How to style your Chin Strap beard
Beard styles don’t come much more classic than the Chin Strap. Once popular in the late 18th and 19th centuries it’s having a modern day resurgence, with the likes of F1 star Lewis Hamilton and grime sensation Stormzy all sporting the style of late.
The Chin Strap is a unique beard style with no moustache and a clearly defined edge around the jawline which adds a lot of character to a man’s face. It tends to work well for those with a more oval shaped face or those with a strong jawline as this style helps to emphasise your features. It’s also essential that you’re able to grow hair that covers the entire jawline and chin – on both sides on your face. This is what holds the Chin Strap look together.
The style does require some skill alongside a steady hand but by following the steps listed below carefully we promise it will be worth the effort. So, without further ado, here are the essentials to achieving the Chin Strap - a timeless classic that doesn’t take too much time.
Step 1. Grow your beard to a consistent length
Tip: Grow your beard to around 2 cm and ensure your sideburns and beard are connected
Chin Strap beard styles vary from the thinnest “Pencil chin-strap” beard which can be as narrow as 2 mm in width, right up to the “Thick Chin Strap” beard, which ranges from 1-2 cm. You don’t want the beard width to be any wider than 2 cm otherwise you’ll lose the cleanly defined edge of the style. We recommend a “thick Chin Strap beard” as it gives this great style more prominence. No matter which width you go with, you’ll need between 1-2 cm of hair growth to work from.
Step 2. Trim your beard to your desired length
Attach the 1 -10 mm beard comb to your Braun beard trimmer and select your preferred beard length on the precision wheel. Chin beards look great anywhere between stubble length and 10 mm. When you’ve selected the length you want, trim your beard all over for an even length. It helps to shave against the grain when going over your facial hair with the trimmer - just to be thorough.
Step 3. Define the shape of your Chin Strap beard
Tip: Keep the width symmetrical by alternating the sides as you trim gradually
Remove the comb from your beard trimmer and start carefully defining your beard shape, including your moustache area. Focus on shortening all the facial hair outside of the chin beard shape. This will help you out later when you clean shave this area. Then shape your chin beard carefully, with slow, careful strokes away from the hairline - keeping the beard thin and straight. It’s best to start with a thicker line and work your way down – depending on your preference. At this stage it’s important to ensure your beard width is symmetrical, do this by constantly checking your strokes in a clear mirror.
Step 4. Clean shave to sharpen your look
Tip: For an extra close shave, use the included Gillette razor
Now you’ve got your shape clearly defined it’s time to clean shave your face with the included Gillette razor for that extra smooth finish. When putting on the foam or cream, make sure you avoid covering your newly (and neatly) trimmed beard – you don’t want to risk taking that masterpiece off! Shave against the direction of your hair growth using single, continuous strokes until the skin outside your beard is smooth and completely hair-free. Like a baby. But with a beard.
Step 5. Moisturise and maintain your Chin Strap
As mentioned before, unlike other beard styles this one needs a little more love and care when it comes to overall maintenance. Make sure you keep your new chin beard neat with regular trimming to prevent it from getting out of control. The Chin Strap beard is a very clean, precise beard style so regular upkeep is a must. We’d recommend shaving the beard every 2-3 days - depending how quickly your facial hair grows, just to keep on top of the overall shape of the style. Feel free to try out different lengths, widths and shapes for your beard as it grows.
Finally, feel free to play around with various lengths and widths of your Chin Strap. For example, a narrow, slit-like Chin Strap can look very stylish, whereas growing it out more may inspire you to merge it into a Goatee.
The possibilities are endless. Thankfully, the shaving me isn’t..
Other beard styles
Take a look at how to style these other classic bearded looks