The Balbo beard is named for Italo Balbo, an Italian commander and aviator. The beard is defined by the separate moustache and beard. The beard extends along the jaw to either side with a small soul patch, while the moustache sticks to a classic, simple facial hair look. Robert Downey Jr. showed us a clean Balbo beard as Iron Man and reawakened this iconic moustache style.
There are several similar facial hair options, but they all differ a little bit. The handlebar moustache is generally styled with beard wax and doesn’t have a matching beard. The Van Dyke beard is a slimmer beard. A chin strap beard lacks the hair under the lower lip. Nothing is quite the same as a classic Balbo beard.
Growing a beard can be tricky. The most notorious issue a lot of people find is sporadic hair growth leaving a patchy beard in place. This can be a nightmare when you’re wanting to achieve a full, thick beard. Fortunately, the Balbo beard is shaped in such a way that it avoids the areas that commonly experience patchiness. Making it one of the best beards to try out for those with this problem.
There aren’t too many tricks to growing Balbo beards, but there are some to perfecting and defining the shape.
Before you start, consider using a facial cleanser to soften the hairs and make shaving easier. Softer hairs are less likely to clog your razor while you’re in the middle of beard grooming, and they’re less likely to catch and pull while you use an electric razor.