Van Dyke Beard: Styles, Lengths & Trim Guide (Printable PDF)

A Van Dyke beard is a two-part facial hairstyle: a mustache and a separate chin beard that do not connect, usually finished with a pointed chin. The strip of bare skin at each corner of the mouth is what defines it. If the mustache grows down and joins the chin beard, the shape becomes a connected (full or "circle") goatee instead.

This page focuses on the practical side: lengths, guard sizes, how long each version takes to grow, and how to trim it. For the style's history and more photo examples, see our Van Dyke beard overview.

TL;DR

• Two disconnected parts: a trimmed mustache plus an independent chin beard, usually with a pointed tip.
• Named after the painter: Anthony van Dyck painted the style on 17th-century subjects, and the name stuck.
• Versus a connected goatee: in a connected (circle) goatee the mustache joins the chin beard; a Van Dyke keeps a gap at the mouth corners.
• Lengths: a short Van Dyke is about 6–10 mm of hair (Wahl #2–#3); an extended point is about 50 mm (2 in) of hair and takes roughly 4 months to grow at our planning rate (see the length chart).
• Printable guide: a one-page Van Dyke trim guide PDF with the zone sketch, lengths and steps is free to download and print.

What Is a Van Dyke Beard?

A Van Dyke beard combines a mustache and a chin beard that are grown and styled as two separate elements. The mustache sits above the lip, and the chin beard narrows to a point below, with clean-shaven skin at the mouth corners between them.

The name comes from Anthony van Dyck, the Flemish Baroque painter who worked in the 1600s. He painted many of his subjects wearing this split mustache-and-chin combination, most famously King Charles I, including Charles I in Three Positions (1635–36), now in the Royal Collection, which was sent to Rome as the model for Bernini's marble bust of the king. "Van Dyke" is the older English spelling of the painter's surname.

In casual speech "goatee" is often used for any chin beard, so people also call a Van Dyke a "goatee with a mustache." The useful distinction when you trim or talk to a barber is the gap: keep it and you have a Van Dyke; let the mustache join the chin beard and you have a connected goatee.

Van Dyke vs. Connected Goatee, Balbo and Musketeer

These styles share parts but differ in how the mustache and chin beard relate. Definitions vary between sources; the ones below follow common barber and grooming-brand usage (the Balbo description follows Philips' beard styles guide, which says a Balbo's mustache should never touch the beard).

If you like a goatee but want sharper vertical lines, the Van Dyke is the version to try. For more shapes in the same family, compare the best goatee styles before committing.

Van Dyke Beard Styles Compared: Classic, Short, Extended and Rounded

Every Van Dyke keeps the same skeleton (mustache, bare gap at the mouth corners, chin beard, clean cheeks). The variations mostly change length and how sharp the point is. The lengths below are typical styling ranges, not fixed rules. Here "extended" means a long chin point; some guides, including our Van Dyke style guide, also use "extended" for a version that runs thin lines along the jaw. "Hair length" means the length of the hair itself; how far the point drops below the chin is shorter, because hair hangs and curls.

Short Van Dyke: when to choose it

The short Van Dyke keeps both parts close-cropped: a mustache at the lip line and a small chin patch that tapers to a soft point. Because the hair is short, the gap is easy to keep clean and the shape grows back quickly if you change your mind. It is the version most people can keep looking neat with a weekly trim.

How wide should the gap be? There is no official measurement. When Goatee.io's generator draws a Van Dyke on a photo, its prompt asks for 1.5–2 cm of clean skin at each mouth corner. That is a setting in our tool, not a barbering standard. On a real face, the only rule is that the two parts should clearly look separate from a few feet away; widen the gap a little at a time until they do.

Van Dyke Beard Lengths, Guard Sizes and Days to Grow

Clipper guards are numbered in eighths of an inch, while most beard trimmers are labeled in millimeters. The guard lengths here are Wahl's published guide-comb sizes (#1 = ⅛ in / 3 mm up to #8 = 1 in / 25 mm) from pages 5–6 of Wahl's Home Haircutting Made Simple (PDF, checked November 8, 2026). For each hair length, the table estimates the days of untouched growth needed from a clean shave.

How the numbers are worked out: days = target hair length ÷ daily growth, rounded to the nearest day. The 0.42 mm/day column is a planning assumption, not a measured average: it is the ~0.5 inch (12.7 mm) per month figure used in our beard growth guide, divided by 30 and rounded. The 0.3 and 0.5 mm/day columns are assumed slower and faster growers. Hair hangs and curls, so a point that drops 4–5 cm below the chin usually needs more hair length than 50 mm.

To get your own rate, shave one cheek, wait 7 days, comb the hair flat, measure it with a ruler and divide by 7. Growth also changes with the season: a small UK study of 14 men followed for 18 months found beard growth lowest in January–February and highest around July (Randall & Ebling, British Journal of Dermatology, 1991). It is one small sample, so treat it as a reason to measure, not a rule.

Which Face Shapes Suit a Van Dyke Beard?

A pointed chin beard draws the eye downward, and the separated mustache adds a horizontal line at the top. Together they can lengthen a face or add structure to a soft jawline. These are styling rules of thumb; a preview on your own photo is a better test.

• Round face: a good match. The vertical chin point and the gap break up the width. A slightly longer chin beard adds more length.
• Square face: softens a strong jaw without hiding it. Keep the mustache narrow so the lower face does not look wider.
• Oval face: the most flexible. Match the chin beard width to your natural jaw width.
• Rectangular or oblong face: the vertical lines can make a long face look longer. Keep the chin beard short and let the mustache carry more weight.
• Heart face: a chin beard balances a wider forehead; keep it narrow so the chin does not look sharp.
• Diamond face: a moderate chin patch adds weight to a narrow chin.

For a full breakdown, see the goatee for face shape guide.

How to Trim a Van Dyke Beard: Six Steps

The steps are the same for every Van Dyke until step 3, where short and long versions split. Guards are for short lengths only; never run a long point through a guard, or you will cut off the length you spent months growing.

1. Let it grow. Stop shaving the mustache and chin. For a short Van Dyke that is about 2–3½ weeks at the planning rate in the chart above; for a classic or extended point it is months.
2. Comb everything down and map the zones. The mustache ends just past the corners of the mouth; the chin beard starts below the lower lip and is roughly as wide as the mouth. The bare strip at each mouth corner between them is the gap.
3. Set the length.
   • Short Van Dyke: run a #2 or #3 guard over the chin beard.
   • Classic or extended: do not use a guard on the chin. Comb the hair straight down and trim only stray ends with scissors.
   • Both: trim the mustache to the lip line with scissors.
4. Shave the gap, cheeks and neck. Outline with a trimmer without a guard, then use a razor. Draw a slanted line from each mustache corner down toward the jaw so the chin beard narrows, and stop the neckline about one to two fingers above the Adam's apple. Leave the outline slightly wide on the first pass; you can always take more.
5. Shape the chin point. Trim the sides of the chin beard so it narrows toward the bottom, then use scissors on the tip. Check from the front, both profiles and in a phone photo before cutting more.
6. Finish the mustache. Even out the ends and, for a classic look, set them with a little mustache wax so they stay clear of the gap.

Tools you need

A beard trimmer with adjustable guards, a razor for the gap and neckline, small scissors for the mustache and any long point, and a fine-tooth comb for aligning hair before you cut. The goatee trimming tools roundup covers what each piece is for.

Maintenance routine

Re-shave the gap and cheeks every 2–3 days, re-trim the chin and mustache every 1–2 weeks, and use beard oil or balm if the skin under the chin beard feels dry. A beard oil for goatee styles keeps both zones conditioned without weighing them down.

Try On a Van Dyke Beard Virtually with AI

Before you spend weeks or months growing something you might not like, you can preview it. Goatee.io's generator lets you upload a photo of your face and see a Van Dyke rendered on it, with the mustache, gap and pointed chin.

Upload a clear, front-facing photo, choose the Van Dyke style, and compare the result against your current look. Each preview uses credits. The preview shows the shape and proportions on your face; it cannot predict how dense or even your real growth will be in the chin and mustache zones. You can start a Van Dyke preview here.

Printable Van Dyke Beard Trim Guide (PDF)

If you want the trim steps next to the mirror rather than on your phone, download the Van Dyke beard trim guide (PDF, one page). It is a black-and-white A4 sheet (choose "Fit to page" when printing on US Letter) with:

• a zone sketch of the mustache, gap, chin beard, cheek line and neckline (a simplified drawing, not to scale);
• the hair-length and days-to-grow chart from this page;
• the six trim steps with the short and long split, and an upkeep checklist;
• the barber request below, so you can hand it over in the chair.

It contains the same information as this article, so nothing is locked behind the download.

What to Ask Your Barber for a Van Dyke

Barbers use "goatee" for several shapes, so say exactly what you want. Pick the line that matches your length:

Short: "I want a short Van Dyke: mustache and chin beard kept separate with a clean gap at the corners of my mouth, cheeks and neck shaved. Chin beard at a #3, tapered to a soft point. Mustache trimmed to the lip line. Please leave the outline a little wide on the first cut."

Classic or extended: "I want a Van Dyke with a long point: keep the gap at the mouth corners and shave the cheeks and neck, but don't put a guard on the chin. Shape the point with scissors and only take the ends off. Mustache trimmed to the lip line."

Bring a photo of the exact length you want, ideally your own AI preview, and mention whether you want the point sharp or rounded. If the gap looks narrow after the first visit, ask for it to be widened next time rather than all at once.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with a Van Dyke

Most Van Dyke problems come from imprecise trimming rather than bad growth. Watch for these:

• Over-trimming one side. Take off less than you think you need, then check both sides in a mirror and in a photo before continuing.
• Letting the gap fill in. A few days of stubble at the mouth corners make a Van Dyke look like a connected goatee. Razor that strip regularly.
• Ignoring the neckline and cheek lines. These edges frame the whole style. A clean neckline makes the chin point look intentional.
• Putting a guard on a long point. A guard sets every hair to one length and removes the taper. Use scissors once the chin is longer than a #8 (25 mm).
• Cutting the mustache with a guard. A trimmer guard usually leaves the mustache uneven at the lip; scissors give more control.
• Chasing symmetry too hard. No face is perfectly symmetrical. Aim for balance in photos, not millimeter precision in the mirror.

FAQ

What is the difference between a Van Dyke and a goatee?

A Van Dyke has a mustache and a chin beard that do not touch; there is bare skin at the corners of the mouth. A connected (circle) goatee joins the mustache to the chin beard in one ring. A chin-only goatee has no mustache at all.

Can I grow a Van Dyke beard if I have patchy facial hair?

Often, yes. The cheeks and jaw are shaved anyway, so thin patches there do not matter. What you need is reasonably dense growth on the upper lip and chin. If the chin is uneven, the patchy goatee guide covers how to work with it.

How do I maintain a Van Dyke beard?

Re-shave the gap and cheeks every few days, trim the chin and mustache every one to two weeks, use scissors for the mustache and any long point, and use beard oil or balm if the skin underneath feels dry.

Is the Van Dyke beard professional?

A short, neatly edged Van Dyke reads as tidy and is common in many workplaces. Dress codes vary, so check yours; longer, waxed versions read as more of a statement.

What face shape looks best with a Van Dyke?

As a rule of thumb, round, square and oval faces suit it, since the vertical lines add definition and length. Long or rectangular faces usually look better with a short chin beard.

How long does it take to grow a Van Dyke beard?

At our planning rate of 0.42 mm a day (about half an inch a month), a short Van Dyke with 6–10 mm of hair needs roughly 2–3½ weeks from a clean shave, and an extended point with about 50 mm of hair needs around 4 months. If you grow 0.3 mm a day, add about 40% to those times. The length chart shows the arithmetic.

What guard should I use for a Van Dyke?

For a short Van Dyke, a #2 (6 mm) or #3 (10 mm) on the chin beard is a common starting point, with the mustache trimmed to the lip line using scissors. A classic or extended point should not go through a guard; shape it with scissors once it is longer than a #8 (25 mm). Check the length printed on your own guards, because brands number them differently.

Is there a printable Van Dyke beard guide?

Yes. The one-page Van Dyke trim guide PDF has the zone sketch, length chart, trim steps and barber requests from this article, formatted for printing.

Sources

Try the Goatee.io generator: upload a photo and preview a Van Dyke on your own face. See current prices (HD images from $4.90 one-time as of November 8, 2026).