How to Get a Chin Strap Beard

The chin strap beard is a unique style with no moustache that clearly defines the jawline. It was first popularised in the late 18th and early 19th century by US President Abraham Lincoln and resurfaced more recently, thanks to F1 star Lewis Hamilton.

This beard style is perfect for guys with a more oval-shaped face or men who already have a strong jawline and want to emphasise their features even more.

To get a perfect chin strap beard, you need to be able to grow facial hair that can cover your entire jawline and chin, so it’s probably not the best choice for your first ever beard style. Remember: patience is key to the perfect beard.

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How to Grow a Chin Strap Beard

Growing enough facial hair for a chin strap beard can take a few days (depending on how quick your hair grows), so you may have to put up with slightly unkempt hair for a week or so. Wait until you have an even spread of hair around your face with a width of 3cm from your jaw to the middle of your cheek, for you to be able to shape later on.

As this style doesn’t require a moustache, at this stage you may want to shave it off, which will give you more of an idea of what the end result will look like.

To do this, we recommend using the Gillette All Purpose Styler and Beard Trimmer to trim longer hair before going in for a closer shave using the Fusion5 ProGlide Blade that the shaver comes with to help you achieve a clean-shaven upper lip.

How to Shape and Style a Chin Strap Beard

To perfect this facial hair style, you’ll need to choose a shaving tool that can trim evenly, shave closely and edge precisely, and you can do all of that with the Gillette Styler. It comes with three comb attachments (2mm, 4mm and, 6mm) and a precision edging blade for you to use when styling your chin strap.

Trim Your Facial Hair

Firstly, you need to trim your facial hair. Even if you plan on shaving off particular sections of hair completely, trimming down your facial hair first is crucial to help to reduce tug and pull while shaving, and it can prevent clogged blades that will affect the standard of your shave.

Define the Chin Strap Shape

Next, apply a shaving cream to your face to guarantee comfort and a smooth razor glide while you shave. Our Gillette SkinGuard Men’s Sensitive Shaving Gel or our Fusion5 Ultra Sensitive Shaving Gel are both good options for keeping your skin protected while you shave.

Start to define the chin strap shape by outlining an inch-wide strip that runs from ear to ear along your jawline, shaving off any unwanted hair completely. Use light, gentle strokes while shaving for the best results.

Check for symmetry as you go, but be careful not to remove too much facial hair at a time, or you run the risk of having to start the whole chin strap growing process all over again.

Once you’ve got your desired shape, protect yourself from irritation and reduce your risk of shaving cuts by making sure you’ve always got a fresh razor blade to hand.

Sign up for our Gillette shaving subscription to get blades delivered to your door, so you’ve always got a supply of new, sharp blades. It’s free to sign up too – you just need to pay for postage and packaging.

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Hydrating and replenishing your skin is also vital after a shave to prevent post-shave irritation such as razor burn and shaving rash. Use either our Gillette Aftershave Moisturiser or Gillette Aftershave Balm to help soothe the skin after shaving.

How to Maintain a Chin Strap Beard

Regular trimming is the key to maintaining a defined chin strap beard. Returning to your All Purpose Styler will help you to stay on top of your facial hair to help tidy any unkempt or coarse hair and to achieve a sharp look.

Depending on how quickly your facial hair grows, you may have to trim your chin strap every few days to keep yourself looking and feeling as sharp as possible.

This beard style requires constant maintenance to keep it well-defined, as it can easily become overgrown; if you’re looking for a low-maintenance look, this might not be the beard style for you.