Growing on me: The best trending beard styles for the year

Reading time: 6 mins

Collage of portraits of seven men with different beard styles looking and smiling at the camera.

Beards have been trendy for the last few years now, and do not seem to be going away anytime soon. Looking around any city, town, or your local supermarket around the country, bare cheeks are a rarity. Which beard trends look to set the tone of this year, what latest beard styles are gaining popularity, and what new beard trends are emerging? Let’s take a look.

Closeup of a man with a nicely trimmed dark moustache wearing a plaid shirt.

With or without – the Moustache trend

The moustache – love it or hate it, this classic style has outlasted hundreds of other facial hair trends and still remains popular. We are seeing the humble moustache becoming dandier, with some men choosing to use wax to twirl the moustache ends, and some wearing it with a well-trimmed beard. It requires a bit of care, but fits perfectly with the modern, trend-conscious man who looks after himself. A ‘tache wearer does not take themselves too seriously – and looks good doing it.

Get the look:

1. First, comb the whiskers of the moustache down and trim the hair over your upper lip and at the moustache ends, according to your desired style – for example, in a clear line with a little curve under your nose. With an electric razor like the OneBlade or OneBlade Pro, with different trimmer attachments, you’ll be well-equipped to handle any style you want.

2. If you are going lone with the moustache, now is the time to remove the rest of your beard with a razor. If you need some help with this, check out our tips for the best methods of facial hair removal.

3. Trim and shave regularly and sculpt the moustache with beard wax or pomade. The OneBlade allows you to evenly trim your beard, shave around it, plus and style the moustache with the double-sided blade precisely and easily – all with just one device.

Counter trend: The clean shave

There is a countermovement to the men’s beard trend: going babyface. There may be different reasons for this; a clean-shaven man’s face looks extremely well-groomed, is soft to touch, brings out the striking contours of the face, and makes you look younger – after all, facial fuzz turns grey too! Also, not everyone has the right beard growth, and some beard styles require as much care as being clean shaven.

However, a clean-shaven look also requires flawless skin, meaning special care. Razor burn, shaving pimples or shaving rash, as well as ingrown hair can quickly ruin this look. Thankfully, we have some tips on how to prevent razor burn and treat it.

Get the look:

1. If you are going for the clean-shaven look, then the shave must be thorough and gentle on your skin. The choice of the right shaver is just as important as the technique. A shaver like the OneBlade will shave your beard without shaving too close to your skin, preventing skin irritation.

2. Shave in small circular and fast movements from the sideburns to the neckline, without going over the same spot too often. The dual-blade technology on the OneBlade works with a dual protection system to cleanly shave while being gentle. It even follows the contours of your face to be sensitive to your skin. And thanks to the water-resistant design, you can shave in or out of the shower.

Closeup of a man’s beard that has lots of different and colourful flowers added to it.

Beard trends for men: The well-groomed short beard

To avoid any misunderstandings: the short beard rightly deserves to be seen as one of the sharpest beards of the year, and one of the new beard trends, a change from massive wild beards we have sometimes seen previously. We’re talking about a tightly maintained and cared-for beard. A short beard hugs the face without hiding its shape and works best with square or oblong faces.

The short beard is all about patience and care: trimming your beard every other day to keep it well-maintained and as precise as possible. With dark and dense hair, you can keep the short beard very short indeed; with light hair and/or finer hair, a bit more length is recommended.

Get the look:

1. Treat your beard to a regular trimming of about 3 to 5mm. With regular shaves, keep the hair on your neck under control as you grow your short beard out.

2. If your beard has grown to 5 to 12 mm, trim with one of the shorter length settings, depending on how short your short beard should be. With the Philips OneBlade Pro you can choose between 14 length settings with the precision trimmer attachment. Trim the moustache to a nice, smooth line around your mouth, removing any hairs that tickle your lips.

3. Then remove the trimmer attachment and contour the edges. Finally, shave around the short hair on your cheeks and neck for a clean and fresh look.

See more below ↓

The new beard style: The faded beard

This new beard trend is super versatile because you can decide how strong to go. It also depends on your hairstyle, because this trend shows a seamless transition from your hairstyle to your beard, smoothly going from your sideburns to a longer beard or full beard under the jaw line. The more length you leave, the more dramatic your beard will be.

The faded beard is great for a little individual expression and will help you stand out from the bearded masses. In order to keep the transition from your hair to your beard neat, you have to trim every day and at different lengths to smooth the transition. A shaver like the OneBlade Pro allows you to trim at a tonne of different lengths, making it very well-suited for this task. Its double-sided blades can work very precisely along the transitions.

Get the look:

1. The length of the precision trimmer attachment on the OneBlade should be one length shorter than the rest of your beard. To shave for your faded beard, trim about two and a half inches above the chin line.

2. Shorten the length of the OneBlade precision trimmer even more and trim about two and a half inches to the sideburns.

3. Repeat this process by going up in two and a half inch increments until the tops of your sideburns blend seamlessly with the sides of your haircut.

Among the old, the brand new, and the current facial hair trends, you are sure to find some inspiration, even if that means the drastic step to let it grow wild or to get rid of it all together. Find the one that suits you!