Before we discuss how to grow a goatee quickly, what exactly is a goatee?
A goatee is facial hair grown around the man’s chin. These days it basically refers to a moustache and beard that only circles the mouth area and leaves your cheeks hair free.
The term “goatee” appears to take its name exactly from where you think it does: a tuft of hair grown on a man’s chin that looks similar to a billy goat’s hair.
Early goatees were just that; a tuft of hair just on the chin area of a man often grown several inches long, leaving the rest of the face hairfree.
So while the original term tended to refer to just the hair grown on a man’s chin, typically a goatee these days refers to the moustache and chin hair combo that leaves the rest of the face clean shaven.
Popular culture has often portrayed men with goatees at the opposite ends of the personality spectrum.
On one end, evil characters in movies are often portrayed as having goatees such as the devil.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, harmless stoner-like characters like Shaggy from Scooby Doo also wore them. In his case, he had just the original chin beard goatee.
So, How To Grow A Goatee?
Razor or electric shaver?
In my experience, a manual razor gives a sharper, straighter shape and a better result. I found it too difficult to get an even look on both sides with an electric shaver. Electric shavers tend to be used best when you move them in small circles. It’s hard to get a straight line when you’re moving in a circle!
I found with an electric shaver that I tried to even each side up and ended up touching up both sides as I accidentally cut too much on one side and then had to compensate on the other.
A manual razor gives a better final look for a goatee as far as I’m concerned.
How to actually grow a goatee
Generally speaking, you just stop shaving for a few days or longer – depending on how fast your facial hair grows – and then start shaving around the goatee, leaving the shape you desire.
It’s always good to shave too little as opposed to too much. You can always go back and shave a bit more off! Otherwise if you shave too much you have to wait days or longer for it to grow back.
Goatee Width
The rule of thumb is that the width of your goatee should be slightly wider than your mouth. So the goatee grows around your mouth in a circular area. How thick you keep it is up to you and is also dependent on how it suits your face. Also your ability to grow facial hair counts too. Some guys grow more than others.
Some guys find facial hair itchy so the more you have, potentially the itchier you could be at times.
What about under the chin?
The general rule is to leave about 0.5 inch to 1 inch of hair underneath your chin.
Another way to look at it: Let the hair grow to about 1 inch above your Adam’s Apple. Of course this is personal preference and it also depends on the size and shape of your face and chin.
Goatee Style
So many to choose from! This also depends on your ability to grow facial hair – some guys grow thicker and fuller beards than others – and the shape of your face. Some styles suit guys better than others.
Summary
- How to grow a goatee is fairly straight forward and is a modern look that suits guys including men who can’t grow full beards.
- Use a manual razor for a better result and less maintenance time.
- Stop shaving for a few days and when your facial hair has started growing in, shave around the goatee and leave the desired goatee shape.
- Trim the edges of your goatee with your manual razor when you shave to keep it straight.
- Use clippers to trim the goatee to keep it at the desired length.
- Don’t forget to wash your goatee in the shower and when you wash your face. You might consider a beard oil too.
Interested to learn more about how to grow a goatee including some interesting stats on facial hair?