To recreate Geralt’s familiar starting look, visit an in-game barber, choose the long hairstyle loosely tied back in a ponytail, and select the beard option closest to the appearance you want. The hairstyle can be set directly; the beard is less exact because some short or clean-shaven choices grow fuller as time passes. The Beard and Hairstyle Set is free downloadable content, not a separate grooming item, and it must be installed or enabled for the barber’s cosmetic options to appear.
What “default” means in The Witcher 3
Geralt’s recognizable default hair is the long, pale hair gathered loosely into a ponytail at the back. That description comes from the community-maintained Witcher Wiki rather than CD PROJEKT RED’s DLC announcement, so the exact wording shown in your barber menu can differ by localization, edition, or platform. Look for the long, tied-back silhouette rather than relying on one specific English label.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The original beard is harder to define as a guaranteed menu state. The available documentation does not establish one universal beard label that restores the precise starting beard on every save, platform, and version. Treat beard restoration as a visual match: inspect the previews, choose the closest option, and expect the appearance to change if the selected style is one that grows over time.
Neither hairstyle nor beard selection provides a documented combat, dialogue, quest, or statistical advantage. These are appearance choices made through the barber interface.
#1 Best Overall
- 1205504
- High-quality material
- Durable
- robustness
What you need before changing Geralt’s appearance
The Beard and Hairstyle Set
CD PROJEKT RED described the Beard and Hairstyle Set as free DLC that lets barbers customize Geralt. The company’s 2015 announcement refers to the set as already released, while the Xbox store listing associates the add-on with a May 19, 2015 release date. Those sources differ in how they date the announcement and release, but they agree on the important point for players: the set is an add-on for The Witcher 3, and it is not presented as a paid barber purchase.
A save with access to a barber
You must reach a barber in the game world. The barber, rather than a main-menu character editor, is the documented route for changing Geralt’s hairstyle and beard. If you have never used one, use the location list below as a search aid; it is a community reference, not a publisher-certified map of every barber in every edition.
Optional visual reference
If you are trying to match the opening-game appearance exactly, keep a screenshot or memory of the look beside you while browsing. Menu labels and preview angles can vary, while the tied-back shape and hair length are easier to identify visually.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteStep-by-step: restore the default hairstyle and beard
- Locate a barber. Travel to a known barber location and speak to the barber NPC. Community references list barbers at Kaer Trolde harbor, Svorlag, Claywich, Novigrad’s Gildorf and Bits districts, Oxenfurt, Basane Farm, and the Toussaint Tourney Grounds. Availability can depend on your progress and the edition you are playing.
- Open the hairstyle service. Choose the conversation option that opens hairstyle customization. The publisher confirms that barbers can change Geralt’s hairstyle, but the exact text of the option is not guaranteed to be identical in every localization.
- Identify the long, tied-back style. Cycle through the previews until you find the long hair gathered loosely behind Geralt’s head in a ponytail. Do not select a short cut, a fully loose long style, or a tightly arranged alternative if your goal is the familiar default silhouette.
- Confirm the hairstyle. Accept the selected cut using the confirmation control shown by your platform. If you leave the barber without confirming, the preview may not become Geralt’s active appearance.
- Open beard customization. Return to the barber’s services and choose the beard option. The set contains multiple facial-hair choices, but the evidence does not establish a single universally named “original beard” entry.
- Choose the closest visual match. Compare the preview with the beard Geralt had when you began your playthrough. A clean-shaven or trimmed-short selection may look right initially but can grow toward a fuller beard later, so judge it as a starting state rather than a permanent lock.
- Confirm and leave the barber. Save or continue normally after the service finishes. If the facial hair changes again during later play, return to a barber and select the closest short or clean-shaven option once more.
How to pick the correct hairstyle
Use the silhouette, not an assumed label
The default look is defined by length and arrangement: hair extends well below the ears and is loosely tied behind the head. A menu can call that cut something different in another language or release, so matching the shape is more reliable than searching for a phrase such as “default” or “classic.” The publisher’s promotional wording confirms that hairstyles are barber-controlled, but it does not publish a complete list of menu names.
Do not confuse similar long-hair choices
Several long styles can appear close in a small preview. Check whether the hair is gathered into a low, loose ponytail rather than hanging entirely free or being arranged in a markedly different fashion. Rotate or zoom the preview if your platform provides those controls, and check the back of Geralt’s head before confirming.
Hair is cosmetic only
There is no documented gameplay benefit for selecting the tied-back style. Choose it for continuity with the opening appearance, screenshots, role-playing, or personal preference.
How beard growth affects a restored look
Why the beard may not stay as selected
The Witcher Wiki records that clean-shaven and trimmed-short barber choices can grow toward a fuller beard over time. Consequently, a choice that matches Geralt’s starting face immediately after the barber visit may look different later in the same playthrough. This is expected cosmetic behavior, not evidence that the game failed to save your selection.
Keeping a short or clean-shaven appearance
Inspect Geralt after enough in-game time has passed to see whether the selected facial hair is changing. If it has grown beyond the look you want, visit any barber again and repeat the closest clean-shaven or short-trimmed selection. Because the available evidence does not specify a universal exact label for the original beard, use the preview and your own reference image to decide between neighboring options.
When a fuller beard is acceptable
If your goal is simply to resemble the early-game Geralt rather than duplicate one frame exactly, a short beard that later grows can be a practical choice. It reduces repeat visits while preserving the same general facial-hair shape. There is no documented combat or quest consequence for allowing the beard to grow.
Where to find a barber
The following places are listed by the Witcher Wiki. They are useful community directions, but CD PROJEKT RED’s public DLC description confirms the barber feature without independently confirming this entire location list. Names and access can vary with quest progress, region, or edition.
| Region or settlement | Community-listed location | What is established |
|---|---|---|
| Skellige | Kaer Trolde harbor | Listed by the Witcher Wiki as a barber location. |
| Skellige | Svorlag | Listed by the Witcher Wiki as a barber location. |
| Velen | Claywich | Listed by the Witcher Wiki; access may depend on your progress. |
| Novigrad | Gildorf district | Listed by the Witcher Wiki as a barber location. |
| Novigrad | Bits district | Listed by the Witcher Wiki as a barber location. |
| Oxenfurt | Oxenfurt settlement | Listed by the Witcher Wiki as a barber location. |
| Velen | Basane Farm | Listed by the Witcher Wiki as a barber location. |
| Toussaint | Tourney Grounds | Listed by the Witcher Wiki as a barber location. |
If one listed barber is unavailable, try another region rather than assuming the DLC is missing. A locked area, incomplete quest, or a barber who has not yet been made available can look similar to a content-installation problem.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhat to do if the hairstyle or beard options are missing
1. Verify that the add-on is installed
The Beard and Hairstyle Set is downloadable content. Open your platform’s game-library or add-on management screen and check that the set is installed and enabled for The Witcher 3. Menu names differ between storefronts and console generations, so follow the labels shown by your platform instead of applying an old platform-specific instruction everywhere.
Rank #2
- PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRE: Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.
- Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic.
- Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities. Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings.
- EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLD: Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity. Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas. Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences.
- TRACK DOWN THE CHILD OF PROPHECY: Take on the most important contract of your life: to track down the child of prophecy, the key to saving or destroying this world. In times of war, chase down the child of prophecy, a living weapon foretold by ancient elven legends. Struggle against ferocious rulers, spirits of the wilds, and even a threat from beyond the veil – all hell-bent on controlling this world. Define your destiny in a world that may not be worth saving.
2. Check that the game itself is present
The Xbox store listing states that the add-on requires The Witcher 3. The set cannot function as a standalone barber application. Confirm that the add-on is attached to the same game edition and account that owns or runs your save.
3. Restart after enabling DLC
After installing or enabling the set, close and relaunch the game before checking the barber again. This gives the platform and game a chance to register the add-on. If the options still do not appear, fully quit the game rather than relying only on suspending it.
4. Test a different barber
Use another location from the community list. This separates a local NPC or progression issue from a missing-content issue. If no barber offers customization anywhere, return to the add-on-management screen and recheck installation.
5. Avoid buying a separate “barber item”
The documented system is an in-game service provided by barbers. There is no supported requirement to purchase a physical grooming product or a separate in-game barber item to restore the look.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Platform, edition, and menu-label cautions
The official announcement and store listing establish the DLC’s purpose and free status, but they do not publish a guaranteed menu transcript for every platform. A menu term can change with localization, remaster or edition differences, or a later interface update. Use the visual preview for the hairstyle and beard rather than treating a particular English phrase as mandatory.
The available documentation also does not guarantee that one beard selection will reproduce the starting state identically on every save. Small differences can result from beard growth after the barber visit, from selecting a neighboring trim, or from comparing Geralt at different points in the story. The reliable procedure is to return to a barber, compare previews, and reselect the closest appearance.
Common mistakes and their fixes
Choosing a short haircut because it looks tidy
Short hair is not the default silhouette. Reopen the hairstyle service and select the long cut that is gathered loosely into a ponytail.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Looking for “default” in the beard menu
The evidence does not establish a universal exact beard label. Compare the previews instead, and remember that short or clean-shaven styles can grow.
Assuming growth means the save failed
Growth toward a fuller beard is documented behavior for certain choices. Revisit the barber when the result no longer matches your target.
Applying an old Steam instruction to another platform
CD PROJEKT RED’s 2015 post included a Steam library/DLC enablement note. That historical instruction should not be treated as a universal current procedure. Use your own platform’s add-on manager and confirm the set is enabled for the installed game.
Expecting appearance changes to affect gameplay
The documented choices are cosmetic. They do not provide a stated combat, quest, or statistics benefit, so select them for appearance rather than performance.
Quick restoration checklist
- Confirm The Witcher 3 is installed on the account and platform you are using.
- Check the platform’s DLC manager for the free Beard and Hairstyle Set.
- Find an in-game barber; community-listed locations include Kaer Trolde harbor, Svorlag, Claywich, Novigrad’s Gildorf and Bits districts, Oxenfurt, Basane Farm, and the Toussaint Tourney Grounds.
- Choose the long hairstyle loosely tied back in a ponytail.
- Select the beard preview closest to Geralt’s starting appearance.
- Expect clean-shaven and trimmed-short choices to grow toward a fuller beard over time.
- Return to a barber if growth or a neighboring option changes the look you want.
This procedure restores the recognizable default hair with high confidence and gives you the closest documented route for the beard. Because the sources do not define one universal beard label or guarantee an identical result across every version, visual comparison and occasional barber visits are the dependable way to maintain the appearance.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

