Beards are enjoying a bit of a renaissance in modern society, and there are many different styles of beards that people like to sport on their faces. From a smattering of stubble to a full-grown wizard look, we are embracing facial hair like never before.
There are also many products available related explicitly to beard care, so it’s easier than it ever has been to keep a beard looking stylish at all times.
When it comes to beards, everyone has their own preferences, either as a wearer or an observer. Some people are firmly in the ‘no’ camp, where they don’t like any beard at all and favor a completely shaven face.
Others find a bare chin looks empty and soulless, so the more hair growing there, the better. Plenty more will enjoy certain types of beard but not others, while a fraction of people simply isn’t that fussed either way.
Many men will reach a stage where the hair on their heads starts to thin and eventually falls out altogether.
They may wish to take the plunge and shave it all off rather than waiting for it to abandon them naturally, allowing them to adopt a different look to make their own.
They often find that they can still grow hair elsewhere, notably on their facial regions. Growing a beard to compensate for lost head hair is a great way of getting your mojo back if you’re feeling down about it.
Alternatively, of course, you may decide you want to shave your hair anyway, regardless of if it will try and grow back or not. A bald head is a valid style choice in its own right, and certain men suit it very well.
Many of these like to have a beard to complete their look and add another dimension to their face. A beard can be very striking when it accompanies a bald head, and we’re here to tell you the different reasons why it’s a good idea.
Facial Balance
One of the reasons beards work so well with bald heads is because they add a pleasing balance to the face.
Hair on your head with a bare face is what many people think of when they imagine what a man looks like – there is just the right ratio of hair to skin, and it works to frame the face well.
You can recreate the same effect with a bald head and a beard. It will look similar, just the other way up.
Having hair both on the top of the head and the bottom of the face can sometimes overwhelm your other features, or make you look scruffy. It depends on how much hair there is in each place, but it is certainly easier to focus on one at a time.
Long hair and a long beard is a choice that works for some people, but not everyone can pull it off.
It also needs a lot of attention to maintain, otherwise it ends up looking unkempt. Having either a beard or head hair requires much less upkeep.
Face Shape
Faces come in all shapes and sizes, and each person can have a significant impact on the styles that will suit them. Hair can be used in certain ways to give the illusion of a differently-shaped head underneath it.
For example, some people look fantastic with no hair on their head or face whatsoever, and these people will often have nothing to cover up or hide in that region.
A bald head will, however, expose more of your face shape than a hairy one will, but you can still work some magic slightly lower down the face.
You may notice that someone’s head is quite square or thin; you could add a beard to make it seem either longer or wider, depending on which your own head needs.
This can drastically soften the effects of an angular head or add some definition to a narrow one, and you’d be surprised at quite how much of a difference this makes.
If you are especially insecure about a double chin, or just dislike your chin in general, a layer of hair can hide your worst parts and let you step out with confidence.
Personality
Growing a beard when you’ve got a bald head can help you achieve a specific look that might match your personality or life vision perfectly.
It is a popular option among people who want to cultivate a ‘tough guy’ image – this works particularly well with large, muscly men, who have the sort of body you might expect a nightclub bouncer to have.
The combination of close shave and grizzly beard simply gives off a no nonsense vibe.
If you want to intimidate people without saying anything, this is an excellent look for you.
Or, you might want to avert expectations – on first meeting, people will probably have some preconception that you’re somewhat menacing, but then they’ll get to know you and realize you’re a big softie at heart!
The look doesn’t necessarily have these connotations, but there’s plenty of room to play into stereotypes with it if you wish.
Even if you’re not going for an aggressive appearance, a beard can help you reflect your actual age better than your current look. Some people are blessed with youthful genes that make them look younger than they are.
While it can be seen as a good thing, it can also cause you problems when you’re trying to buy age-restricted items or get into clubs.
If you have a young face, having a bald head on its own can make you look more like an actual baby, whereas a beard can give you a ruggedness that you didn’t have before.
Social Success
According to research, men with both a bald head and a beard are considered to be more dominant socially, and people associate this look with natural leaders.
Therefore, people are more likely to gravitate towards you if you sport this look, and it can help you in a number of situations, from job interviews to dates.
You can further explore this concept by adding a pair of glasses, so people perceive you as intelligent and trustworthy. Even if you’re not very confident in real life, you can give yourself a head-start by showing people what they want to see.
A beard and shaved head can give you a sense of authority over others who may see you as older and wiser, but this isn’t necessarily a reason to do it. Yes, older men are more likely to lose their head hair, but plenty of younger men choose to shave their heads too.
If you’re just trying to make yourself look like an old man, there are plenty of ways to do that without shaving your head, such as investing in a grey wig or stick-on facial hair.
In fact, many older men who are naturally bald can still grow facial hair, and do so in order to appear younger themselves.
Great Beard Styles For Bald Men
When you have a bald head, there are more options available to you in terms of beard style – the face is your blank canvas to design however you want.
Maybe you want to go for a moustache to complement your beard, or perhaps you’ll let the beard speak for itself. The world is your oyster!
Here are some awesome beard ideas to get you started.
1. Goatee
Straight out of the gate, we’ve gone for this classic beard style.
Goatees are fairly customizable in terms of length and thickness, with the most important thing being that your goatee sits in the middle of your face. This means that you can make it either long or short, and it will still sit neatly on your chin.
If you want to grow a goatee, then you’ll need to shave off your chin area first.
Then you can start growing the rest of it out. Keep the unoccupied areas in a neat condition by trimming them down when they need it (approximately every couple days), as otherwise you will get other hair blending in with your goatee and ruining the effect.
Some men like their goatee to be thinner, while others prefer a wider style that covers their whole chin.
It is up to you what sort you want to go for, but there are plenty of famous examples you can look to for inspiration: Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are notable goatee fans, who often experiment with different styles.
2. Sideburns
Sideburns are another great way to add character to your facial hair. They come in many different lengths, shapes, and colors, which makes them perfect for experimenting with.
When you have a bald head, it is important to fade your sideburns into your beard properly, as you don’t want them to stop dead at a certain point. Sideburns can usually blend into head hair easily, but if you don’t have any, there’s nowhere for them to hide.
While sideburns are fun to wear, they do require a bit of maintenance, as they tend to become uneven over time.
To keep your sideburns looking sharp, you should trim them to be in line with each other, not with your ears (sometimes ears can be lopsided without you realizing, but lopsided sideburns will be more noticeable.
Also, don’t cut the sideburns any higher than the top of your ears.
3. Full Beard
This is one of the easiest styles to pull off, because all you need to do is grow a full beard.
There’s no trimming necessary, which makes it perfect for those who don’t have much time to spend on facial grooming.
You just keep growing out your beard until such a time as it won’t grow anymore, and you can challenge yourself on how long you can get it.
We still recommend that you try and keep it neat, even if you decide not to trim it at all.
The thicker your beard, the more hair there is for things to hide in, which is the number one thing that can put people off men with beards.
A full beard often consists of a mustache too, which can frame your mouth in an eye-catching way and create a sense of balance. Many men will leave their mustache to grow in the way it does naturally, while others will coax it into a specific shape.
Stubble doesn’t technically constitute an actual beard, since it’s just flecks of hair that don’t necessarily join up with each other. However, it is an effective method of creating a rugged appearance, especially if you’re going for a lumberjack-type look.
Stubble can be easier to maintain than a full beard, as it’s too short to trap things in, but it can also be tricky to keep it at a constant length.
The best thing about stubble is that it can look good on everyone. Unfortunately, if you don’t know how to do it properly, you can end up looking like you’ve just forgotten to shave.
Many men go from clean-shaven to a stubbly appearance within a few days, and the first days of your stubble can look awkward on your face.
Once you’ve grown to a comfortable stubble length, trim to your desired setting to make it even all the way around, then you can start experimenting with shorter trimming in certain areas to achieve a pleasing fade.
My personal favorite and daily go-to beard trimmer is the Wahl Stainless Steel Lithium Ion 2.0+. I love the feel of this trimmer in your hand and the smoothness of the cut is second to none. Check it out below.
Mutton chops are sideburns that extend down and further into your face; they are essentially the opposite of a goatee, because they leave the patch in the middle free of hair.
This means that where a goatee would normally go – i.e. just below the mouth – there is just bare skin. As you can imagine, you will need to know what you’re doing to pull off this style, or you can end up looking like the gap is unintentional.
Although mutton chops can be quite hard to style, you should be fine if you’ve had experience with goatees.
Experimenting with mutton chops will probably require you to invest in some special scissors that are designed specifically for cutting through thick hair.
You may have trouble finding the right angle to trim at, so using a mirror is especially important here.
6. Chin Strap
A chin strap (or chin curtain) is basically a narrow strip of hair that runs all the way from one temple to the other, via the underneath of your chin.
It is usually trimmed thin, rather than bushy, and it can really frame your face well by adding better definition. There is no mustache with it, and the rest of the face inside the ‘border’ you’ve created is fully shaven.
As you can imagine, this is a fairly difficult style to maintain, as it needs to stay sharp to give the full effect.
You should examine your face shape carefully to determine the thickness of the chin strap that will work best, and you may need to experiment before settling on one.
Start off going wider than you think you want because you can always trim it down to reach your desired thickness.
Top Tips For Shaved Head And Beard Maintenance
It’s all well and good deciding that you’re going to go ahead with the combo look, but first, you need to consider the long-term implications. It might look great at first, but if you don’t care for it properly, you can end up stifling the whole effect.
Read on to find out how to keep your look in tip-top condition.
Whether you’re shaving or trimming, you’ll need to find some products to help make the process easier on your skin. Razors and hair clippers can cause irritation when they rub against the skin, so you want to reduce friction as much as possible. Shaving while you wash is one solution since you will be soaked in the water anyway, facilitating a smoother glide.
Beard oil is an essential part of beard upkeep. This shaving balm from Acqua di Parma is non-greasy and helps stop your beard from becoming unkempt by fighting away frizz. It also smells fantastic, and you won’t even notice you’re wearing it once it’s on. Use it straight after you shave for a luxurious feel.
If you’re planning on growing a mustache, then you’ll need to take extra care to avoid any unwanted hairs getting caught in your razor blades. To do this, use a clean blade every time you shave, and try not to touch the area around your nose while you’re shaving. If you’re worried about accidentally touching your nose, you could opt for a safety razor instead. These razors are more expensive, but they offer greater protection. Try this pack to get you started.
A beard can change your entire appearance, and even though it may not always be possible to grow one, you should never underestimate the power of facial hair.
Beards are versatile, and you can use them to create different looks that suit your mood and situation perfectly. They can help you gain social status, improve your self-confidence, and even boost your career prospects.
Shaving your head when you have a beard is a great way to increase your social status and stand out from the crowd. Of course, being bald is not essential, as many men with head hair still look great with a beard.
However, a bald head gives you more of a blank canvas to try out any style of beard you might be looking at. So dive in with your razor and get creative today!
My name is Doug, and I've been growing a beard on and off for many years now.
I've not had a perfect journey on the road to growing a beard. I've spent more time than I want to admit learning about growing a beard. I'm not one of those blessed with perfect beard-growing genes. So, I've encountered many frustrating and challenging obstacles along the way.
I hope some of my mistakes and victories along the way will help you on your journey to your perfect beard. Of course, reach out if I can help and share this content with your friends that are beginning or struggling on their journey as well.
Beards are becoming increasingly popular and fashionable. This is because they help men feel more confident and look better than ever before. Contents show 1…
