2025 Trend Angle:
A short, patchy beard is one of the coolest beard styles out there. The key is to accentuate the parts of your beard that grow while keeping the patchy sections short. So, if you can grow a thick mustache and goatee, grow those parts of your beard and keep the cheeks at a stubble.
"2025 will be all about a relaxed yet well-groomed look. I expect the clean-shaven style to regain popularity – ideal for those who appreciate a fresh, minimalist aesthetic. For those who prefer a little more texture, the stubble look remains a classic: a natural yet well-maintained shadow that requires little upkeep.
Clean shave
This will also be a trend in 2024. Because of the cursed mouth caps, many men have started to shave completely smooth. Former beard wearers as well.
A new study shows that facial hair says a lot about a man and that attractiveness peaks at the "heavy stubble" phase. Researchers photographed 10 men at four stages of beard growth: clean shaven, 5-day "light" stubble, 10-day "heavy" stubble (shown), and fully bearded.
If you want your beard to look a little more youthful, keep it short. This doesn't mean you have to opt for a stubble beard, but you should aim to keep it in the short to medium range. Below an inch in length overall is a good rule of thumb.
2025 is the year of bold mustache styles! Think thick Chevrons, dramatic Handlebars, and sleek Pencil mustaches making a stylish comeback. Creative twists like the Dyed Mustache are gaining traction, letting you customise your look.
Your mid-20s to 30s are often considered the golden years for beard growth. As a matter of fact, most men don't hit peak beard growth until their early to mid thirties. This is when testosterone, the hormone primarily responsible for facial hair growth, peaks.
Whilst numerous media noted the possibility that beard prevalence had peaked in the early 2010s, a YouGov poll suggested that beards had become more commonplace in November 2016 compared with August 2011. This was reflected in the persistent decline in the sales of razor blades between 2013 and 2015.
The goatee is a vestige of the 90s that won't seem to loosen its death grip on men around the country. And while we understand that a lot of 90s fashion is back, its facial hair did not come along with it. "In fact, in the past few decades it has developed many negative connotations," Cadmus said.
Where you fall on the spectrum of thickening beard growth depends on your genetics. Some men are able to grow full beards in their teens, and others have to wait until their late twenties – but in general, the trend is the same: Thickening growth over time until about the age of 30.
Rule #5: Clean Your Trimmings
If you have a beard, that means you're a man. And if you're a man, you should act like it and clean up after yourself.
One of the reasons why many women gravitate towards men with a goatee is because the style looks mature and quite sophisticated. Rocking a goatee indicates that you mean business. That said, the goatee can be a love-hate style, too, especially if it's not groomed well or lacks fullness.
Short styles like the bixie cut, curly pixie, and blunt bob are also making waves, offering chic and low-maintenance options. Meanwhile, statement bangs (think wispy bangs, blunt bangs, and baby bangs) are the go-to choice for a subtle yet stylish update.
There is no specific ethnicity that can't grow facial hair, but East Asian individuals, such as Japanese and Chinese, tend to have less facial hair and slower growth rates compared to other ethnicities.
Currently 34 per cent of men say they have a beard and moustache, compared to 13 per cent who have stubble, four per cent a beard only, and two per cent a moustache only.
Most men do not reach their full beard potential until the age of 35. That's right, 35. If you are younger than 35 then your beard has yet to reach its full potential. Plenty of guys have gone through their 20s thinking they can't grow a full beard.
They Were Simply a Trend that Fizzled
Now that everyone can own a mirror, it's no longer a flex to have a well-groomed mustache, from a socioeconomic standpoint, at least. The last time mustaches were massively popular were the 1960s and the 1970s, when hippies, beatniks, and beach bums rocked the stache.
Spurred by a shift away from clean-shaven looks and pop culture influences ranging from indie bands to “Top Gun,” mustaches have been following beards into the mainstream. Data from Gillette estimates that 12.5 million U.S. men, or 9.6% of the U.S. male population, were wearing mustaches as of September 2022.
In Western culture, it has been shown that women dislike men who displayed a visible moustache or beard, but preferred men who had a visible hint of a beard such as stubble (often known as a five o'clock shadow) over those who were clean-shaven.
Put simply, in an average amount of cases, a full beard will add roughly 8 years of age to your appearance. Whether you consider this a good thing or not is up to you! Most men who ask the question about whether facial hair of any kind make you look older are likely teenagers who desire a mature look and appearance.
Men can start having a grey beard in their 20s but most start in their 30s or 40s. The most common reason why beards are turning grey is genetics. After a certain number of years, your genes give directions to your body to stop producing melanin in your hair follicles – the substance that gives skin and hair colour.
Preferences for Male Facial Hair Among Women
Among the female respondents, 57.19% indicated a preference for men with facial hair, and 42.81% preferred clean-shaven faces (frequencies of women's preferences are presented in Table 1).