Package electric foil shaver by MANSCAPED® delivers precision trimming for an easy, refined look.
Wash and condition your beard regularly with beard shampoo and conditioner. You can use the same shampoo as in your hair, but it’s best to use shampoos catered to your beard and the skin around your face since your hair follicles on your head create more oil versus the follicles on your face. These beard shampoos are specially designed to be more sensitive to your skin. How often you wash and condition depends on how much product (like beard oil or balm) you use throughout the week. You can even wash every day as long as you apply a little bit of moisturizing oil and beard balm to keep the skin underneath moisturized.
Apply beard oil to moisturize and tame your beard. After you wash and condition, adding beard oil gives the beard a little bit of a fuller, uniform look and it maintains the straggly hairs. Start with just a drop or two and rub it into your hands, then apply and massage it into the beard. Brush the beard with a brush or a comb and then just let the oil sit there throughout the day. Just don’t forget to eventually wash that oil out, or it will build up on the hair and make the hair unhealthy. You also won't get the benefits of washing the skin underneath.
Use beard balm to shape slightly longer beards and mustaches. If you’re going for a look like a short Viking beard or something with a handlebar mustache, beard balm really helps for holding it. For example, if you have a fluffy beard and you put a good amount of balm in it, you can flatten it out a little bit and make it look more tamed. Rub a pea-sized amount of balm between your hands to warm it up, then apply it to your beard after a shower or after trimming to hold the hairs in place.
Moisturize your face skin if you’re wearing a stubble beard. If you only have stubble, it’s important to keep the skin underneath healthy and moisturized. So, make sure you exfoliate a few times a week and apply a moisturizer. Also use a quality SPF all over your face to avoid wrinkles and fine lines.
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