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Some guys choose a beard to help make them look more rugged, others to make them look more sophisticated, more grown-up.
Whatever the reason, there are as many styles of beard as there are face shapes, and finding the right fuzz for you can mean the difference between a beard that rocks and a beard that sucks.
It’s not super difficult, either. Finding the right kind of beard for you depends somewhat on your hairstyle (if you have any hair), and largely on the shape of your face. Presuming that you want to balance out your face and either highlight or tone down particularly strong features, then following Groom+Style’s simple tips for choosing the right beard for your face shape, will ensure that you look good no matter what.
Choosing The Right Beard Requires Common Sense
When it comes down to it, choosing the right beard is easy. As long as you don’t fight what nature’s given you, you can’t go far wrong. As with everything else in life, trying to be something you’re not, will only lead to disappointment in the end.
Be true to the face you have, to the hair you have, and the right beard will find you.
We really can’t hammer this point home hard enough: you don’t really need to choose the right beard for your face, you just have to accept the one that’s right for you. There will be one that’s right for you, and finding it is easy once you understand how that facial hair is related to the shape of your face, and the size of your head.
Identify Your Face Shape, Get The Right Tools Then Style On
Start by identifying the shape of your face (see below) then grow (or continue growing) and shape your beard as you desire – don’t take the process to seriously remember to have fun.
Additional Notes and Pointers
If you want to get really specific with identifying the shape of your face then get a tape measure and write down the following length:
- The length of your forehead
- The length across your cheekbones
- The length of your jawline
- The vertical length of your face – top of your forehead to your chin
If your beard still needs some work then check out Groom+Style’s 10 Tips on how to grow a full beard fast!
Once you have identified your face shape and want to get styling then you will need the right tools (if you do not already have them):
If you are ready to get styling but need some help finding the right lines then we can highly recommend the Cut Buddy which you can find on Amazon. This compact little tool will give you all the options you need to shape, groom, trim or cut your beard along your desired lines.
We’re going into each of these suggestions with the presumption that you want to balance out your face, not exaggerate a particular feature. If you do want to exaggerate a particular feature, for example, making a pointy face look wider, then take our suggestions to the extreme, or reverse them for the opposite effect. |
1. Square Face: Beard Style, Longer on the Chin
Square Face – The length of your forehead, cheekbones and jawline (horizontal lengths); and the length of your face (vertical length) are roughly the same.
Guys with square faces, you’re going to want to bring the facial hair down to the chin. Grow the hair out more on the chin and keep it shorter on the sides and around the cheeks. This will help to create length in your face, while retaining your naturally strong jawline.
2. Round Face: Beard Style, Longer on the Chin
Round Face – The length across your cheekbones (horizontal length) is roughly the same as the length of your face (vertical length).
Just like your square-faced friends, if you’re a guy with a rounder face, then shaping your beard to be longer at the chin and shorter on the sides, can help to elongate your face and make it appear more balanced. Keeping it neat around the edges will also help to strengthen your jawline.
3. Rectangular or Oblong Face: Beard Style, Experiment with Side Length
Rectangular or Oblong Face: The length across your forehead, cheekbones and jawline are roughly the same (horizontal lengths); and the length of your face (vertical length) is longer that the horizontal lengths.
Note – an oblong is effectively a rectangle where all the sides are not of equal length.
The oblong face can be a tough one to stick a beard onto, since your jawline is likely rounded and sweeping, giving you no real feedback about where to go longer or shorter. Our advice, is to keep the beard fairly short all over, and experiment with a length which brings the overall shape into more of a rounded form.
4. Oval Face: Go for Broke, You Lucky Sausage
Oval Face: The length across your cheekbones (horizontal length) is less than the length of the face (vertical length). The length of the forehead is larger than the length of the jawline, and the angle of the jaw is rounded. Think of an American football, which has less pointy ends.
If you have an oval-shaped face, you’re pretty much good to go on any beard. Your jawline sweeps down from wide to a point at the chin, and your bare face is pretty symmetrical and balanced as it is. If you want to find the perfect beard for you, then let it grow out quite a bit, then trim away gradually until you find a style which suits you the best.
For the oval-faced lot, a beard which is even all over, tapering into slightly longer on the chin can work really well. Just remember that you’re more likely to be naturally symmetrical in your face, so complement that with your beard. Don’t go for crazy styles and varying lengths, or you’ll lose the effect of having such a versatile face shape.
Finding the right kind of beard for your face takes time, but if you are going to let that facial hair grow, then it’s important to understand what’s going to work for you. And it all comes back to balance, balance and subtle accentuation. If there’s something about your face that you’re not so hot on, like it’s too long, too short, too square, then use the beard to balance your appearance out in the opposing directions. Likewise, if you’re proud of your strong jawline, then a carefully maintained beard can help to highlight it. |
No matter which stage of the beard growing, designing or shaping process you are at don’t be afraid to talk to everyone about your journey – or at the very least hint that they are free to bestow up you a wide range of beard care gifts!
Enjoy this journey with your facial hair, and don’t be afraid to experiment.
