The 19 Best Beard Styles for Bald Men

As seen on Tom Hardy

As far as full beards go, this one is probably the easiest. You have to let the hair grow...and grow. And grow some more. You need considerable length for this, but once it’s there, upkeep is minimal. While there is an obvious shape to this beard (longer on the shin, shorter on the sides), it’s not manicured. Shape it with a trimmer about once a week and in the meantime, let it do its thing. It looks best with a very short buzz on top, but also works well with a completely bald head.

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As seen on Jason Statham

Many famous bald guys have their signature look, and Statham has rocked the two-day stubble look for as long as we can remember. If it ain’t broke, why fix it? This look is easy to get—just literally put down the razor for a few days—and maintain by using a beard trimmer regularly to keep it at the length you want. What’s great about this, though, is that it blends with the stubble on the sides of his head, which gives the whole thing a purposeful, and very cool, look.

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As seen on Stanley Tucci

Is this a purposeful bald style or has he just not shaved in a few days? It’s impossible to tell and that’s precisely the point. The stubble provides contrast to the shiny scalp and tempers the look. There’s an ever-so-subtle shape just in the goatee area, suggesting that Tucci left that area with a day or two more growth on purpose, but it’s blended seamlessly for a casual look.

As seen on Dwayne Johnson

You can’t get much more traditional than a classic goatee, but that’s where the charm comes from. It’s like the blue jeans of facial hair—simple, iconic, and looks good on pretty much anyone. To get this look, keep hair confined to the chin and mustache with thin-ish lines connecting them. Keep the length the same overall and moderately short.

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As seen on Common

You might assume that the best way to soften the look of a fully-bald head is to make your beard super angular. However, as shown here on Common, the opposite could be true. When there’s not hair on top to add height, a full beard cut in an oval can help to elongate your face and make it look taller and slimmer. It works best on thick beards, which can really show off the shape, and—heads up, it requires regular trimming.

As seen on Brian Cranston

This style has the same structure as the classic goatee—chin, mustache, lines connecting them —but is super sized. It covers more surface area on the shin and the lines besides the mouth are slightly thicker. It’s also a little bit longer, so offers more coverage. Thanks to the wider shape and the longer length, it looks slightly less shaped than the classic, but still requires the same general upkeep.

As seen on Idris Elba

The beauty of this style is that the shape, while obviously thought through, seems organic. Cool guys like Elba favor a sort of hybrid look and this beard delivers that. There’s obvious length here, which takes a while to grow out, and he’s used a trimmer to keep it shorter on the sides and longer on his chin. But instead of crisp lines, they’re softened on the cheeks and neck to create the illusion that this is just how the beard grows.

As seen on Hugh Jackman

Is this style for everyone? Definitely not. It’s aggressive in the way that it’s old school and unexpected, but that’s also part of it’s charm. A style like this should not be taken lightly. You’ll definitely get attention for it (for the right guy, that’s a plus), but more than that, it takes elbow grease. The handlebar mustache alone takes trimming, shaping, and lots of product to keep it in place. The pointed goatee compounds that. But if you’re going to experiment with facial hair, go big or go home, right?

As seen on John Travolta

For newly bald guys like Travolta, a completely hairless head can be a little jarring. Letting your stubble grow is a way to soften the look and make it look more rugged. It also helps soften the Mr. Clean effect and make it look more like an aesthetic choice (even if it’s not). Use a trimmer to cut the stubble, but not completely remove it, every few days but also make sure to keep your cheeks and neck lines defined.

As seen on Mike Colter

To keep a fuller beard looking fresh like Colter here, keep it short but long enough to keep the fullness. Then pay extra attention to the neck and cheek lines. Keep them fresh by shaving regularly. The power of this style comes from the obvious upkeep—the razor sharp lines make it pop and frame the lower part of the face in the most flattering way.

As seen on Colin Farrell

This style lies somewhere between rough and controlled—which is it? Kind of both, and that’s where it gets it’s attitude. There’s a visible goatee, which is obviously left longer and shaped with a trimmer, but there’s no smooth shaving here. The rest of the jawline is left with a little stubble. Grow out your hair for a few days then use a trimmer to trim, but don't shave the sides, and gradually expose the goatee.

As seen on Sean Connery

One of the patron saints of bald dudes, Connery unapologetically rocked his natural bald look for decades. If you still have hair on the sides of your head, resist the urge to comb it over and channel your inner Bond. Grow your beard long enough to seamlessly connect to the hair on the sides of your head, and keep both trimmed and well-shaped (not too long).

As seen on Bruce Willis

Many guys notice that their whiskers are sometimes more gray than they expect, especially if you’ve decided to rock the full-bald look before your hair started to go gray. It’s nothing to hide! Embrace the grays and let your beard live. Whether you keep it short and scruffy like Willis here, or let get it a little longer, a grey beard looks distinguished and confident.

As seen on Terry Crews

The chinstrap goatee is a classic and for good reason. A modification of its cousin, the chinstrap beard, this goatee is kept short and lined up perfectly so it frames the mouth and can create illusion of a stronger chin. It’s an ideal choice for men who have round-ish faces (which can look even more round when bald), but also for a guy who wants a versatile, yet more purposeful look.

As seen on Maluma

Leaving your whiskers to grow for a few days is perhaps the easiest move you can make, no matter how much hair you have on top. This look is slightly longer than a five o’clock shadow and a little messier, but not out of control. Put down the razor or trimmer for a few days and just let your beard do it’s thing, even if it’s a little patchy—with some length it can look fuller.

As seen on Ving Rhames

Okay, so it’s not technically a beard, but let’s talk about mustaches for a minute. Rocking a mustache is a bold move these days, but to be frank, most guys should try one at least once in their life. And if you don’t have much hair up top (or any at all), a mustache can amp up your look with minimal effort. Channel Rhames and keep it well-groomed and cropped close for the most versatile look.

As seen on Rick Ross

If you’re lucky enough to be able to grow a full, glorious beard, what’s stopping you? There’s no rule saying that if you don’t have hair on top, you can’t rock your whiskers in all their glory. If you go the full beard route, just make sure to take a cue from Ross here and keep it well shaped and maintained. Without regular upkeep, it can be easy to slide into shaggy territory and that’s not the look.

As seen on Dave Chappelle

Not only does a salt-and-pepper goatee make you look more mature and wise, but it also has an edge of of toughness to it. Chappelle keeps his short, which gives it more of a clean, classic look. If it's too long, your beard may start looking more Gandalf than goatee. If that's not what you're looking to, make sure to get it trimmed regularly. As for the color, let nature take its course and embrace your graying beard naturally.

As seen on Dave Chappelle

Not only does a salt-and-pepper goatee make you look more mature and wise, but it also has an edge of of toughness to it. Chappelle keeps his short, which gives it more of a clean, classic look. If it's too long, your beard may start looking more Gandalf than goatee. If that's not what you're looking to, make sure to get it trimmed regularly. As for the color, let nature take its course and embrace your graying beard naturally.