What’s a Soul Patch? Here is How to Grow, Trim and Take Care of It

Some men want a unique look when it comes to their facial hair and if you find yourself to be one of them then you should give soul patches a try. They are not that hard to grow due to the small area they cover on the face and they are incredibly versatile as you can rock them with either a mustache or solo.

A soul patch is a small tuft of hair growth situated between your lower lip and chin. Growing and trimming involve letting the hair get long and then shaping it with the help of a trimmer into a soul patch. The rest of the hair should be clean and shaved.  

In this article, we will tell you what a soul patch is along with information on how you can grow and trim it so you are aware of how to take care of one!

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What Is a Soul Patch

A soul patch is a small, sharply-trimmed hair patch that is situated between the lower lip and the chin. They are really small, about the size of a coin or a stamp and you can shape them in a square or a triangle, often known as the soul point if styled this way.

It is not hard to grow a soul patch as you do not need to wait for the facial hair on the cheeks and chin to grow. It is especially easier if you already have a full-grown beard as you can simply shave around this area, leaving the soul patch intact.

This style originated from jazz musicians around the 1950s and it went as far as the style became known as “jazz dot beard”, with the musician Dizzy Gillespie getting the credit for making the soul patch popular. Many celebrities rock these now such as Robert Downey Jr and Billy Ray Cyrus.

How to Grow a Soul Patch Beard

As we have mentioned already, growing a soul patch is relatively easy as compared to any other style but if you are still in need of a guide then follow the steps listed below to achieve your dream soul patch look.

Step 1

If you have a clean shave then firstly you need to grow a full beard that is at least 1cm long before beginning on shaping a soul patch out of it. If you already have a beard then you are already one step ahead.

Step 2

Use a full-size trimmer to bring all your facial hair, except the soul patch region under your lip and above your chin, to around 3-5mm. The soul patch area must remain longer as compared to the rest of the facial hair.

Step 3

Bring out your precision trimmer to trim the hair on your chin until there is a tuft of hair left under your bottom lip.

Step 4

This is the part where you will define the shape so be precise with it. Use a mini foil shaver for this by imagining a vertical line down the center of your face.

Decide on whichever shape you want, either a triangle or a square, and then make sure that whatever shape you decide on, must be evenly distributed on both sides of the imaginary line.

If you want a precise location, then start at 8-10mm under your lower lip and stop right above the dip of your chin.

Step 5

Make use of a beard or stubble trimmer and get your patch to the length you want.

Step 6

Clean shave your cheeks and neck and then go in with a mini foil shaver to shave the tighter region around your soul patch.

How to Trim a Soul Patch

Now that you know how to grow a soul patch, you will need to trim it every once in a while, to maintain it so it does not outgrow and mix in with any other facial hair and lose its distinct form.

Compared to other beard styles, the soul patch is not that tricky to trim but still, it does require a bit of skill and precision to pull it off smoothly. Follow the steps below to get a gist of how things are supposed to be done.

Trim Your Facial Hair

When trimming your soul patch, you will need to keep the hair in that region longer compared to the rest of the beard. To accomplish this, go on with a beard trimmer and bring your hair down to 3-5mm but do not make the mistake of touching your soul patch, leave it long.

Trim Around the Soul Patch

Trim the hair on your chin with the help of a precision trimmer until it leaves you with a small region of hair under your lower lip.

Shape the Soul Patch

Now it is time to define your soul patch and for that use a mini foil shaver. Decide if you want to go for a square or a triangle shape and make sure that it is even on both sides.

Trim Your Soul Patch

Now that you have the shape down, which is the hard part, you need to trim the soul patch down to your desired length. This depends on you and what length you prefer. Use a beard or stubble trimmer for this step.

Clean Your Neck and Cheeks

Now you will need to clean up your beard cheek line, cheeks as well as your neckline. Shave the tighter areas around your neck too. This will leave that hard-edged tuft in the middle of your chin. 

How to Maintain Your Soul Patch

Growing a soul patch is easy and so is trimming it, if compared to any other beard style. When it comes to maintenance of it you just need to make sure the cheeks and chin are clean-shaved and that you go in frequently to reshape and trim your soul patch.

It can seem a little tricky at the beginning to trim it but once you get the hang of it, you will become a pro! Watch a few videos for assistance if you are a rookie at trimming your soul patch.

Soul patch is listed on top in bead styles that are easy to maintain and require minimal effort. If you are not a fan of maintaining or simply do not have the time for it then you should give this style a try.

Wash your soul patch with a beard wash, as you do with the rest of the beard. Use beard oil and balm to keep the hair healthy, fresh and hydrated so there is no dryness and itchiness.

Tools you will need

When it comes to trimming any style of your beard, you need some tools if you plan to do it on your own. For trimming a soul patch, you will need the following tools

• Beard shaping tool
• Beard shaper
• Electric shavers

How long should the rest of my beard be compared to the soul patch?

The first step in trimming a soul patch is to first trim the rest of the facial hair to create that distinct look. Trim your surrounding facial hair down to around 3-5mm in length, your soul patch should be left longer than this length.

Is the Soul Patch beard stylish?

You can do a quick search on this beard style and learn that it is, in fact, very stylish and still in style. Celebrities known to rock a soul patch beard such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Colin Farrell.

Is it hard to trim a soul patch?

The first few times can be tricky when you are new to trimming a soul patch but you will get the hang of it. The tricky part is only when you are shaving the hair around the soul patch to create a distinct look between your whole beard and the soul patch.

Shaping the soul patch will require a few tries but make sure you go in slowly and make sure it is equal and no longer on one side and shorter on the other.

How can I make my soul patch thicker?

For this, you will need to grow out your facial hair for several weeks until you get to your desired length and thickness. Once it is at that stage, you can decide how much you want to trim down while also cleaning up your cheeks, chin, and neckline.  

Can I style the soul patch with anything else?

Yes! You absolutely can grow other styles of facial hair with the soul patch and this is exactly why it makes this style so versatile. You have several options you can style with a soul patch and these are:

• A short beard
• A mustache
• Stubble

Conclusion

A soul patch is very diverse as you can style it with different beard styles and mustaches. You can keep it as long as you want or as short as you want and the same goes for the thickness. You can also change up the shape of it with options of a square or a point. All in all, a soul patch is stylish, and if you are looking for something new you should give it a try. We hope that this guide showed you how to grow and trim the soul patch in the right way!