Hipster beard styles are all the rage.
The booming trend has become so popular that a lot of people are opting to grow their facial hair in a hipster way nowadays.
It takes a lot to invest and do to really grow and maintain a proper hipster facial hair.
Some guys might even decide to give up midway after seeing the hardships it can cause.
Not only that, but you may end up creating a hairstyle that you don’t like at all.
All of that can be avoided if you know the exact steps you need to take.
Growing a hipster beard can become so much easier with proper guidance.
We are here to provide it, which is why we created this step-by-step guide with top hipster beard looks.
Now let’s start grooming that cool-looking hipster beard of yours.
Table Of Contents
Top 5 Hipster Beard Styles
Hipster beards are a popular and eye-catching option for beard owners to choose when searching for a unique way to represent their sense of style.
However, these beards are a varied and versatile collection of beard styles and there are many ways you could choose to show off your hipster beard to the world.
Some will compliment your face shape and personal style better than others. Still, the great thing about the wide variety of beard styles featured under the hipster category is that there is something for everyone that will flawlessly and seamlessly complement their style.
Let’s look at some of the most popular hipster styles around today.
Fading Beard
This classic look features a mustache curled at the ends paired with a shortly trimmed beard that gradually fades away as it reaches the wearer’s temples.
With a clean-cut and manly look, this hipster style is ideal for those who don’t want to wait for their beard to grow out very long and want to show off their hipster style sooner rather than later.
Burly Hipster
Featuring a thicker, medium-length, trimmed beard and mustache this laid-back style is perfect for someone trying to display a more casual look while still showing off their hipster side.
Edgy Gentleman
This look shows off a grown-out beard that is both full and luxurious, paired with a full mustache and styled to fall just below the chin. It’s also highlighted by a short, slicked-back hairstyle and fading sideburns.
Rock n’ Roll
This style is particularly edgy and gives the wearer a rugged look. It’s the perfect hipster style for someone in search of an effortlessly unkempt look.
To achieve it, a full beard of hair should be cut into a short Mohawk and the sides should be left shaved. The Rock ‘n’ Roll is a more rugged version of the hipster facial hair trend, showing the versatility that this type of beard style offers.
Grizzly Look
The Grizzly Look is a simple and easy way to accomplish the look of a hipster beard without putting in a lot of effort. The beard is left to grow naturally as it wants to, paired with faded sideburns and with the hair styled in a crown swept to the side.
What Is Hipster Beard
Some of the most sought-after beard styles of today happen to be considered hipster beards. The trendsetters of the beard community, hipsters, have been truly showing off incredible beard styles that are coveted and that many beard owners are striving for.
Many hipster facial hairstyles offer a sense of duality, elegantly balancing the disheveled beard look with sleep hairstyles. The result is an edgy and sexy look that people love right now.
Whether you like to keep your hair long or short, there is a hipster style out there that will perfectly complement your look and make you feel confident in your skin, proud of the way you look and excited to show off your hipster look to the world.
If you are looking for a new and unique way to style your beard, there is undoubtedly a hipster style out there for you that will accomplish your goal perfectly and help you express your style flawlessly.
Benefits of Growing One
Trendy Style
Since the 90s, hipster beards have revolutionized facial hairstyles and remain the most followed beard trends globally. It is a popular beard style associated with living a carefree rebel life without following the social norms laid out.
Keeps You Warm
One of the characteristics of a hipster beard style is that the beard tends to be unkempt. You can either have a long or short hipster beard, which helps keep you warm, especially during cold months.
Prevents Infections
If you often develop ingrown hairs, giving your beard time to grow is the best way to deal with such issues. A hipster beard makes it easy to prevent ingrown hairs, therefore, preventing infections.
Seasoned Look
The hipster beard makes it possible to have a seasoned charm even if you don’t get to grow a thick beard.
Short History of a Hipster Beard
Hipster fashion is primarily devoted to rebel looks. In the late 90s, the hipster beard revolutionized facial hair trends and the style has stayed since then.
The hipster beard came at a time when men were used to clean-shaven faces for over 25 years.
Hipsters are known to want to do things differently from everyone else, which is why hipster beard styles emerged in the era where facial hairs were not as common.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- One of the main advantages of rocking a hipster beard is that you don’t have to shave, making the style a little easier to maintain.
- It’s a trendy style that will turn heads. This is because most people think that hipster beards look cool, which would explain why the trend has picked up worldwide.
- Men with bushy hipster beards have always been considered more attractive than the clean-shaven ones.
Cons
- Some people detest hipster beards, mainly because hipsters are known to lead rebel lives.
- The beard style takes a lot to maintain in that it requires more products even though you don’t need to shave regularly.
How to Grow It
The most important thing to keep in mind if you are trying to grow hipster facial hair is to let it grow long and full! While there are different hipster styles out there for you to choose from, you should go for a style that fits the form of your face, your unique preferences and personality the best.
One of the things that all hipster styles have in common is that they are long, full and luxurious beards.
Step 1 – Achieve an even length
To grow this beard, you need to start by achieving an even length. If you want to start with a clean-shaven face, allow for approximately 6 weeks to have decent growth to get started grooming and styling a beard that will soon become your pride and joy!
This time frame of growth should leave you with at least half an inch of facial hair to work with. You can, of course, wait longer though if you desire a longer beard.
The good thing about hipster facial hair is that you don’t need to be a beard grooming professional by any means, as the look is meant to be rugged.
Step 2 – Trim occasionally
It is intended to look somewhat shaggy and unkempt, which means you can get away with using only scissors for trimming and the occasional length cutting mistake can easily be overlooked.
As your beard gets longer, continue cutting it by the desired style you would like to achieve and keep it maintained at the length you like.
How to Trim and Style
Step 1 – Preparing
If you have a patchy or uneven beard, you are better off starting afresh if you want to grow a hipster beard. Begin by shaving off your facial hair to a smooth finish to have a good base to start from.
Step 2 – Allow the beard to grow
The next step involves being patient since you can’t groom or style facial hair that you don’t have, so allow the beard to grow first to a length where it looks bushy and full.
If you have good genes, your facial hair should grow in a few weeks, but if your hair grows slowly, you might have to wait for a month or two before you begin trimming and styling.
Step 3 – Shape the beard
As the beard grows, shape it so that it doesn’t grow too much out of control. Try to keep your facial hair symmetrical, something that you can only achieve through regular trimming.
As you trim, however, ensure that you don’t take too much off since it will be harder to grow it back and shape it the way you want, which could mean starting the whole process again.
Step 4 – Clean and trim
Before you begin styling your hipster beard, you need to give it a good wash and comb it through using a beard comb to get rid of dead skin cells and dirt. This should be something that you do daily, but it is vital before styling your beard.
After the beard is clean, begin by trimming any excess facial hair based on the shape of your face. If you have a square jawline, for instance, then you need to leave more hair towards the center to give the illusion of a longer face.
On the other hand, if you have a longer face, then ensure that you trim the beard so that your face appears more square.
Step 5 – Maintain the thickness
All good hipster beards are thick and full. When you are trimming, ensure that you maintain the thickness leaving a few days in between trims to allow the hair to grow.
Step 6 – Add some personality
Hipster beard styles make it possible to show off a little personality. You can achieve this by trimming the hair in a certain style, curling the mustache ends upwards to add extra quirkiness or braids.
The hipster beard happens to be a huge trend; hence there are so many ways you can make the beard your own.
How to Maintain One
In addition to growing and styling your beard, you will need to properly care for your facial hair to keep it feeling healthy and looking amazing in the long run.
Some of the things you’ll want to invest in to keep your beard feeling soft and smooth and staying easily manageable to maintain that rugged, hipster look that so many people love include beard oil and beard balm.
Step 1 – Clean the beard every few days
To maintain a hipster beard, lather it up with shampoo to get rid of dust, dirt, and excess oils and then finish with a conditioner to add volume and lock in moisture. Repeat this once or twice a week, depending on the fullness and thickness of your beard.
Step 2 – Use beard oil
Once you have washed and dried your beard, pour a few drops of beard oil into your palm and smooth it through the beard from the roots to the tips.
Use your fingers to work the oil as close to the skin as possible, which should result in a softer and healthier beard that holds its shape for longer.
Step 3 – Comb the beard
Combing is essential in easing out any tangles in the beard and preventing a scraggly and unkempt look.
Using a good quality beard comb or brush, comb the beard in the direction you want the hair to grow, giving you a sleeker and more streamlined appearance.
Step 4 – Maintain the beard line
Trim along the upper cheeks to keep the lines tidy and distinct. To determine where your facial hair should end, place two fingers above your Adam’s apple and then shave everything below that in a gentle curve from ear to ear. This helps avoid annoying neckbeards.
- Strong hold that lasts all day long
- Gets rid of beard itch and beardruff completely
- Doesn’t make your beard feel greasy
- Entirely natural and organic ingredients with a pleasant scent
- Some men would prefer the smell to be a bit stronger
Your hair follicles produce natural oils to keep your beard healthy, nourished, and moisturized. However, these follicles can only create a certain amount of sebum oil to keep your beard look healthy each day.
This means that if your beard is longer and your body’s natural oils can’t cover it, you should find other sources that can help you moisturize it. That’s why beard balms and beard oils are so essential to keep your beard manageable and easy to style and, most importantly, looking incredible.
Another important tool to have in your beard care arsenal is a beard comb, which helps to make trimming and styling your beard much easier, as well as keeping up with day-to-day styling.
It’s important to use a high-quality beard comb to avoid damaging your beard and develop beard split ends.
Cheap plastic combs can damage your facial hair, so ensure that you have a comb you can trust to maintain the silky smoothness of your beard.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s
- Do allow the beard to grow first, especially if you have an uneven or patchy beard for the ultimate hipster look.
- Do ensure that you always trim below the neckline to give you a well-defined hipster beard.
- Do maintain the look by trimming the edges every few days to maintain a clean beard line.
- Do apply beard oil once or twice a week for a softer and healthier-looking hipster beard.
Don’ts
- Don’t forget to clean your beard every day, using beard shampoo and conditioner to get rid of excess oils, dirt, and dust that may have accumulated during the day.
FAQ
When did the hipster beard trend start?
The hipster trend started in 2008, as seen from the Google Trends on the term “beard,” where searches spiked in 2008, which falls right into the biggest hype years where being a hipster was still pretty cool.
What does a hipster beard look like?
The hipster beard most of the time tends to be big, bushy and has an unkempt round bottom part that covers the neck. The mustache areas will usually be untrimmed, curled into a handlebar using mustache wax, or slightly maintained.
Conclusion
One of the biggest trends in beard trimming and styling is the hipster beard style characterized by a big and bushy beard that is often unkempt. The hipster style came into being in 2008. The beard style, while not easy to maintain, requires less shaving.
However, you still need to clean the beard every day, use beard oil, and a beard comb to maintain a hipster look. There are so many hipster beard styles that you can try out, so it’s just a matter of finding a style that suits the shape of your face.
Vinnie is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team. He’s also a barber and hairstylist for 15 years now and he has a kick-ass beard of his own, so he surely knows what makes a magnificent beard and hair and how to achieve them. He’s our go-to guy for all the latest beard and hairstyle trends and he always has a tip or two on how to grow and style a thick beard fast.