To goatee or not to goatee? That is the question. Goatee beard styles are the hot subject of some serious debate. Some say they’re a relic of the 90s, that they should be securely kept in the forgotten section of our minds, along with monochrome outfits and wide ties. Others choose to embrace this short beard style as a statement look.

The truth is, there is no right or wrong here. Beard styles come and go, but a goatee will always be a bold style choice. It looks good on all types of faces, and it’s easier to grow and maintain than a full beard. If you’re looking for a unique and daring look, then be sure to give goatees a chance. Read on to find out more.

What Is a Goatee?

A goatee can be included in the partial bead category, with areas of the face clean-shaven, and other parts kept hairy. Although there are many style variations, the goatee always includes chin hair.

Some goatee styles also include a moustache that’s sometimes connected to the beard. The most popular looks are Circle Beards, which are trimmed to form a circle around the mouth. But the OG goatee style only requires a chin beard. This is grown as the name suggests, similar to the tuft of hair on a billy goat’s chin.

Goatee vs Van Dyke

These two beard styles are similar and quite often get mixed up. If the chin hair is not connected to the moustache, then we’re definitely talking about a Van Dyke beard style. This style has more of a `T` shape, and if it’s grown a bit longer and pointier it becomes an Imperial.

Why Should You Grow a Goatee?

The most obvious answer is that it’s way easier to grow than a full beard. A goatee is a good choice for those of us who bear the burden of patchy facial hair growth. Uneven hair distribution on the face is less obvious in the upper lip and chin areas.

A goatee can also emphasize or mask certain features. It makes your face look slimmer, and it can cleverly make your chin look more pronounced. It’s also one of those beard styles that complement a thin mouth.

Which Goatee Style Is Best for You

The goatee is quite versatile. There are many variations and styles, from stubble beard styles to longer goatees and you have a great chance of finding one that complements your face shape and features. Goatees in general tend to have a slimming and elongating effect.

For example, if you have a naturally slim and angular face, you should keep your goatee from getting too long. This will make your face look a bit too long and lean.

When picking a goatee style, you should always be mindful of the curves of your chin and the angle of your jaw. These are the main features you’ll be looking to emphasize or hide.

Round Face Shape

Your face is round if your forehead and jawline have the same width, but your cheekbones are still the widest part of your face. The jawline is also rounded, and the chin tends to be less pointy and obvious.

You’ll want a goatee style that elongates the face and draws attention to your chin area. You can try the classical goatee style or the Pure Goatee without a moustache. You can also try variations of it like the Anchor, the Norse Skipper, or the Soul Patch.

Goatees like the Rap Industry Standard also have a thin line of hair at the bottom of the jawline that connects with your sideburns. This strip of hair helps create sharp lines at the edges of your face, to help balance out the roundness.

Diamond Face Shape

Your face is diamond-shaped if your cheekbones are wider than your forehead and chin. People with this face shape tend to have a more narrow face, with a pointy chin.

You should look for a goatee style that either makes your face more narrow, like the Goat Patch or the Handlebar and Chin Puff. This will help emphasize your cheekbones, which are the wider part of your face. You can also pick a style that helps emphasize your jawline. You can do this with a Full Goatee or the Balbo.

Square Face Shape

Your face is square-shaped if your jaw, forehead, and cheekbones have roughly the same width. A square face will also have a very strong and sharp jawline.

You’ll want your goatee to either elongate your features or emphasize your jawline. You can choose between styles like the Goatee and Moustache, the Handlebar and Chin Puff, the Balbo, or the Petite Goatee.

Triangular Face Shape

Your face is triangular if your chin is the most narrow part, and your forehead is the widest. The cheekbones should be wider than your jawline, but not wider than your forehead. This face shape usually comes with a pointier, more noticeable chin.

You can choose a style that draws attention towards the chin, like the Goat Patch. Another option is using a beard like the Anchor to emphasize the jawline and create stronger, more masculine lines.

Oblong Face Shape

Your face is oblong-shaped if your jawline, cheekbones, and forehead are approximately the same width. It’s similar to the square shape, but the height of the face is greater than the width. This maintains the masculine features but makes the face seem more narrow and long.

You should look for a goatee style that emphasizes the shape of your jawline. Some good choices are the Extended Goatee, the Goatee with Chin Strap, the Handlebar and Goatee, and the Van Dyke Goatee.

How to Trim and Style Your Goatee

Step 1. Comb and trim your beard to 10 mm

Before you start defining the actual shape of the beard, you have to make sure that your hair is trimmed to an equal length. Start with a clean canvas. Wash your beard and make sure to let it dry completely. You never want to do any trimming on wet hair.

Use a beard comb or beard brush to untangle and straighten your beard hair. Then use your beard trimmer with a 1-10 mm comb attachment. Start trimming the hair on your neck, cheeks, and above your lip. Focus on your moustache and chin areas to make sure the length stays even across the whole beard.

Step 2. Remove the comb to define the outline

Once your beard is even in length, you can remove the comb attachment and use your beard trimmer to start defining the outline of your goatee. Take your time and slowly work your way starting from the neck area.

Focus on the edges of your chin to define the edges of your goatee, then trim the cheeks. Depending on the type of goatee you’ve settled on, you’ll also be trimming the upper lip. Taking your time is essential because you’ll want to make sure everything is symmetrical.

Step 3. Shape your Goatee with a precision trimmer

Trimming a goatee is probably the most important and nerve-wracking step, and it requires good lighting and patience. Use a precision trimmer to define the edges of your goatee. When you trim a goatee, start from your chin and trim the stray hairs away from the hairline, towards the ear. This will help you achieve clean lines on the edges of your beard. Remember to always double-check for symmetry.

Once you’ve outlined the sides of your beard, you can start defining the area connecting your beard hair and moustache. The chin area is trimmed according to your desired goatee style.

Step 4. Clean shave your face to emphasize your Goatee

This step is totally optional, but if you want a crisp, professional finish, then a clean shave is a must-do. Prepare your face by splashing warm water, then apply your shaving foam on the areas you want to shave.

Use your razor or blade to shave against the direction of your hair growth. Try using single, continuous movements, until the skin outside the edges of your goatee is perfectly smooth and hair-free.

Never be afraid to double-check before using your razor or blade. You’ll need to make sure you’re not shaving into the actual outline of your goatee. This is even more important for the area under your chin. Because of the uncomfortable position, it’s way easier to make mistakes when you’re rushing.

Step 5. Moisturize and maintain your Goatee beard

Keep your facial hair healthy and moisturized by using beard oil and beard balm. You can also use styling products like beard wax to tame your hair and keep it pointing in the right direction.

For the hairless areas of your face, you’ll need to use a skin moisturizer. This will help protect against post-shave dryness and keep your skin from getting irritated and itchy. Make sure to choose a product with good quality ingredients, and stay clear of anything that’s alcohol-based.

You’ll probably need to trim your beard at least once a week to keep your goatee looking top-notch. If your facial hair grows faster, you’ll probably need to trim it more often.

10 Best Goatee Styles You Should Try

Standard Goatee

This is the basic go-to goatee style and it doesn’t require growing a moustache. The traditional goatee is generally maintained as a short beard, with the hair varying from 0.5 to 1 inches in length.

This is a classic look and it’s one of the easiest beard styles to grow and maintain. It requires growing the hair on your chin and letting it join the soul patch.

Chin Puff

This beard style can be accurately described as a goatee, meaning a patch of long chin hair, as you’d see on a billy goat. It’s similar to the standard goatee because it does not include a moustache.

The Chin Puff is one of the more classical goatee styles and it’s usually grown on the longer side. The soul patch and chin hair extend to a length of at least two inches from the chin. The actual trim is varied. You can keep it as wide as the mouth for a more rounded shape, or you can keep it narrow, for a teardrop or diamond shape.

Circle Beard

This goatee style is the true winner of the popularity contest. As the name suggests, the hair is trimmed to form a circle around the mouth by connecting the moustache and chin hair.

It is also versatile, because you can keep it short or long. When the chin hair is longer, it’s sometimes referred to as a long goatee.

Disconnected Goatee

This is a less fussy beard style, and one of the classic goatees. It resembles the circle beard, but it leaves the moustache and chin hair disconnected along the edges of the mouth.

It’s easy to grow, and it’s often favoured by younger men and those struggling with patchy hair growth. The chin hair can be trimmed wider, to frame the mouth, or it can be kept narrow and short.

Van Dyke Goatee

This beard style is named after a famous 17th-century Flemish painter and combines the Chin Puff with a glorious moustache.

The upper lip hair is typically a handlebar moustache, and the edges do not connect with the beard. This creates a T shape that attracts the eyes towards the soul patch and chin.

Anchor Goatee

Also called an anchor beard, this beard style is similar to the Van Dyke beard and disconnected goatee because the moustache and chin hair do not connect along the edges of the mouth.

The beard itself is grown wider than the moustache, and traces the edges of the jaw. When you combine the shape of the moustache, soul patch, and goatee, you should get the outline of a ship’s anchor.

Scruffy Goatee

This goatee style is a variation of the classic goatee. It requires growing a full, thick goatee, and combining it with one or two weeks of scruff grown on the cheeks and neck areas.

You have to grow this goatee longer because it needs to stand out against the stubble. While it might not sound all that appealing, the contrast is interesting, and it gives off a truly masculine vibe.

Landing Strip Goatee

The Landing Strip is one of the more simple variations of the goatee. It’s easy to grow, easy to maintain, and it also doesn’t require growing a moustache.

The hair directly below the mouth is trimmed in a straight line along the corners of the mouth. It can extend below the chin to any length, or you can trim it short.

Full Goatee

This beard style is also referred to as the classic goatee. It’s one of the most famous goatee styles and it’s usually the first one people think of when talking about goatees in general.

It’s similar to the circle beard but it’s described by straight lines instead of a rounded appearance. The moustache is connected to the beard and soul patch, and the chin hair only extends to the edges of the mouth.

Stubble Goatee

This beard style is a modern interpretation of the classic goatee. It requires growing a full goatee, with a moustache and chin hair. As the name suggests, the hair is kept really short. It’s easy to grow and maintain, and it’s become a popular style in recent years.

How to Style a Goatee Worthy of Song

Goatees are iconic, they’ve been around for centuries and they’re here to stay. Growing a goatee is easy, and the staggering variety of styles ensures that you can find the perfect goatee to suit your face and emphasize your features.

Whichever goatee beard style you choose, make sure to maintain your facial hair with the right care and styling products. The Beard Struggle products are designed to help you grow and nurture your facial hair, and help you achieve the epic beard you’ve always dreamed of.