Goatee Styles? People throw around the word/acronym ‘GOAT’ with reckless abandon these especially sports fans. ‘MJ is the GOAT’, ‘Messi is the GOAT’, ‘Ronaldo is the GOAT’. Blah! Blah! Blah! They obviously aren’t talking about the animal. GOAT to these people means the Greatest of all time.
We bearded man don’t care too much for such nonsense (I actually do care). When we hear or think about goat, what comes to mind is goatees. Just like growing a beard has become popular over the years, goatees have also gained popularity. It is a great stylish compromise between a full beard and mustache.
There are a lot of goatee styles to choose from but it’s important to choose the right style. With proper grooming and style, you could look like a million bucks. We’ll go through 9 of the most popular beard styles there are today.
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Why Should You Grow a Goatee?
A goatee is a facial hair incorporating hair on a man’s chin but not cheeks. By definition, a goatee shouldn’t include mustache and sideburns but as time and cultures have changed, so has style. Nowadays as long as the hair growth is concentrated around your chin and mustache, it is a goatee.
There are a number of reasons for growing a goatee. The first and probably most important is because it is easy to grow and maintain one. It is perfect for those who can’t grow a full beard but still want to have some facial hair.
Some men also struggle with patchy or uneven beards which tends to grow thicker on some parts of the face. If this is you a goatee might be right for you. Also of huge importance to some men, it could also give your look a bit of an edge while you ooze some bad boy vibe.
9 of the Most Popular Goatees Styles
The term ‘goatee’ was first used in the late 90s but the style is older than that. There are five main types of goatee styles which could be termed ‘original’ goatee styles. This is so because most other goatee styles are different variations from these five.
These goatee styles include:
1. Classic Goatee
Today, the term ‘goatee’ often describes a beard and a mustache around the chin area. The whole idea of goatee used to be having beard only in the chin area and that’s exactly what the classic goatee is. Also known as pure goatee, it is essentially a tuft of hair growing around your chin only without a mustache and with your neck and cheeks neatly shaved. It is probably the easiest goatee style to maintain. It’s best suited for slim men with round faces.
2. Full Goatee
When most people think goatee, this is usually the style they have in mind. The mustache is joined with the chin beard to form a circle around the mouth. The hair ought to be thick putting emphasis on the chin making it more prominent. This is why the style looks good on bald men and those with diamond-shaped faces.
3. The Van Dyke
No, this is not the Liverpool player, neither is it a style made popular by him. Sharing a name with this beard is purely coincidental. Named after an artist (Anthony Van Dyke) from the 17th century, it is a combination of three styles; chin beard, soul patch, and mustache but none of them are connected to each other and of course with clean-shaven cheeks. It is great for those struggling to grow a full goatee but requires quite some attention to maintain. It seems to be the goatee style of choice for a number of male celebrities like David Beckham, Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, etc.
4. The Anchor
Picture Tony Stark’s face (R.I.P) with his beard, now that’s how an Anchor goatee style looks like. It is quite similar to the Van Dyke but a little longer and covers the jawline sometimes reaching the sideburns. Its combination of mustache, soul patch, and a wider goatee makes it look like an anchor (it really does!) giving it its signature name. It best fits men with long, triangular faces.
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5. Landing Strip
A simple goatee style that’s popular and easy to maintain. It features shaving your mustache and jawline and simply growing a small line of hair vertically from the bottom of your lip down the chin. It is usually smaller than the width of the mouth.
The above styles are some of the more popular, traditional, and original goatee styles. The next four are variations of the above styles but are also very popular.
6. Goatee and Moustache
This is a variation of the full goatee. Like the full goatee, it features a mustache and chin beard but they aren’t connected and do not form a circle around the mouth. Men who don’t have full facial hair usually find their beard-growing this way while others have to trim to achieve this look. It is suitable for men with a square jaw.
7. Extended Goatee
Yet another style similar to the full goatee. This style is a full goatee that extends far across the jawline, making it look like a full beard but without hair on the cheeks. It best fits those with Oblong faces.
8. Chinstrap Goatee
This is a style that extends along the jawline, connecting with the sideburns. You could do this to include the mustache or otherwise. This style would give you the feeling of rocking a beard without swamping your face with hair. This style is suitable for those with oblong face making the face appear wider and the jawline looking chiseled.
9. Soul Patch
It is a short patch of hair at the bottom of the lip. It is a very versatile style because it can be made into different styles e.g. Van Dyke and Anchor usually has a soul patch. Rocking this beard makes you look like a villain from a 90s movie.
Choosing from the Best Goatee Styles for You
Some people look awkward when they style their goatee probably because they’re not doing it right. There are several factors to consider when choosing a suitable goatee style. Factors such as face shape, age, skin color, profession, and purpose determine the style you would go for. Of course, you wouldn’t go for an over-the-top goatee style if you work in a very professional environment, you would want to go for styles that are ‘respectable’ to the profession.
By far the most important factor, however, is your face shape. It’s similar to choosing a hairstyle, if your face doesn’t compliment your goatee style, you could look awkward.
Below are some of the goatee styles that go with the different face shapes:
- Round Face: Classic Goatee, Anchor, Norse Skipper, Soul Patch, Rap Industry Standard
- Diamond Face: Full Goatee, Handlebar, and Chin Puff, Goat Patch, Balbo
- Square Face: Goatee and Moustache, Handlebar and Chin Puff, Petite Goatee, Balbo
- Triangular Face: Anchor, Goat Patch
- Oblong Face: Extended Goatee, Chinstrap Goatee, Handlebar and Goatee, Van Dyke
- Oval Face: Pretty much hair, beard, or goatee style would go with this type of face shape.
7 Steps to the Perfect Goatee Styles
Growing a goatee is really straight forward and the only thing you would have to think hard about is finding a style that suits your face. However, because they’re easy to grow doesn’t mean growing it wildly would make you look good. It needs proper care and maintenance like a full beard. The steps to having a great goatee include:
1. Let the beard grow for at least four (4) weeks.
2. Choose a suitable style. You should consider your face shape and volume of hair.
3. Use warm water to moisten the facial hair. This should be done just before you shave/trim to the desired style.
4. Draw the beard carefully with your razor. An electric razor is most suitable for trimming your goatee. Scissors are an alternative for trimming.
5. Remove the hair from outside in i.e. from cheek or neck. This would give you more control over the final results.
6. Be careful not to remove too much hair.
7. Use quality beard products; shaving creams, beard oils/balms. A shaving cream would allow for an easy shave while styling your goatee. Make sure you use aftershave lotions.
An extra tip – If you’ve got absolutely no idea how to trim your goatee to your preferred choice, visit a skilled barber.
Whatever your goatee style, it needs a proper care routine so you should get the regulars like comb, oils, balms, and beard wash.
Just because you can’t grow a beard doesn’t mean you should abandon having facial hair. Goatees are very easy to grow and you even have a bunch of styles to choose from based on your preference. One of the things that make growing a goatee so great is its flexibility. You could decide to change your style regularly and wouldn’t look out of place.
So there you have it! A list of some of the most popular goatee styles for different face shapes. I hope it was enlightening and you have found the right goatee style for yourself. Let’s know what you think in the comments section and please do share this article with friends.
Sayonara!