21 Bad Beard Examples and How to Avoid Them
Some men end up with a really bad beard by going overboard with confidence and not enough technique. With beards being a dominant trend, it’s natural to want in on the action.
While growing an awesome beard comes easy for some guys, others struggle to get past patchy or thin growth. From full beards to the classic goatee, you’d think messing these up would be hard, right?
The truth is, a lot of men try too hard when styling, chasing some “unique” look, and wind up looking utterly ridiculous.
Reasons That Cause a Bad-Looking Beard
- Unbalanced proportions can throw off your entire look. If your beard is too long on one side or out of sync with your facial features, the whole thing falls apart.
- A poorly maintained beard goes south fast. Regular beard grooming, trimming, and washing are non-negotiable for keeping things sharp.
- Choosing a beard style that doesn’t complement your face shape is a recipe for disaster. A long beard on a round face makes it appear even rounder, while a short beard on an oblong face can stretch it further.
- Improper grooming, whether from trimming errors or flat-out neglect, is the most common culprit behind a bad beard. Skip the upkeep and the results will show.
Here are 21 of the worst beard examples that you’d hate to grow.
1. Disconnected Horseshoe Mustache with Soul Patch and Sideburns
Not everyone pulls off a horseshoe mustache, and this is a prime example of why. The heavy, dark horseshoe sits completely disconnected from the soul patch below, while sparse sideburns frame a face that hasn’t committed to any single style.
The result is a disjointed look that works against every feature it touches.
2. Patchy Stubble with Disconnected Horseshoe Mustache
If there’s anything worse than a thick horseshoe mustache, it’s a patchy one you couldn’t grow out properly. Even without the scraggly sideburns, the uneven, sparse mustache looks unappealing at every angle.
Sometimes, the cleanest move is to start fresh with a straight razor shave and rebuild from zero.
3. Overgrown Chin Puff Goatee with Mustache Disconnect
Goatees are usually a solid choice, but this overgrown, stringy chin puff has gone way too long without a beard trim. The mustache disconnect, replaced here by scattered medium stubble, makes the whole arrangement look unplanned.
A well-shaped full goatee with a clean cheek line would fix this entirely.
4. Thin Chin Strap with Wispy Extended Chin Beard
This is what happens when someone doesn’t commit to proper mutton chops and instead lands on this thin chin strap with a wispy, extended chin beard dangling below. The flyaway strands make the whole thing look even more unfinished.
You’d be far better served keeping a clean light stubble and calling it a day.
5. Badly Dyed Blue Extended Goatee
Beard coloring can open up some genuinely cool options, but a poorly executed dye job like this one will make you reconsider fast. The blue beard color is patchy and uneven, and the extended goatee shape doesn’t suit the face or the hair.
When the beard coloring fights the style, both lose.
6. Red Glitter Short Full Beard
This is what you get when beard enhancements go completely off the rails. The red glitter coating makes this short full beard look like a holiday decoration rather than facial hair.
Along with looking completely unrealistic, the texture disappears entirely under the coating, making it look oddly two-dimensional.
7. Unkempt Long Beard with Weak Braided Beard Tail
To pull off a solid braided beard, you need serious length and density to work with. The long beard here has decent bulk, but the thin, limp braid hanging from the chin lacks the fullness to carry the look.
Any Viking worth his salt would frown at this one.
8. Overgrown Disconnected Goatee with Unkempt Handlebar Mustache
A well-groomed handlebar mustache can absolutely work, but pairing it with an overgrown, untrimmed, disconnected goatee cancels out any charm. The chin growth has gone far past a clean, pointed beard and into scraggly territory.
A proper beard trim and some mustache wax applied with purpose would turn this around completely.
9. Bushy Walrus Mustache with Sparse Chin Beard
The walrus mustache makes a return, and this time it’s bushier than ever. It overwhelms the face completely, while the sparse chin beard below does nothing to balance the weight.
Paired with the messy hair and receding hairline, this is a combination where every element works against the others.
10. Unnaturally Spray-Painted Red Full Beard
Beard coloring done right can genuinely knock years off your appearance. Done wrong, it looks like someone hit your face with a can of spray paint.
Heavy-handed dyes like this strip the beard of its natural texture, leaving it looking flat and oddly uniform. Subtlety is everything when it comes to beard color.
11. The Patchy Scruffy Beard
Men with patchy growth have it tough, and that’s nobody’s fault. But if you know a full beard isn’t in the cards for your density, stop fighting it.
A clean goatee or a well-shaped circle beard will always outperform a sparse, uneven attempt at going full.
12. The Extreme Chin Curtain
This fine specimen is a little shocking, to say the least.
It almost looks like one of those detachable beards you grab from Party City for Halloween. Trying not to judge here, but given this is clearly a mugshot, it’s safe to say this gentleman needs to reevaluate a few of his life choices, starting with the chin curtain.
13. The Completely Unkempt Natural Full Beard
No idea about this man’s situation, but if you grew your beard out this way, everyone around you would draw the same conclusion.
To keep things from reaching this point, stay consistent with beard wash, beard conditioner, and, above all, regular grooming. A little beard oil and a boar-bristle brush go a long way.
14. The Confused Partial Beard
There’s a chevron mustache, shaved chin hair, thick sideburns, and random patches of beard hair all competing for attention in this confusing combination.
Rather than walking around with this much going on, find a cohesive style with clean beard lines that doesn’t look like an 8-year-old went at your face with safety scissors.
15. The Wild and Untamed Natural Full Beard
Another semi-unkempt look that is completely preventable with the right amount of trimming and care.
The bushy, voluminous look works for certain face shapes and beard densities, but it’s not something every man should attempt, especially if your beard hair grows straight and lacks the natural curl to hold its shape.
16. The Styled Beard Dreads Goatee
His barber clearly took the time to shape up the sideburns and goatee with clean beard lines, but apparently nobody pulled him aside to explain that beard dreads are a bad idea.
They don’t flatter anyone, regardless of budget or status. Stay far away from this one.
17. The Villain Van Dyke with Overtrimmed Soul Patch
Looking at this combo immediately brings Jafar from Aladdin to mind.
Mustache and soul patch combos can absolutely be modern and sharp, but this particular Van Dyke with the severely overtrimmed, pointed soul patch takes it straight into villain territory. You’ll want to dial back the drama on the chin detailing considerably.
18. The Patchy Thin Chin Strap with Light Stubble
This thin, patchy chin strap with scattered light stubble is the kind of look that needs a firm decision made about it. Either commit to a proper goatee with clean cheek cleanup and a defined neckline, or take a straight razor to the whole thing and start fresh.
19. The Scraggly Beardstache with Uneven Stubble
A choppy, uneven beard paired with a very thin, segmented mustache and messy hair is not landing on any magazine cover anytime soon.
Rather than rocking this scraggly beardstache, go clean-shaven or trim everything down to a uniform short stubble and drop the mustache entirely until it fills in properly.
20. The Extreme Wrap-Around Chin Strap
Upon seeing this creation, I was both amazed and appalled. The amount of time someone spent with a detail trimmer to carve this out is exactly why some men shouldn’t be left unsupervised near a mirror.
No idea what the vision was here, but this has to be the most extreme chin strap line-up ever committed to a face.
21. The Patchy Short Beard with Untrimmed Goatee
This look has a defined neckline and a carved cheek line going for it, which is a decent foundation. But leaving the cheek area and the goatee without a proper beard trim undermines all of that work.
The goatee itself is poorly shaped and slants noticeably to one side, making the whole thing look asymmetrical. For any first-time beard growers out there, get a symmetry check from your barber before you walk out the door.
How To Fix A Bad Beard Style
1. Trimming and shaping
The first step to fixing a bad beard style is to trim and shape your beard. Start by trimming the longer hairs, then shape the beard according to your desired style and face shape. This process may require a bit of patience and practice, but it’s essential for achieving a well-groomed look.
2. Beard growth products
For those struggling with patchy beards, beard growth products, such as oils and serums containing essential nutrients, can help stimulate hair growth and create a fuller,
3. Matching Your Beard Style with Face Shape
Choose a suitable beard style for your face shape. For example, if you have a round face, opt for a beard style that adds length and structure, such as a goatee. On the other hand, if you have a long face, consider a fuller beard that adds width to balance out your features.
4. Proper Beard Maintenance
Taking care of your beard is crucial for maintaining a good beard style. Wash and condition your beard regularly to keep it clean and soft. Additionally, use a beard comb or brush to detangle and distribute natural oils evenly throughout your facial hair.
5. Find A Beard Barber
If you are not confident about fixing your own bad beard style or need advice on the best style for you, find a barber who will be perfect for you. He can convert your bad beard style to a flattering one.
