It’s been over a century since a bearded man sat in the Oval Office. Benjamin Harrison was the last to wear a full beard in office, and William Howard Taft the last with any facial hair at all.
Presidential portraits from the 1800s show everything from broad sideburns to full beards. Here are 18 presidents and prime ministers with distinctive facial hair, including historical portraits and more recent examples.
Find what suits you: browse all beard styles, mustache styles, or the trimming guide.
Popular U.S. Presidents with Beards and Mustaches
Many U.S. presidents wore facial hair, with or without a mustache. Here is a list of 11 U.S. presidents with notable facial hair.
1. John Quincy Adams – Mutton Chops
John Quincy Adams served as the sixth president of the United States. This later portrait shows the large mutton chops associated with his years in Congress.
That later look made him one of the most recognizable political figures with facial hair in early American history. Hugh Jackman wore a similar mutton chop style in the X-Men films.
2. Martin Van Buren – Mutton Chops
Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the United States, wore long sideburns with a clean-shaven upper lip and chin. The portrait shows the width concentrated at the sides of his face.
3. Abraham Lincoln – Chin Curtain Beard
Abraham Lincoln became the first U.S. president to wear a true beard. His facial hair is more accurately described as a chin curtain rather than a chinstrap, because the beard framed the jaw and chin while leaving the upper lip bare.
4. Ulysses S. Grant – Full Beard with Thick Mustache
Ulysses S. Grant was the eighteenth president of the United States. He wore a full beard with a connected mustache, shown here in a compact, rounded shape.
5. Rutherford B. Hayes – Full Beard with Walrus Mustache
Rutherford B. Hayes, the nineteenth president, wore one of the fullest presidential beards in U.S. history. His beard was paired with a heavy walrus mustache, which added to the bold look.
6. James A. Garfield – Long Curly Beard
James A. Garfield, the twentieth president, wore a long beard that looked thick and slightly curly. It gave him a rugged appearance that stood out even in an era when facial hair was common in politics.
7. Chester A. Arthur – Friendly Mutton Chops with Thick Paintbrush Mustache
Chester A. Arthur, the twenty-first president, wore a thick, broad mustache with heavy friendly mutton chops. His chin was completely clean-shaven, but his cheeks were heavily covered by thick mutton chops that connected seamlessly to his mustache.
8. Benjamin Harrison – Full Beard
Benjamin Harrison, the twenty-third president, was the last U.S. president to wear a full beard in office. His beard was neat, full, and instantly recognizable in late 19th-century presidential portraits.
9. Grover Cleveland – Walrus Mustache
Grover Cleveland served as both the twenty-second and twenty-fourth president of the United States. He wore a walrus mustache but no beard, which made his facial hair style stand out from the fuller beards of several of his predecessors.
10. Theodore Roosevelt – Thick Mustache
Theodore Roosevelt did not wear a beard, but his thick mustache became one of the most recognizable features of his public image. It matched the strong, energetic style he projected throughout his presidency.
11. William Howard Taft – Bushy Mustache
William Howard Taft was the last U.S. president to wear facial hair in office. This portrait shows his broad, bushy mustache extending beyond the mouth corners.
Presidents and Prime Ministers with Facial Hair Around the World
Here are some presidents and prime ministers from around the world who have been publicly seen with a beard or mustache.
12. Justin Trudeau – Beard and Mustache
Justin Trudeau, who served as prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025, drew attention in early 2020 when he appeared with a salt-and-pepper beard. Earlier in his public life, he had also been seen with a mustache and goatee.
13. Narendra Modi – Full White Beard
Narendra Modi is known for his distinctive white beard, which has become one of the most recognizable facial hair styles among world leaders.
14. Volodymyr Zelenskyy – Short Beard
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pictured with a short beard and mustache. The fuller chin and close cheek growth create a compact outline.
15. Gabriel Boric – Full Beard
Gabriel Boric, who served as president of Chile from 2022 to 2026 and was one of the youngest modern heads of state, is well known for wearing a thick full beard in office. His beard gives him a more contemporary look than many traditional world leaders.
16. Nayib Bukele – Short Boxed Beard
Nayib Bukele is pictured with a short boxed beard and defined cheek edges. The beard connects to the mustache and follows the jaw.
17. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – Thick Gray Beard
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is pictured with a short white-and-gray beard and mustache. Its rounded outline keeps the length close to the chin.
18. Fidel Castro – Revolutionary Full Beard
Fidel Castro wore one of the most famous political beards of the 20th century. His full beard became closely associated with the Cuban Revolution and the image of the barbudos, or “bearded ones.”
Modern U.S. presidents are usually clean-shaven, and facial hair is far less common in presidential politics than it was in the 19th century. Even so, beards and mustaches remain popular personal style choices around the world.
