Robert B. Brown
The Extended Goatee is a standard goatee with a mustache blended into it, but with the addition of facial hair extending out from the goatee along the jaw line. For this specific look, the hair along the jawline does not connect to the hair on top of your head hair via sideburns. The addition of sideburns would turn your facial hair into a stylized full beard instead.
The goatee and goatee with a mustache are common styles of facial hair, so incorporating the extended bands of hair will allow you to freshen up this look and make you stand out from others.
Is This Style for You?
The goatee and the Extended Goatee are facial hairstyles that many people can successfully grow out. Both square and oblong shaped faces work well with this look. For those with a rounded face, it could have the negative effect of making your face look rounder.
You also need to assess the thickness of your facial hair in these places. If your hair is not consistently thick and full in these key areas, this style is not for you. If you can grow a thick goatee and beard but your mustache is not as thick, the extended goatee will highlight the thin mustache even more.
Be honest with yourself here. Nobody wants to admit that they look like a teenager trying to grow his first mustache, but if you know it is true… try a different style.
Extended Goatee Style Guide
Lucky for you, the extended goatee only takes a week or two to fully grow out, unlike a style like the Bandholz Beard that can take months upon months to grow out to the desired length.
A Beard Trimmer is a necessity unless you want to use a comb and scissors to painstakingly cut each hair the same length? No? Me neither. I use the Philips Norelco Beard Trimmer Series 3500 mainly because the length adjustment is built in. This is my third trimmer after I had two others with attachments to determine the length. I kept losing the one attachment for the length that I wanted and had to settle for a different length. My newest trimmer is literally a flip of a switch to change the length and is also a bit wider than others I have used which saves some time in the morning.
For the initial grow out phase, there are two general ways of thinking: Shape first and let it grow in or let it grow in and shape it later. Either can work, but I am more partial to the latter. Letting it all grow out can help you determine how thick to make the extensions. There are oftentimes natural flows of thicker areas that may present themselves. Determining the dimensions without letting all of your hair grow can limit that possibility.
Your face may itch a bit once you get a few days into the grow out phase. This excessive itching can also cause dry skin and peeling. To help keep your face in good shape while you are growing out your facial hair, incorporate a Beard Oil into your bathing regimen.
Right after you shower, and your pores are opened from the steam, put a few drops of beard oil on your fingers and massage it into your stubble. Urban beardsman guru Eric Bandholz has a fantastic line of beard care products called Beardbrand which has quite a few amazing beard oils. I am addicted to the Lumber Yard scent. It is woodsy and manly without being too musky. They smell so good that you can skip the aftershave or cologne that you would normally wear.
Shaping Your Extended Goatee
The average length of the hair for an extended goatee is between 10 – 16 millimeters. You can, of course, go shorter or longer, but this is a good jumping off point. Since not all hair grows at the same length, I recommend running your beard trimmer over your beard every few days. Once you get to the point that the majority of your hairs are getting trimmed it is time to shape your facial hair!
When it is time for the first shaping, you may want to smartly go to a barber. They can help you shape it expertly and then it will just be up to you to manage the upkeep by trimming the longer parts and buzzing the shorn areas.
For those brave souls that want to do it themselves, we are here to help you.
- Obviously, have a vision in your head of what hair you need to remove and what will stay. Pulling up a picture of someone with a similarly extended goatee on your phone or tablet can also be a helpful guide.
- Using your beard trimmer on its buzzer setting, start by shaping around the mustache. Use your finger as a rudimentary trim guard and to help keep each side even. Do not go too low!
- Next, we will shape the extensions. Use your fingers again to guard the trimmer and to check the evenness on the opposite sides. Look in the mirror and make small adjustments until they are even. (and we mean SMALL… beards disappear completely during this phase if you are not careful)
- Remove the hair above the lower extensions and outside of the mustache area with the buzzer. Remove the neck hair below the extensions with the buzzer.
- Set the beard trimmer to your desired length and run the trimmer over all facial hair left to make sure it is the same consistent length.
- Check the edges in close detail to make sure they are even.
- If desired, use a razor like the Gilette Fusion 5 and Gilette Fusion ProGlide to shave the areas you completely buzzed.
Upkeep
The extended goatee is very easy to maintain and should take just a few minutes during your bathroom routine. Keep the buzzed areas buzzed, or shaved if you prefer a more clean cut definition, and change the length on your trimmer before running it over the longer sections. Continue to use the beard oil to hydrate the skin underneath and to condition your facial hair. Rub a comb over the extended goatee to ensure it looks clean and neat. One you get used to doing it, the whole process takes about 3 minutes.
