Why is it that we as men always define our standards of masculinity by our ability to grow a mustache?
Mustaches are hard to trim if you don't know what you are doing. And even though they are thin, they are almost like a mask. Wear one for a long enough time, and you will look like a different person once you shave it.
Chinese philosopher Confucius allegedly once said that a man without a mustache is a man bereft of a soul. And he would have said that over 2,400 years ago, so the rite of passage peer pressure to grow facial hair was strong even then!
But nowadays, almost every man has a mustache. And while they do have their uses, a mustache can also potentially get you in trouble. So, why not get rid of it.
According to scientific studies, a mustache can protect your upper lip from ultraviolet radiation. (But what about the rest of your face?)
However, the typical male will spend over six months shaving and grooming a mustache over their lifetime.
If you are a mustachioed man living in Eureka, Nevada, it is technically illegal for you to kiss a woman. (It is an outdated law from the 1800s that is never enforced but is still on the books.)
The point is that rocking a mustache is sometimes more trouble than it's worth. So, why not rock a beard while ditching the mustache? Here are four mustache-less beard styles you can try out.
The way of the beard is a lifestyle choice that must be earned stylistically, not given. Always buy the latest beard grooming supplies from Beard Gains.
Related: Beard Balm vs Beard Wax: Which is Better
The Anchor Beard
An anchor beard is a beard style that shapes the beard hair at the downward point of the chin into the basic shape of a ship's anchor.
Extending from under the lip can be a soul patch of hair - a linear or pyramid-shaped strip of hair that meets chin hair trimmed into a downward point.
The areas between the ends of the lips under the chin as they meet the soul patch should be clean-shaven to accentuate the aesthetic effect. The mustache connects to thin hairlines connecting to the anchor for enhanced development.
And the anchor beard is sometimes referred to as the "Tony Stark." The character, as depicted in comic books and the MCU films starring Robert Downey Jr., is famous for rocking the anchor beard.
However, you don't need a mustache to rock the anchor beard. Going mustache-less with an anchor beard is a striking facial beard style that will grab a lot of attention.
As with all beard styles, it is important to trim regularly and consistently to maintain the style you want. Along with staying mustache-less, it is always important to maintain the anchor-style beard shape with trimming every few days.
The anchor beard is a great style to accentuate the features on rectangular, round, or square faces.
The Van Dyke
The Van Dyke beard style is an enhanced, over-exaggerated, and overgrown version of the goatee style. Except that when it comes to the Van Dyke, it comes with signature aesthetics that makes the beard its own style.
The Van Dyke ends in an exaggerated point or flat strip at the end of the chin. But the deceptive cool of the old-fashioned Van Dyke is enabled through strategic trimming. The Van Dyke is usually paired with a mustache. So, the mustache can extend over the upper lip, but it is well-trimmed. And the ends can extend into a curl.
Your Van Dyke can be an exaggerated anchor beard or a full beard that is trimmed downward at the end of the lip lines.
The beard-line along the jawline can be trimmed or clean-shaven, but the trick to the Van Dyke is by trimming the beard into an exaggerated point. The Van Dyke is a stately and eye-grabbing beard style.
Notable celebrities like Pierce Brosnan and Charlie Hunnam are well-known for rocking the Van Dyke style.
As long as you have the visual dynamics of the Van Dyke perfectly trimmed, you can rock it without a mustache for a more radical look.
The Soul Patch
We can never understand why it is that the soul patch beard style was ever attributed to beatniks, hipsters, and negative social types in the 20th century. The soul patch is an attention-grabbing beard style that attracts attention to your facial features.
You don't even need a mustache to wear a soul patch. A mustache is not required and even defeats the purpose of rocking the soul patch.
The soul patch is just a silver or wide patch of hair grown between the lower lip and the bottom of the chin. No mustache or beard growth under the chin is needed to wear the soul patch.
The soul patch is relatively easy to grow and maintain. The key to maintaining the soul patch is the keep the mustache, bottom of the chin, and rest of the face as closely shaven as possible. And, of course, you must trim and maintain the shape of the soul patch as much as possible.
The soul patch can be majestically cool on the wearer as long as you keep it trimmed and wear the right fashion accessories. And as previously mentioned, the soul patch will invite anyone near you to examine the natural features of your face.
Mutton Chops
OK, just hear us out for a moment before jumping to conclusions.
Mutton chops can definitely be an acquired taste when it comes to facial fashions. And when one thinks of mutton chops, visions of old-timey 19th-century boxers or Wild West villains may come to mind.
And the only person who may have successfully pulled off the mutton chops look is the Marvel Comics character Wolverine.
So, yes, unless you have the personality and requisite fashion style to pull off mutton chops successfully, then you certainly risk making yourself look like a costume.
But the line between fool and cool can be surprisingly thin. The trick to pulling off mutton chops is keeping them trimmed, neat, and presentable at all times.
Mutton chops are exaggerated, elongated, full sideburns that sweep out at wide angles at the cheekbones that then turn sharply downward along the ends of the lips down to the chin. The retro-cool of mutton chops comes from the fact that the style is mustache-less.
As with all of the other mustache-less beards and facial hairstyles on this list, it is important to keep this look well-trimmed with regular trips to the barber.
Mutton chops give off an aura of old-fashioned masculinity and style boldness. Just remember to keep them trimmed and non-scraggly so that you are always wearing mutton chops instead of vice versa.
Buy the latest in beard grooming supplies, and learn the latest in facial hair maintenance style from Beard Gains.
Related: Why Some Men Can't Grow A Beard