46 Spectacular Soul Patch Beards to Wear in 2024
The soul patch, formerly known as the “jazz dab”, became increasingly popular in the 50’s and 60’s among hipsters and artists alike. The person responsible for its popularization was the one and only Dizzy Gillespie, famous jazz musician and trumpeter. More recently, there has been a new wave of soul patch beard styles to enter the scene incorporating a more modern and edgy look.
What Does a Soul Patch Look Like?
For the past few decades, the soul patch has been dealing with a rather undeserved hatred. It’s such an inoffensive little thatch of hair, after all. It can range from a small area with just a few hairs—so few you can count them—to a larger thicket as big as the pad of a thumb. Originally, it was nothing more than a neat nest of facial hair nestled right below the lower lip. That’s it. Simple, right?
These days, soul patches are often paired with mustaches, goatees, chin straps, and sideburns. Back during the early days of jazz and blues and soul, when cool cats like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie were trendsetters, it stood on its own as a signature statement.
From that point on, the beatniks and hipsters of the 1950s stole the look—surprise, surprise—and it morphed into something altogether different. The facial hairstyle, which is also known as the Mouche or jazz dot, began to go downhill. It’s due for a comeback.
How to Grow and Shape a Soul Patch
It’s not at all difficult to cultivate a soul patch, but you need patience to spare. Growing it is the hardest part. As the hair grows in beneath your bottom lip, you’ll hate it in the beginning. Your friends might tease you about the splotch of dirt below your lip because that’s what a stubbly patch resembles—dirt.
Obviously, that’s where patience is essential. Let everyone make their jokes. Just concern yourself with shaping your soulful new thatch. That involves carefully shaving around it, particularly on your chin. Be oh so careful not to take out a chunk of your patch as you groom.
Who Should Wear a Soul Patch?
There are only two rules about who can wear a soul patch. In the first place, you have to be a confident, self-assured dude who doesn’t care about anyone else’s opinion. Remember, the soul patch’s reputation isn’t highly regarded right now. You can bring it back to Cool Town, I know you can, but only if you’re not bothered by what others think. A guy who relies on the opinions of other people won’t have a patch for long.
Other than that, any man can bare his soul (see what I did there?). What I mean is that soul patches go with any facial shape. The patch is one of the few facial hairstyles with that much versatility.
Is Soul Patch Considered a Beard?
The answer to this question is simple: yes . . . and no. See, that debate rages among facial hair connoisseurs the world over. There is no consensus. Those who are for the idea of defining the soul patch as a beard have varied and valid points, but so the folks who fall in the “against” category.
Technically speaking, however, the patch is a beard. After all, it’s a thatch of facial hair. It’s located on your chin. It’s a beard in the same way a goatee is still a beard—that is, kind of.
How to Pick the Right Soul Patch Style: 5 Tips
1. Consider Your Color
Hair color matters. You can get away with a smaller jazz dot if you have dark hair. Fair-haired fellas need a fuller mustache. This is a question of visibility, really.
2. Think Texture
The texture of your facial hair plays a part, as well. Fine, soft hair may need more growing time and space on your face. However, thick, dense, or coarse facial hair will quickly form a mouche.
3. Look at Your Lips
Your bottom lip can change the appearance of your patch. Thin lips aren’t flattered by small soul patches, but don’t let it get too wild, either. The jazz dot is made for a full, shapely mouth.
4. Add-Ins
Do you want to wear a mustache with your mouche? What about a goatee or a full beard? Thinking about sideburns, too? The patch is meant to be worn, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give it a signature twist.
5. The Skin Question
Your skin tone makes a difference, at least when compared to the color of your facial hair. Some skin tones simply look better smoothly shaven.
Stylish and Trendy Soul Patch Beards
Whether you have a full beard, goatee, or are partial to an amazing mustache, here are some of the coolest soul patch beard styles we love. I hope you’ll love these too!
1. Small and Minimalistic
When you are not keeping any other facial hair, even the smallest soul patch will become noticeable. That’s the case with this one, as it is quite small, minimalistic, and almost looks as though someone has drawn it with a pencil.
2. Symmetrical with Chin Beard
Does your soul patch grow thick in the middle with two thin arms extending on both sides? If yes, you could combine it with a symmetrical chin beard. Shave off the hair on the chin and only let some hang under the chin for this look.
3. Dark and Dainty
Some people grow dark black hair not only on their scalp but face too. It’s interesting how they don’t have a single grey hair in their beard, which makes even a dainty soul patch on the face look clear as day.
4. Round and Golden with Egyptian Goatee
A golden soul patch may not be very visible on your fair skin, so you want to pair it up with an Egyptian goatee. The slightly dark hairs in your soul patch will make it visible on the face. The thinly trimmed Egyptian goatee will add to the overall looks.
5. Wide Stubble Soul Patch
There’s nothing wrong if you don’t want your soul patch to be the only visible mark of identification on the face. A great way to keep one without making it too prominent is to go with a stubble beard and let the stubble form a wide patch under your lower lip.
6. A Light Triangle with Stubble
A triangular soul patch on an oval face can make the face seem a tad bit longer, but there is a solution to that. Grow some stubble on the face, especially on your chin to cancel that effect. The resulting beard is unique and stylish.
7. Thick, Big, and Bushy
Want to wear your thick soul patch with pride? Go ahead and flaunt it by shaving the rest of the beard and growing the patch enough so its bushiness becomes clearly visible. Complement with long sideburns that taper near the upper end. This style goes well for those with curly hair.
8. Blonde and Barely Visible
If you have fair complexion and grow blonde hair on the face, your soul patch will not be that prominent. Ironically, it allows you to grow a big and thick one because it is just as much there as it is not there.
9. Small Patch with a Chin Strap
Draw an outline of your face with a chin strap beard that boasts a consistent hair length from one side to the other side of your face. Now, make it unique and identifiable by adding a small soul patch. While the patch doesn’t have to have a specific shape, keep it as wide as it is long.
10. Thick and Untamed with Only Side Beard
This is quite a unique look that suits a round face. Grow a curly beard only on the sides of your face. Reserve the area around your lips for a thick and untamed soul patch that’s big enough to be visible from a distance.
11. Exclamation Soul Patch
Make your point with a soul patch that looks just like an exclamation mark. It will require you to shave with very delicate hands to get the right width and narrows further. The dot underneath the soul patch should also be clear. No other facial hair needed with this look.
12. Overgrown Patch with a Beard
You’ll have to use a pair of scissors to achieve this style because you need to let your soul patch grow for several days and then cut its ends just before it connects with your chin beard. A traditional or extended goatee will go well with this style.
13. The Curl Up
This beard style highlights the mustache and soul patch while the beard sits quietly in the background. To achieve this style, use a bit of mustache wax to curl up the ends of your mustache, shave your beard down to a very low cut, and shape the soul patch so that it compliments your chin.
14. Thick but Tame Soul Patch
For men who prefer a little less hair but still want to sport the combo, this beard style features a thick, long, bold mustache, clean-shaven face, and soul patch. To achieve this, keep the mustache full and trim and comb the hair down so it has a cleaner appearance.
15. With a Beard
Even though it’s not the original conception of the patch, you have to admit that it looks fly with a beard. This is thicker and a bit fuller than a chin strap, but even that style works.
16. The Conservative
In this look, the mustache and soul patch are cut down significantly. This gives the face a more classic and clean look without too much hair or stubble while still attaining the mustache-soul patch combo.
Read: Best Asian beard styles for men
17. Add a Dash of Mustache
A dapper mustache can elevate pretty much any style, but when combined with the soul patch it gives a classic type of sophistication. Forming a mustache-soul patch combo will take a bit of practice, especially if you’re looking for something to compliment your face. Here are a few combination ideas to get you started:
Take It To The Chin
Many men who wear soul patches prefer their patches to extend to the chin instead of staying right below the lip. This gives the soul patch a little bit more flair. It is a great way to sport a soul patch if you’re trying the style for the first time. Here are a few chin-length soul patch styles to try out:
18. Thick Strip
This trendy unique beard style is edgy as it leaves a small amount of hair underneath the chin for the soul patch to extend to. Just trim the beard down low and style as a strip that extends to a small patch of beard below chin.
19. Grow Soul Patch Out
Here’s a soul patch beard that not only extends to the chin, but is coupled with a long beard as well. This look would require you to maintain the shape of the soul patch by trimming down the surrounding hairs and allowing the patch to grow freely.
20. Thin to thick soul patch
Here is an everyday look that features a chin-length soul patch that gradually widens as it extends to the chin. The hair of the beard is trimmed very short, allowing the soul patch to be modest while still looking edgy.
Mini Soul
If you don’t want a soul patch that is too prominent, there are ways to style it so that the hair is still there without being too noticeable. Allowing the patch to remain small, as opposed to it being the highlight of the style, can tie together any look you’re going for. Here are some styles featuring a mini soul patch beard.
Read: how to grow a Brad Pitt beard
21. Barely There
This look features a very thin, barely visible soul patch. To achieve this look, shave off most of your facial hair, leaving hair in the area of the soul patch. Trim the soul patch down so that it’s set right in the middle of the lips.
22. Clean Shaven
Here’s another small soul patch with no beard, mustache or sideburns. Again, you’ll want to shave your entire face, leaving only a small patch of beard beneath your lower lip.
Give Your Soul Patch a Goatee Look
Although a soul patch is technically considered a ‘type of goatee’, this is a great way to try the soul patch into your look. Just style your goatee as usual and add a soul patch to it for a modern, conventional, everyday look. Since goatees are quite common, there are plenty of different styles and looks to choose from when trying to find the best combo to go with your soul patch. Here are some great goatees featuring soul patches:
23. The Grizzly Goatee
This goatee extends up the chin, giving the jawline a chiseled look. The hair is trimmed but left slightly longer to give the style a more carefree look. Pairing this with a carefully trimmed soul patch turns this look from plain to daring.
Classic Soul Patches
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, right? There’s not much to it- shave your face clean, leaving a small patch of hair beneath your lip for the most simple and classic way to showcase this style. Here are some of the best classic soul patches on the internet!
24. Thick and Clean
Howie Mandel is known for his signature soul patch style. He keeps the hair thick but cleanly shaped beneath the middle of the bottom lip.
25. Short and Thick
This style features a smaller soul patch trimmed down to about ½ an inch below the lip, giving a more modest version of the classic soul patch.
26. Short and Thin
Billy Ray Cyrus rocks a smaller soul patch just below the middle of his bottom lip. You can try this if you have medium-length hair like this.
27. Moderately Sized
Billy Bob Thornton is well known for his classic soul patch style. While he’s been known to feature a chin-length soul patch, here he is sporting one that reaches about 1 inch below the lip.
28. Sandy Sprinkled
Observe what’s happening here: a blonde soul patch against the mildly tanned skin. The lighter blonde sprinkles of hair and the width of the patch make it stand out without being overbearing.
29. Perfect Dot
Don’t you like how neatly formed that is? It’s the perfect dot. This is the patch you want to perfect if your mouth is thinner.
30. With a Goatee
Do you dare mimic that Backstreet style? A sprinkling of extra stubble almost turns Brian’s goatee into a beard, but you get the picture.
31. A Detail Patch
This soul patch isn’t the star, but it’s a major detail. Everything else is going on here, too, but the mustache still manages to catch the eye. I’m digging the formation of it, as well.
32. Significant Soul Patch
This beard style for those persons who has a knack for seeking attention. Keep a soul patch consisting of black and thick hair. Make sure the other parts of the face are cleanly shaven to get the maximum effect of this significant soul patch.
33. Mel Gibson Special
The superstar from the Brave Heart movie, Mel Gibson, has recently been appreciated for the new beard style he is rocking. He let the soul patch grow downward with a skin-tight handlebar mustache.
34. Decency at Its Best
Try this one if you want a decent soul patch, even with a formal look. This soul patch is soothing to the eye and has a fashion value.
35. Jaw Beard with Soul Patch
A soul patch can be associated with beards covering other parts of the face. One can try it along with some jaw hair and a chevron mustache. It will surely look stunning.
36. Long Sideburns with Long Soul Patch
Sideburns are considered a handy element of both beard style and hairstyle. Long sideburns and a long soul patch make a great pair to create a great beard style.
37. Horseshoe & a Beard
If you ask us what could be the best beard to get along with a horseshoe mustache, we suggest going for a horseshoe. A horseshoe mustache looks best with a soulpatch beard.
38. Tiny Triangle
Let your soul patch look like a triangle just below the lower lip. Shave off any facial hair other than a soul patch to get the complete attention centered around the triangle.
39. Western Soul
Slicked hair with a well-groomed mustache is one of the identical styles of the western people. And a soul patch will be the cherry on the top of this style. You will look more than awesome with this beard style.
40. Short Soul Patch with Long Hair
If you are confused about what beard style you should do with your long hair, check out this one. The beauty of long hair has been increased to a greater degree because of the presence of a short and small soul patch.
More Soul Patch Styles for 2024
41. The Strip
While in the past a soul patch used to be a very small patch of hair, you can now grow yours as more of a vertical strip if you are looking for something a little different. This adds some visual interest to the face and is a great way to tie together a look, especially if you grow a beard at the same time.
42. The Sharp Point
Soul patches don’t have to be understated, as these pointed options show. Pointed soul patches can be really small or they can be significantly larger, which is sure to attract a lot of attention. They work equally well on their own as they do with other facial hair, especially when trimmed to a similar length so they appear to match, adding continuity to the facial hair.
43. Thick and Full Soul Patch
Rather than opting for a thinner soul patch that may look unintentional, a thick and full one will draw attention to the facial hair and look purposeful. Men who wear thick and full soul patches tend to appear more determined and like they can easily decide about the appearance and style of their facial hair, which many people find very attractive.
44. Longer Soul Patch
Nobody ever said that soul patches must be kept short, and longer styles can impress and update your style. Allowing the hair to grow a little longer takes some dedication, and you must be sure that you are willing to trim it regularly to keep it from becoming messy and unkempt. The work is worth it, though, as longer patches look great.
45. Under the Whole Lip
Rather than opting for longer soul patches extending from the lower lip to the chin, some men choose to have vertical patches that run under the bottom lip. These are still really attractive but are just slightly different than what you normally see, making them a fun option for men who want to stand out a little.
46. Long and Thin Soul Patch
A long, thin soul patch can look great on the right face. These patches are similar to strips but are much thinner and connect from under the lip to the beard. Keeping these trimmed is important to ensure they continue to look their best.
Hope you have enjoyed our list of soul-patch beard styles. Soul patch looks amazing if it blends well with your face shape and size. You can try just coloring the style with a pen to see how it suits you.
