Beyond the Barber:

With beards reaching new heights and lengths in style and fashion, we delve into the culture of beard-wearing.

Over a decade ago, many thought the sudden popularity of beards was just a passing trend, a fad for hipsters to hang their fedora hats on.

What was once niche and indie is now mainstream, shown by the many beard and facial hair styles rising in popularity. Over the past decade, Fortune 500 corporations and police departments have relaxed facial hair policies, allowing more men to grow beards.

In 2026, we find ourselves in a new facial hair renaissance. It’s a time to rediscover forlorn beard and mustache styles. More importantly, men are rediscovering the freedom to look and dress in ways that boost their confidence.

Suffice to say, beards aren’t going anywhere in 2027.

Whether you’re a first-time beard grower or a grizzled veteran, we’ve compiled our 23 favorite beard styles for 2026 to help you find one that makes you feel awesome.

SHORT BEARD STYLES

When it comes to beards, bigger isn’t always better. Sometimes a short beard is the way to go. Some might say size matters, but we don’t buy that. Grow the beard that makes you feel confident—even if it’s just stubble.

Here are our favorite short beard styles for 2026.

THE 5 O’CLOCK SHADOW

The 5 o’clock shadow, or stubble beard, is the shortest beard you can get. It’s classic, timeless, and always well-received. David Beckham, Adam Levine, Zac Efron, and many others have made designer stubble a staple of men’s grooming, and we don’t see it going away soon.

Few men grow an actual “5 o’clock shadow” in a day, as the name implies. Depending on hair darkness, a solid 5 o’clock shadow takes two to five days to grow. The darker your hair, the quicker it shows.

SCRUFFY BEARD

A scruffy beard is a slightly longer variation of the 5 o’clock shadow. It adds a bit of grit to your look. It doesn’t matter whether your beard is patchy or extremely thick; scruff is a style anyone can wear.

To get the scruffy beard, let your hair grow for two to four weeks. Around three weeks, you might need to trim your neckline if the scruff reaches the Adam’s apple. Otherwise, you risk being mislabeled a neckbeard.

The scruffy beard is notoriously itchy. Use a conditioning product to keep hair soft and skin hydrated; this helps relieve the itch.

CORPORATE BEARD

The corporate beard is close-cropped, around two to three inches. For many men, beards are still patchy and disconnected at this length, so it requires dense beard-growing genetics to pull off. As the name implies, the corporate beard should be wearable in any work environment, so it’s essential to groom it regularly and keep it tidy. On average, a man has 30,000 beard hairs, and not all grow at the same speed or direction. You’ll need to keep stragglers in check.

Investing in a good beard trimmer is crucial for keeping the corporate beard tidy. You’ll also need to master trimming the neckline and cheek line.

SHORT ROUNDED BEARD

A variation of the corporate beard, the rounded beard is a perfect short option for men with round, square, or diamond-shaped faces because it follows the natural curve without adding bulk on the cheeks. For broader faces, too much cheek length can create a chipmunk effect. To get the short, rounded beard, let it grow for one to two months and keep a uniform length.

SHORT BOXED BEARD

The short boxed beard is an angular variation of the corporate beard with more length around the chin. This creates sharper edges and accentuates the jawline.

To get the short boxed beard, let your beard grow for two to three months. Create a taper from sideburns to chin using a beard trimmer with various guards. Use a number 4 guard on the chin, taper to number 3 on the cheeks, and number 2 on the sideburns.

A boxed beard is a good option for all face shapes, but it works exceptionally well for oval and oblong faces.

FADED BEARD

Essentially a skin fade for your face, the faded beard has gained popularity over the past decade. The fade happens on the sideburns and cheeks. Removing cheek bulk slims and elongates the face by keeping thickness on the chin. It’s a crisp style that looks best with a beard three to six inches long, lined up with barber precision.

We recommend letting a barber tackle your beard fade.

HOLLYWOODIAN

The Hollywoodian draws attention away from the cheeks toward the jaw and chin. Lower cheek lines help create a more prominent jawline. Be careful not to trim the neckline too high, or you’ll creep into chinstrap territory, which isn’t ideal unless you’re an early 2000s rapper.

The Hollywoodian gets its name from Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale, who have both sported a similar low cheek line look. Some sources say a Hollywoodian beard doesn’t connect to the sideburns, but we think you should let it connect if you can. This style isn’t just reserved for actors either. Lebron James has also sported the Hollywood chinstrap on occasion.

The Hollywoodian is a good option for men who have trouble filling in the cheek and sideburns on their beards, or who just want to add a little more length and dimension to their jawline.

VERDI

Named after 19th-century Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, this classic style gives a distinguished appearance. The Verdi includes a handlebar mustache and a rounded three to four-inch beard. The mustache handles are waxed and hang over the beard in a loose curl. Some men keep the mustache smaller and separate from the beard. Eight months of beard growth, and possibly longer for the mustache to reach handlebar length. Keep the beard naturally rounded. We recommend investing in a good pair of Beard Trimming Scissors to maintain the beard and mustache, and a Round Brush to help with styling.

#CORONABEARDS

With the shift to remote work, more men began growing beards in 2020. #CoronaBeards trended on social media that spring and summer, and remains a cool style six years later. The corona beard is natural, gnarly, and low-maintenance. Just let it grow and don’t touch it. Don’t trim necklines or cheek lines. Maybe run a beard comb through it occasionally to clear crumbs.

LONG BEARD STYLES

Once you hit the six-inch mark, you’re officially in long beard (full beard) territory. These styles take a year or more to grow. Hair grows about half an inch per month, so it takes about 365 days to grow enough for these long styles.

Keep in mind that a long beard may not be your healthiest. The longer the hair, the harder it is to prevent breakage and split ends. Longer beards tend to become wispy and may not look as thick as at the four-inch mark. That said, you won’t know until you try, and everyone should go long at least once.

POWER BEARD

The power beard isn’t technically long by our six-inch rule, but it didn’t fit the short beard category. As the name implies, power beards mean business. It’s a badass style that toes the line between rugged and contemporary.

Power beards, also called natural beards, are four to six inches long. At this length, your beard’s personality shows. Some are straight, some wavy, some curly. Learning advanced styling techniques is crucial.

POWER BEARD WITH WALRUS MUSTACHE

If you have the genetics, pair your power beard with a bold walrus mustache. Wear the mustache down and comb it into the beard, or wax and curl it into a handlebar like a Verdi beard.

Eating with a mustache like that isn’t easy, and you might want to avoid the worst foods to eat with a beard — at least in public.

POWER BEARD WITH TRIMMED MUSTACHE

If you dislike food getting into your mustache, the power beard with a neatly trimmed ‘stache is a great option. Trim the mustache so it doesn’t cover the upper lip and follow your mouth’s natural curve.

SPADE-SHAPED POWER BEARD

As your beard grows into the four to six-inch range, you can trim the bottom into more defined shapes. We like the shovel look of a spade-shaped beard because it creates a defined silhouette of a chiseled jawline.

Trimming your beard to a spade shape on your own is difficult. When possible, let your barber handle it.

YEARDS, TWEARDS, AND TERMINAL BEARDS

Yeard
The yeard is a beard left to grow for a full year. Beard hair grows half an inch per month, so you’ll have about 6 inches by day 365. You can do light trimming to shape and keep it healthy. Pair the yeard with a buzz cut or a shaved head. This style, from what we hear from women, is especially considered sexy on Black men.

Tweard
The Tweard is the next length step after the yeard. Let your beard grow for at least two years without trimming. You’ll have a solid 12-inch, or foot-long, beard after two years.

Terminal beards
Generally, a beard won’t grow longer than six years of full growth. When your beard hairs stop growing, you’ve reached your terminal beard. For most men, this is around 36 inches. Every beard is unique — some grow longer, some shorter. It depends on your genes.

Of course, there are always the outliers, like Houston’s own Billy Gibbons, and The Reverend Billy F. Gibbons, best known as the guitarist and lead singer of American rock band ZZ Top. Or Hans Langseth, who holds The Guinness World Records entry for the longest male beard. His beard was 17.5 feet long when he died in 1927.