It’s never been a better time to grow a Goatee. It looks stunning and attractive as hell, so ladies (or guys, if you prefer) will be all over you. It’s neat and tidy, which means you can rock it on your job interview or at work without a problem. And, regardless of the style you choose, it’s effortless to grow and style.

However, there’s a difference between a goatee that makes you look like a movie star and the one that makes you look like a hobo. Picking the wrong style will make you look sloppy, messy and unkempt. This will lower your confidence, chances with the girls (or boys) AND getting that dream job.

Why risk it when there are so many goatees that’ll complement your face shape and make you look and feel like the rockstar you already are.

Read on because, after this article, you’ll know EXACTLY which goatee style is the right for you, how to shape and trim it and make the most out of it.

Why Should You Grow a Goatee

There are a few good reasons why men decide to grow a goatee, especially a full goatee. First and foremost, it’s pretty easy to grow one, no matter the style you choose.

Goatee beard styles are ideal for men in their early 20s, but also for all the others that can’t grow a full beard, but still want to wear some facial hair.

Some men struggle with patchy or uneven facial hair which tends to grow thicker on the chin and upper lip area. If you have one of these problems, the best goatee, such as a soul patch will be perfect for you.

A goatee like a soul patch can mask an undershot or weak chin, by giving the illusion of fullness and shape, so your facial hair looks like a full goatee. Also, men that have a thin mouth will find goatee beard styles pretty useful in hiding that problem.

Which Goatee Style Is Best for You

Now that you know all the benefits and reasons for growing a goatee, you should learn which goatee style will suit you the best.

Choosing the best goatee or any other beard style is similar to choosing your hairstyle. In both cases, a style that doesn’t compliment your face shape can make you look awkward.

The first step is understanding which style works best with the shape of your face.

Slim, angular faces are found to be the most suitable candidates for goatee beard styles. If you have this face shape, make sure not to let the goatee grow too long or your face will look too lean.

Another thing you can do with a goatee is to use it as a trick to make a round face look a bit slimmer.

Putting all these facts aside, the good news is that goatees don’t depend that much on your face shape as other types of beard styles.

This, of course, does not mean that you shouldn’t take into consideration the curves of your chin or the angle of your jaw when choosing a goatee style that you will grow.

You definitely should pay attention to this, but, when it comes to goatees, having a round or a triangular facial shape is not a deal-breaker for a specific style.

Here is a list of goatee styles that go with every face shape:

Round Face Shape: Pure Goatee (goatee without the mustache), Anchor, Norse Skipper, Soul Patch, Rap Industry Standard.

Diamond Face Shape: Full Goatee, Handlebar and Chin Puff, Goat Patch, Balbo.

Square Face Shape: Goatee and Mustache, Handlebar and Chin Puff, Petite Goatee, Balbo.

Triangular Face Shape: Anchor, Goat Patch.

Oblong Face Shape: Extended Goatee, Goatee with chin strap, Handlebar and Goatee, Van Dyke goatee.

As you can see, there are a lot of options when it comes to a goatee, no matter the shape of your face.

Once you determine which of these goatee styles compliments your unique facial structure, you should have little difficulty in maintaining your new look and making that new style work for you.

At the moment, there are six goatee types that are more popular than the others.

Types of Goatees

1. Pure Goatee (Goatee Without Mustache)

Pure or original goatee beard by definition doesn’t include any mustache style. When you grow a mustache and let the sides connect with your goatee you got yourself a full goatee.

So pure goatee is a small chin beard under your lip with no mustache and jawline shaved.

2. Full Goatee

Often referred to as the classic goatee or full goatee, this is the style most men picture when they think of goatees.

This is basically a circle beard where the facial hair of the mustache continues down and around the side of the mouth where it joins the shaven beard that extends only as wide as the outer edge of the mouth.

For the perfect mustache shape, we recommend the Fisticuffs Mustache Wax.

This unbroken circle of hair is the most popular of all the goatee styles.

3. The Pretty Boy

The pretty boy goatee is exactly the same as the true goatee with only one major difference.

Rather than a wide thick area of facial hair, the goatee beard is trimmed back considerably around all areas to form a thin line mustache and goatee.

4. The Landing Strip

The landing strip goatee is yet another variation of this popular facial hair style that is simple to maintain.

Here you shave off the mustache and chin hair except for the area directly below the mouth.

This landing strip will run vertically down from the corners of the mouth as long below the chin as you like.

5. The Van Dyke

The Van Dyke is similar in style to the true goatee, and it’s perfect for the guy having difficulties growing a complete circle of hair.

Rather than having patches of missing hair, the Van Dyke beard is a combination of a soul patch, mustache, and chin goatee, without these parts being connected.

This way any small gaps in the hair growth will not be easily recognized because Van Dyke goatee will cover them up.

6. The Anchor

With the Van Dyke goatee, the chin hair is confined to a very small area.

The anchor goatee is a longer version of the Van Dyke beard, which allows facial hair below the mouth to grow down lower and usually closer to the sideburns.

The unique combination of the soul patch, wider goatee, and the mustache looks like an anchor. That’s how this goatee style got his name in the first place.

To keep the mustache always neat and tidy, we recommend using the Kent 81T Mustache Comb.

How to Grow a Goatee

Similar to any other beard style, the first thing you need when growing a goatee is patience. Your goatee will have to pass through the patchy stage and soul patch, and you will have to endure your new beard itchiness in the first few days.

During that time, you should use beard oil because it can be your best ally in eliminating beard itch and speeding up your facial hair growth process.

Our choice: Beardoholic Beard Oil – All Natural

A goatee is convenient for experimenting. You don’t have to decide on the style you want immediately.

Let your goatee beard styles grow, shape them along the way, and if you’re not satisfied with how it turned out to be, try another goatee style. After all, goatees grow pretty fast.

How To Trim and Style Your Goatee

Without trimming your goatee regularly, it will soon become messy. Creating and sticking to the grooming routine will go a long way in making your goatee neat, tidy and stylish.

Defining the edges of your goatee is the first thing you need to do when shaping a goatee. Clean goatee edges are easiest to make with a straight razor, such as the Professional Straight Edge Razor by Utopia Care, which has shown the best results. However, an electric shaver can also do the work.

After you’ve determined your goatee’s shape, you should trim the rest of your facial hair to look tidier.

This can be achieved by cutting it to a consistent length with the Conair Man i-Stubble Ultimate Flexhead Trimmer, which is our pick for the best stubble trimmer.

By doing this, you will also get rid of any split ends. The last step is trimming the mustache. All you have to do is cut them to the same length as the rest of your goatee beard.

Follow these steps if you want to shape your goatee with a trimmer:

1. Make sure that your skin and beard are dry.

2. Trim your beard and mustaches evenly with a beard trimmer, settings set to 5mm (not more).

3. Remove the rest of your beard and mustache except for the soul patch the wide-area underneath your mouth (approximately 10mm wider than your lips, depending on your style).

4. Use precise trimmer and Beardoholic beard shaping tool to create a nicely shaped oval jawbone line and curved lines on soul patch that connect with your beard.

5. Maintain your goatee style every few days. That means you should keep the rest of your beard short and trim your goatee to look nice and tidy.

How to Trim a Goatee with Beard Scissors

When using beard scissors to trim your goatee, it’s best to cut one millimeter at a time. Cutting more than that usually results in errors.

Goatees are short beards, and every mistake you make while trimming it will be very noticeable.

Men who are shaping their goatees with scissors for the first time should cut only the hairs that overlap the upper lip and chin until they get more practice.

For those who are insecure that they can pull it through, letting a barber trim their goatee beard for the first time would be the best solution. While at it, ask a barber to give you some tips on how to do do it on your own next time.

Try out our professional beard scissors:

How to Shave a Goatee Under Your Chin

This is the area of your goatee that you should be especially careful with when shaving. When it comes to goatee styles, under the chin area and neck must be well maintained.

If not, any of your goatee beard styles will look sloppy. Make sure that you are moving the razor slowly when shaving the area under your chin.

Although you can use your hand as a barrier, portable mirror positioned beneath you will be of a great help because it will let you see the underside of your chin.

There are a lot of different goatee styles. No matter the style and length you choose, almost all goatees end right at the chin. The only exception is Van Dyke style.

How to Maintain a Goatee

Don’t think that just because they are short, goatees don’t need maintenance. On the contrary, that’s precisely one of the reasons you have to take good care of them.

Your goatee will grow big very fast, and if you don’t trim it often, it will lose its shape and start to look messy.

Remember always to trim and style your goatee when it’s completely dry. If you try to shape it while wet, you may cut off too much, and nobody wants that to happen.

After the shower, make sure to shampoo, condition and moisturize your goatee. Beard oil is also a must if you want to soften your facial hair.

Our beard shampoo recommendation: Beard Growth and Thickening Shampoo

Our beard conditioner recommendation: Honest Amish Beard Balm Leave-In Conditioner

Deciding which of these goatee styles is best for your face structure comes down to a few factors.

Choose one that not only matches the shape of your face but one that looks great with the fullness and completeness of the facial hair like a full beard and mustache go well together.

If you work in a professional business environment, having a thick goatee might not be the type of style best suited for that job.

That is why trimming it down to a Van Dyke or Pretty Boy will allow you to enjoy the look but it will not be as predominant.

Goatee Styles Chart

Related Article: 47 Short Beard Styles for Men of All Ages and Face Shapes

Photo from: iofoto / depositphotos.com.

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