by Colin MacMillan
During a pandemic, it is effortless to let the beard grow out. We’re not going out on the town, we’re not leaving the house for work, and if we are, we’re wearing masks that hide half our faces anyway. There isn’t any reason to upkeep it if you’re a single lad like me. But allow me to propose something to you: perhaps now is the best time to try different facial hairstyles? Depending on where you are in the world (I’m in New York), the pandemic may have taken up every aspect of your day-to-day life, and a clear horizon might not look promising by the end of the year. This could be a perfect opportunity to experiment on your looks and give yourself a bit of self-love and attention that you most definitely deserve!
Self-care shouldn’t just be for women; we as men should take some time to focus on ourselves and what makes us feel good outside of the gym. So I’ve created a list of facial hairstyles featuring some of SkySoft’s leading men and explaining how you can achieve (and maintain) these looks.
Disclosure: Not every man has the same ability to grow facial hair as the lad next to him. This is more or less a generic list and in no way is meant to make anyone feel less than for not being able to grow their facial hair like these guys.
1. The 5 o'Clock Shadow
Photo courtesy of SkySoft Entertainment
The 5 o’clock shadow, or stubble beard, is as short of a beard as you can get. It’s classic, timeless, and always well-received. Ricky Garcia had designer stubble as John Black in 365 that lads all over highly coveted. Many men in the past have sported this look. In cinema, designer stubble is mostly associated with the ruggedly handsome heroes like Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in the Indiana Jones franchise, Brendan Fraser as Rick O’ Connell in The Mummy, and Jason Statham in- well, just about everything.
It can be a rugged way of adding interest to your face. It can give a dashing, even slightly dangerous appeal because the stubble makes your jaw look more angular and gives you a more masculine look. For some men with fast-growing facial hair, it can be visible in the evening after a morning shave, while in others, it may take two to three days. The short hair growth looks like you have a shadow on the bottom of your face. However, stubble can also apply to faces that have grown beard and mustache hair a little longer so that it almost becomes a very short beard.
Reasons why you SHOULD grow stubble:
· You hate shaving.
· You’re prone to razor bumps and inflamed skin.
· You want a more adult and refined look.
· You are not able to grow a beard due to work or personal reasons.
Reasons why you SHOULD NOT grow stubble:
· You are not able to grow nice, thick, stiff stubble.
· You are too lazy to trim, shape, and maintain it.
· Your facial hair grows in large and uneven patches.
· Your family, partner, and kids get rashes when kissing you.
How to Grow Stubble
It’s a simple procedure: just stop shaving and wait. To get this look, you should refrain from shaving for a day or so, depending on how quickly your facial hair grows. The problem is that nobody (or very few men anyway) has hair that grows evenly across their entire face, so it will need styling and trimming to avoid having patches and varying thickness of stubble. You will need to get it shaped for that perfect stubble look.
Shaping Your Stubble
Many men get hair growing in all kinds of unusual places like high up on their cheeks and down past the Adam's apple. For this reason, you may want to ‘shape’ your facial hair and get that clean, sharp, and well-groomed look.
Shaping your facial hair means removing all the hair outside the natural growth area, including the tops of your cheeks and the low neck area, and maintaining a nice edge to stubble. You may be lucky and have a growth that doesn’t need much shaping.
How to Maintain the Stubble
One of the problems men encounter is how to maintain stubble. To keep the rugged stubble look, you will have to maintain it by either shaving every couple of days, which will keep the shadow look without it developing into a full beard, or trimming it with clippers once every two days (or however long it takes for it to grow too long to be stubble).
2. Hollywoodian Beard
Photo courtesy of SkySoft Entertainment
The Hollywoodian draws attention away from the cheeks and towards the jaw and chin; the cheek lines lower, creating a more prominent jawline. Be careful not to trim the neckline too high, or you’ll start creeping into chinstrap territory. It adds a bit of grit to your look, and it doesn’t matter if your beard is patchy or if it comes in too thick. Daniel Andrade sported the look as Orasmin in season four of Fox. It got its name from Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale, who have both worn the look. It is a look that can be quite difficult for some men to achieve due to the inability to grow a beard at all but is something all men would like the option to grow.
Reasons why you SHOULD grow a Hollywoodian:
· You hate shaving.
· You’re prone to razor bumps and inflamed skin.
· You want to look older.
· You want to hide or camouflage your chin, jawline, or even lips.
Reasons why you SHOULD NOT grow a Hollywoodian:
· You are not able to grow a beard.
· You are too lazy to trim, shape, and maintain it.
· Your work or occupation is against it.
· Your partner or kids don’t appreciate it and/or get rashes from kissing you.
How to grow a Hollywoodian
Let your hair grow for two to four weeks. At around three weeks, you might need to trim your neckline if your scruff starts making its way down towards the Adam's apple. Otherwise, you run the risk of it being mislabeled as a neckbeard.
Shaping Your Hollywoodian
Remove all the hair outside the natural growth area, including the tops of your cheeks, and maintain a nice edge of scruff. Be sure to clear your lips to avoid food getting caught in your mustache.
How to Maintain the Hollywoodian
Trim it with clippers once every two to four weeks. This is also notoriously itchy, so you may want to grab a conditioning product like beard balm to keep the hair soft and the skin hydrated; this will help relieve the itch. There are also essential beard oils that can help with softness and skin irritation.
3. Short Rounded Beard
Photo courtesy of SkySoft Entertainment
A rounded beard is a perfect short beard option for men with round, square, or diamond-shaped faces because it follows the face’s natural curve without adding too much additional bulk on the cheeks. For men with broader face shapes, too much length on the cheeks can have a chipmunk effect. Hunter Tabiendo showed how effective this beard can be as Oron of Kova in the final season of Fox. This look is actually easier for men to grow than a scruffy beard, but not all men can pull it off due to their face shape.
Reasons why you SHOULD grow a Short Rounded Beard:
· You hate shaving.
· You’re prone to razor bumps and inflamed skin.
· You want to look older.
· You want to hide or camouflage your chin, jawline, or even lips.
· You want to add length to your face by giving the illusion of a more defined jawline.
Reasons why you SHOULD NOT grow a Short Rounded Beard:
· You are too lazy to trim, shape, and maintain it.
· Your work or occupation is against it.
· Your partner or kids don’t appreciate it and/or get rashes from kissing you.
How to Grow a Short Rounded Beard
To get the short rounded beard, let your beard grow for one to two months.
Shaping Your Short Rounded Beard
Remove all the hair outside the natural growth area, including the tops of your cheeks. Be sure to clear your lips to avoid food getting caught in your mustache.
How to Maintain the Short Rounded Beard
Trim it with clippers once every two to four weeks, coupled with a beard balm or essential beard oils for softness, and to avoid skin inflammation.
4. Power Beard (with Trimmed Mustache)
Photo courtesy of SkySoft Entertainment
This is my favorite look and I only wish I could pull this off! If you’re not a fan of always getting food in your mustache, the power beard with a neatly trimmed ‘stache is always a fantastic option. As the name implies, power beards mean business. It’s a badass beard style that perfectly mixes rugged and contemporary vibes. Bryon Allen rocked this beard style as Sylvan of Viscardia in the final season of Fox.
Reasons why you SHOULD grow a Power Beard:
· You hate shaving.
· You’re prone to razor bumps and inflamed skin.
· You want to look more masculine.
Reasons why you SHOULD NOT grow a Power Beard:
· You are too lazy to trim, shape, and maintain it.
· Your partner or kids don’t appreciate it and/or get rashes from kissing you.
How to Grow a Power Beard
Power beards, also known as natural beards, are between four and six inches in length. It’s at this length that your beard’s personality starts to show. Some will be straight, some will be wavy, and some will be curly.
Shaping Your Power Beard
Remove all the hair outside the natural growth area, including the tops of your cheeks. Trim the mustache so the hair doesn’t cover the upper lip, and follow the natural curve of your mouth while allowing the rest of the beard to grow four to six inches in length.
How to Maintain the Power Beard
Trim the mustache every one to two weeks, and the rest of the beard every three to four weeks.
Now that you know how to grow and maintain these four beard styles, take this time to experiment and find the right look for you. Beards are back in fashion, so there’s never been a better time to foster your facial hair!
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