If you are looking for a smaller facial hair style that still stands out, then the soul patch is the beard for you. Popularised by jazz musicians in the 50s, and brought back by 2000s punk rockers, the soul patch beard has a long history at the centre of art movements.
Though it may seem easy, there are a few tips and tricks to styling a soul patch. Read on to see how you can let the beard take centre stage on its own, or team it with a moustache, beard or designer stubble with our best soul patch beard tips.
What is a Soul Patch Beard?
A soul patch beard is a small square. Triangle, or semi-circle of facial hair that sits in the centre of your chin, directly beneath your lower lip.
The soul patch style was a favourite of jazz musicians and beatnik artists in the 1950s and 1960s – so you might also hear it referred to as a jazz dot beard. It remains a popular look to this day and perfectly suits a quirky personality and those looking for a smaller, but distinctive facial hair style.
How to Shave a Soul Patch Beard Style
A soul patch might only be a small bit of facial hair, but there are a couple of factors to consider before you begin shaving. Think about the colour of your facial hair. If it’s darker, your soul patch should be able to stand out on its own without a beard or moustache framing it. But if it’s fair, you might need to grow a moustache as well to give it a bit more prominence on your face.
For now, let's focus on shaving a simple soul patch rather than a moustache and soul patch or beard and soul patch. Start by defining the area where you want the patch to be, then clear all other hair from your face with a good-quality Gillette razor leaving a square of hair to shape your beard.
Now you are ready to define the shape of your soul patch beard. Using a precise tool, like the King C. Gillette Beard & Moustache Trimmer, shape your remaining hair into a triangle, square, or semi-circle, depending on your preference. Take your time at first, when working with such small styles, precise lines are very important and can affect the look of your beard.
The Best Products for a Soul Patch Shave
As with every facial hair style, the trick to a great-looking soul patch beard is quality products that you can trust. Before you start shaving, work up a lather with our Gillette Labs Shaving Foam to create a smooth surface for your razor to glide across, and to provide skin with extra hydration.
Make sure your skin’s still looking good after you’ve shaved and let your soul patch stand out even more by following a post-shave routine. Our King C. Gillette Face & Stubble Moisturiser will soothe and hydrate your skin when you’re done with the razor, keeping your skin looking and feeling great, and our nourishing King C. Gillette Beard Softener can help keep your hair as healthy as it deserves to be.
Maintaining a Soul Patch Beard
As the soul patch is such a small facial hair style, it can require regular maintenance to ensure it keeps a defined shape and length. As everyone’s facial hair grows at different rates, there’s no set rate at which to trim your soul patch beard, but to maintain the neatest results, trimming once per week should suffice for most people.
In between shaves, using products from our Beard Care Range such as Beard Balm, Stubble Moisturiser, and Beard Oil can all help keep your facial hair healthy and good-looking.
How to Make a Soul Patch Stand Out
Give some thought as to whether you want to let your soul patch make its mark on your chin, or if you’d rather grow a moustache and soul patch, or pair it with a beard or well-groomed stubble.
Pairing a soul patch with more facial hair in the form of a beard or moustache may help balance out your look if your face shape is slightly longer. If you think your face shape is more round, try pairing it with a beard instead of a moustache to stop your face from looking too square.
One of the best things about soul patches though, is their ability to suit any face shape.
The Soul Patch Look
A soul patch beard might not be for everybody, but for a small and easily manageable style that packs a big punch, there’s not much better. The soul patch meaning has shifted over time from a marker of beatniks and jazz aficionados to punks and rockers and opting to wear this style packs all that history into your facial hair.
For the best soul patch look, Gillette is here to help, with a range of ultra-precise Beard Trimmers that can perfectly outline and shape your ideal soul patch, whatever shape you opt for. Gillette’s Pre and Post-Shave Care Range also helps keep your hair and skin healthy-looking, giving you great looking facial hair.
Not sure a soul patch is for you? Browse beard styles for all hair colours, personalities and face shapes over on our blog.
