Ah, the soul patch. That little bit of fur under your bottom lip that connects to your beard. Some people love it and have it standing on its lonesome without a beard or mustache.
It first appeared in the jazz culture of America in the 1950’s and was adopted by beatniks, but it was a style that seemed to disappear after the 50’s. However, the style made a comeback in the 1990’s and seems here to stay.
Yet some guys prefer to remove the soul patch from their entire facial hair ensemble, leaving the area under the bottom lip to remain au natural.
In this article, we will look at why getting rid of the soul patch is an increasingly popular choice among guys, how to remove the patch and then look at a range of beard styles without the patch.
Let’s say goodbye to that tuft of hair under your lip.
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WHY SHOULD I REMOVE THE SOUL PATCH?
The main reason to remove the soul patch is that it adds that “something special” to your beard and face.
However, that doesn’t mean that every style of beard suits a missing soul patch. If you find that you look weird without that little piece of fur under your bottom lip, then grow it back,
But you want to spice up your beard life taking away the soul patch is an amazing option.
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE PATCH
For those of you who are wanting to be rid of the patch, you can use a trimmer, shaver or standard razor. We will run you through the options, but the most popular two are trimming and razor. Yet, like anything in life, it’s all up to you.
TRIMMER
If you have grown your beard for a while, chances are that your soul patch is pretty dense. You can attack this forest of fluff with a trimmer.
- Give your face and beard a good warm wash and then grab your trimmer.
- You want to use your trimmer without a guard as this will allow you to have the shortest trim. Make sure you go against the grain so that you have an even cut. Also, be careful when trimming as you only want to remove the soul patch and if you get carried away you could trim away more of your beard than you desired.
- Once you have the patch pretty annihilated, you can finish the job with a shaver. If you are wanting a stubble look to compliment your beard, then you can the patch after you have trimmed it down.
- If you want to add some style to your beard, you can round off the edge of your beard where the soul patch connected, Another option is to square it off to give your beard a more honed style.
SHAVER
For those of you who have an electric shaver, here’s is how you can use it to remove your soul patch.
Prepare your beard for the trim. That means giving it a good clean with a pre-shave product (use an alcohol-based solution that contains Vitamin E as this will provide skin protection and reduce any irritation). For the best results when shaving, you want a dry beard.
Shave at right angles and have your skin tight so that your hairs are standing straight. Shave in a circular motion if you are using a rotary shaver or back-and-forth motions if you are shaving with a foil shaver.
RAZOR
Attacking the soul patch with a razor gives you the best control. So, if you want to use this method to remove your patch, then follow these simple steps:
- Like the first two techniques, you need to prepare your face. Give your beard a good clean to remove the gunk out of it and to soften the hair.
- Visualise what shape you want for your beard after the soul patch has been removed.
- Use a shaving brush to lather your soul patch with soap (or use a shaving gel which helps you from getting cuts or skin irritations).
- Grab your razor and say farewell to your soul patch. When shaving with a razor, wash the hairs out as you go to prevent clogging of the blade.
- Shape your beard in the style you imagined.
- Rinse your face and then apply a moisturizer or aftershave lotion to keep your skin feeling great.
Enjoy your new beard style.
4 WEEKS OF WEIRD
For those of you who have grown accustomed to a beard with a soul patch, you may feel a little uncomfortable once you shave away that small piece of hair.
You look at yourself in the mirror and feel incomplete (it’s amazing how a small strip of hair can have such a profound effect!).
Endure the feelings of awkwardness and self-consciousness for about 4 weeks. After that, you will be used to your new look and start rocking your beard without its soul patch.
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IT’S OKAY TO GO WITHOUT THE PATCH
For those of you that are still doubting as to whether you should strip the soul patch away, we will show you how you can live without it and still have an amazing beard. Of course, it all depends on style and some beards become more noticeable when the patch is gone.
But, if you are wondering if your beard can exist without its hairy companion, we are going to run you through a range of beard styles that get on fine without the soul patch.
Read on and get excited about your incredible new style. The styles below aren’t listed in any particular order (in case you were wondering).
THE CHIN STRAP
This style runs from your sideburns and follows under your jawline and chin. You can decide whether you want to accompany the look with a moustache or not. But it doesn’t have a soul patch. Please don’t ruin this style with a soul patch!
The Chin Strap beard, if you are wanting to grow one, is better suited for men with oblong or rectangular faces. It makes the face look more full. Also, when growing the Chin Strap, make sure that you don’t have any gaps or patches in the beard. It’s a style that is more suited for guys with darker hair.
MUTTON CHOPS
Okay, this style goes back to the 19th century, yet it has made a comeback thanks to Wolverine in X-Men. So you don’t have to worry about having a style that makes you look like your great-grandpa. You can contemporize the look so that it has a 21st-century vibe.
Muttonchops run from your sideburns and meet at your moustache. That means that your chin and bottom lip are completely hairless.
As far as the width of this style goes, you can choose from thick or thin. Also, you can have dense muttonchops or stubble length. So much versatility with this type of beard.
If you are thinking about trying muttonchops, it’s a style that is best suited for guys with oval or round faces. If you have a thin of long face, then muttonchops that have a bit of thickness to them is the best option.
THE GUNSLINGER
The Gunslinger beard and moustache could be considered the cousin of the Muttonchop. It runs from flared sideburns and runs into a thin horseshoe-shaped moustache. It’s a rugged look that can help make you stand out from the crowd (if you are wanting to, that is!)
The chin and underside of your bottom lip are clean-shaven (which means no soul patch). However, the Gunslinger isn’t a style that is suited for everyone and if you find that it isn’t for you, just grow it out and start again.
For men that have an oval face and a well-defined chin, then it’s a look that you can wear without any issues. Men with rounded faces and weak chins may want to think about another style.
THE DUCKTAIL
This is a tight style of beard that ends at a tapered point at the bottom and looks like…a ducktail. It’s a rugged and sophisticated beard which is a great option for men who struggle to grow hair on their cheeks or bottom lip (that’s where the soul patch lives!).
If you grow a soul patch, you can get rid of it without having to worry about ruining your Ducktail beard.
Those of you who have a diamond, triangular, or round faces will find that the Ducktail softens your features.
THE SHORT BOXED BEARD
The Short Boxed beard is great for those of you who want a full beard but without the wilder look of a thick beard. It’s a closely trimmed style that can be sculpted and groomed anyway you desire. That means you can get rid of that pesky soul patch and still look great.
It’s a beard that can be worn for any occasion and works well with every style of hair cut. A conservative type of facial hair that is suitable for any face shape.
Go Short-Boxed and you’ll never look back.
GARIBALDI
Want to have a rugged look, that makes you look like a 19th-century gold miner? Then go for a Garibaldi. It’s a longer style beard that can work well without a soul patch. It’s a style that has a mustache and a wider, rounded base which makes it stand out in the “full beard” family.
For men with rectangular faces, the Garibaldi will break the hard lines by adding roundness to your face
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BEARDSTACHE
The Beardstache has divided the beard world between those who love them and those who think that it’s a travesty. People say that they are the beard world’s version of the mullet cut. It’s a mix of heavy stubble and moustache and you could get away with removing the soul patch.
If you find that the whole ensemble looks completely weird without the patch, then you can grow it back and forget about that time who dared to venture into a brave, new world.
Square and rectangular faces will find that a Beardstache allows the face to appear more rounded.
THE A LA SOUVAROV
This beard got its name from Alexander Suvorov, who was one of the best military generals in Russian history. The A La Sourvarov comes under the mutton shop style of beards and runs from the sideburns to ½ an inch below the corners of the mouth. It then turns upward to connect to the mustache.
The chin and lower lip are clean-shaven. It’s an ideal beard for men with long faces as it balances out the length.
THE BALBO
This is a beard made up of sections (the mustache and beard) that are disconnected. There are no side burns and the beard is left to float by itself along the cheeks and the chin. A soul patch is optional.
It’s a style that fits a square or round faces thanks to the way the beard enhances the chin.
THE NECK BEARD
Just as the name suggests, it’s a beard that hugs your neck and doesn’t venture onto your face. It stands alone without any mustache or additional facial hair and ends at the jawline. Think of Amish males and you are in neckbeard territory.
Where’s the soul patch? There isn’t one because you have a neckbeard!
The neckbeard is a risky option and isn’t a popular choice. Only a few guys can wear this style well. If you have a square, oblong or rectangular face you can round off the base to break the lines. For guys with round faces, you can square off the bottom of the beard to offset your circular facial features.
THE CHIN CURTAIN
You may be fooled into thinking that this is a Chin Strap beard, but don’t be mistaken. The Chin Curtain not only runs along the jawline but it also fully covers the chin (which is what the Chin Strap doesn’t do). Abraham Lincoln had an amazing Chin Curtain beard. Get rid of the soul patch to add an interesting dimension to this type of beard.
For men with oblong or rectangular faces, the Chin Curtain works fine. Round-faced guys will discover that it makes your face look rounder and fatter, which is less than an ideal look if you’re wanting to score with girls.
THE FRENCH FORK
Let’s put something to rest: the idea that this beard was named after the French eating utensil. Though it was named after the fork, it originally came from the 11th century Persia where the forks had two prongs. So, yeah, the beard is named after a fork, but not the French one.
With that said, The French (Persian?) Fork beard is a full-on beard that parts in the middle to form two triangular shapes. If you take away the soul patch, you could have an intriguing looking beard that has a triangular shape of skin just in the center of it. That’s symmetry in all its beauty.
If you are wondering what face shapes suit a French Fork beard, it can work with any shape other than oblong which would end up looking more elongated (sorry, you oblong faced guys.)
THE FRANZ JOSEF
This beard comes under the Mutton Chop family and is a more lavish style. Forming a hairy “W” shape, it runs from the sideburns down halfway between the jawline and the bottom of your mouth, then it turns sharply to connect to a mustache.
The chin and the area under your bottom lip remain fuzz-free, so that means no soul patch!
It’s a style that men with round and oval faces can rock without any issues.
THE HULIHEE
Another member of the Mutton Chop style. The Hulihee has wide, bushy sides that connect to an equally bushy moustache. Clean chin and no soul patch are necessary for this beard.
You can allow it to grow as rugged and hairy as you want. But guys without oval faces should avoid growing a Hulihee. Sorry.
THE SPARROW BEARD
The Sparrow Beard could be seen as a combination of the French Fork and a Goatee. However, it’s not as pronounced as a French Fork Beard. It has two strips of braided hair under the chin which are about 4 – 5 inches in length.
Though guides online on how to grow this style mention the soul patch, you can try it without a soul patch, just to be that little more in your face. I’m sure Jack Sparrow (from Pirates of the Caribbean), who inspired this style of beard, wouldn’t mind.
Men with oval or square faces are better suited for this style, but it can be worn with any face shape.
THE VAN DYKE
This is a beard that falls under the goatee category. It takes a goatee beard and combines it with a handlebar, or similar style mustache. The beard forms a triangle and the cheeks are clean-shaven. You can get away with not having a soul patch with the Van Dyke beard.
It’s a beard that can be worn with any face shape, so it’s a versatile choice if you want to have a mature look.
THE BOX KNOCKER GOATEE
A goatee version of the Boxed Beard, the Box Knocker Goatee is a squared-off goatee with a wider base along the chin. Get rid of your soul patch to make this style look more interesting.
It’s a great style for guys with round faces due to the squareness adding a sharper dimension to your look.
THE CIRCLE BEARD
This beard forms a full, unbroken circle around your mouth and chin. It’s not to be confused with a goatee which is simply a patch of hair on your chin ghostwriter hausarbeit. The Circle Beard doesn’t need to have the soul patch. It looks sharper and more defined if you take away the soul patch.
The Circle Beard is better suited for guys that have square, oblong or angular faces as it softens the edges of your face.
THE GOATEE
The Goatee is a beard that grows on your chin. It’s up to you how long or short you want this tuft of hair to be Ghostwriter Schweiz! Though it’s usually accompanied with a soul patch, you can remove the patch and give your goatee an interesting look. Heck, we don’t all have to conform to the standard goatee!
It’s a style of beard that can complement any face shape as you can round it off or make it pointed at the tip. That’s flexibility in a beard!
THE VISUAL IMPACT OF A MISSING SOUL PATCH
We have covered a lot of different styles of beards that you can have without a soul patch. Yet, what kind of impact does a missing soul patch have on your overall look? It all depends on whether you have a long beard or a short one.
For longer beards, the missing soul patch becomes more noticeable and you may wonder ghostwriter jura if you have made a mistake in eliminating that piece of fluff under your bottom lip.
Give the style a try and if you don’t like it, you always can grow the patch back. You may also find that keeping the patch away is a high maintenance task and get weary of having to shave so precisely.
A missing soul patch doesn’t have the same visual impact with shorter beards such as goatees akademische ghostwriter. Yet having a clean bottom lip can give your beard a slick style that looks awesome.
GIVE IT A TRY
If you doubt as to whether your beard will look amazing without a soul patch, give it a try Ghostwriter BWL . Remember, it takes around 4 weeks before you feel comfortable with your new style so don’t be too quick to judge.
A compromise if you aren’t willing to commit 100% into shaving off your patch is to shave it down to stubble length. If you think your new look is awesome, then you can take the next step and shave the soul patch and have a beard without this piece of fluff.
You can always grow the patch back if you end up despising the way your beard looks without it.
Have you ever tried a beard without a soul patch? What made you decide to get rid of the patch? Leave your comments below.
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Meet Mo Parker, the visionary founder of The Beard Brotherz. Mo's passion for redefining modern masculinity led him to create a platform that celebrates the diverse interests and journeys of men today. With a commitment to authenticity and inclusivity, Mo's entrepreneurial spirit and dedication shine through every facet of The Beard Brotherz. From grooming and fashion to tech and wellness, Mo's multifaceted approach mirrors the platform's essence, offering a welcoming community for all to embrace their unique paths in the modern world of manhood.
