How To Trim The Perfect Goatee For You

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Goatees are great for a lot of different reasons.

They work well for beards of all types, especially for those who can’t really grow a full, bushy beard, or even a scraggly one.

They are also nice for those of us who love having a beard, but also love being able to feel our own skin from time to time.

And sometimes, they can look neater than full beards, and are often easier to shape than many other facial hair styles. 

Whatever your reason for wanting a goatee, you have a lot of options when it comes to styling yours.

Learning how to trim a goatee is a piece of cake once you’ve settled on your favorite kind.

Below are a few of the most popular goatee styles out there today, and how to shape them effortlessly. 

Full Goatee

The full goatee is, well, just that. It includes a full moustache that connects to the hair on your chin, moving all the way down to just under the point of your jaw bone.

The end result is a very clean, square-shaped goatee covering the entire area around your mouth. 

To trim your goatee, start by trimming all of the hair on your face down to about an inch or less in length. This will make shaping easier and neater.

Then proceed to shave your neck, sideburns, and cheeks, slowly moving in towards your mouth until you have reached a desirable size.

Some people prefer their goatees wider than others, and this will depend partly on the natural shape of your face.

Goatee Beard

The goatee beard is a classic that meshes the goatee and the full beard for a burlier look.

It involves a longer goatee with short beard hair on the rest of your face and allows you to grow a longer beard without all of the maintenance involved in keeping a face full of hair clean and tidy. 

There are two ways to get a beardstache…

The first is two shave yourself a regular goatee, then simply allow the hair on your face to grow out until it has reached the desired length, at which point you can start trimming it.

Alternatively, you can grow a full beard, then use an electric shaver to taper down the sides, leaving a longer goatee.

Anchor

The anchor is another classic look. It’s similar in many ways to the full goatee, but it’s distinguished by its anchor shape, which does not connect the moustache section directly to the chin part underneath.

To trim a goatee anchor-style, start by following the steps to shape a regular goatee.

Once you’ve done this, trim the strips connecting your moustache to the rest of the goatee until you’ve achieved the upside-down T shape that characterizes the anchor goatee.

Remember not to shave your soul patch, as this is an important element of the anchor style.

Chin Goatee

The next few styles are great for men who like having a goatee, but prefer a lighter, smaller, less manageable style.

The chin goatee achieves just that by removing the moustache from the equation, leaving only a small patch of hair below your mouth.

Where you go from there is up to you. Some men prefer to leave their soul patch intact, while others choose to remove it, leaving a U shape on their chin.

Additionally, you can trim the soul patch and the sides leading up to your moustache, leaving only a horizontal patch at the bottom of your chin.

Landing Strip

The landing strip achieves a cool, relaxed look and a goatee that requires minimal maintenance.

Reminiscent of a surfer or reggae guitarist, this is a great style for men who are able to grow thick hair on their chin, but have wispier moustaches. 

To achieve a landing strip all you need to do is grow a soul patch, but let it continue all the way down your chin.

You’ll probably want to use a razor or electric trimmer to touch up the sides and bottom regularly in order to keep that classic, rectangular shape.

Horseshoe

The horseshoe takes the goatee in a whole new direction by featuring the moustache element of the goatee and playing down the chin.

This is a great look for men who like or can grow great moustaches, but are looking to experiment with the goatee look.

To get a horseshoe, start with a regular goatee, then shave the lower part on your neck and chin, leaving two thin lines (maybe about a half inch wide each) running down from your moustache to the jaw line.

Finally, take off the soul patch, and voila!

If you’re looking for the right tools to style your beard, moustache or goatee with ease, check out the selection available at Wild Willies. With everything from shampoo to beard oil to brushes, we come prepared to help you build your best beard ever.

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