Chinese Beard: Growth Tips + 7 Cool Style Ideas

There is no doubt that a beard adds social status and a stronger attitude to men’s personalities. So beard is nowadays more trendy than ever before. I can easily say that a beard is now a part of modern fashion and style. But concern arises when it comes to Chinese beards because bearded Chinese men are hardly found out there.

Since Chinese with beards are rarely seen so it begs the question- can Chinese grow beards or not? So, today I’ll give you insights into Chinese facial hair.

The Chinese men comparatively have lesser facial hairs due to their ancestry. Besides, Chinese culture also plays an important role in not growing beards. Chinese people believe that clean-shaven faces make them look younger and more confident. So it’s more of a cultural issue than ancestry or genetics.

So if you think Chinese people can’t grow facial hair that’s not completely true. A certain percentage of them can grow beards but not like Caucasians or other Europeans.

In addition to that, the Chinese beard is usually sparse and thin. But they shave off their facial hair very often and that’s why Chinese with beards are rarely seen around.

Therefore, Chinese people think that a clean-shaven face is important to show respect to their business clients, that’s another big reason we don’t see bearded Chinese men in the corporate world.

That being said, Chinese culture considers facial hair as an uncivilized and dirty thing. Even the Chinese government announced rewards to their citizens who will tattle on long beards.

The authority believes that they need to do it to maintain social stability and to stop racism. Reuters has published a detailed analysis of it, and CNN has also covered this topic recently.

Why Chinese Don’t Have Beards or Fewer Beards

Chinese have lesser beards because of their family lineage. If you look at Chinese men with long beards, the chance is you will see hairs on their upper lip, lower lip, and chin but no hairs on their jaw.

The truth is that Chinese people are able to grow beards in a very specific pattern. It’s because of their paternity and ancestry.

But China is not the only place where people grow less facial hair. Many East Asian countries including Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines have the same issue. Hence, if you are from any of these areas then you are most likely to grow lesser or no facial hair at all. Here is a complete guide on Filipino beard.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that each and everyone from East Asian countries won’t be able to sport fuller and longer beards. I have seen a lot of handsome Chinese men with beards and many Chinese actors with beards.

So the fact is if your paternity supports beard growth then you can easily sport fuller and longer beards. Usually, Chinese men with Caucasian, Melanesian or Spanish ancestry grow a fuller and thicker beard.

Here is an in-depth guide on Asian beards, check that out.

Top 7 most popular Chinese beard styles in 2022

Since Chinese guys grow beards in a very specific growth pattern, not all beard styles suit them perfectly. Here are some common Chinese facial hairstyles that any Chinese could be comfortable with.

1. Chinstrap

A good chunk of Chinese men relies on chinstrap style. It’s easy to obtain and requires less maintenance. On top of that, one can go with a chinstrap with lesser hairs or even no hairs on cheeks.

It only requires hairs on the jaw and chin, and, optionally, a soul patch.

2. Light stubble

Light stubble is another great option for Chinese beard styles. You will look sexier and more attractive with a stubble beard. It is also known as shadow beard.

A big portion of young Chinese men with beard highly prefers short stubble beard when it comes to choosing beard styles.

3. Short goatee

Chinese goatee is another trendy style that fits with any face type. Young Chinese men prefer it the most over any other style. It’s a combination of hairs on the chin, a soul patch, and a mustache.

In addition to that, one may or may not prefer a mustache with goatee style. But in most cases, a goatee with mustaches looks more focused.

4. Bushy beards with a long mustache

The style is also considered the ancient Chinese beard style. Though the Chinese long beard is discouraged by the Chinese government you can give it a shot.

5. Only ‘stache

While talking about Chinese beard styles “stache only” does worth mentioning. There will be no beard hairs on the rest of the face except the upper lip.

It is easy to grow and maintain, even it suits any face shape. This style is popular not only among the Chinese but also among the rest of the East Asians.

6. Long goatee

Chinese cultures are familiar with the traditional long goatee beard style. Whenever someone thinks of Chinese beard styles, a long goatee comes in the first place.

If any Chinese man leaves his facial hairs untouched, no grooming at all for a long time, after a certain period of time he will end up with long goatee beards.

Why? Because the Chinese beard growth pattern is like that.

7. Anchor beard

This style mostly looks like a ship anchor so it is named anchor beard. It’s comparatively a less popular Chinese beard style.

Hairs on the chin, soul patch and mustache combine an anchor beard. It doesn’t require any hairs on the cheeks or jaws. It’s easy to develop but a bit tricky to maintain.

Here is a list of 10 more awesome beard style ideas you can try confidently, no matter what face shape you have.

Conclusion

Growing beards as a Chinese man is totally doable in spite of having a lot of challenges whether it is genetic or cultural.

But most Chinese men prefer not to grow facial hairs due to their cultural complications.

Yet, there is a percentage of Chinese with beards. So I believe that your confusion about the Chinese beard is gone now.

You can read more on this topic here.