Bald and Bearded: The Trend That’s Turning Heads, But Should You Join In?

It comes a time in the life of some guys that they start to lose their hair. This can be traumatic for some dudes, but it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. You can embrace this fact of life and turn it into an amazing new image.

Just look at Bruce Willis, Jason Statham and all the other dudes women go ga-ga over that have accepted and utilised their natural hair loss. A clean dome, or a shaved one, isn’t something that should be shunned but welcomed. 

Compliment your shaved head with a beard and you have so many image options to choose from. 

Why Shave Your Head

Shaving your head, rather than leaving it to the unpredictable course of nature, offers a range of compelling benefits. Firstly, it provides a sense of control over your appearance, allowing you to proactively shape your image.

Embracing the clean, chrome look can exude confidence and a bold, modern aesthetic. Beyond aesthetics, shaving your head can also simplify your grooming routine, freeing you from the hassles of managing longer locks.

Moreover, it can be a liberating experience, breaking away from societal norms and challenging conventional beauty standards. Whether for a change in style, convenience, or a powerful act of self-expression, the decision to shave your head encompasses a multitude of reasons, each as unique as the individual making the choice.

Become More Confident

Losing your hair can give your self-esteem and ego a kick in the guts and you struggle to fight a losing battle. By accepting the course of nature and shaving your head can allow you to reinvent yourself and your look. Take the plunge and shave your head, there will be no looking back after that! Your confidence levels will bounce back stronger than ever.

Makes Your Hair Low Maintenance

Shampooing and conditioning your hair can become a chore. Guys who shave their hair don’t have to be concerned about such routines. Sure, there it the shaving side of keeping your hair short. Yet, your mornings have become just that much easier now you have gone bald.

You Can Save More Cash

With a hairless noggin, you don’t need to spend money on hair care products such as gel, shampoo or conditioner. Nor do you have to fork over money to your barber because later we are going to run you through how to shave your own head. 

Things to Be Aware of When Shaving Your Own Head

With shaving your head, there can be some side effects. So it pays to be aware of these when you are thinking about making it a DIY job rather than visiting your barber.

Dry Skin

Shaving your head too often can cause the skin to dry out. This may lead to dandruff. Use a preshave oil that contains jojoba oil or argan oil as these will moisturise the skin of your scalp.

If you use shaving cream, don’t use ones that come from a can. These contain alcohol which dries out your skin. Ask you barber what they use, typically it’s a shaving cream that is made from natural ingredients.

Ingrown Hair

This happens when a hair turns back on itself and grows back into your skin. Typically it is guys with curly hair that are more susceptible to this condition. If you suffer from ingrown hairs, you can easily overcome the issue.

• Exfoliate the skin regularly to remove dead skin cells that block the hairs from growing out.
• Use an antiseptic shampoo and massage it into your scalp
• Avoid shaving the area for several days
• Apply a hot compress to the area three times each day to help soften the skin.

If the area is itchy, avoid scratching as it can lead to infection. Also, keep the skin around the ingrown hair dry.

It can take anywhere between a few days to several weeks for the issue to resolve itself. Don’t be tempted to pluck at the hair as it will only cause the issue to worsen.

Your Scalp is Exposed

Hair acts as a natural barrier against the UV rays of the sun. Now that you have shaved your head, your scalp is exposed to those nasty rays. Also, your skin is subject to the elements of nature. A hot, dry day can suck the moisture out of your scalp.

On those sunny days, apply sunscreen to keep the top of your head from being burnt. To protect you against wet or cold weather, wear a hat (most of your body heat escapes through the top of your head and there is no hairy carpet there any more insulating you).

How to Shave Your Head

For those of you who like to do things themselves, shaving your own head can save you a trip to the barber. Yet, you have to do some preparation before you apply the razor to your dome.

Ensure that you will have enough lighting so that you can easily spot those areas that you missed. Grab a hand mirror as this will help you look at the back of your head and behind your ears. 

Have your scissors or trimmer ready to go and make sure that the blades are sharp. Give your razor a pre-shave check as well so that you can finish the task with no issues.

Once you are satisfied that all your equipment is ready to go, it’s time to shave your dome! Don’t rush when shaving as it can lead to unnecessary nicks or cuts. 

1. Use a damp, warm towel (or have a shower but don’t dry your hair completely) to soften your hair.
2. Cut or trim your hair down to as short as you can.
3. Take your shaving cream or gel and then apply it over your hair.
4. Grab your razor and start shaving your head. Start from the top of your head and go with the grain. Give your razor a good rinse after every stroke to clean it off. 
5. Shave the sides, being careful around your ears. Then tackle the back of your head moving down towards the neck. 
6. Take your mirror and check the back, neck and top of your head to make sure there aren’t any patches of hair you missed.
7. When you are happy with the result, rinse off your scalp and wipe it down with a towel.
8. Apply skin moisturiser or after-shave balm.
9. Take a selfie and put it onto your Social Media sites. (This step is optional)

If this is the first time you have shaved your head, it can feel a little unusual in the beginning. Give yourself time to adjust to your new style.

Why Should I Add a Beard After I Have Shaved My Head?

So, you have shaved your head and now want to grow a beard. Yet you wonder if there are any benefits in having a beard after your scalp has gone nude. A study was done by the website “skill shaver” and it found that women consider men who compliment a shaved head with a beard are more confident, masculine and appear taller.

Aside from that, there are other reasons why you should match a beard with your bald head.

It Can Help You Compensate for Your Face Shape

Going without hair means that the true shape of your face and head is revealed. It could be that now your face looks rounder, squarer, or more oblong and you freak out. 

That’s where growing a beard can help. Facial hair can alleviate the issues you have with your face shape and there are plenty of beard styles and lengths to choose from. Stubble, short, medium or long beards. You are sure to find something that brings a balance your face.

Refocuses Attention

For those of you how are losing your hair, growing a beard is a way to have people divert their eyes away from your bare dome. People will notice your awesome facial fur instead of the naked top of your head.

Which Beard Style Should I Go for?

Which beard will look good on? As always, which style suits you the best depends on the shape of your head. Let’s run through a myriad of options. 

What to Think About Before Picking a Style

Before you choose a style you will want to consider how much time you want to spend on grooming and maintaining your beard. After all, you have no hair left on the top of your head, which has cut down your morning routine time. Yet, a beard can cause that freed-up time to be eaten away through you having to do proper beard care.

Stubble only needs a trim every 2-4 days to maintain the look. But you should apply beard oil at least once a day. The oil will provide moisture to the skin beneath your beard as well as providing your facial hair with what it needs to remain healthy.

If you are leaning towards a short beard, then it will need a tidy up with your trimmer or scissors at least once a week. You’ll also need to shampoo it and condition it so that it remains clean and stink-free. On top of that, you’ll want to comb or brush your beard one or two times each day.

Medium to long beards need a lot of TLC. The grooming routine is the same as that for short beards. Shampooing and conditioning are a must. On top of that, there is the styling which requires applying beard balm or beard wax at least once a day to help the beard retain its shape throughout the day. Plus, there’s the combing to not style your beard but to eliminate any knots or tangles.

For those guys short on time, or don’t like the hassle of a full-on morning routine, then the best choice would be a stubble beard. 

Time to look at the styles. It always pays to grow out your beard and then trim down if you are wanting to create a full beard or stylise a shorter one. 

Round Face Options

A stubble beard or a diamond style beard is a great choice for those of your with a more rotund-shaped face. These types of beards can add lines and edges to your visage so that the curves are broken. 

Here are some styles you can try.

A Goatee 

If you want to sport a goatee it’s best if you have one with square or sharp lines to ease the circular shape of your face. 

1. Trim down your beard to around 3-5mm
2. Visualise the way you want your goatee to look and then use your trimmer to style your beard
3. You can trim your soul patch into a triangular shape if you want to add an interesting dimension to your goatee or you could remove this piece of hair entirely.
4. Shave your cheeks and neck clean. You can use a standard razor for a tidier finish

The Balbo

This is a variation of the goatee and has a small chin beard separated from the moustache. If you want to know how it looks, take a gander at Tony Stark in Iron Man. 

Creating a Balbo beard is pretty straightforward.

1. Create a goatee by following the steps we listed in the previous section.
2. Remove the guard of your trimmer and then style out your Balbo beard. There should be a 2-3cm gap between your bottom lip and the edge of your beard. Give your beard a curve that runs down and outward by 6cm on the sides of your chin.
3. Give your moustache a part in the middle and make the corners run down in an angle toward the corners of your mouth. 
4. Clean shave your cheeks and neck and feel free to stylise your moustache.

Chin Strap

This type of beard can bring thinness to your round face, so give it a try if you want to give your visage a slimmer look.

If you want to try this style follow these instructions.

• Give your beard a trim down to 3-5mm
• Precision trim a 1-inch wide line that runs half above and half below your jawline and goes from ear to ear. 
• Shave your cheeks to remove any hair above the top edge of the chin strap line.
• Clean up your neckline and check so that everything looks balanced and symmetrical. 

Diamond-shaped Face Choices

Those of your with a more angular, diamond face are better off with a beard that has just crossed over to a full beard. Also, styles that run along the chin or jawline can ease the sharpness of your features.

Ducktail 

This is a full beard that comes to a point at the base. You’ll need between 2-4 inches of beard growth before you start to create a ducktail. It’s a sophisticated style that will soften the harder lines on your face. 

For those of you wanting to try this style, here is how to turn your beard into a ducktail.

1. Grab your trimmer and shape the cheeks and sides into a nice symmetry that ends at a point at the base of your beard.
2. Clean up your neck, ensuring you have a well-defined neckline.
3. How you style your moustache is up to you. Twist it at the ends or trim it short. Whatever you think suits you the most.
4. Grab your balm or wax and taper your beard. 

Gunslinger

The gunslinger style gives you a rugged masculine look, but the one we recommend has a slight variation. It’s a full beard with a matched with a gunslinger moustache.

1. Choose the trim length you desire. Options are 2mm, 4mm and 6mm. 
2. Trim down your beard but keep your moustache at a slightly longer length (it pays to imagine the overall look before you start). 
3. Work the trimmer over your moustache to style it the way you visualised.
4. Enjoy your new look. 

Square Face Beard Styles

Guys that posses a square face should consider a full beard option. You may want to think about fading at the cheeks to show off your strong features.

Let’s run you through a couple of style choices.

A Full Beard With Fading 

Compliment the square lines of your face with this style. If you want to ease the sharpeness of your features, then round off the beard.

1. Trim down to the desired length. Make sure you start with a higher guard and work your way down to a lower setting. You don’t want to take off more than you wanted from your beard.
2. Mark out your neckline by placing your finger horizontally just above your Adam’s Apple. Trim from this line and use a razor to clean up the neck.
3. Fade your cheek lines by trimming them in ½ inch decreasing increments. Don’t rush this process otherwise it will end up in a beard disaster. Feel free to create curves or rounded lines to alleviate the squareness of your face.

Rounded Van Dyke

If you want a look that is sophisticated and classy, then try a Van Dyke.

1. Imagine a line slanting down from your moustache to your jawline. Trim along these lines (one on each side of your beard).
2. Carry these lines on down to your neckline.
3. Shave any remaining hair from below your neckline and your cheeks. 
4. Use your trimmer or scissors to round off the tip of your Van Dyke beard.

Oblong-shaped Face Options

The best facial hairstyle for this type of face shape is a beard that has fuller sides but a short base. Don’t go for a long beard off the chin as this will only cause your face to look even more elongated.

Here are a couple of styles you can try. 

High Boxed Beard

This is a rugged yet conservative style that will have you looking incredible.

1. Lower your cheek lines, but don’t make them too low as this will make your face appear longer. Lines running from halfway between your cheek lines and the corners of your mouth or even a line running from the corners of your mouth is a great length.
2. Create some contours running from your sideburns and along your cheek lines
3. Give your beard an oval shape around the jawline. This can be 1 or 1 ½ cm in length.
4. Clean up your neckline and cheeks. 

Old Dutch Beard 

This style will give you a more rugged, woodsman look. It’s a full beard with rounded off corners and a flat base.

1. Start by having an image in your head of how much width you want for your beard.
2. Grab your trimmer and start styling, making sure you go carefully and methodically. Have the cheek lines run from your sideburns to about 1 cm from the corner of your mouth.
3. Remove your moustache. 
4. Create a one finger gap between your Adam’s Apple and the edge of your neckline. 
5. Give your beard a nice round look and have the base flat. Tidy up any uneven lines. 
6. Finish off by giving your cheeks, neck and upper lip a tidy up with a razor.

Triangular Face Beard Choices

For those fellas with a triangular face, it pays to avoid full beards. This is because your face already has enough bulk at the base and you don’t want to add to that. A short beard or a style that is short on the sides are the most ideal options for this face shape.

Garibaldi

This is an excellent option for triangle faces as it gives your jawline and chin a completely new look. This beard is all about width at the base to give your face a more rounded or elongated look. 

1. Start by trimming a rounded shape along the base of your beard and have it running from one ear to the other. Go slow as you only want to trim off as little of your beard as possible. It’s all about shaping rather than trimming. 
2. Place two fingers above your Adam’s Apple and use this as a reference to create your neckline. Have the jawline curve to match the roundness of your beard. 
3. Shorten your sideburns to 1 or ½ an inch starting from the base of your earlobes. You can taper the side of the beard so that it doesn’t look like your face has exploded into a mass of hair. 
4. Trim the moustache so that it blends in naturally with your beard. 

The Hollywoodian

This isn’t a beard you come across every day, but it does allow for your jawline to have some definition and doesn’t add bulk to your cheeks. It’s a 1-inch beard, so be patient as it will take around 4 weeks to grow sufficient hair to create this style. 

1. Begin by trimming a clearly defined line from your ears to the sides of your chin. Shave off everything above this line.
2. Run an imaginary line from your ears to under your jawline, just where your jaw and chin meet your throat. Remove all the hair from under this line. 
3. Use a precision trimmer to give your soul patch a rectangular style. 
4. Remove any wayward hairs using scissors. 

Chins and Beards

Beards don’t only have to be thought about in terms of face shapes. Facial hair can aid in dealing with chins, both long and double. If you are self-conscious about your chin, hiding it beneath a beard could help in alleviating the anxiety.

Long Chin

When it comes to concealing your generous-length chin, there isn’t a set style. However, you will want to think about a beard that is longer at the base. The final style is up to you and whatever matches your personality.

Double Chin 

To hide your two chins you should opt for a full beard that has some length to it. Also, veil the top part of your neck with your beard and it will give your face a thinner appearance.

Be Bold About Being Bald

Losing your hair doesn’t have to be the traumatic experience that most guys think it is. Allow nature to have her way and embrace it. 

A shaved head with an incredible looking beard can give your confidence a boost and lets you reinvent yourself. 

Don’t shun losing your hair, instead go and shine in your awesome new style. 

We always love to hear your beard victories. If you have a shaved head, which style has worked best for you and why? Let us know by commenting below.