The beard man guide: Top short, medium and long beard styles | MBman (2025)

Become a ‘beard man’ this year with these top short, medium and long beard styles

January 6, 2022

by Kirsty Darcy

Beards are still very much on-trend in 2022. If this is the year you want to become a ‘beard man’, let us help you choose from the best short, medium and long beard styles

T o grow a beard, and become a ‘beard man’ has long been a rite of passage. In recent years, it’s also become a hugely popular trend and as we head through 2022, it’s a trend that doesn’t show any signs of slowing.

One of the benefits of lockdown-enforced remote working is that our usual grooming schedules have been relaxed, so it’s no surprise many of us saw beards creeping in. If you’re on a break from the corporate environment, it’s the perfect time to let your beard grow freely or take the opportunity to experiment more privately with one of the best beard styles for men for 2022.

Best short, medium and long beard styles

The beard man guide: Top short, medium and long beard styles | MBman (1)Getty Images/iStockphoto

Whether you’re looking to make a statement, become a ‘beard man’ or simply have fun and express your personality, beards are a growing (excuse the pun) face accessory.

What’s more, an eye-catching beard can detract from thinning hair, or add maturity to baby-faced men. If you want to cover up a double chin or skin imperfections, a beard can be a confidence boost. Beards can also change the shape of your face or accentuate your best features.

To take your facial hair to the next level, try out some of the most popular beard styles for men for 2022.

Best short beard style: Faded Beard

The skin fade has long been a popular technique for men’s hair styles and it’s now making its way into beards, too. The faded beard gradually blends your beard up to your hairline to give you a perfectly manicured face that lets everyone know you’re slick and well-groomed.

Most face shapes can pull this off but it’s particularly good for squareor rounded faces as the shorter sides lessen the appearance of a wider face.

While it looks amazing, it’s a high-maintenance beard style as you’ll need regular trips to the barber to keep it looking fresh but, if you want to be on-trend, it’s a great choice for a modern look.

Best boxed beard style: Lined Up

This beard style is all about precision. If you like clean lines and a sharp look, the Lined Up is the best of our pick of beard styles for men to suit you. Ask your barber to neatly etch the line of your beard along your cheek, jaw and back edge, then get a razor cut finish on your cheekbones for a crisp, straight line.

Again, this is one of those beard styles for men that you’ll need to keep on top of if you want to maintain your perfectly-polished edges. Yet it’s great for men with diamond-shaped faces if you want to accentuate your cheekbones. For square-faced guys, it can also really define a jawline.

Best goatee beard style: Hollywoodian

Made famous by Leonardo Di Caprio, the Hollywoodian is basically an extended goatee – a moustache connected to a beard but with the sideburns removed. It’s become one of the more popular beard styles for men as it’s lower maintenance than a full beard, but it works best with a full, thick goatee.

As there’s less focus on the sideburns, this beard style is a good choice for rounded faces. Especially if you want to detract from your wider shape because the Hollywoodian draws attention away from the cheeks and towards the jaw and chin.

Best medium beard style: Verdi Beard


Extravagant and distinguished, the Verdi beard style is a big statement by men who ooze confidence. Named after the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, it boasts an impeccably groomed moustache that sits atop a rounded beard.

Ask your barber to trim the hair just below your lower lip to create what is known as a sculpted ‘soul patch’ and then style your moustache with wax at the handlebars so it hangs over the top of the beard in a curl.

The Verdi beard suits all faces but it’s especially good for triangular shapes as the show-stopping moustache draws attention away from a wide jawline.

Best long beard style: The Ducktail

No, we’re not talking about the greased 1950’s hairstyle with the rear centre parting, but the inspiration is the same. This beard is trimmed at the bottom into a ducktail shape to create a more distinctive look than the standard rounded bottom.

You’ll need around four to six inches of length to achieve a really defined shape, which is perfect for square or round-faced guys who want to elude to a more chiselled jawline. If you want to work your way up to the Ducktail, you could start with a gentler spade-shaped beard to begin with.

Best statement beard style: Mutton Chops

It was General Burnside from the American Civil War that first sported what we now know as Mutton Chops. Yet centuries later it has made a remarkable comeback in the list of the most popular beard styles for men.

Hugh Jackman kickstarted the return of the trend with his popular Wolverine look and, more recently, the Newcastle United football player Andy Carroll emerged from the first lockdown with this as his new look.

To achieve this beard style, the focus is on the sideburns (the bigger, the better) paired with a short moustache and a clean-shaven chin. It’s not best suited to square face shapes as fuller sideburns will only accentuate this shape. It’s also best avoided for diamond-shaped faces, where its best to have some hair on your chin to offset your cheekbones.

However, if you’re not afraid to make a statement then the Mutton Chops beard is a bold style to claim.

Best low-maintenance beard style: The Yeard

If you want to connect with your wild side, embrace the power of your facial hair and become a full-on ‘beard man’, try the Yeard!

A portmanteu of the words ‘year’ and ‘beard’, this style is twelve months of untended growth. It’s the easiest beard to own as it requires little maintenance, but a lot of patience. Just let it grow naturally without trimming for an uninhibited, gnarly look. Just remember to wash it regularly to keep it fresh.

The Yeard is a great beard style for men with round or diamond-shaped faces as these tend to suit longer beards, but it’s best avoided for triangular-faced men as it will extend the fullness of your lower face considerably.

If you have more of a square shaped-face then we advise you to keep your beard shorter than your hair so, unless you’re growing your locks out too, this style may not be the one for you either.

The beard man guide: Top short, medium and long beard styles | MBman (2)

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  • The beard man guide: Top short, medium and long beard styles | MBman (3)

    Kirsty Darcy

    Kirsty is an MBman contributor. She is known for creative expression through blogging, writing, singing, and baking. She specialises in lifestyle blogs, poems and is a published children's author. This has been alongside a 15-year career in marketing working for numerous clients in the interiors and property industries. She now owns her own marketing consultancy, Fondant Marketing

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  • The beard man guide: Top short, medium and long beard styles | MBman (4)

    Gary Moss

    Gary is MBman's editor. As a qualified journalist and editor for more than 15 years, he writes on a number of topics including property, interior design, sport, and sustainability. He has a knack for getting to the heart of a story or topic quickly and produces well-researched features for his readers

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The beard man guide: Top short, medium and long beard styles | MBman (2025)

FAQs

What is the best beard for a man over 60? ›

For the older gentleman who seeks a polished yet rugged look, the short boxed beard is an ideal choice. This style involves keeping the beard length relatively short and well-groomed, with clean lines around the edges. The result is a neatly defined beard that exudes a sense of professionalism and sophistication.

What beard style makes you look younger? ›

If you want your beard to look a little more youthful, keep it short. This doesn't mean you have to opt for a stubble beard, but you should aim to keep it in the short to medium range. Below an inch in length overall is a good rule of thumb.

What is the beard style for 2024? ›

One of the best beard styles to sport in 2024 is the timeless goatee beard. The style involves growing hair only on the chin and a small patch just below the lower lip, creating a small beard that resembles a goat's chin. Goatee beard styles are highly versatile, as you can alter them according to your preference.

What is the most attractive facial hair style for men? ›

Women ranked full beards as less attractive than heavy stubble. Another poll by Prim&Prep asked over 300 women which facial hair style they found most attractive on men. The short stubble was ranked the most attractive facial hair style. Clean-shaven was a close second, followed by long stubble in the third spot.

Should a 60 year old man grow a beard? ›

Facial stubble and beards can look cool at 50 to 70-plus, but so can a smooth, clean shave. The advantage of shaving is that it sloughs off dead cells and stimulates collagen production to keep older skin looking fresh.

Do beards make older men look older? ›

According to studies, beards make a man look older by nearly 8 years. interestingly, the longer the beard, the older you look. So, if you want to look older, grow a beard (or a longer one). If you want to look younger, shave (or trim) your facial hair and use Volt Beard Color to help cover your grays.

Does your beard get better as you get older? ›

But the good news is that as you get older, your beard will carry on filling out, and your beard can get fuller and thicker even decades after your teens. So, if you don't immediately get both a full beard and moustache look that you're dreaming of, patience could be the key.

Do beards hide aging? ›

Beards make you look older … or younger? Some people may think a beard makes you look older. However, having a beard can help protect your skin from sunlight and reduce your face from aging and wrinkles. So, while a full bushy beard might make you look older today, you will appear younger tomorrow if you shave.

Do beards make you look thinner or fatter? ›

A beautifully-shaped beard can instantly define your face and jawline, giving you that extra edge that you're looking for. But if you trim it the wrong way it can have the opposite effect - making your face look fatter and rounder.

What is the rule 5 for beards? ›

Rule #5: Make it work (appropriate).

If you keep a corporate beard, be sure to trim the neck and cheek line. A good rule of thumb is to make sure neck hair ends above the Adam's apple and with the cheek line, it doesn't go any higher than the bottom of the nose.

What is the most attractive beard length? ›

According to a 2013 Australian study, the most attractive beard length is "heavy stubble," which comes after about 10 days of growth. Fascinatingly, heavy beards, light stubble, and clean shaven were all equally less attractive than heavy stubble. The science says that each length of beard sends a different signal.

Do grey beards look good? ›

In our opinion, keeping your beard natural is the best plan. The salt and pepper look is in right now; so rock that gray beard with confidence. According to a poll by Match.com, 72% of responses said that having grey hair makes a man look more attractive.

Which beard style do girls like the most? ›

Best Beard Styles Women Love
  • The Stubble. If there's one beard style that is versatile and usually suits most men, it's the stubble. ...
  • The Classic Beard. Next, we have a well-groomed and shaped full beard. ...
  • The Goatee. ...
  • The Verdi. ...
  • The Van Dyke.
Jun 13, 2024

What is the most preferred beard style? ›

It's one of the few beard styles that pretty much looks good on any guy. It's really easy to maintain as well. According to Prim & Prep and other online surveys, the stubble beard style or five o'clock shadow is considered by women to be the most attractive. This look is easily the most popular among celebrities.

What is the best beard style for a bald man? ›

A goatee works best with a bald head because its defining outline will balance out the bottom half of your face and make it look less heavy. When you are shaping your goatee, keep in mind that a well-groomed goatee requires frequent trims to maintain its shape.

Should older men dye beard? ›

While some men may choose to leave their gray hairs alone, it's a completely acceptable choice for others to dye their beards in order to cover up gray hairs. Regardless of which camp you fall into, you're fine.

What length of beard looks best? ›

Most men find that a short beard of roughly 10mm is a perfect length, not too short and potentially “stubble” territory, but also not too long and difficult to keep its shape. Short Beard Pros: Hides patchy areas. More acceptable “business” look (when kept clean and tidy).

At what age does a man's beard stop growing? ›

So if you're struggling to grow a beard, take comfort in knowing that it could be good for your health. So, when does your beard stop filling in? It's different for everyone, but the consensus seems to be that it reaches its full potential sometime around your late twenties or early thirties.

Who is the 60 year old man model with a beard? ›

Just before he turned 60, Philippe Dumas decided to grow a beard, and this simple decision has changed his life completely.

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