7 Ways to Make a Thin Beard Look Great

Kristian S
7 minute read

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There are few signs of masculinity more universal than the beard. From pioneers and explorers to philosophers and kings, many of the greatest men in history sported spectacular beards.

However, many men are held back from joining the ranks of the bearded by an insecurity about thinness or patchiness in their beards. Some of us feel as though our beards aren’t full or thick enough to look good when grown out. 

This is a mistake. The truth is, there are plenty of styles of beard out there that work for men with thinner facial hair. In reality, there are few men out there who can’t grow any type of beard at all. The trick is to find a beard type that matches your face shape and works well with the natural contours of your facial hair. 

In this post, we will discuss some of the problems that men with thinner beards often face, and how to meet those issues proactively. 

young man with a thin beard

Challenges of a Thin Beard

We all know that a thin beard can be a bummer sometimes. A lot of men have experienced beard envy—seeing another man’s beard and wishing “wow, I wish my beard could grow that thick" 

The biggest challenge for men with a thin beard is finding a style that suits them. As a man with a thinner beard, you might not be able to grow a foot-long lumberjack beard, but rest assured that there are plenty of facial hair styles out there to suit any kind of beard.

Another challenge is finding quality beard-care products that help boost the health of your beard to help it grow. More on that later. 

Will My Beard Hair Get Thicker?

This is a question often asked by men in their late teens and twenties. Some are unable to grow a beard as young men, and as a result they give up on ever being able to have a full beard. 

The truth is, a little bit of time might be all that is needed. Men’s facial hair often continues to grow and thicken well into their twenties and early thirties (and in some cases even beyond then). Even if you can’t grow a full beard now, in a few years it could certainly be an option. 

In the meantime, as we have already pointed out, there are plenty of solutions to help you speed up the process and/or style your beard in ways that work with thinner growth.

 short beard style for a thin beard

Solutions for a Thin Beard

One element of beard growth that many men lack is patience. Your beard hair only grows about a half an inch per month on average. This means that a small patch of thin or missing hair can take time to fill in. Try letting your beard grow for two or three months before trimming or shaving, to see whether patches can be covered or filled as your hair gets longer. 

Another solution is to find a product to boost your hair’s natural growth. A bit of extra nourishment might be all that your beard needs to get off the runway. Let us suggest Wild Willies Beard Boost Serum, with caffeine and biotin to give your beard the natural energy it needs to grow.

Finally, of course, you can always find a style of facial hair that matches your beard’s thin growth pattern. Here are our suggestions:

Best Facial Hair Styles for a Thin Beard

Thin beard style of a goatee

Goatee

A common section of facial hair that never fills in completely for some men is the cheek area. This can lead to a sparse look when wearing a full beard. One easy solution to this problem is to grow a goatee. This style will feature the parts of your beard that tend to grow in full, leaving out the sections that are less appealing.

If you are close to being able to grow a full beard, you can even try the goatee-beard, which features a goatee surrounded by a short, trimmed beard on all sides. With enough patience this style can be used to transition into a full beard.

Van Dyke

The Van Dyke beard is similar to a regular goatee, however it can work even for men with sparse chin hair or mustaches. For a lot of guys, the strip of hair between the mustache and chin on each side of the mouth can grow too sparsely for a complete goatee. The Van Dyke style removes this necessity. Leaving a gap between the mustache and beard can look intentional (even if it’s not), and gives its wearer an adventurous, swashbuckling look. 

Mustache

During the 90s and 2000s, mustaches generally fell out of style. However, in the last ten years, they have started to make a comeback. This is good news for men with thin beards. Some of us can grow a luscious mustache, even if we don’t have the volume in the rest of our beard to grow it out very long. 

The other great thing about the mustache is that there is a wide variety of styles to suit any level of facial hair thickness or thinness. For men with thick mustache growth, the walrus mustache or chevron mustache work exceedingly well. For those with sparser mustaches, the natural mustache or even pencil mustache can do the trick. 

Beardstache

As with the goatee-beard, there is a combination mustache-beard for those who want a unique look. This style basically involves a fully grown mustache with some beard stubble or a trimmed beard accompanying it. The end result is a versatile beard that is simultaneously manly and artistic. 

chinstrap thin beard style

Chin Strap

For men with a strong jawline but sparse beard growth, there is no better option than the chin strap. This style is basically a line (of varying thickness) that follows the edge of your face from the sideburns, around the chin, and back up the other side. It can be accompanied by a trimmed mustache for a well-rounded look. This style accentuates your jawline, and can help a naturally square jaw look even more powerful. 

thin beard style with even stubble 5 o clock shadow

5 O’Clock Shadow

Another great look for men with naturally square faces. This look allows you to show off your face if you are disinclined to cover it up, but it still provides the ruggedness of a beard. Better yet, it is generally easy to take care of, requiring only an occasional wash, some touching up around the edges, and semi-regular trimming with an electric razor.

man with a thin beard style

Patchy Beard

Finally, you can always just let your beard grow out. There is nothing inherently wrong with a patchy beard, and it can sometimes look good, particularly if your thinness or patchiness is symmetrical. And if it isn't symmetrical, you can use an electric razor to pick a length and make it more symmetrical. Plenty of Hollywood actors like Johnny Depp and Elijah Wood have sported patchy beards at various times, and hey, people pay to see their faces on the big screen. So don’t be too shy to try out your patchy beard. After growing out a bit more, it may just surprise you!

Nourish Your Thin Beard with Wild Willies Natural Products

Sometimes, the key to thickening up your beard can be using the right products that feed your beard and keep it from drying out. Wild Willies online store has everything you need to build the beard of your dreams.

Man with short and thin beard | How to Style Thin Beards

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