How to Add a Beard to a Photo

February 12, 2026 6 min read

Quick Answer

To add a beard to a photo, upload your image to EditThisPic and describe the style: 'add a full beard,' 'give me stubble,' or 'add a goatee.' The AI generates realistic facial hair that matches your face shape, skin tone, and lighting. Free, no signup required.

Preview Any Beard Without Growing One

Wondering how you'd look with a beard? Growing one takes weeks and there's no guarantee you'll like the result. AI beard generation lets you try any facial hair style on your actual photo in seconds. See exactly how stubble, a full beard, or a goatee looks on your face before committing to weeks of growth.

Beard Styles You Can Try

Stubble: light 5 o'clock shadow or heavy designer stubble
Full beard: short trimmed, medium length, or long and thick
Goatee: classic goatee, Van Dyke, or extended goatee
Mustache: handlebar, chevron, or pencil mustache
Specific looks: 'lumberjack beard,' 'corporate stubble,' 'hipster beard with mustache'
Combination styles: 'stubble with a thicker mustache' or 'beard with clean cheeks'

How AI Beard Generation Works

The AI analyzes your face shape, jawline, skin tone, and the photo's lighting to generate facial hair that looks natural. It places hair along the correct growth patterns — denser on the chin and jaw, sparser on the cheeks — and matches the color to your existing hair. Shadows beneath the beard adjust automatically so the hair appears to have real depth and texture.

Why People Add Beards to Photos

The most common reason is simply curiosity — seeing how you'd look with facial hair before growing it. Costume and character planning for cosplay, Halloween, or film production is another. Some people add beards to old photos to match their current look. Barbers and stylists use it to show clients different grooming options. It's also popular for creating fun edits of friends and family.

Tips for Realistic Beard Results

Use a clear, front-facing photo with good lighting on the lower face. Specify the beard style and length precisely — 'short trimmed beard' gives very different results than 'long thick beard.' If you want the beard to match your head hair, mention it: 'add a dark brown beard to match my hair.' For the most natural result, start with stubble or a short beard rather than jumping to a long one, since shorter facial hair is easier for the AI to blend convincingly.

Step-by-Step Guide

Upload Your Photo

Drop a portrait or selfie into EditThisPic. Front-facing photos with a visible jawline and chin work best. JPG, PNG, or WebP up to 7MB.

Describe the Beard Style

Type what you want: 'add a full beard,' 'give me light stubble,' 'add a goatee and mustache,' or 'add a short trimmed dark beard.' Be specific about style and length.

Review the Result

Check that the beard follows your natural jawline and looks proportional to your face. The hair color, density, and shadows should blend with the rest of the photo.

Try Another Style or Download

Not the right look? Try a different style: 'make it longer,' 'switch to just stubble,' or 'add a mustache too.' Experiment until you find the perfect beard, then download.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a beard to a photo for free?

Yes. EditThisPic lets you add a beard to any photo for free with no signup. Upload a portrait, describe the beard style, and download the result. One free edit per week, with plans for more.

What beard styles can I add?

Any style you can describe. Stubble, full beards, goatees, mustaches, Van Dyke, lumberjack, corporate stubble, and more. You can also combine styles like 'goatee with a handlebar mustache.'

Will the beard match my hair color?

The AI automatically matches the beard to your existing hair color and the photo's lighting. If you want a specific color, describe it: 'add a dark brown beard' or 'add a ginger beard.'

Does it work on clean-shaven faces?

Yes, it works best on clean-shaven faces since there's no existing facial hair to conflict with. The AI generates the beard from scratch based on your face shape and jawline.

Can I add a beard to someone else's photo?

Yes. It works on any portrait with a visible face. For group photos, specify who gets the beard: 'add a beard to the person on the right.'

Does it look realistic or obviously fake?

The AI generates hair that follows natural growth patterns with proper density, color variation, and shadows. Shorter styles like stubble and trimmed beards tend to look the most convincing. Very long or unusual beards may look slightly less natural.

See Yourself With a Beard

Upload your photo and try any facial hair style. Free, instant, no signup.

Try Adding a Beard Free