The chin strap beard has been around for centuries although it popped back up into popularity over the last several decades. There is a handful of variations to the chin strap beard, so if you’re considering such a look, you can focus on something that better fits your face.
This is a beard that works if you struggle to grow full beards. Not everyone can grow a full, thick beard. Some people have patchy beards that don’t look all that great. Growing facial hair is as much about style as it is knowing what looks good and what you can pull off. The chin strap beard is one many people can grow thanks to not needing a full face of hair.
What Is A Chin Strap Beard?
The chin strap beard is exactly what the name sounds like. It straps the chin. Basically, it is a line of hair that follows your cheek bone down, curves around your chin and up the other side. It hugs your chin and cheek line. The area above and below it are removed.
While the chin strap beard does not require large amounts of hair, it requires continual grooming. This is to maintain the straight lines of the chin strap and to prevent overgrowth from around the beard. In the 80s and 90s, the thin chin trap beard became especially popular. It remained around the thickness of the sideburns or even thinner, with some trimming their sideburns into finer points and the chin strap a little more than the thickness of a pencil.
Some have the chin strap beard include a goatee. This helps to add more definition to the hair and increases the complexity. Again, this is more of a personal touch, and you need to go with what looks best for you and your personal style (although you’ll find plenty of pointers and suggestions here)
Types Of Chin Strap Beard Styles
The traditional chin strap beard is only the beard. It does not include the mustache. However, you may find you like the mustache and goatee look better. The hard lines of a face can go well with the hard lines of your goatee can go well together.
The mustache and the goatee look go well together with the thinner chinstrap. However, if you’re deciding to go with a thicker chin strap, which includes the same sideburn curve around the chin but also often includes the underside of the chin, you may not want to add the mustache and goatee. This is because this area of the facial hair is thinner by nature, with the area between your lip and nose only providing you with so much space.
Combine this with the thicker version of this chin strap, and it may not look aesthetically pleasing. Thankfully, this is an easy enough look to experiment with, so you can grow everything out and trim away what you don’t like. You can even grow a full beard and then cut away to see what looks good and what isn’t working for you.
Main Purpose and Difference of Chin Strap Beard Styles
The main difference in chin strap beard styles is the overall thickness of the chin strap. This is something you need to consider, but generally, you should base it on the size and shape of your face. The purpose of the beard is to complement the way you look. It should enhance it and not distract or detract from it.
I like having a beard. What’s funny is when you shave a beard, you realize how freezing cold your face is! The primary purpose evolution-wise is to keep you warm, to grow hair on your face. You shave it off, and your face is freezing for a few days.
– Adam Scott
Best Type of Face For a Chin Strap Beard
Chin straps in general work better when you have a strong jaw and hard lines. This is because there are hard lines on the chin strap. When the chin strap is forced to curve with a rounded face, it emphasizes the circular appearance of your face, which can make it look lumpy or on the fat side.
That doesn’t mean you can’t rock a chin strap beard if you have a circular face. Instead, if you have a wider, circular face, it is best to go with a wider chin strap, and maybe even ditch the mustache and goatee.
Some individuals with circular faces, such as the baseball player David Ortiz, work a chin strap beard as their beard, and this was made up of a thicker, wider chin strap. By having the larger, circular chin strap, it helps slenderized the face because the neck and area under the chin become darker thanks to the hair, which naturally makes it look thinner.
How to Choose the Best Thickness of Chin Strap Beard?
All of this is naturally up to you, but it is something to keep in mind. Also, when you have a professional cut, your beard (this is recommended to be done, at least the first time), ask them their opinion whether you should have a thicker or thinner chin strap beard. They should give you a better opinion of what works with the shape of your head.
The thickness of the chin strap is something else to consider. How long do you want the hair to be? If you’re interested in a thin chin strap beard, you will probably want to keep it tighter and shorter. However, if you’re going for a wider chin strap, it can grow out thicker. Now, with that in mind, you will want to fade out the side. If you don’t, it’ll just balloon out and will not look well kept.
Instead, allow the lower portion to grow longer than the top portion, then fade it in closer to your sideburns. This look will work exceptionally well if you have a circular face. By allowing the lower area of the hair around the chin to grow thicker and fading it back up to the sideburns, it will give you an angle you didn’t already have. This strengthens your jaw bone and gives you the harder line you might want.
How To Style A Chin Strap Beard?
There is a number of different facial hair styles out there. However, this one probably takes the most amount of continual maintenance and work to keep it looking good. You need to shave just about every single day; otherwise, you’ll lose your definition, and everything will begin to look off.
Ideally, you’ll go in to have your barber or hair stylist cut it the first time around. This is to help you keep a straight line. Trying to cut a straight line, especially running own your cheekbones, is difficult.
If you’re not careful, one side will end up thicker than the other. It’ll also look wavy, and one might have a different angle than the other. Symmetry is very important when it comes to the lines of a chin strap beard. It won’t take long for them to cut it and shape it. You can then use the lines they created and work around it when back home.
You will want to shave usually no less than once every other day, depending on how fast your hair grows. When shaving, take your time. If you don’t, you’ll end up taking off part of the chin strap beard. So go slowly. You’ll want to use either a straight line trimmer for this or a razor. Do not use an electric shaver when you have this kind of style. Now, some electric shavers have special attachments designed to give you control around tight lines.
Best Shavers And Trimmers for Chin Strap Beard
If you have invested in this kind of electric shaver, go ahead and use it, but do not use electric razors designed just to keep your face shaved and not for specialty work. The equipment just isn’t designed for the kind of work you’re interested in.
You will also need to invest in a beard trimmer. This way, you can maintain the length of the chin strap beard. If you don’t, this area will quickly grow out of control. You may want a thicker, bushier chin strap.
If that’s what you’re looking for go ahead with it, but if you want to keep it tight and neat, invest in a beard trimmer. You may want to pick up a hair trimmer instead. The hair trimmer often gives you more attachments to help you keep the hair at the desired length.
You usually won’t need to have any extra products on your face or beard when it comes to the chin strap. It isn’t long enough to require this. If you have a long beard and plan to continue growing, you should begin to use beard oil to maintain healthy facial hair. This will keep it looking tight and neat. It will also prevent tangles and help soften the hair. Beard oil is well worth the investment.
As for your face, make sure to pick up moisturizer. Because you’re shaving and trimming more frequently with this look than others, you will cause added damage to your skin. Moisturizer will help with this.
Conclusion
When it comes to the chin strap beard, there is a number of different options available to you. You just need to make sure and go with the look you are most comfortable with and the look that best compliments the look of your jaw and face.
